INTENSE SNIPER TRAIL EXPERT
£2,999 Modern geometry meets XC pedalling eficiency
W ith roots in gravity racing, Intense don’t really do out-and-out XC bikes in the traditional sense. The Sniper still targets ruthless pedalling efficiency but sports more ‘aggro’ geometry, especially on the 20mmlonger-travel Trail version here. Intense’s short-travel rig may not feel like an old-school XC machine in terms of shape, but it goes like stink when you drop the hammer, with addictive bursts of speed that rival the most potent race-ready rigs.
The frame
Made from unidirectional carbon fibre, the Sniper has a low-slung shape with good standover room and a low BB. The short head tube lets you position the bar lower for more XC attitude. While the 73-degree effective seat angle isn’t super-steep, it worked OK everywhere with the saddle pushed forwards.
The two ‘JS Tuned’ links rotate in opposite directions, so the suspension is essentially a ‘virtual pivot point’ set-up. This design lets engineers manipulate the axle path, link velocities and leverage rates within a compact layout. The Sniper is tuned to burst forward under hard efforts, and you can feel the suspension ‘tighten’ when you stomp on the pedals. A reinforcing strut on the non-drive side of the asymmetric back end helps keep things stiff. While the dearer Sniper Trail Pro gets a magnesium lower link, even with this alloy version, the Expert is superlight. The frame alone is £2,500, highlighting the value of this full build.
The kit
Performance Elite-level Fox suspension performs seamlessly and it suits the Sniper perfectly. Maxxis Forekaster tyres with a supple 120tpi casing are just about perfect UK fasttrail rubber too. Great in the wet, and with rapid mud-clearing, they aren’t sketchy over roots or rocks.
The 12-speed SRAM Eagle drivetrain uses the GX cassette, which is much lighter than the NX version, meaning more suspension reactiveness. It drives DT Swiss M 1900 wheels with fast-rolling hubs and dent-resistant rims. The longest reach on test enables use of the shortest stem (50mm), paired with a quality, 760mm-wide Renthal bar for reactive steering. While the KS dropper only has 125mm of travel, it’s the pricey carbon version, saving considerable weight. The remote lever is awkward to use though, and the Kevlar activation cable (usually braided steel) snapped in testing.
The ride
From your first trail loop, the lighteston-test Sniper Trail hits between
the eyes with personality and zest. Agile and dynamic, its steering, acceleration and responsiveness are immediate, and the more stretchedout shape feels natural and intuitive at all speeds.
The asymmetric back end can verge on too twisty if you really rag it hard in turns, but this adds smoothness and grip that lets you truck on down scary-fast, beatenup bridleways without ever feeling sketchy or too jiggled around.
Paired with the smooth rear suspension, which tracks even small bumps accurately, the wide (30mm internal) DT rims stabilise the tyres and boost the bike’s balance, creating a sense of security and surefootedness that eggs you on to get more rowdy than you really ought to on a 120mm bike.
It’s awesome that the Sniper’s slacker geometry doesn’t take anything away from its urgency or nimbleness either, and it powers up
ITS STEERING, ACCELERATION AND RESPONSIVENESS ARE IMMEDIATE, AND THE MORE STRETCHED OUT FEELSNATURALAND SHAPE ALLSPEEDS INTUITIVEAT
the steepest punches and handles rapid accelerations out of the saddle with an almost ‘locked out’ energy.
In terms of pedalling smoothness, the Scott Spark is better, especially on seated climbs in higher gears. But if you crave a tighter feel, it’s easy to reach down and flip the shock lever. Ultimately, being a good kilo lighter than the others here helps the Intense overcome small suspension shortcomings. Its trump card is having so much energy and personality that you not only go fast, but you’re itching to play on every little bump and turn along the way.