Description
There are times when a frame like the Hard Eddie comes along and here at Excel, we start thinking about a practical, lightweight, high-end build, maybe Shimano XTR, Stan's Crest wheels, etc. This is the fun part of what we do with customers everyday, road or mountain. Our enthusiasm comes from experience and we love to share that with our showroom and online friends. Sometimes we get carried away, but when we came up with this build, we stayed under control then knew we needed to make it an Excel Sports package. So we did.
Intense has always been known for US made, hydroformed aluminum alloy, full-suspension bikes featuring the Virtual Pivot Point design. Once Intense started considering carbon versions of their frames, a hardtail started to make sense to Jeff Steber and company. Intense collaborated with SEED, a Germany based engineering firm with carbon fiber design and development experience, as well as a partner in Thomas Harter, who worked for both Maverick and Scott USA in frame and suspension development. The Hard Eddie carbon hardtail was born, though Intense fans will note that the actual frame manufacture is done in Taiwan, a major departure for the Temecula, CA company. But Steber knew there was no reason to build a carbon fiber production facility when excellent companies already exist. Strict adherence to design and material spec, and rigorous quality control, ensure Intense's carbon bikes meet the highest standards.
The Hard Eddie is laid up from various sheets of high modulus carbon fiber as a complete monocoque. This means unidrectional fiber runs are long, with minimal seams or modification. The frame is molded under extreme pressure and excess epoxy is eliminated. The lay-up is refined to deliver maximum lateral stiffness at the bottom bracket and head tube, while the arcing shape of the frame is designed for strength and compliance. The graceful curves actually serve to mitigate impact and keep chatter to a minimum, while offering comfort and attenuating vibration. The frame itself is exceptionally strong, yet a medium comes in at under 2 .5 pounds. True to the XC nature of the design, the impressive lateral stiffness transfers pedaling power directly from the crank to the rear wheel. Geometry is optimized for XC race and fast trail conditions with a 70.5 degree head tube angle and short 436mm chainstays.... Read More
Features
- 100mm travel, race-ready, 29er carbon hardtail bike with classic XC geometry
- Frame features Armor Guard on downtube, BB, chainstay; PF30 BB shell, tapered head tube, internal cable routing, clamp-on front derailleur compatibility, G1 dropouts
- Integrated rear thru axle design for 142mm wide, 12mm thru axle (included)
- Shimano XTR Race Groupset 1x 11, 175mm crankset, 32T chainring, 11-40 cassette
- Wheels Mfg bottom bracket PressFit 30 to 24mm external, angular contact bearings
- XTR M900 Race Disc Brakes XT 6 Bolt IceTech disc rotors, 160mm front and rear
- RockShox World Cup SID XX Solo Air Fork, 100mm travel, 15mm Maxle Lite, 74mm post mount, Motion Control DNA, Dig Valve, X-Loc, BlackBox 1 Piece carbon crown/steerer, Power Bulge
- Stan's Crest Wheelset, 3.30 hubs, DT Super Comp spokes, 32h Crest rims
- Schwalbe Racing Ralph SnakeSkin Easy Tubeless Tires, 29x2.25
- FSA Orbit C-40 Headset for tapered fork, 1.5 straight head tube
- Easton Haven Carbon 20mm Low Rise bar, 740mm wide, 9 degree sweep
- Easton Haven Stem, aluminum, 85mm, 0 degree rise, 31.8mm
- ESI Racers Edge 30mm grips, black
- Eason Haven Carbon Seatpost, 31.6mm, 0 degree offset
- Fizik Gobi M3 Kium rail saddle, black
- Single standard water bottle mount on down tube
- Frame color/sizes: Blue/ Medium or Large
- Frame made in Taiwan, Kit selected and assembled at Excel Sports Boulder