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So in my quest for a fun trail/am bike I've been offered an Intense Tracer VP frame and wondering what you lot think of it? I've found a few good reviews online but it'd be nice to hear some "real world" feedback from people who have had them for a while. I've read a couple people here saying theirs cracked but haven't seen much about that elsewhere.
I ride a bit of everything but at the minute it's mostly the downhill trails at Woburn and the odd trip to Aston Hill or Forest of Dean, but I'd like to do some more pedally rides hence looking for this kind of bike. Currently riding a Voltage (170mm Lyrik and 160mm travel setting) and I'd love to keep some of the feel that has downhill and on jumps but be a better climber. Oh and how do they size up? I'm 5'9" with a 29" inside leg and the one for sale is a 16" small.
Not a Tracer but have a 6.6 with the same VPP. Really like it, climbs well and descends well. I'm running Lyriks @ 170mm and a Push'd CTD rear shock (with offset bushes) and it works well.
Light enough for long rides but feels solid on DH. Use mine at FoD, Antur, BPW etc and never felt under biked for the riding I do. Use mine weekly on the Malverns with a 1 x 10 set-up with 40T without any problems on the big climbs.
Size-wise: I'm 5'11 with a 31" inside leg riding a medium.
I had one, are we talking 1st generation?
If so: When it was good, it was good. However the traditional problems where
a) Sometimes the rear triangle was out of alignment from the factory; mine wasn't
b) The stock Fox RP23 / suspension design cause the bike to blow through the mid stroke or if pumped up, be extremely harsh. A shock replacement, or well documented on the internet volume reduction is needed.
c) Some of them eat bearings - mine didn't possible due to a) above?
d) It was short in the TT compared to "generic" standards.
This doesn't apply to the mk2, and all of the above is well documented via google.
I have a Tracer 2 with a CC DB Coil fitted, it eats bearings in the top link and the bolts are prone to working loose but.... I love it!
It is built fairly burly so makes me suffer on big climbs but it's great going down!
I am 5'10" and ride a medium
I'll echo the above. Mine is much better with either a coil sprung Vanilla RC (feels like a mini DH bike) or a Push tuned RP23 than it ever was with the stock RP23. I was close to selling it before those came along and I'm glad I didn't.
It is a little porky for an "enduro" standard bike and the head angle is probably a little steep but that can be fixed with a 2 degree headset. It's on the todo list but can't say that I miss it for general riding. Would definitely fit one before visiting the alps mind.
Top tube will be too short for you on a small - I'm just over 5'7" and I'm on a medium with a 35mm stem and that's about perfect.
This is mine - no idea if it's a VPP Mk1 but it does have he 1 piece rear end which suggests it ought to be though IIRC there were some updates on the CRC team colour ones which mine is.
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I had a Tracer 2 and say that if/when one pops up for around £500 frame only then grab it with both hands.
Really is a great frame but again pump up shock an extra 20psi or so to what your used to.
If your dead set on a VP then they will come up a lot cheaper but all in all vpps ride well.
I've yet to notice upper bearing caps coming loose or frame misalignment.
Make sure you put a tapered fork in as 1" 1/8th seem to give movement even with the correct headset etc.