Customer Bike Check | Intense Carbine 275

To be perfectly honest, I seriously thought about absconding with this bike and never showing my face at Art’s HQ again. Thankfully for this bike’s owner to be, I was able to convince myself not to. I mean, what kind of person would I be if I took off with the surprise birthday bike for one extremely lucky wife. Sure, I’d have one sweet bike, but just think of that dose of bad karma. No thanks!

Each part carefully picked out by one very loving husband, this Intense Carbine 275 cuts quite the figure. And, tastefully outfitted in red, black and white livery, it’s a steed that’s sure to arrest the gaze of plenty at the local trailhead too.

Intense’s Carbine 275 was one of the first 27.5-inch frames to hit the market from a major manufacturer, and it’s a frame that has certainly proven itself as a worthy contender. Built around the well-established VPP suspension platform the Carbine 275 boasts impeccable trail manners—both up and down.

: One good-looking build, for one lucky spouse.

: Chris King and Chromag make for a striking combination.

: Tasked with trail-taming duty is RockShox’s capable Pike, in 160-millimeter guise.

: Industry Nine’s Torch Trail 24 wheelset

: Schwalbe’s aggressive Magic Mary treads fill out quit nicely on the i9’s generously wide rims.

: While Intense’s carbon frames are produced overseas, the company is still a huge proponent of keeping as much manufactring and design work stateside, machining all of their hardware in -house at their Southern California headquarters.