Intense Spider 275C Factory Build - Review
Intense debuted the Spider way back in 2003. At the time, the Spider was a pure cross-country machine—all steep angles, radically-butted aluminum and jittery manners. What does 13 years worth of technological progress get you? This bike right here—the Spider 275C—a bike that’s just as fast out of the gate, but a hell of a lot more capable in technical terrain. Or at least that’s the storyline from Intense. Is this new carbon Spider truly the proverbial “one bike”—the bike that can do it all? We’ll touch on that subject in a bit, but first the basics.
Spider 275C Details
• Intended use: Trail
• Wheel size: 27.5
• Head angle: 67°
• Carbon front and rear triangles
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL
• Weight (as shown, size L w/o pedals): 25 pounds (11.34 kg)
• MSRP: $9,499 USD
• www.intensecycles.com.com / @intensecyclesusa
• Intended use: Trail
• Wheel size: 27.5
• Head angle: 67°
• Carbon front and rear triangles
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL
• Weight (as shown, size L w/o pedals): 25 pounds (11.34 kg)
• MSRP: $9,499 USD
• www.intensecycles.com.com / @intensecyclesusa
Intense wrangles between 130 and 115 millimeters (5.1 to 4.5 inches) of rear suspension out of the Spider 275C frame. Rear-suspension travel is adjustable, courtesy of the bike’s two-position shock mount. The Spider 275C is available in four different build kits, ranging in price from $4,599 for the Foundation build to $9,499 for the top-rung Factory version tested here. Looking for a frame and shock kit? Intense also offers the Spider 275C SL frame, equipped with a Fox Factory Kashima Float EVOL shock, for $3,199.
ISCG05 tabs...an indicator that the Spider 275C veers towards the aggressive side of the trail bike spectrum.
A dual-position shock mount lets you run the Spider 275C with either 130 or 115 millimeters of rear-suspension travel.
Frame Details
The Spider 275C is, in essence, a sleeker, more refined version of the aluminum Spider 275 that Intense introduced last season. To wit, it still sports a muscular-looking, low-slung cockpit, but adds all the latest touches including, Boost 148 rear spacing and a host of ports for internal cable and dropper post routing. There’s even a front derailleur mount if you just can’t leave yours behind. Some people just swing that way.
The Spider 275C also sports ISCG05 tabs, so you can slap on a chain guide if that's your thing. There's also breathing room out back for a healthy 2.35-inch rear tire. While standover clearance doesn’t look terribly impressive on the geo chart, there’s actually a ton of wiggle room between your unmentionables and things that shouldn’t be smacking said unmentionables.
The Factory Build sports a 2.25-inch rear tire, but there's space here for a meatier 2.35-inch model.
Grease injection ports help you keep the lower linkage pivots rolling despite the frequent mud baths it's going to receive.
Of course the real story with the new bike is the carbon frame, or perhaps we should say “frames” because there are actually two versions—a standard version, which shows up on both the $4,599 Foundation Build and $5,899 Expert Build, and the SL model, which is what you get if you go the frame only route or buy either the $6,799 Pro Build or $9,499 Factory Build versions.
What’s the actual difference between the Standard and SL frames? About 300 grams (.66 pounds). Intense pared down the weight savings on the SL frame by using a higher-modulus carbon, which, in turn, allowed them to use a larger mandrel and less actual composite material. The SL frame also sports titanium hardware and a carbon upper link. Despite the use of less composite, Intense says the higher-modulus fiber and different resin help make the SL frame slightly stiffer and stronger than “Standard” sibling. But no matter how you dice it—these things are light. A size Large SL frame weighs in at an impressive 2,655 grams (5.85 pounds).
Suspension Design
Intense calls their suspension design “JS Tuned”. You’re probably going to look at this bike and call that design “VPP” because, let's cut to the chase, Intense licensed the Virtual Pivot Point design from Santa Cruz Bicycles for more than a decade and what you see here is the descendent of that partnership. From here on out, however, Intense’s suspension design lies entirely in house.
Intense is quick to point out that while, yes, the system is composed of two counter-rotating linkages and a floating pivot (just like VPP) the secret in the suspension sauce, so to speak, boils down to their own unique kinematics and shock tuning.
Intense calls their brand of short-dual link suspension “JS Tuned” (the “JS” standing in here for Intense founder and designer Jeff Steber). There are three different configurations of the linkage: XC/Light Trail, Trail/Enduro and Freeride /Park/DH. The Spider, no surprise, rocks the XC/Light Trail linkage.
The Spider 275C also incorporates Intense’s I-BOX pivot junction—a short and stout bit of lower linkage that keeps flex at bay and helps keep the bike’s chainstay nice and short. And by “nice and short”, I mean “damn short”—as in 419 millimeters (16.5 inches).
Geometry
You’re looking at a relatively slack head angle (67 degrees), a fairly low bottom bracket (13.25 inches) and very short chain stays (16.5 inches). The Spider 275C essentially rocks the kind of geometry that the best all-mountain bikes were famous for before the enduro craze came to town a few years ago and transformed so many six-inch travel bikes into super slack, mini-DH rigs.
Specifications
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As befits the price, Intense's Factory Build version of the Spider 275C is loaded with top-shelf components, including a Fox Factory Float 34 fork, XTR brakes, RockShox Reverb dropper post, Renthal bar and stem, and, well you get the idea....
Set-Up
The Factory Build version of the Spider 275C comes equipped with top-shelf suspension bits: a Fox Factory Series Float 34 fork (130-millimters of travel), complete with Kashima-coated stanchions and the three-position FIT4 damper, and a Kashima-coated Float DPS shock with the EVOL air sleeve. Getting the bike to its happy place was fairly straight forward. I played with the suspension in both 25 and 30 percent sag. Twenty-five percent wound up being the lucky number, so to speak. Low-speed compression damping (in the “open” mode) on the Fox fork was something I always fiddled with on a case by case, ride by ride basis.
Some bikes take awhile to gel with, when you’re trying to dial in the cockpit. Not this one. I climbed on the Spider and felt dialed from the get-go. The 780-millimeter wide Renthal Fatbar Carbon and 50-millimeter Renthal Apex stem are sized well to the bike’s generous top tube and though it’s spec that you might expect to see on an all-mountain/enduro bike, it’s a good hint at the Spider 275C’s proclivities.
Lightweight and efficient, the Spider 275C climbs with the best of them. It also boasts good traction under pedaling loads--something you can't say about all short-dual link designs.
Climbing
Climbing is generally the strong suit for a short-dual link bikes and that’s definitely true here. There were plenty of days when I just didn’t feel like bothering with even flipping the shock into its middle setting. Fireroad spins in wide open “descend” mode? You bet. The Spider is impressively efficient.
On days when I was feeling feisty and out-of-the-saddle efforts were the plan of attack, I’d opt to take advantage of the little blue lever, but I still never fully “locked” the shock out. Didn’t need to. Climbing traction, it’s worth noting, is quite good—even you are taking advantage of the Float DPS shock’s middle compression-damping setting.
The Spider’s relatively steep effective seat angle and its sheer lack of heft (25 pounds, right on the nose) help make cleaning steep and technical climbs fairly painless, but the bike would still climb well in one of its heavier, less swank packages: it’s fundamentally based on a suspension design that does a good job of quelling suspension squat.
The Spider 275C doesn't give you the massive margin for error that comes courtesy of a heavier, burlier, longer-travel package, but when ridden aggressively, you can have a hell of a good time trying to find this bike's limits.
Descending
Intense has created a bike that’s light and efficient enough to be raced cross-country, but if that’s all you did with this thing, you’d be sorely wasting its potential.
I’m not going to say that this is “the one bike”. I haven’t the faintest clue of what that phrase means to you. For all I know, you could be wearing a heart rate monitor and planning your next afternoon of interval training. Or maybe you’re caressing your full-face helmet this very instant. Each of those riders has a wildly different version of the “one bike”. But I will say this—Intense has made a ridiculously fun bike to ride.
A lot of bikes get called “nimble” or “flickable”. The new Spider 275c, however, is the real deal. You know that line that’s too tight for you to nail? That stops being a problem when you’re on this bike. I know, that sounds like marketing bullshit, but I kept finding new lines that I’d never even seen before…and I was riding trails that I’ve barreled down dozens and dozens of times. Moreover, the Spider is the kind of bike that has you aiming for and popping off of every possible little booter on the trail.
The Spider 275C boasts a geometry that's in line with what you'd find on many all-mountain bikes. This doesn’t mean, however, that the Spider 275C also gives you the same kind of margin for error that you get with a burlier, longer-travel package…
The Spider encourages—begs you, really—to get rowdy on the trail. As a result, there were times, frankly, when I also wound up hitting bigger things at much higher speeds than I should have, given the bike’s 130 millimeters of rear suspension. The Spider 275C’s suspension is so capable over technical terrain and geometry is so dialed that you might wind up pushing beyond the limits of its travel. On the upside, you’ll have a very good time finding those limits.
Rotational weight will crap all over your inner rainbow. While these DT Swiss XMC 1200s aren't cheap, they are both light and durable.
Kind of the gold-rims and diamonds treatment--XX1 rear derailleur and shifter meets Race Face Next SL cranks. Result? Serious bling...and solid shifting.
Component Check
• Wheels and Tires: The Factory Build includes a set of the very swank, DT Swiss XMC 1200 Spline wheels. At 1,410 grams, these things are feathery and roll up to speed right quick, yet sport a healthy 24-millimeter internal width, which plays nice with bigger tires. Tire choice was conservative: a 2.35 and 2.25 front and rear Schwalbe Nobby Nic. Lightweight, decent traction…not the most durable tire out there, but a capable all-rounder. On the upside, given the light wheelset, you could eventually add some burlier and grippier rubber to the Spider without feeling like you were saddling the bike with cement boots.
• Shimano XTR Brakes: A bit of a surprise given the bike’s SRAM-centric drivetrain, but plenty of product managers are still banking on Shimano’s reputation for reliability. I'm more of a fan of how SRAM Guide brakes actually feel, but true to form, these XTR brakes performed flawlessly throughout the test.
• SRAM XX1 / Race Face Next SL 1x11 drivetrain: You could get a lot of the same shifting performance for a lot less money, but there’s no denying that Intense assembled a ruthlessly lightweight and precise drivetrain here.
Pinkbike's Take:
 | Light enough to be raced cross-country, yet capable enough to tackle seriously technical trails. Intense just popped out the proverbial unicorn. If you are looking for an all-mountain or enduro bike that will consistently save your bacon, you should opt for something with a bit more travel. As an all purprose trail bike, however, this thing is way more fun than it has a right to be. - Vernon Felton |
Visit the high-res gallery for more images from this review
About the Reviewer
Stats: Age: 44 • Height: 5'11” • Inseam: 32" • Weight: 175lb • Industry affiliations / sponsors: None In 1988 Vernon started riding mountain bikes—mainly to avoid the people throwing cans of Budweiser at him during his road rides. At some point, roughly when Ronald Reagan was president and Hüsker Dü was still a band, he began loving mountain bikes on their own terms. Vernon Felton spends most of his time riding bikes, thinking about bikes, thinking about riding bikes and then riding some more on the wet and filthy trails of Bellingham, Washington. If it has a greasy chain and two wheels on it, he’s cool with it. Except for recumbents. Well, okay, maybe those too. Nah, forget it. No recumbents.
Stats: Age: 44 • Height: 5'11” • Inseam: 32" • Weight: 175lb • Industry affiliations / sponsors: None In 1988 Vernon started riding mountain bikes—mainly to avoid the people throwing cans of Budweiser at him during his road rides. At some point, roughly when Ronald Reagan was president and Hüsker Dü was still a band, he began loving mountain bikes on their own terms. Vernon Felton spends most of his time riding bikes, thinking about bikes, thinking about riding bikes and then riding some more on the wet and filthy trails of Bellingham, Washington. If it has a greasy chain and two wheels on it, he’s cool with it. Except for recumbents. Well, okay, maybe those too. Nah, forget it. No recumbents.
Author Info:
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Steep seat angles, not only better for shifting the seated weight forward for climbing, but means that the bike will fit riders with their height in their legs - we don't end up over the back wheel with the saddle up.
Intense bike's geometry is first rate.
His seat is hardly clear when its fully dropped.......
The stack is the same for L and XL and the L/XL are only 11mm higher than the medium.
I'd really like a go on one of these!
Santa Cruz and ibis seem to fair best on used market, from what ive seen.
This bike is sick but I think Intense has an uphill battle with this strategy. First, this historical perception to overcome. And second, this model limits access to Intense bikes for those who don't have dealers close by.
My closest Intense dealer is 110 miles each way. Been there, done that and not doing it again. When I went to buy a Smuggler, Transition sold to me direct so that I didn't have to travel as the closest dealer was 85 miles away. Paid full retail but didn't have to travel to a dealer that I would never return to other than for a warranty issue. This model seems to control the pricing and distribution issue(s) while not limiting your potential sales base.
Mtbr.com did very brief comparison in their review today.
www.pinkbike.com/news/intense-spider-pro--review-2015.html
If so, then bike industry is getting the wrong direction...!
Thanks for the informative, well written review. I'm considering buying the Spider 275C (haven't ridden it) and am currently riding a 2016 Process 134 DL. I know you're familiar with the Process, so I'm hoping you wouldn't mind giving me a sense of the difference in the two rides?
Maybe give that 5010 another go, often one demo ride can feel weird as your body/brain is intuitively seeking a similar ride feel to what your current bike offers. Last September, after way too much 'net research and demo rides of competitor bikes, I caught a good deal on a near-new 2014 5010 CC w/140mm Pike (1x11 XTR/XT, 26lbs). The first ride seemed awkward (coming off a 2008 Trance X2, 3x9 XT), especially noticeable was the slacker head angle causing wandering on climbs. By the end of my second ride (4hrs in total) the bike began feeling natural to me. Of course most of us want a bike that hits the Holy Grail of fun feel plus, as you noted, is actually faster than our prior bike on both climbs and descents. Within a week I noticed my fun factor was comparable to that familiar eager early season mode and Strava revealed both uphill and downhill speeds were increasing on every trail.
FWIW, comparison-wise, I live in one of the little MTB meccas in BC with plenty of grunt up, grin down, rocky terrain.
AND if I could spend 16k on a bike, I wouldn't. $4000 gets you a bike thats kicks ass.
You'll be able to get a carbon non x1 build of this bike for less than 4k at the end of the model year.
I feel like most of the people buying bikes like this are probably working at their crappy dayjob during the day then taking the last couple free hours in their busy schedule to go jam out on their awesome bike, not comment on pinkbike about how expensive it is.
When I'm at home watching my kids, while they're asleep I get on pinkbike to kill some time before bed. I also comment while pooping.
Multitasking FTMFW
Also, 16k cad would get you a used '92 rockhopper here
Can you tell me about the sizing on this bike? Do you remember? Unless I overlooked that you did not mention what size you rode here... and I'm about an inch taller than you at 6'0" / 183 cm... I am trying to figure out which is better the L or XL, as I am right in the middle. Any advice? Thanks!
Anyone else have comments on the sizing of this bike? At 6'0" I am usually in the middle of the large range... looking at the size guide for these bikes I am on the tall side for a large and the short side for an XL... anyone with insight on this?
Which is still a wicked ride IMHO but don't forget its MSRP was hovering at the top-tier of the 2010 price range when new, as is this bike.
The JS axle path is changed from VPP in these ways: The initial part of the "s" turn happens within a shorter distance of the travel resulting in a "mid-stroke" that is wider. Because of the change in that action, it also has a much less pronounced feel on the pedals than that of VPP. The secondary part of the "s" turn is farther into the the axle path as well, which results in a much steeper leverage ratio within the rear shock. That gives a shorter travel shock a more "bottomless" feel without additional volume spacers installed. Shorter links also give JS a "one-up" on VPP, too as it increases structural stability and a stiffer complete frame.
Where it is similar: counter-rotating links. stability under braking forces with minimal impact to the bike’s geometry.
I could also use comparisons of Four-Bar designs to further describe how a similar linkage design results in a "not even close" statement between Specialized, Norco and YT. All use the same "in-front-of and below rear-axle-pivot" design with different names and each have their own distinct ride quality and axle-path.
I guess that the weak US Patent broad brush stroke descriptions that protect a design are a bit confusing to me, so I could be easily proven "wrong" and that JS might be considered VPP (or Norco could be called FSR), but I think that if the axle path changes, the brand name of the movement is no longer valid.
Ok, so it's VPP with altered geometry and a different name.
With a 140 fork and resultant 67.1 degree HA, the current version doesn't really need updating unless your desperatefor boost...
Is anyone racing x-country on 2.8 tires?