Ive got an Intense Tracer, the rear chainstay has failed for the 3rd time, the first couple of times where in warranty and where replaced, this time unfortunately the warranty has ran out about 8 months ago… crc have played the out of warranty card contact intense, now i’m some what peed off because this has happened twice before in the exactly the same place, should i be trying to push this further or is it a case of tuff, take the hit and move on ?? BTW ive contacted intense who are as slow as a week in the jail to respond

How long since the last replacement? Have they all failed in teh same way?

Remember warranty and your legal rights are not the same thing. YOur legal rights are with CRC not the manufacturer but it depends how old it is weter its worth pusuing that line

Not good, especially at this time of year! good luck sorting it out.

all cracked in the exact same place, the last one was replaced late may 2010

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

trying to excise your rights under the sale of goods act will not be easy but still possible and eventually you should get a partial refund from CRC. However it will not be easy – probably need to sue. How long is the warrenty? when did you buy the bike originally?

I’d see what he manufacturers have to say

Sale of Goods act is your best course of action if all else fails. The bike is clearly not fit for purpose if it repeatedly fails in exactly the same place.

Personally I’d have flogged it and got something better built after the 2nd failure. Intense do have a shocking reputation for build quality and frame failures. I fancied a Spider 2 but would never take a chance with any Intense frame.

MTB bike frame failure shocker 😛

Intense bikes are shit. If the chainstays aren’t failing the pivot bolts fall out. Customer service outside the US is non existent.
I have a very nice 6.6 frame hanging on my wall cause I couldn’t bring myself to sell it to an unsuspecting buyer.

I love my tracer but yes the pivot bolts, well one of them, keeps working its self loose.

i love my tracer too, which makes it even more frustrating lets hope i get it sorted out

I have a Tracer as well, but have the common sense to check/do up the shock bolts properly/use thread lock if I need to. It annoys me when people buy something that gets rattled an banged about like mad then complain when something gets loose.

Back to the failure – what a shame. If the failure’s down by the chainstay / bottom bracket link its a known issue with the 2009 backwards frame. 2010 onwards comes with a thicker piece where the Cnc’ing is.

The advice to go via CRC is correct – get them to supply you a replacement 2010 frame (the one with ISCG tabs fro reference) or quote not fit for purpose – tell them its a known fault all over the internet (which it is) and that they have a duty to replace it with a modified version – otherwise its an easy lawsuit.

They have a backup of frames in CRC – they should by now ship you a replacement or refund for goodwill, or maybe a hefty discount on a Tracer2.

Intense bikes are shit. If the chainstays aren’t failing the pivot bolts fall out. Customer service outside the US is non existent.
I have a very nice 6.6 frame hanging on my wall cause I couldn’t bring myself to sell it to an unsuspecting buyer.

I love honest folk!

When you pay top dollar for a frame expecting top quality you don’t expect to have to resort to such methods.

Intense somehow have set themselves up as the flagship mountain bike frame supplier yet continue to supply the most unreliable manufacturers on the planet.

See here for more recurring evidence:
One of the many Intense frame break threads[quote]The advice to go via CRC is correct – get them to supply you a replacement 2010 frame (the one with ISCG tabs fro reference) or quote not fit for purpose – tell them its a known fault all over the internet (which it is) and that they have a duty to replace it with a modified version – otherwise its an easy lawsuit.[/quote]

It annoys me when people buy something that gets rattled an banged about like mad then complain when something gets loose.

Except it appears it’s not all brands – some seem far worse than others

If it’s out of warranty then it is out of warranty. Were either of the replacement rear triangles of the new design? Either way I think you may have some credence with the not fit for purpose route. That is a shame. I take it you are nor regularly hucking 12ft drops to flat etc?

My first tracer had an issue with the front triangle that was resolved by going direct to extra. My second tracer was spot on. That was replaced with a mk1 SS that is superb. Yup it needs looking after but the way it rides and what it puts up with more than makes up for any maintenance I have to do. I’m sure you do look after your frames but to others out there it does not matter what you spend they all need looking after and checking before and after rides. Why would you spend loads on a frame and not do that!? FWIW my pivot bolts stay put because I do them up properly and check them!

Thankyou Dans160.

If you guys searched on other manufacturers you find the same issues. In fact Mbr are testing a Scott genius with loosening pivot bolts as well.

P.s. Dans – thanks for previous thread. Finally got to bottom if the issue – too much compression in the shock. Bikes riding like a dream now, what a superb machine!

You can hardly decide something is not fit for purpose a long time after you’ve bought it?! Surely by using it for longer than the warranty period you’ve accepted it.
You should have tried the not fit for purpose the 1st time it broke.

Nay bother K57. Happy to help.

I’ve had 3 trail bikes since my Intense and never had to touch the pivots on any of them.
My pivot bolt issue started off as something I had to check every now and then. It deteriorated and would eventually need tightening mid ride. Its a bit silly having to carry a 6mm allen key everywhere in your pocket to tighten them during a ride.
The set screws and circlips dont stop them either. Its just bad design.
When you check the Intense forum you see that at any time there is at least one thread on the page relating to this problem.
Since the 6.6 there has been 2 generations of Tracers and this problem persists with the current models.
Not good enough IMO.

Back to the OP who wanted advice. Change brands. Its great not having to worry about your bike and as MBR put it “Just get out and Ride”

Here’s what I did with mine.

Maybe yours was just a bad one. If you look hard enough you can find issues with pretty much anything and find someone who will shout loudly about it given any oppurtunity to do so and vice versa. FWIW I’ve had three intenses and the pivot bolts have been fine. I don’t even use the circlips on the SS.

Nice Pivot BTW.

the pivot bolts came loose from time to time on my tracer, but isn’t that just down to the bike being used !? a quick tighten up, job done, isnt it good practice to check the bolts on your bike ?? at least you can get to them on the tracer, a friend of mine has had a few walks home with his kona, he’s got to remove the crank to get to one, and it comes loose a lot, even after plastering it with thread lock…..

well good news on the tracer front, intense have came through for me, cant fault there customer service, wish i could say the same for CRC

Good news! Was it Intense or the importer?

maybe get a steel rear end made up by a frame builder 😀

Great news! Keep us posted.

BTW no big hucking from me thats fur sure, maybe hard XC with some small jumps etc….

that pivot is v.nice 🙂

Intense instructed Extra UK, both said they where disappointed with CRCs response, as was I…. Intense and Extra UK have been very helpful and sympathetic with my predicament, and are sorting me out, soon as Ive got it all sorted ill post up more, I’m very happy with what they are proposing 🙂