Interview: Jack Moir - "I Always Wanted to do a Full EWS Season, but Never Planned on it Being This Soon"

Feb 6, 2020
by James Smurthwaite  
Jack Moir Canyon Strive


Jack Moir turned a lot of heads today when he was announced as Canyon's new enduro signing. The Aussie racer had been part of Intense's downhill set up for the past five years and it was assumed he'd be only a few hundred metres away in another team's pit for 2020.

Instead, Jack is switching over to enduro, admittedly a little earlier than he imagined, after some crossed wires in the offseason. We caught up with Jack to get the full story on his late-season move, his new enduro ambitions and his goals for the year ahead.





What are your highlights from 5 years on the Intense Team?


2016, 2017 and 2018 were a lot of fun. There were just so many good times travelling with mates. On top of that, we ticked off some pretty crazy goals of mine. So many memories that I’ll never forget.


Just as the rain started to pick up Jack Moir finally lived up to his potential and put down the run we ve all been waiting for.


How do you look back on the 2019 season?


2019 was by far my worst season yet. My overall was worse than the year before where I missed four World Cups due to injury. It was just a really frustrating year for me, struggling with a bunch of different things. Kind of feels like a waste of a year as I know I was riding good after a couple of rounds and training was going well, but there were a few things out of my control that were making it hard for me to race comfortably and to my full potential.


What made you decide to move on from the team after 5 years?


I was really struggling with my setup, I was uncomfortable and didn’t have any confidence in the new setup. Halfway through the season, I realised that nothing was going to change and I was getting over trying to race like that.

I had a few teams reach out to me so I started discussing options to see if there was anything that would suit me better. It was definitely going to be a hard decision, but in the end Intense didn’t have a place for me on the team for this year, so I guess it was meant to be.


Why are you not racing downhill this year?


It was a super stressful offseason for me. Long story short, I signed a LOI [Letter of Intent] with another team right after Snowshoe, and waited around a while for a contract, but was then told they had decided to shut down their whole downhill program. I immediately got in contact with the other teams I had been talking to during the season, but by this time everyone was sorted. I was pretty close to calling it and not doing any racing this season, but then I got chatting to Wyn and Eddie Masters who passed on some enduro team contacts. I got talking with Fab, and the opportunity to race a full EWS series, and still be able to do some downhill World Cups really interested me.


Only superfans will know Jack Moir famed mostly for his insanely fast mountain bike racing is also one of the best spin bowlers in the world.


What made you pick your new team over the rest of the offers?


I had a few good options for downhill towards the end of the season but obviously made the wrong decision there. Which looking back on it was probably a blessing in disguise, I was not 100% happy racing last year and this change has me really motivated to see what I can accomplish.

The Canyon deal came together just before the New Year. I was lucky that Flo was moving on and a spot had opened up with them. I’m very grateful to pick up a ride with such a successful team, especially so late in the year. The bikes are obviously insane with the whole enduro team finishing in the top 5 last year, and the downhill guys killing it as well. I’m also back at home with Maxxis and SRAM, who I had been working with pretty much my whole career before 2019.


photo


What bikes will you be riding this year?


I will be riding the 29er Strive for enduro and the Sender for downhill. I’ve just spent a couple of weeks in France riding the Strive and testing with SRAM and am pumped on the setup. Still waiting on the Sender but am pretty keen to get going on that and race DH National Champs next month.


Have you wanted to race more EWS races in the past?


Yeah, I have raced 3 EWS races over the last few years and I always wanted to do a full EWS season, but never planned on it being this soon.


You’ve never finished outside the top 10 at the EWS before, do you think it’s a format that suits you well?


I had a heap of fun at the EWS races I did. I think longer tracks suit me better for sure, and all the races I did had really cool terrain. The tracks were natural and raw, and I think everyone loves riding this style of track. I’m going to have to change my training a lot but I think the hardest thing for me is going to be learning how to race a track fast after only one practice run.


How have you had to change up your training for the EWS?


The volume of training has gone up a bit, and there is a lot more road riding haha.


photo


Do you have plans to return to downhill racing in future?


I’m still going to do a couple of downhill World Cups this year. It's awesome how open these guys are to letting me still race downhill when I want. There are a few tracks I like that seem to fit in with the EWS schedule well, without making it too busy.


Are you coming into the new season with no injuries?


Yeah. The last two seasons have started with injury so it’s good to be healthy and feeling good.


What are your goals for this season?


It’s all pretty new to me, and a lot of new things to learn. Those guys are insane athletes, so I don’t expect to come in the first race and set the world on fire. But the rest of the team are awesome and hopefully I can learn a lot through there experience and progress as the season goes on. I’m just going to train hard, do my best at the races and see where I end up.

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172 Comments
  • 153 3
 Reading between the lines here: kind of seems like Intense is only really focused on finding the gwinning formula...
  • 52 1
 Yeah seems like a pretty strong indictment of the new Intense/Gwin regime. Then again Gwin didn't exactly kill it last year either.

Gwin is testing a new frame, so maybe everyone just hated the M29? It sure looks the business...
  • 25 2
 @Drew-O: I mean, the M29 was pretty much designed by Jack's input and he did well on it during development.
  • 20 2
 @Drew-O: it's interesting ay. jack didn't feel comfortable on it, gwin was never comfortable on it (kept switching between sizes), and it seems theyre totally redesigning rather than tweaking it for the next model. It seems they mightve just got the formula totally wrong - which is a shame because it looks beautiful
  • 32 0
 @Drew-O: Unfortunate, but I'm not sure it's an "indictment." Jack was clearly having a riot with the previous team. New team comes along, different team, different personalities... I could see jack and Gwin and Niko not being the best of homies. Not necessarily anyones fault. Glad he was able to round something up, but I'm bummed to see him leave the full circuit.
  • 4 1
 @Preachey: Like with the 951 .... Until the ones on 27.5 wheels they were crap... just looked good
  • 11 0
 @Drew-O: not just the frame. Suspension, brakes, tires, basically the whole setup.
  • 2 20
flag jorgeposada (Feb 5, 2020 at 22:06) (Below Threshold)
 Wish him the best best but can3 see him doing great in such a stacked field. Prove me wrong.
  • 14 43
flag ButtermilkBar (Feb 5, 2020 at 22:16) (Below Threshold)
 @jorgeposada: The ews field isn't nearly as stacked as World Cup DH, he should finish top 10 easy. The top talent and the big money is still in DH.
  • 39 8
 @ButtermilkBar: not as stacked ? lol you have no idea
  • 8 0
 @makripper: i think it‘s more of what you just said. different feeling brakes and tires can play a huge role in your comfort level.
  • 14 1
 @Drew-O: keep in mind Jack also had to deal with new suspension, new tires, new drivetrain, new brakes and new components. That would be a pretty big adjustment for most.
  • 41 37
 Reading between the lines here: Intense is shit and we all know it.
  • 6 0
 @ButtermilkBar: already 3 top 10: you're wrong.
  • 13 0
 And it is quite obvious that it wasn't just the gear that drove him on. Quite possible that Intense put all their effort into supporting Gwinn and neglected Moir.
  • 2 0
 @kiddlivid: Yeah to me it seemed he did well on the Alu prototype frame but then didn't perform as well on the finished carbon version?
  • 21 2
 @ButtermilkBar: what are you saying buddy sam hill, martin maes have proven they are better than most of the downhill racer on a downhill track and I think Rude and Dailly could do aswell and not many downhill racer can beat guys like Melamed, Master, Oton and Nicolaï in enduro. I think both discipline are nearly on the same level of talent
  • 22 0
 Maybe it's the Kenda factor
  • 9 12
 The m29 is an ugly design. Kill it with fire
  • 14 18
flag chriskneeland (Feb 6, 2020 at 5:44) (Below Threshold)
 @fracasnoxteam: Intense bikes have sucked for a long time. Fancy plastic and paint jobs don't win races. If they haven't learned it by now they never will.
  • 1 1
 It is a brutal industry as I have seen the year end shuffle for some of the of the world's best riders get shut out without sponsors. It not not that different than musical chairs. The industry does't pay well enough to have sports agents involved, for most riders, to shop those deals and negotiate for the riders.
  • 15 7
 In the industry of partying Gwin is all business. This is different but not a bad thing. I think bringing him into the party changed the party to business. Let's be honest...Intense needs to focus on business if it wants to remain one.

You can't adjust in a year. There is not magic pill. It will take a few to reformat. Look what Gwin left behind at Trek, Specialized, and YT. Bikes that work well. It will take another year or two to get it right. I would say they are already doing a good job by consolidating a bunch of frames into one trail bike that I have said for years if the primer was a 150/140 it would be perfect...done.

Intense finally realized it was time to grow up...or at least that's what their creditors were telling them. Gwin I believe is at the very back end of his racing career. He has the potential to move on to development as he has helped brands define a strategy for a bike that works. That knowledge doesn't go away.
  • 6 1
 @Drew-O: No, everyone just hates KENDA and seems like Jack didn't like fox suspension
  • 21 0
 @SnowshoeRider4Life: Possible! I could see how the new guy coming in (Gwin) and the team mandating that everyone use the suspension, tires, brakes etc. that Gwin used could be pretty disruptive.

Given that Isabeau won every EWS event last year on an Intense, and all the past success of Jeff Steber's designs, I don't think "Intense doesn't know how to make bikes" is the conclusion to draw.
  • 3 0
 @Drew-O: Agree and there were plenty of others riding well on their frames (DH and Enduro). Aside from the components, there is a lot to be said about team chemistry and, outwardly, it didn't appear they had much of that at all....well at least compared to the previous years Jack was with Charlie and Dean. That would have been a hard thing to replicate as they were all starting to come into their own around the same time. It appears they also changed the pit crew structure as well. Again, maybe not for the bad but change is change and sometimes it works for those that were there before and part of the new structure and other times it doesn't. End of day, if folks were winning, none of this would even be talked about.
  • 3 2
 @Drew-O: yea i that's what i think too. I like my fox 36 but i can't really stand how the fox 40 feels. I prefer my boxxer to the 40 any day.
  • 3 1
 @SnowshoeRider4Life: Hannah seems to ride pretty well on them ehm? And Aaron did pretty well too in Maribor, then crashed in Fort William...Most if not all reviews of hellkats also strongly disagree with you.Sooo maybe it´s just Gwin not delivering, just like last year.
  • 3 10
flag ButtermilkBar (Feb 6, 2020 at 8:54) (Below Threshold)
 @Tartiflettev10: Hill stopped racing DH because of poor results in DH and then he dominated enduro immediately. In 2016 his World Cup results were 29, 28, 31, 38, and a dns. Maes wc results have been 78, 10, 1, and 19. I'm not saying these guys aren't fast, they obviously are. But World Cup DH racing is still a step above.

I can't prove it but I would guess the top 5 DH racers are probably making around twice as much money a year than the top 5 ews racers. Because they are consistently faster on a bigger, more intense stage. You could make the argument that some racers excel in enduro because of the style of racing, they are different sports in that enduro is more fitness oriented.
  • 6 0
 @ButtermilkBar:

The mental game of the two sports is also hugely different. In one, you get to practice the same track repeatedly leading up to the race. Then it all comes down to a single 4-5 minute run. Some people totally respond to that pressure and can put it all on the line for the single run.

In EWS, you don't have as much time to scout the lines, but you also get multiple stages in which to recover from mistakes (or not be able to recover on the mental side, and just keep going downhill). It's a totally different mental game. I can see a lot of DH races (especially younger ones) having a hard time adapting to the mental game of enduro. You have a bad stage and get down on yourself, then the next stage is bad, and the next. Have to be able to put mistakes behind you and know you can make up for it later. Conversely: knowing you dominated a stage or a first day of racing, then having to deal with the pressure of trying to maintain that lead while not making any mistakes. Totally different head game from DH. It's almost like a whole DH season playing out over a single race. And, as you mentioned, there's also the fitness involved.
  • 4 6
 @SnowshoeRider4Life: he said before he loved fox suspensions, when he says he is happy to be back on SRAM and Maxxis it literally means he hated TRP brakes and Kenda. Rock sucks has nothing to do with it.
  • 2 1
 I feel like IFR goofed up by focusing so much on Gwin. Neko is an awesome rider in his own right and I hope to see him get good results, but they should've invested more in Jack or another consistent top 10 rider to hedge against Gwin having a bad season.
  • 4 2
 @Boosting: Idk but I haven't met anyone who hated trp, that kool-aid is good!
  • 6 2
 @jewpowered: like me some under powered brakes and calling it modulation
  • 3 6
 @chriskneeland: seen more broken Intense frames than anything else.
  • 1 0
 Its not about the hardware set up.... All odds where not on Jacks side... Its a Gwin team with an american bike. An American team... And only like that can be Huge and Great.
  • 7 1
 @StevieJB: you're clearly not dealing with yeti then.
  • 3 2
 @StevieJB: And when they finally came out with a decent bike, the M16, they made the XL fit like a size small. Too bad they had such a hard on for 29in wheels that they abandoned it to make another failure of a bike.
  • 1 0
 @SnowshoeRider4Life: yo I suspect the issue with your 40 hate is that you might be missing a bone in each forearm ? are you reeeeeaaaally skinny and easily jarred by 1) jogging in sneakers? 2) elevators? 3) loud noises? If so, makes sense that the beef of the 40 is just too darn much. Probably the old 32mm Boxxer is ideal. I actually have one for sale modified to run a Bomber open damper. best of both. call me....Ken. hahahaaha!!!!
actually, I dont like the harshness of the 40 either.
  • 1 0
 @gramboh: Do you think IFR had the funding to invest more in Jack? Intense has had to restructure their business something like 3 times in the last 4 years. Do you think Intense could have attracted the investors like Dungey who bailed them out financially with Jack as the number one rider on the IFR team? What top 10 rider was available to sign last year? It seems like most most of the 2019 top 10 were all under contract. I guess Trummer was available but I don't think anyone knew he'd finish top 10. I just think IFR was in a very tough spot financially and did not have the resources to make Jack their top priority even if they wanted to.
  • 2 0
 @josh-clifton: Just like the chocolate, you get a Kenda Surprise round every corner
  • 1 0
 @Camby88: and like the candy, they should be banned in the US as a choking hazard lol.
  • 2 1
 @ButtermilkBar: Who. Hello. I wished him the best with a challenge of please prove me wrong. Would love to see him killing it in EWS, but yes it's a STACKED FIELD, LIKE DH.
  • 2 3
 @jorgeposada:

I did a comparison of the top 15 from each discipline with their most recent results in the opposite discipline. Not alot of crossover to compare but I still think the competition is stronger overall in DH.

DH top 15
1. Loïc Bruni
2. Amaury Pierron 1 (U21)
3. Troy Brosnan 16, 34
4. Danny Hart
5. Loris Vergier 24
6. Greg Minnar 62, 26, 3, 7
7. Laurie Greenland
8. Mark Wallace 61, 56
9. David Trummer
10. Dean Lucas
11. Brook MacDonald
12. Remi Thirion 62
13. Charlie Harrison
14. Luca Shaw 63
15. Dakota Norton

EWS top 15
1. Sam Hill 29, 28, 31, 38, dns
2. Florian Nicolai
3. Kevin Miquel
4. Dimitri Tordo
5. Adrien Dailly 12, 8, 15 (junior)
6. Remi Gauvin dnq, 66, dnq, 77, 66, dnq
7. Richie Rude 31, 55, dnq, 57 (junior)
8. Matthew Walker 44, 40, dnq, 16, 15, dnq
9. Edward Masters 56, 11, 15, 10, 14, 50
10. Zakarias Blom Johansen 64, dnq, dnq, 69, dnq, 72
11. Jesse Melamed
12. Leigh Johnson
13. Robin Wallner dnf, 57, 58, 38
14. Cole Lucas dnq, dnq, dnq, 61
15. Shawn Neer dnq, 61
  • 3 1
 @ButtermilkBar: You should get out more often.
  • 2 2
 @jorgeposada: I'm at work. Sounds like you aren't so confident it's a stacked field anymore.
  • 3 3
 @ButtermilkBar: Honestly who cares, learn how to ride and worry about getting a girl that's stacked.
  • 1 2
 @jorgeposada: Ok you're right and this is worthless cause its different sports and they are all fast. I'll work on both those things.
  • 4 1
 @ButtermilkBar: your missing Hills world's champs result from after he switched to Enduro. Hill was another who found DH had started to loose its way, switching to more bike parky courses or racing the same stuff year after year and from his own words just didn't care anymore. He switched to Enduro and slayed because he was having fun again. He even seemed way more social and happy in interviews. It's I'll in your headspace.
  • 1 0
 @vjunior21: if jack was willing to do Enduro I’m wondering why that might have not been an option for Jack at intense since enduro Bikes sell 50 to 1 compared to downhill. Does intense have an enduro rider this year?
  • 2 0
 @Deville64: I'm not sure if they do with the departure of the Mavic Collective.

It probably cost them a lot less to sign a Junior (Seth Sherlock) than to keep jack around sadly. I would be very curious to know who makes the financial decisions for the Factory Race Team. . .is it Gwin. . . Steber. . .
  • 1 0
 @Trudeez: I think the point of Aaront taking over the team was it was off Intense's direct books to float the whole team during the season and more of a deal where they and other sponsors inject cash into the budget while someone else manages it. If you listened to Dean Lucas' podcast two months ago, it sounds like the old team was literally living at Jeff's house at times and his wife was cooking for them and Intense was directly paying all the bills.

I'm guessing Mavic collective was similar, Intense supplying frames and some cash and getting top level R&D in return.
  • 3 1
 @kiddlivid: It's all in the head as you correctly stated up there ^.

Moir developed that bike when he was getting loose with his mates, having a laugh, living the dream without the pressure to perform. He was up and coming, punching above his weight and loving every minute.

Along comes Gwin and pisses on the party that Moir got his headspace from, also bringing bigger sponsors and with them pressure to perform. Along comes carbon and maybe there were some differences with feel that Moir didn't like compared to the alloy bikes. I don't think Fox comes into it TBH.

In my opinion, it's the team dynamic first, the frame second and the tyres third. Those last two might be the other way around. Definitely the team dynamic more than the equipment.

I remember years ago Eric Carter alluding to the fact that Gwin was a boring bastard who frowned on others getting loose and having a laugh.
  • 1 1
 @mtb-123: gwin is a partner too. He had to buy his way in. No one will sponsor him anymore
  • 1 0
 @Trudeez: Neko Mullaly even said during their 2019 training camp vid that even though it was a completely new frame he was dealing with, jack's task was tougher with all the new component sponsors.
  • 1 0
 @ButtermilkBar: Didn't Remi gauvin get 43 at Les Gets? Thanks for the insights! really interesting comparison.
  • 88 0
 Good luck Jack for this season.
On a side note, I think it's the second/third time this year that i read public praise for the Masters brothers, for helping tips on finding a new team/sponsor.
Good vibes to them too.
  • 19 0
 I'm glad you posted this. In racing it's easy to get too focused on who is number one. In the end that matters little. These guys have both mad skills, and are making a difference in their community. They are everything great about the sport we love, but at the core they are just stoked on riding and trying to bring everyone along with them.
  • 36 0
 As goofy as it is to say... the Masters seem to really embody the spirit of Enduro. I had the pleasure to meet Wyn and he's such a genuine dude who wants to share fun experiences with people. Between Wyn TV giving such great exposure to ALL of the WC and EWS athletes (not just the top folks), and Eddy bringing levity to a sometimes over-serious sport and still crushing it, it is such a pleasure to have them on the circuit.

Masters/Masters 2020!
  • 38 0
 I still don't think we've seen Jack reach his true potential. One day I hope to see him lay down a world cup DH run that leaves everyone guessing. He's got it in him.
  • 12 0
 Absolutely. The more he's hauling ass, the more relaxed he gets. Just a matter of time...
  • 7 0
 He was such a fun rider to watch during his 2017 and 2018 seasons. Hoping he lights up the EWS and gives everyone a run for their money!
  • 37 0
 And again it's proven that Wyn is a class act. Always seems to be happy to help someone.
  • 26 3
 I see everybody talking about bikes and components, and while at it forgetting that Jack helped develop the M29 (and had the best results while with his buds on the squad), but few talk about a team's chemistry, which is far more important in a sport such as DH, where having a strong mental game is key, especially with the narrow wining margins of these days. Is anyone surprised that a stuck-up personality like Gwin's and a laid back one like Moir's don't fit well together? I have seen the Intense boys in the flesh at Lenzerheide in 2018 and they were BY FAR the bunch who had the most fun; you can't fake that! So for a while we had this rare thing: a team that is all laughter AND brings in the results. I understand the reasons of change for Intense, but I do miss seeing people race in polka-dot gear and storming the podium. In a weird way this feels like an NBA team loaded with young talent which becomes good before everyone else plans to and then it needs to split up because young talent with good results is expensive and you can't keep it all together...
  • 12 3
 Nah - this is more like good, promising young team signs some expensive free agent like Kyrie thinking he’ll put them over the top only to realize kyrie is a dumb, delusional, passive-aggressive jerkoff who doesn’t take responsibility for his own shortcomings.
  • 5 3
 @shredddr Except Kyrie was moved/moved himself and Jack stood put and Jack's ego is nowhere near Kyrie's. Wink If we are to dig deeper into precise NBA comparisons, it's rather like last year's Lakers, where there was a young core that had some fun and minor success, then the King comes in and kills the entire vibe, so a good part of the core is moved and thrives elsewhere (Ingram, Ball, Hart) and there is an odd man left from the initial fun young group, which makes Moir our Kuzma. Big Grin
  • 8 0
 @Maxipedia: I'm pretty sure he meant Gwin was the toxic Kyrie in the example...
  • 11 1
 @Maxipedia: in my analogy, Gwin is Kyrie, the big free agent signing, but I actually think Gwin is a good dude and has been a good teammate historically.
  • 6 1
 @shredddr: he is more your boss than your teammate and that's what some people don't like. He's earned the right to do so but he better get back on track this year if he wants to continue like that
  • 2 0
 @Boosting: didn’t he buy into the team last season?
  • 2 0
 @DHhack: you're totally right I forgot about that
  • 1 2
 @DHhack: I don't believe there was a team to be bought, he just established a new team under his control and Jack was kind of a carry-over piece. Which is a reason why I think this is sad: yes I respect Gwin and how he put himself in this position, but to me Jack isn't a carry-over item, like the TLD pants that keep the same details as last season, he is one of the three individuals who made IFR so awesome to watch for three years or so. I wish Gwin all the gold, diamonds, platinum and Championships in the world, but please give a young team that is fun to watch and messes with the established ones too!
  • 2 0
 @Maxipedia: No, I believe Gwin has put a financial stake into IFR. He's not just senior team captain...
  • 2 0
 @Maxipedia: Gwin is team owner, Dean and Charlie were already leaving. Jack was carryover as he had a year left on his contract. Fun to watch apparently didn’t pay the bills for Intense...
  • 4 0
 @DHhack: on top of being fun to watch, didn't they also have better results?
  • 1 0
 @DHhack: pretty sure a DH team is there as marketing to sell bikes. If people are watching your team vids and like your team more I think that is more beneficial financially than having one guy who could potentially win.
  • 1 0
 @shredddr: still a business?
  • 22 0
 "you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward" -Steve Jobs

I think this could be the beginning of something truly amazing for you Jack! As a fan of yours, I am more excited to see what you can do this season than ever! Watch out Mr Hill.
  • 24 1
 Yeah, he didn't get along with Fox and Kenda.
  • 15 2
 Who does get along with kenda? I won a set of stick-e nevegals years ago and thought they were ok on the first ride yet every ride after until I binned them I hated them.
  • 9 1
 Did anyone get good results with Kenda?
Interesting to see results listed by tyre manufacturer
  • 4 0
 Polygon UR and Intense factory racing are the sponsored teams @ReubenSandwich:
  • 1 1
 @gcrider: um, yeah... Polygon UR, Bianchi (Tempier), Norco Factory (XC), a third place with Ethan Nell at Rampage in 2018 and another with Tom van Steenbergen last year... to name a few.
  • 14 1
 @zimtsticker: to be honest, XC tires don't really rely on their grip as much as DH tyres. Also you will never hear a XC racer say "yeah I love this tyre it really sticks to the ground"
  • 1 1
 @zede: The recent XC tires by Kenda are actually pretty good. Fast rolling and grippy. Maybe not quite as high-tech as Conti but very competent and on par with the competition.
Thats quite surprising because Kenda used to sell junk that rolled terribly, had bad puncture protection and wasn't even terribly grippy.
  • 5 5
 Naturally people are reading too much into gear while actually the rider is the biggest variable. Most of the dh tires look like clones nowadays and it isnt rocket science to get a rubber compound right. If it's dry it doesn't even matter that much if the casing is not prone to flats. Brakes could be a different story but they are set up by mechanics who should know what they are doing.
  • 6 1
 @zimtsticker: LOLOL rampage isn't a race. Freeride credentials don't matter when it comes to racing. The hellkat knobs rip off way easily if you've ever ridden them. That's the tire they are using and that's what matters.
  • 8 0
 I doubt Fox was the issue, but tires are EVERYTHING.
  • 3 1
 @skylerd: everyone thinks he's taking a jab at fox when he is saying he is happy to be back with SRAM, he is actually talking about TRP. If he meant the suspension he would have said Rock Shock. But that's just me.
  • 1 0
 I agree. Doesn’t matter how good your suspension is if your tyres suck. (Ok over simplifying)@skylerd:
  • 24 1
 Maybe Gwin ate all the ice cream.
  • 2 2
 ha ha ha so good
  • 15 1
 So, he was comfortable with the M29 in 2018 but not in 2019......smells of dissatisfaction with the components. Probably the weakest or unproven link were the tires. I'd say suspension as well but lots of good results from Fox from other riders.
  • 2 7
flag Boosting (Feb 6, 2020 at 9:33) (Below Threshold)
 It's not the fucking suspension get a fucking grip people he's obviously referring to TRP
  • 5 0
 @Boosting: Lots of other teams have proven results on Fox and TRP (e.g., Scott DH team for example). Perhaps TRP wasn't Jack's jam, who knows.....I tend to agree that by Jack mentioning who he is glad to be back with (SRAM and Maxxis) it implies he wasn't happy with those counterparts this past year.
  • 3 5
 @RCederholm: what exactly has the Scott DH team proven?
  • 4 0
 @Boosting: relax bro
  • 17 0
 Yeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh
  • 1 0
 I can hear it! :-)
  • 9 0
 Great team to join - with Barel and others to give advice, etc. Jack could do really well this season.
  • 7 0
 ...what happened to Cannondale? No downhill bike although they already put a lot of effort in the project?
  • 9 1
 2020 DH WorldChamps.1 Hill, 2 Moir, 3 Maes
  • 9 0
 Only if Loïc is injured. Otherwise you know the winner
  • 5 0
 It really shouldn't be this hard for top level riders to find new contracts, teams and good support. This sport needs some help. The trickle down economics isn't working......They need to organize.
  • 7 1
 Was going to race with Unno or NSync? Who else wound up at the end of 2019?
  • 6 21
flag scott-townes (Feb 5, 2020 at 20:18) (Below Threshold)
 Who the f*ck cares as long as the announcer for the edits doesn't say, "SHARK ATTACK JACK!" at every mention. As long as he's racing, good on him. Crazy stuff.
  • 7 1
 I thought Unno too. Pity since Greg and Jack would have had an insane team edit.
  • 23 0
 Maybe it was Cannondale.
  • 20 0
 Cannondale factory DH was the rumor.
  • 6 2
 maybe Giant? with Marcelo not racing this year and Eliot only doing certain races, they might have discontinued their factory team for now. And there were rumors of Jack going to Giant this year
  • 1 10
flag kroozctrl (Feb 5, 2020 at 20:47) (Below Threshold)
 Dude it was announced like 3 months ago. Unno pooled our of UCI World Cup. Hence Greg moving to a new team.
  • 4 5
 @Clarkeh: can’t if a Unno World Cup team doesn’t exist. New broke last year, hence Greg is on a new team
  • 4 1
 @Happypanda1337: Yeah I know, the article said "Long story short, I signed a LOI [Letter of Intent] with another team right after Snowshoe, and waited around a while for a contract, but was then told they had decided to shut down their whole downhill program"
  • 5 0
 Cannondale.
  • 4 5
 Crap’n’fail (cannondale)
  • 7 1
 The m29 looks small unser a big man like Jack, but Tage biggest change was the riding with Fox Suspension
  • 60 2
 Your typos sound great in a German accent. Kudos!
  • 4 0
 So happy for the Skark Man. No offense to AG, but it seems like he came into the Intense team and really messed things up quite a bit. Probably the reason both of them along with Niko weren't riding at their best.
  • 4 0
 good luck on this new jurney Jack, and also now you can go get some surf everywhere in the EWS tour, in Chile I can help you around and even hook you up with boards. Good interview
  • 3 0
 Dean Lucas leaves intense, has a great season. Charlie Harrison leaves intense, has a great season....Jack Moir leaves and I hope he has a great season.
  • 3 0
 This decision won't do any harm at all for Canyon's MTB profile in Oz. Especially in the enduro class of bike...
  • 5 0
 Kye, Troy, and Jack together in the same DH team would obviously be an Aussie favorite, too. Too bad there isn't an AUS round in the World Cup this year.
  • 3 0
 @Verbl-Kint: EWS in Cairns this year, YEWWWWWW! should be epic.
  • 3 4
 Sounds like intense is doing everything to try to accommodate gwin and didn't do much for Moir. Wasn't Moir sleeping in a tent while gwin and Neko had hotels? Moir was with the team 5 years and did fairly well up until the injuries then gwin.

Shame on intense

gwin has become too big and the industry can't sustain him without the expense of other riders on teams.
  • 3 1
 Can I buy your Intense Tazer @jackmoir? lol
  • 4 1
 Endyeaaaaro
  • 1 0
 All the best for 2020 on the new team Jack
  • 1 0
 Just need up update the Fantasy list with his name!
  • 12 15
 @Preachey: I find it hilarious how everyone talks about the "looks" of a bike... Then again, we are all simple minded when it comes to women too. How many of us have ended up in trash relationships because we are chasing looks?? I'm guilty of it. The most beautiful women tend to have the most issues. Same could be said about Intense. Good looks, but absolute garbage. And their customer service is even worse than the beautiful women's issues. More like dealing with her dad that hates you because you have tattoos, drive a fast car and listen to loud rock 'n roll. I'll say it again... Intense is garbage.
  • 13 0
 U okay bro?
  • 1 0
 Come on Jack! Rooting for you man!
  • 5 8
 And now everyone is noticing that intense is crap, I live right down the street and all I see is prototype bikes left and right. Never know what is good or bad. You buy a bike from them something changes the next year then your bike is obsolete. The circle keeps turning like this at intense. It’s sad that they thought Gwin was gonna turn the company around and now it looks like it’s turning for the worse. Once I saw the whole buy a bike get free wheels, pedals, bars, etc I knew something was wrong just my opinion though.
  • 6 6
 Excuse me, but you don't seem to understand the concepts of ”quality”, ”prototype”, ”bike company”, ”racing” and definitely not the brand Intense itself, who has always been a small builder with a lot of ”evolution” models, proof that they are always tinkering. Fortunately, there are a lot of very happy Intense customers out there who laugh at your comment, that lacks quite a bit of logic, to say the least.
  • 4 2
 @Maxipedia: Agree with you. Love my Intense and it definitely is not crap -- quite the opposite. And an Intense bike won every female EWS race last year -- both production and prototype models.
  • 3 0
 @RCederholm: I get Isabeau Courdurier won every female EWS last season, it's interesting to see if she can repeat that this coming season since Ravanel will be back after missing the whole season with injury. Everyone knew it was always the battle for 2nd place since she's been dominating the overall since 2016.

on the other note, she won't be racing for Intense this year as they parted ways. weird that Intense will part ways with an up and coming rider after winning the overall!
  • 1 0
 @RCederholm: because ravenel was injured lol
  • 2 2
 @jsev23: Gwin taking to much of the money so now the team is stuck with him and locals
  • 1 0
 @RCederholm: what year Intense do you have?
  • 1 0
 @Maxipedia: do you own a Intense?
  • 1 0
 @nlibot33: Perhaps but even 2nd place straight across the year would have been impressive as well
  • 2 0
 @nlibot33: 2018 Primer Bandit
  • 3 0
 @nlibot33: I own several bikes (working on establishing a local MTB museum, actually), along them also a few Intenses, so I do have an extensive experience with their bikes and know them since I started mountainbiking in 1996. Still, I am not a fanboy and I could tell you about the real flaws of their bikes and what the cheap hype is, but they are not what you say they are: ”worthless crap” and other innuendo like that. Especially before they went carbon, Intense could be perceived like a small racing company, just as Ferrari. The comparison is there for a good reason. When you have small series of bikes, your product is always evolving. This is true for Intense, as it is for Ferrari. Sometimes even the best connoisseurs lose track of the several incarnations on a said model, since it's so many of them. Not to mention prototyping (and failure of said prototypes) is as normal as anything else and being able to do it in house is a blessing. Just be wary if you get a prototype sold to you and you fear it might collapse, but this is never the case. So what the hell are we talking about???
  • 2 0
 @Maxipedia: well said brotha just have a beer and cheers lol
  • 2 0
 @nlibot33: I salute you from frosty Transylvania! Big Grin
  • 1 0
 He looks a bit like Dick Valentine of Electric Six.
  • 3 1
 kenda tires are lol
  • 1 1
 I couldn't imagine going from Sram and Enve to E13 and Fox. What a downgrade.
  • 1 0
 This is Amazing Cool News!
  • 1 0
 Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew Jack.
  • 1 0
 SHARK ATTACK JACK!
  • 7 10
 He’s not the one my one with bike he set up issues at intense
  • 106 1
 did you just have a stroke?
  • 12 0
 @sosburn: or an ambien?
  • 3 0
 @sosburn: ROTFL!!
  • 4 1
 @savagelake: pretty much
  • 3 0
 @onemanarmy You usually have coherent opinions so can I try whatever you're using this week?
  • 1 1
 O thought the "my One" setup was exclusive to Orbea?
  • 1 1
 @sosburn: its obviously his phone doing bad prediction/correction.
  • 5 1
 @Ride406orDie: It's called kids. Trust me... don't try it.
  • 1 0
 @sosburn: LOL "know the signs of stroke"
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