Intense Primer Expert 2018 vs 2017 - a little help please...

[WindyCommon]

After some research and testing, I’ve settled on an Intense Primer Expert as the best “do-everything” mtb for me.

For the same price (£3,300) I can get a 2017 bike (ostensibly reduced from £5,300) or a 2018 bike. This seems a little strange!

Could PH’s resident spec experts tell me which of the two builds is better value and why? Thank you in advance.


Primer Expert 2017
FRAME Primer 29 Monocoque UD Carbon Front and Rear Triangle, Alloy Top Link, Internal Derailleur Routing, Integrated protector, w/ 148 x12 mm spacing, 115 -130 mm travel
FORK RockShox Pike RC, 29” 15QR Thru Axle, 140mm Travel, BOOST
SHOCK RockShox Monarch RC3 Debonair, 200x 51 mm
WHEELS DT Swiss M 1900 SPLINE® 29" BOOST
HUBS 28 Hole DT Swiss SPLINE® hub with pawl drive system, silk matt black ; 110 x15mm Front Hub; 148x12 BOOST Rear Hub Shimano Driver, centerlock
RIMS DT Swiss M 1900 SPLINE® 29" BOOST, Tubeless Ready
SPOKES DT Competition 2.0/1.8/2.0
TIRES SCHWALBE NOBBY NIC SNAKESKIN, PSC FOLDING, 29 x 2.35" Front, 29 x 2.25" Rear
SHIFTERS Shimano DEORE XT, RIGHT, 11-SPEED
REAR DERAILLEUR Shimano DEORE XT, RD-M8000, SGS 11-SPEED TOP-NORMAL SHADOW PLUS DESIGN
FRONT DERAILLEUR N/A
CRANK RACE FACE TURBINE, 32T
CASSETTE Shimano DEORE XT, 11-SPEED, 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-27-31-35-46
CHAIN Shimano 11 speed, KCNHG95118
SADDLE WTB Silverado Race
SEATPOST RockShox Reverb Stealth, 31.6mm x 420 mm, zero offset, 125 mm of travel
HANDLEBAR RENTHAL FatBar LITE 20mm - 760mm
STEM Thomson Elite X4: 50mm
HEADSET Cane Creek, 40, alloy cartridge, 25 mm of spacers
BRAKESET Shimano XT Hydraulic Disc, centerlock rotors, 180 mm front and 160 mm rear
GRIPS Intense Dual Density Lock-On


Primer Expert 2018
FRAME Primer 29 Monocoque UD Carbon Front and Rear Triangle, Alloy Top Link, Internal Derailleur Routing, Integrated protector, w/ 148 x12 mm spacing, 115 -130 mm travel
FORK Rock Shox Revelation RC 29, Solo Air, 140mm, Boost 110x15mm
SHOCK Rock Shox Monarch RL, 200x51mm
WHEELSET
WHEELS DT Swiss M1900 Spline 29", 28 Hole
HUBS DT Swiss M1900, Centerlock, 110x15mm, 28 Hole Front / 148x12mm, XD, 28 Hole Rear
RIMS DT Swiss M1900 Spline 29", 28 Hole
SPOKES DT Swiss
TIRES Maxxis 29x2.35 Forekaster F120 DC/EXO/TR
SHIFTERS Sram GX Eagle 12speed Trigger
REAR DERAILLEUR Sram GX Eagle 12speed
FRONT DERAILLEUR N/A
CRANK TRUVATIV Stylo Eagle Boost GXP 175mm, 34T, BLK
CASSETTE Sram XG1275 X1 Eagle 12speed, 10-50T
CHAIN Sram GX Eagle 12speed
BOTTOM BRACKET Sram Pressfit GXP BB92
SADDLE WTB Silverado Race w/ Cr-Mo Rails
SEATPOST Fox Transfer 31.6mm, 150mm Dropper
HANDLEBAR Renthal Fatbar 760mm x 20mm Alloy, 31.8 mm diameter
STEM Intense Recon ELITE 50mm, 31.8 mm diameter
HEADSET Cane Creek 40 Series, ZS44/EC49.40
BRAKESET Shimano XT M8000 Hydraulic Disk 180mm Front & 180mm Rear
GRIPS Intense Lock-On

[missing the VR6]

For my money I'd rather have the better suspension, so the 2017 model. I've got XO1 Eagle on my Orange Alpine and think it's the worst drive train I've ever used. Bike is less than a year old and it's been indexed 3 times, and had the cable changed still shifts terribly! Been indexed by 3 different shops with the correct Eagle tool to do it, so I'm told. I've also used the bike less than I normally would, it's certainly been ridden less than once a week as an average over the 10 months I've had it.

[yellowjack]

Price drops like that are not all that strange.

I got my current bike for £899 down from £1499. It was a 2015 Giant Anthem bought in March 2016. It was one of only two I could find on the internet in that size from the "previous model year". Shops want rid of them so that they can get the current model year bikes out onto the shop floor.

Quite often spec will change year-on-year too. Most often it's tweaked downward to save pennies per unit built,whilst keeping the RRP the same. But looking at your spec lists, one thing that always worries me when I see SRAM Eagle listed is the cost to replace the parts that WILL wear out.

FFS buy the 2017 model with the Shimano gears. Unless you want to be taking out a mortgage every time you need a new cassette...

Wiggle prices only, but you get the idea...

Shimano Deore XT M8000 Cassette (11-46) @£64.99 (List price £99.99) http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-deore-xt-m8000-cas...

SRAM Eagle XG-1295 12 speed Cassette (10-50) @£271.79 (List price £302.00) http://www.wiggle.co.uk/sram-eagle-xg-1295-12-spee...


Unless you are seriously worried that someone is going to "out" you for being a peasant and having "last year's bike", then there seems to me to be absolutely no reason to spend the extra money on this year's model. It would simply amount to an "idiot tax" IMHO.

---

Edit - I re-read your post and now see what you mean. The old bike is reduced to the same price as a 2018 model. Which does indeed seem slightly odd.

Apparently the price cut of the new ones is to do with Intense moving to the direct sales model in order to "cut out the middle man" and bring their prices into line with competitors' products. Some mention of this change in this review... https://dirtmountainbike.com/bike-reviews/trail-en...

I'd still buy the Shimano equipped model if it were my money though. Just personal preference, as I like Shimano kit a lot more than SRAM.

Edited by yellowjack on Thursday 15th February 09:36

[WindyCommon]

Thank you.

I called Intense UK and asked them to explain. They said that the drop in price was driven by their need to be more competitive and their shift to direct distribution. It was also accompanied by some spec downgrades. Running through these, the suspension on the 2017 bike is supposedly better front and rear. Eagle vs XT isn't clear cut, but I too like the Shimano kit more than the SRAM and the point above on consumables is well made.

It looks to me as though the spec changes don't come anywhere near to explaining the full drop in price, so Intense's explanation holds water.

I really couldn't care less about latest colours / MY etc, so am going to order the 2017 bike.

[P-Jay]

What they didn't mention was the fact that the 2017 bike was meant to be sold through a dealer which included a cut for them and scope for 0% finance, 2018 bikes are direct sale.

For me the 2017 bike is the better bike - as someone else said I prefer better suspension to gears. 11sp v 12sp - doesn't matter when you bang them in 3 at a time.

[Herman Toothrot]

The one with better gears I.e. The 11speed. Get an XD driver for the rear hub and GX cassette than you have the ideal drive train 10-42 SRAM with Shimano shifting.

[WindyCommon]

Herman Toothrot said:

The one with better gears I.e. The 11speed. Get an XD driver for the rear hub and GX cassette than you have the ideal drive train 10-42 SRAM with Shimano shifting.

Interesting!

Is the purpose of this to get a 10t? I suspect I’ll be ok with the 11t, but thanks for making me aware that this can be done.

According to Intense my bike has already been assembled and is on its way...

[Herman Toothrot]

Yep, DT Swiss hubs the drivers are interchangeable, it may not appear so at first thought but with XD on the hub and a 10-42 cassette the range is actually really quite wide, it gives you the option of a 30T chain ring and keeping a sensible top gear 30T 10-42 offers a lower low gear AND a higher top gear than 32T 11-42.

[BRR]

I had similar questions when choosing between a 2017 and 18 Tracer, though the specs were even more similar on those models with only the wheels and gears changing. I went with the 18 as it had SRAM GX Eagles which I have read good long term reviews on via single track world and MTBR

the price cut is due to them going direct, the frame / colour is exactly the same on most models between 17 and 18

for what it's worth I absolutely love my Tracer Expert, it's a superb bike and I can't see me needing to upgrade anything on it for a long while