Intense Cycles Spider XVP Mountain Bike Frame - 2008

Pinch away—you are not hallucinating. This is the Intense Spider XVP, possibly the most sought-after full-suspension XC race frame on this planet and the moon. The Spider XVP is the original VPP (Virtual Pivot Point) chassis, designed and developed by Intense to counteract the “pogo” effect that keeps many racers on hardtails. While other four-bar linkages can create a longer-radius suspension arc in the rear triangle, they still get pulled upward under heavy pedaling, compressing the suspension and sucking power. The Intense VPP system uses opposing pivot paths to create counteracting forces under chain tension, pushing up when you hammer on the pedals and pulling down when the chain is pulling on the rear sprocket. Lost? Here’s the simplest translation: VPP means less pogo without loss of active rear suspension. The rear triangle actually pushes down against the ground under pedal pressure, increasing traction in rocky uphill sections that make hardtails skip and skid. Going downhill, you get every bit of the Spider’s four-inch travel to glide over roots and rail out off-camber turns like a rigid frame never will. While this technology is crucial, the Spider XVP owes its status to more than just advanced engineering. Intense builds the Spider and every other frame entirely in-house. Each oversized Easton aluminum tube is welded inside and out not by a machine, but by hand. You won’t see cast-and-ground parts anywhere either, because every frame component is CNC-machined from billet stock. Intense frames are expensive for a reason. Every detail, bushing, pivot, bolt, and bearing has been studied, obsessed over, and improved as near to perfection as possible. At a feathery 5.6lbs and with 80-100mm fork compatibility, the Spider excels on wide-open California singletrack, technical Vermont mountain courses, and everywhere in-between. DISCLAIMER: Bike is NOT ready to ride and requires assembly by a certified bike mechanic. We will not be held liable for injuries you cause to yourself or others through the use (or misuse) of this product. So don't be stupid.

Bottom Line: The dual-suspension XC frame that has hardtails sweating bullets.

Product Wall

• Show All
• Reviews
• Q & A
• Photos