We caught up with Joe Breeden at the British Downhill National Championships. Joe has been out with injury since the Fort William round of the downhill World Cup, where he suffered a comminuted compound fracture to his elbow.
Joe was back to take on the rough track of Glencoe. It wasn't the most ideal place to make a comeback from this type of injury, with the Scottish track being brutal and rock filled along with the standard Scottish rain showing up in June to make a tough track even harder.
Joe's Intense M279 HP1 is a very public prototype and in the world of embargoes and cover-over bikes Intense have chosen to go the other way instead. They have been prototyping in plain sight and at the highest level of the sport.
| She eats!—Joe Breeden |
The Intense M279 HP1 prototype is high pivot, Horst Link design. Joe is riding a custom size that would equate to a size large, with the linear rocker link.
It is no surprise to see the Fox Factory 40 on the front of Joe's bike. He is running 85psi with 4 tokens, and he is running the following clicks of rebound and compression: HSR 7, LSR 6, HSC 7, LSC 5 (Joe didn't tell me from what position the clicks are from, but I'm assuming they're from fully closed). There are still the mounting points for the suspension telemetry system that the Intense Factory Racing team use to gather data. I asked Joe if the telemetry kit is noticeable when he's riding with it fitted and he said he doesn't even notice it's there.
The same telemetry mounts can be seen on the Fox X2 Coil Shock which has a 550 lb/in spring fitted with the preload set to 5 clicks from no free play. As well as the following clicks of rebound and compression: HSR 3, LSR 10, HSC 6, LSC 9.
It's a set of e*thirteen wheels for Joe's Intense with the LG DH wheelset selected. Wrapped around these is a set of Vee Tire Co.'s newest prototypes. There is no Sharpieing of side walls here. There are no inserts fitted to Joe's wheels but they are tubeless and running 23psi in the front and 27psi in the rear. Joe currently has the bike running a mullet set up too.
Isn’t that what everyone wants in a brake?
I can’t see anyone asking for a weak and inconsistent brake with a wandering bite point…
also, most people complaining about their brakes is due to inexperience, lack of maintenance knowledge, or bad maintenance. dragging your brakes down the entire blue trail at a bike park is a good way to ensure they heat up and work like shit the rest of the day.
The upper bearings sure have to deal with great forces especially in the first part of travel.
Also, what really shows where the forces are concentrated are the extra sheets of aluminum reinforcing the rear end of the seatstays and the front of the chainstays. Having an all metal prototype reveals a lot more than a plastic one.
www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/G-Out-Project-LOURDES,13628/Intense-Prototype,149999/sspomer,2
www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/G-Out-Project-Croatia-World-Cup-DH,11686/YT-TUES-Bottom-Out,121432/sspomer,2
How so picky...
Weight: kilos...
Pinkbike make up your mind. Either one, or the other, or maybe both?
Hopefully they'll make the production version capable of running 29" wheels as well as 27.5". Mullet-only isn't cool. That choice should be left to the rider.
which is also Incredibly Large
and doubles as a boomerang weapon in any survival situation
Worth noting, pinned connections only allow rotation in one direction. So side-loads can be translated to the shock, which can reduce lifespan.