Intense Sniper XC Expert 2023 Review

Light, Fast, and reasonably priced. The Intense Sniper XC is a sporty 100mm cross-country race bike with budget in mind. I recently picked this up to add to the quiver and mix in some endurance races for next season. As I was shopping all bike and price points I kept coming back to this as it’s a solid build kit that retails at $4,499.99. (Intense did have a sale going on with discounts and everything I paid $3,056 and change) Compared to other brands this bike was already $1,200-$1,600 cheaper than anything else with a similar part spec.

This Sniper XC is equipped with a Shimano SLX group set, carbon frame, and Fox performance suspension package. For me checking a lot of boxes of quality with room to upgrade parts down the road. The overall weight with Time ATACK 6 pedals and 2 bottle cages is just under 27 lbs. While that doesn’t sound light to most, to me it’s quite noticeable since my other bikes are 33 and 38 lbs.

The lower entry price for this bike leaves the door open for some upgrades. I’ll be building up some wheels this winter and throwing on a different crank at some point as well. For now, I just swapped out the alloy bar for a carbon one. A little bit of weight savings but I choose it for a more ergonomically fit and to add some stiffness to the front end of the bike. Once I make more changes I’ll update this and see what weight I can get it down to. I honestly would be stoked to get this under 26lbs. While new wheels aren’t mandatory I would like a higher quality hub that’s easier to service and source parts for. After that diet and proper training are more important than Ti bolts and carbon pedals that save you 12 grams..

On my first few rides, I noticed instantly that the bike was lighter and more efficient than anything else in my fleet. I had some concerns about just having 100mm of suspension but now I’m not worried as this fits my needs for what I want. With a somewhat slack head tube of 67.5 degrees and a wheelbase of 1152mm (size medium) it feels stable at speeds and maintains tractions when climbing out of the saddle. The JS-tuned VPP suspension platform on the bike is quite good. Coming off a current gen of the Santa Cruz Blur TR that uses flex stays over the VPP I was amazed at how different these bikes are. The Intense offers more support and feels a bit more bottomless whereas the Blur felt a bit harsh and stiff. While both bikes are great it’s interesting to see the trends and how one brand optimizes weight vs suspension performance. On such a short travel bike does it matter? who’s to know, but I really like what Intense has done here to make the bike feel more capable for a short travel machine. see full geo chart here

Intense opted not to add a remote lockout on any of the XC bikes they offer. I am a fan of this since I’m more of a set it and forget it for the ride. My findings so far have been keeping the fork fully unlocked and the rear shock in the middle setting. Great for hammering climbs, fire roads, and even technical climbing sections. I am however not a fan of the 175mm cranks on my medium frame. With everyone shifting towards longer and lower geometry the benefit of shorter cranks helps everyone. I would love to see more brands stocking 160-170mm.

I hear people say “Oh they sell that at Costco” or “They copy Santa Cruz” Well last I checked both those companies are very good and care about the quality of the products they sell. So the fact that Intense (951 series only) can get its brand in a store like Costco says a lot. They are also making a big effort to get back into brick-and-mortar shops where you can have a better chance of testing and feeling the product firsthand.

In conclusion, I am a believer In a well spaced and priced bike. The Intense Sniper XC hits all those boxes for me. At the price point of this bike, it’s great to have a carbon frame and some room to upgrade things down the road. With the stable and snappy feel of this bike, I am happy with this purchase so far and can’t wait to get more miles on it soon.