Intense Cycles have announced a new version of their Carbine long-travel all-mountain/enduro suspension 29er, with more travel and, they claim, handling that you’ll be hard-pressed to tell from a smaller-wheeled machine.

Completely redesigned by Intense founder Jeff Steber, Intense say the new Carbine is “a carbon racing beast that perfects the 29er geometry conundrum to deliver the playful, nimble handling usually associated with smaller wheels and the big-wheel benefits of increased grip, improved float over rough ground and ultimately, speed.”

First up, the new Carbine gets an extra 15mm of rear travel compared to the previous bike, bringing it up to 155mm to better match the recommended 160mm travel fork.

Out back, Intense have gone with the 148mm Boost rear axle system, which is becoming common enough that you can almost call it a standard, insofar as there’s such as a thing as a standard in bikes these days.

The five Carbine models also boast JS Tuned shocks, internally sleeved cables, integrated chainstay protectors and a flak guard with integrated cable guides.

There are two versions of the Carbine frame. The Expert and Foundation models use a full carbon frame with alloy link while the Factory, Elite and Pro bikes and use the 200g lighter SL carbon frame with titanium hardware. If you want to build your own, the SL frame is the one you’ll start with; the standard frame only comes in complete builds.

The new Carbine will be available from the end of the first week of July from UK importer Saddleback.

For more indormation see the new Carbine on the Intense website.

Intense Carbine prices