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The Intense Spider XVP is by many accounts the most precision-engineered, most technologically evolved answer to the evils of CLF. How did Intense do it? Through Virtual Pivot Point (VPP) technology. The Spider provides 4" of travel, but instead of doing so with a single main pivot, Intense uses a dual pivot coupling at its main pivot point. This coupling allows two adjoining pivots to rotate opposite each other as the suspension compresses (top pivots rotate counter-clockwise, while bottom pivots rotate clockwise), which causes the rear axle to follow a backwards S-path distinctly dissimilar to the vertical path taken by a traditional 4-bar linkage. This helps give a VPP bike the same level of "activeness" as a 4-bar, but it does so while causing pedaling forces to drive the rear wheel downward rather than up. The resulting traction makes the Intense Spider XVP a superior climber and breathtakingly stable in corners.
While other companies out there utilize VPP technology, none build their frames with the same precision and expense as Intense. You don't see cast frame components, bushings, or any of the other telltale signs of manufacturing corner-cutting. Time-intensive CNC work can be found everywhere on the Intense Spider XVP, and the pivots on the suspension make extensive use of sealed bearings.
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