Originally developed as a 29er, the Intense Cycles 951 finds it's true identity as a 27.5" DH bike. Intense claims that the 951 EVO will be the first production 27.5 downhill bike on the market. Mtbr checked out the 951 EVO in person at the Sea Otter Classic and it simply stunning. The fit and finish are top notch (as usual for Intense) and the limited edition Electric Blue is very eye catching, as is the orange color option.
Like all aluminum framed Intense models, the 951 EVO is made in the USA. The 951 EVO features aggressive geometry, eight and a half inches of travel, patented VPP suspension all while adding in the benefits of a 27.5" wheel.
Watch this video to hear from Mr. Intense himself (Jeff Steber) as he explains the benefits of making a 27.5" wheeled downhill bike.
Intense Cycles Director of Sales, Mike Dettmers says, "We have spent countless hours designing, testing and fine tuning the 951evo. The end result is a bike that will shave seconds off your race run… Every second counts when your total race time is sub 3 minutes. The 951evo has consistently dropped seconds from our test teams fastest times."
The Intense 951 EVO will be available in late May (next month!)
Official info from Intense Cycles follows:
"Because Every Second Counts."
Downhill races are won - or lost - by seconds. Our long heritage of building winning race bikes continues by utilizing the larger wheel size for a faster, more efficient race run.
A slacker 62.5 degree head tube angle pushes the front end a bit further out, giving the rider more confidence at high speeds, through steeps and on gnarly rock sections. We have kept the chainstay as short as possible at 17.5". This magic number keeps the bike stable at high speeds, yet nimble while cornering. Top tube lengths have been increased throughout all sizes to allow for additional room in the cockpit of the bike.
The 951evo will come standard with a Cane Creek Double Barrel coil shock. Our product development team has worked side by side with Cane Creek to create the best possible shock tunes out of the box. The Double Barrel shock has a massive range in tune-ability allowing the rider to fine-tune the shock to match their riding style.
Complete bike spec will include Shimano Zee Components, Novatec Wheels and an FSA Gravity Cockpit. We are also working with Vee Rubber to release our own Intense-designed 275 DH Tire. Also available as frame-only.
As an added bonus, the first 25 complete 951evo's will be "limited edition" and feature custom Electric Blue Paint, Anodized Gold Links and Hubs as well as a set of matching HT Pedals at no additional charge.