INTENSE SPIDER 275
Carbon speed machine for every rider
The Spider is one of Intense’s flagship models and has been the do-it-all bike ever since it was introduced all the way back in 1990. The bike has seen many iterations, with at least five different versions released in that time frame. The bike has been tirelessly reworked over the years, with countless prototype mules built, most of which probably ended up in the aluminum recycling bin behind the Temecula, California, factory. The builders at Intense are perfectionists, and this latest version of the Spider is a product of that perfectionism.
When Intense sets out to create a new bike like the Spider Carbon, riders can rest assured the design has been rigorously tested by not only Intense’s pro riders (Brian Lopes and Shaun Palmer), but also by the mad scientist and founder of Intense. Jeff Steber. Steber is one of the only guys we know in the industry who can truly build a bike from start to finish. He can do everything from coming up with the design to machining Press-Fit frame parts to welding and assembly. With that kind of expertise backing a bike, you know it’s not going to be a me-too bike; instead, it will be one that Jeff and his crew truly want to ride. We brought in the new Spider 275 to see if the 5-inch-travel bike could truly “do it all.”
WHO IS IT MADE FOR?
The term “do-it-all trailbike” is thrown around a lot, but the Spider seeks to back up this bold claim with a short-travel, efficient design built around a new-school geometry that’s capable of tackling more difficult trails. While cross-country racers might prefer something more svelte, and gravity or enduro specialists might prefer more travel, the Spider sits comfortably in Intense’s lineup as a bike that will satisfy the needs of the largest cross-section of trail riders.
WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?
Intense built the first generation of this Spider out of aluminum to work out the bugs before coming to the table with the carbon superbike tested here. The carbon version not only sports the obvious material upgrade and a significant weight reduction, but also a longer top tube, better standover height and better overall feel. The full-carbon frame sports 5.3 inches of rear wheel travel with Intense’s Steber-Tuned suspension design, named for the company’s founder. The design is similar to other dual-link systems, but sports it own kinematics to make the ride quality uniquely “Intense.” The frame offers all the modern amenities, including a new Boost 12×148-millimeter rear axle for stiffness and hub compatibility.
Shorty rear end: The Spider has very short chainstays, which make the bike impressively maneuverable. Combined with the low weight of our build kit, this bike could whip around any tight switchback, whether it was uphill or down.
Nifty axle: The Spider uses a Boost 148-millimeter spaced rear axle to keep the rear end stiff and short. The axle itself is a unique thread-in with a lock-bolt design that stayed tight and true throughout our testing.
WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT?
The Spider 275C is available with three different build kits to suit a wide range of budgets. Our bike came with the Factory build kit, which offers the highest end components that would make any factory sponsored athlete jealous. The SRAM XX1 drivetrain coupled with Shimano XTR brakes and Renthal cockpit work flawlessly. The entry-level “Foundation” build kit, which comes with a mix of Shimano SLX parts and the exact same frame, is priced at $4600.
Tried and true: DT-Swiss has been a favorite of the Mountain Bike Action test crew for many years. Their hubs are simply bul- letproof and hold together the XMC carbon wheels with a quick engagement and flawless action. We couldn’t think of a better wheelset for this bike.
HOW DOES IT PERFORM?
Setting sag: The Spider’s setup is made simple with air-sprung Fox suspension front and rear. We set the Spider to 30-percent sag front and rear and hit the trail, using the single air-valve adjustments on both the fork and shock. Compression and rebound damper adjustments are also made simple with Open, Medium and Firm settings front and rear. Don’t be intimidated by the huge number of clicks for the rebound and low-speed compression damping. Simply put them near the middle of their range to start, as we did. Then, use them to fine-tune the suspension feel as you get used to the bike.
Travel adjustable: The Spider comes with two travel settings, which can be adjusted by changing the shock’s mounting position on the upper rocker. Since the bike handled so sweetly and climbed so well, we didn’t find a need to go to the shorter-travel setting at all.
Steber-Tuned: The Spider uses a dual-link suspension design with rockers that rotate together. The system is similar to the virtual pivot designs used by other companies. However, the Steber-Tuned suspension is unique to Intense and creates a ride quality all its own.
Geometry improvements: The Spider’s modern geometry features a long “front center” (the distance between the bottom bracket and the tire contact patch), relatively short chainstays, a slack head angle and a steep seat tube angle. The bike puts the rider in an aggressive-feeling position right over the pedals, but it doesn’t feel like it’s going to pitch you over the bars on a steep descent. It appears Intense listened to the critiques of the aluminum version and made some adjustments.
Climbing: The Spider is designed to be an efficient machine that can climb as well or better than it descends. Our test riders were impressed with the forward-feeling geometry, which puts the rider in an aggressive position for heading uphill. This bike is a full 6 pounds lighter than the aluminum version we tested previously and climbs like a Sherpa on a cocaine bender. The lightweight wheels, dialed geometry and active suspension make it as easy to float uphill on long grinder climbs as it is to hit punchy and quick ascents with confidence.
Bar-draggin’ fun: The Spider is a quick-handling bike. It’s fast and nimble, but that doesn’t stop it from shredding berms too. The well-rounded nature of the Spider is what makes it the most fun to ride.
Cornering: The long front center and aggressive geometry of the Spider make the bike handle both fast and technical corners better than most bikes in this category. The 13.8-inch bottom bracket height is fairly neutral, but the center of gravity still feels fairly low, helping the bike carve corners with ease. The Spider’s handling is quick by enduro standards but stable by cross-country standards. It’s clear that Intense designed this bike to have its foot in both camps for cornering.
Descending: The Spider is a relatively short-travel bike, but it feels as if it’s the product of a trailbike and enduro bike love affair. On descents the Spider can put gaps on other bikes in the same travel category thanks to a plush and active suspension design that devours trail chatter and even larger trail obstacles, including jumps and drops. The geometry and suspension are designed for descending, and it shows in the ride characteristics.
Earn the turns: Climbing is one of the Spider’s strong suits, and that was a huge plus for our test riders who refuse to take a shuttle to the top of the hill. While this thing is truly capable on the descents, you can rest assured this rider paid the pain tax of climbing up first.
Possibly the most notable improvement of the carbon Spider over the aluminum one, aside from the weight, is the reduction in noise. Comparing most other full-suspension bikes to this bike is a bit like comparing a completely silent hang glider to sitting on the wing of a propeller plane that hasn’t had the oil changed since World War II. This bike is impressively silent over the rockiest trails, and that’s thanks to the smart internal cable routing, custom-built chain-and seatstay guards, and the impeccable performance of the SRAM XX1 drivetrain.
Braking: The Steber-Tuned suspension design does an adequate job keeping brake feedback at bay, which makes the bike feel active in nearly any situation, giving confidence to the rider. The Shimano XTR brakes are a crew favorite and never let us down.
TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?
Our Spider came with Intense’s top-of-the-line build, which included carbon DT-Swiss XMC-1200 wheels and a Shimano/ SRAM build kit that would make a World Cup racer, or even Steve McQueen for that matter, jealous. Rest assured, though, Intense offers this bike in several build kits that don’t require you to be a movie star to afford them.
Fox 34 with upgrades: The front suspension detail on our test bike was handled by a Fox 34 fork, but we replaced the standard QR15 axle with one of Fox’s Kabolt axles. This is a quick and easy upgrade for any 15-millimeter axle Fox fork, and one you should consider if you’re saving precious grams.
BUYING ADVICE
The Spider 275C offers both cross-country efficiency and ultra-capable suspension performance, much like the aluminum version we tested previously. The carbon version takes the bike to a whole new level with even better geometry than last year’s aluminum version. It then takes it another step further by delivering a lighter package that climbs as well as it descends, feels buttery smooth over rocky terrain and is whisper-quiet while doing all of it. This is a bike we can truly recommend for a huge cross-section of riders, whether they are cross-country weight weenies looking for a bit more travel, enduro racers looking for the most efficient complete package or simply trail riders who want to have more fun on the trail than they ever thought was possible before.
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