INTENSE TRACER 279 EXPERT

£4,799 • 29/27. 5 in • uk.intensecycles.com

Intense has always followed an open door policy when it comes to prototyping and product development. While most brands go to great lengths to prevent their next generation models being spotted, Intense has courted the curiosity of the public, usually through social media posts of freshly welded mules at the brand’s California HQ, but also by building complete bikes for pro riders and telling them to go racing.

Back in 2019, the embryo of this radically updated Tracer was handed to Intense’s then-pro enduro racer, Isabeau Courdurier, and ridden to victory at the final round of the EWS in Zermatt, which also sealed the overall series victory. But the chance to win on Sunday, sell on Monday was not an option at the time as the alloy bike Isabeau rode was a long way from production.

Then, when Covid hit, any chance to capitalise on the success of the prototype bike slipped away. Monday became Tuesday and Tuesday became Wednesday until finally, nearly three years later, the finished carbon bike