Intense Uzzi SLX or VPX?

[massmtnbikn]

My Uzzi SLX frame just broke this past weekend @ foxboro. No fantastic story to speak of, just one too many offcamber roll overs must of tweaked the chainstay pivot enough to call it quites. So void of any warranty, my options are the following;

Buy a replacement chain stay from Intense (~$200), or upgrade under a crash replacement $$'s to an Intense Uzzi VPX (~$1300). Got any opinions?

For more info...I'm a heavy rider that mostly does XC. I got a good deal on the SLX new in '01, otherwise I would have gotten a less beefier FS bike like an Specialized FSR or a SC Superlight.

I'm not especially into big drops & stunts, not that they are not cool, its just not worth the risk to me. (+ I suck at them!)

Is the VPX just a rediculous bike to consider for XC? Should I just upgrade it to new and consider selling it, or fix the frame I got and hope something else isn't ready to break on it next.

[catbbq]

For $1300 you get could get some really nice XC frames, such as the superlight you mentioned.

Then again, $200 is alot less than $1300.

[w900l]

stick with the 200 .bieng a" heavy rider"(220) myself ive been told to stay away from the superlite ;D

[slapheadmofo]

Man - that's a tough call. If I really liked the Uzzi, I'd probably fix it - $200 for parts isn't so bad for 4 years of riding, specially on an expensive bike like an Intense; maybe even spend a few more bucks, send it back to them to give it a good once-over, do the bearings, etc. It'll come back pretty sweet.

If the Uzzi felt like not quite enough, maybe try out the VPX or sell it and put the proceeds towards something else, maybe a Bullit or ?? or if you feel you could get away with something a little less burly, try out something like an FSR Enduro (Specialized has a great warrantee) or a Heckler, etc etc. Or maybe you could use the crash replacement towards an 5.5 EVP...so many options, good luck deciding. :)

[massmtnbikn]

Intense told me they don't do the once over anymore. It used to be that you could send in your frame, and they would strip it, replace all the bearings, and repaint it like new.

The VPX is a $2500 frame, so 1300 bucks for it is SO tempting. Damit.

Has anyone rode a VPX? Is it that much better?

[Jisch]

Reviews at MTBR for that bike:

http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/xc_full_suspension/product_123916.shtml

The reviews look good - except for that first one! ugh.

John

[gnurider1080]

Reviews at MTBR for that bike:

http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/xc_full_suspension/product_123916.shtml

The reviews look good - except for that first one! ugh.

John

well thats what happens when you buy a mail order bike.

[Slider]

Say I am a manufacturer, and see a nasty review of my bike on a well-visited site. My first impulse would be to get each of my employees to create an account on the site and say only really, really nice things. Or simply outsource the task to any of the many more-than-a-little sleazy providers who'll do it for me.

Just something to consider as you read the reviews. Look at the posting history af anyone whose opinion you're considering, and avoid taking seriously any newbie posts. They'd be prime suspects to me.

Slider

[slapheadmofo]

Intense told me they don't do the once over anymore. It used to be that you could send in your frame, and they would strip it, replace all the bearings, and repaint it like new.


Oh man, that's bad news - I was hoping to have that done on my M1 this winter. >: Oh well, looks like another job for half-drunk-in-the-basement-shop-man!

[massmtnbikn]

It could be just the time of year. When I talked to them, he said they didn't do it because the shop was too busy. Maybe the winter would be a different story.

[slapheadmofo]

Reviews at MTBR for that bike:

http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/xc_full_suspension/product_123916.shtml

The reviews look good - except for that first one! ugh.

John

well thats what happens when you buy a mail order bike.


Seriously - he should go cry to Cambria. ::)

Those reviews are for a totally different bike than the one he's thinking about, by the way. Also, IMO, Intenses are way too fragile for the crazy $$ they charge for them. If you're gonna charge top dollar, the bikes should either last or you should back them up better, and for longer.

[massmtnbikn]

It seems like he was taken a bit for a ride by everyone involved with that story.

Loose levers, misadjusted derailuers, and bolts that loosen doesn't seem to me like serious bike issues.

Bearings that pop out after being installed seem to me like bad service.

[Adam]

I'm not sure about the quality of the new models, but I'm not a fan of the longevity of the SLX frame. My Intense ownership lasted 4 years across two frames. My '02 SLX was replaced under warranty and then promptly eBay'd.
If you're a heavy rider you might find future frame failures after you get a new swingarm, even if you're not hucking 4 feet to flat every day.

-Adam


My Uzzi SLX frame just broke this past weekend @ foxboro. No fantastic story to speak of, just one too many offcamber roll overs must of tweaked the chainstay pivot enough to call it quites. So void of any warranty, my options are the following;

Buy a replacement chain stay from Intense (~$200), or upgrade under a crash replacement $$'s to an Intense Uzzi VPX (~$1300). Got any opinions?

For more info...I'm a heavy rider that mostly does XC. I got a good deal on the SLX new in '01, otherwise I would have gotten a less beefier FS bike like an Specialized FSR or a SC Superlight.

I'm not especially into big drops & stunts, not that they are not cool, its just not worth the risk to me. (+ I suck at them!)

Is the VPX just a rediculous bike to consider for XC? Should I just upgrade it to new and consider selling it, or fix the frame I got and hope something else isn't ready to break on it next.