Following on the heels of its successful Tracer 275 27.5in-wheeled aluminum enduro chassis, Intense Cycles has released the carbon fiber Tracer 275C. Carrying over are the 160/140mm (6/5.5in) convertible VPP2 rear suspension design, burly frame layout and unmistakable Intense styling. Subtle changes to the frame geometry enhance its downhill capabilities even further, however, while carbon fiber construction sheds heaps of weight.
Companies often develop carbon versions of a popular alloy bike to reduce weight and the move has certainly had a huge impact here. Whereas a medium Tracer 275 aluminum frame weighs about 8lb with shock, Intense says the new Tracer 275C is just 5.7lb – a drop of nearly 30 percent.
Intense has also added an extra-wide PF92 press-fit bottom bracket shell, fixed 142x12mm thru-axle rear dropouts instead of the standard Tracer's convertible G1 units, rubberized protectors for the down tube and driveside chainstay, and internal cable routing that's thankfully fully guided throughout for easier servicing. There's also now room for a single water bottle mount inside the main triangle for non-piggyback shock options.
Carryover features from the standard Tracer 275 include the tapered 1 1/8-to-1 1/2in head tube, high direct mount front derailleur tab, integrated ISCG05 chain guide tabs, and built-in grease ports on the lower suspension link.
Geometry will be similar to the aluminum Tracer but not identical. Intense has slackened the head tube slightly to 66.5 degrees for more confident high-speed handling while the bottom bracket has crept up a tad from a ground-scraping 13.3in to a still-low 13.5in to reduce the chance of pedal strikes. The seat tube angle is a little more laid-back, too, but reach remains essentially unchanged so riders making the switch should easily be able to reproduce their current positions.
As with Intense's other carbon full-suspension frames, the front and rear triangles will be molded in Asia but just about everything else (such as the machined aluminum suspension links and custom hardware) will still be produced at Intense's headquarters in Temecula, California, and shared with the standard Tracer.
Intense will offer the Tracer 275C as a frame kit or one of three complete builds with claimed weights ranging from 26.5lb to 28.5lb. The top-end Factory version will come with a SRAM XX1 drivetrain, 160mm-travel RockShox Pike RCT3 fork, RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 rear shock, RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post, Shimano XTR brakes, Enve Composites AM carbon wheels and a Renthal cockpit for US$9,999.
The Pro build will cost US$6,599 and come with the same RockShox suspension bits and dropper seatpost but a SRAM XO1 drivetrain, Shimano Deore XT brakes, and Stan's NoTubes ZTR Flow EX wheels.
The US$5,999 Expert build switches to Fox Float CTD Evolution suspension, a Shimano Deore XT 2x10 drivetrain and brakes, and a house-brand cockpit.
All of the new bikes and frames should be in stores now.