Manhattan to Moab

Just a little over a year ago, I was a college graduate. It seemed like most of my friends were either set in what they were doing, or a larger portions of them had no idea what was next. I seemed to have it all figured out. Early that spring before graduating I had landed a pretty sweet job with Sony Music, working in the corporate building doing copyright clearance for the custom marketing label. The was an unpaid internship, and I had every intention of making it a paid job. I hit the ground running at Sony and was really into it. After while though it seemed to wear on me, and about halfway through the summer I wasn't sure how long I would last. In some ways it wasn't so much the job I didn't like... it was the city. I found Manhattan to be a very lonely detached place. So many people, so many people, so many people who could care less about one another. Riding the subway it was as if no one existed except for the person within themselves. A little perspective on this. You get on the subway; A) you get needless dirty looks, b) everyone has an ipod on and face into a book or newspaper, c) its near silent. Friendliness was rare, and I really welcomed it when it arose. Still however, I would dread leaving work everyday. To weave in and out of working people and mass amounts of tourists, taking me 1.5 hours to get home to a place maybe 8 miles away total. By the time I arrived home I was exhausted and frustrated. Food, t.v, and isolation ensued. There was never a quiet moment in the city, and everything began to break me down, slowly, I felt like I was drowning.

Soon I found the air however. I began to spend as much time on the weekend taking the train upstate and mountain biking with friends. I would look forward to it all week at work... that chance to escape, ride, and be happy. Every time I took the train back into the city I realized how much more unhappy I was becoming.

Some random Friday night in July I went on an internet job seeking rampage. I just wanted to get out. I searched for bike jobs and was applying to anything out west. I had ridden in Sedona AZ the past February and fallen in love. I just wanted to get out of the city. By chance I found a job doing wilderness therapy, working 8 days out in the wilderness with kids, and getting 6 days off. Something in my gut said this was it. So I went for it, was hired, and the first week of September I packed up everything I needed into the back of my truck, gave my mother a hug, held back tears, and drove across the country.

The job I had chosen was in central Utah, the middle of nowhere. So my living options boiled down to Moab or Salt Lake City. Just the word CITY gave me anxiety, and being a mountain biker, Moab sounded just right. I must say though, coming out I was a little naive. I thought I could waltz into town and find a place; no problem... WRONG. There was nothing for rent when I got here, rather what was for rent I had no intention of living in. I wasn't prepared for that. So I headed to SLC to look North in Ogden, a place outside Mag had said was an up and coming outdoors town. Again I was naive and ended up in a disgusting hotel on the verge of breaking down, giving up, and driving home. It was late at night, I called a very close friend and she said to get a refund, find a better hotel, and give it a shot before I come home. So I listened.

A few days later I headed to where I was working, still ready to go straight home, but I stuck it out, and 8 days later after my first shift, I knew I would be working Wilderness for awhile. I stuck it out in Moab, spent a month living outdoors, and finally found the perfect place to live. Since then I've really discovered myself, was happy with who I was, with what I was doing, and where I was headed... and only I had influence over that. My Job taught me a lot about people, and most importantly about myself. I continued to learn about myself on my bike as well. I grew as a person, and a rider.

Recently I became a mountain bike guide in Moab. A dream come true... but a dream that seemed unimaginable years ago. Everyone dreams about riding Moab. I ride it, I guide it, and I live it. I write this only because it seems everyone these days is falling into the mold, forgetting the best years of their life, and becoming miserable in doing it. I think the world as a whole would be better if people acted on passion rather than what they're made to believe. Many people tell me they feel stuck. I've never been able to except that answer. Everyone can do anything, they just have to find out how to do it and commit to that desire. Then you find your true self.

The Intense Family

Its been about two and a half months since my Tracer VP was built, and I must say I've been more than pleased every time I ride it, or get compliments, or hear people talking about it as I ride by. I guess Pride is a great word to say how I feel about the bike. The company though has made more of an impression of almost family like to me. I owned a Gary Fisher Hardtail as my first bike. Loved it, got what I payed for and then some. Had some great experiences with Trek/ Fisher, but they never felt like Intense has since I started building the Tracer VP. One thing I appreciate is Mr. Intense (Jeff Steber) and his dedication and passion to his product. I had some troubles with the lover pivot bolt when I first recieved my frame. Jeff emailed me personally asking for my information so he could send me the bolt I needed. I was floored. I spoke with the owner, designer, and mind behind my bike and the company. I didn't think customer service got better than that. But later Intense Cycles proved me even more wrong.

I had taken off a week from work in April '09, which in my current career translates to 3 weeks off. I couldn't be more happy. I had planned for about 6 months to take April off so I could enjoy one of the best months where I currently live, Moab. My friends had even planned to come down and ride for a week. It doesn't get much better than that. Riding with my friends on Amasa back one person happened to break her rear der. hanger. So after the ride and some single speed rigging to the bike we brought it back to the shop to get some repairs. While waiting for the bike I noticed I guy had come into the shop and he started talking to one of the Mechanics. He had on a lot of Intense Cycle clothing. This caught my eye immediately. Then I noticed the Intense Demo Truck out front, and before I knew it I was talking to Kevin from Intense Cycles about the new Uzzi VP and My Tracer VP. Even better he was coming on a ride with Myself and my friends. I was Lucky enough to spend the next day talking, riding, and chilling with Kevin. We talked about Intense as a business and whats to come, he also talked to me about some things I could do to upgrade an already awesome bike build, and on top of it all, I was able to ride the Intense Uzzi VP down Porcupine Rim. I was Amazed.

So when it really comes down to it Intense is unlike most bike companies I've dealt with. There is something to be said about a company who is so committed to their product, building it by hand, and having their production done in the US, not shipped over to Taiwan. If you want to build a real bike, and have a company with true values backing their product. Build Intense, and never look back.

Intense Tracer VP Build

So first lets start out with a video by Mr. Intense himself. This is how american bikes are built in America.


Do Not Watch The Ark from jeff steber on Vimeo.

This bike was quite the process. First I ordered the wheels, chain, cassette, crank,front and rear der.,brakes and shifters through a friend in December. I got them a month and a half later and almost exactly at that time the person I bought through vanished off the face of the earth. So I've got all these great parts and no frame or fork, let alone the rest of the components. Great, panic sets in and I'm at a loss. So the hunt begins, and I find a person over in Colorado selling an intense frame and he gives me a killer deal for the Tracer VP, Marzocchi 55 ata micro 09, and FSA Orbitz 1.5Z reducer headset. Things are Rolling again!

DT. Swiss E2200's: The Bling of my build.


Truvativ Stylo 3.3 GXP


Sram PG990 Cassette


Sram PC991 Hollowpin Chain


Sram X9 Shifters


Sram X9 Rear Der.


Avid Juicy 7's: 180 Front, 160 Rear


WTB Rocket V Race Saddle, Easton EA50 Bar & Stem


Kenda Small Block 8 & Nevegal



The Frame and Fork Arrive and I have no patience to take individual pictures


So I never listed or pictured the front Der. Thats because the one I originally got came broken, only had two shift positions. This turned out great because accessing the cable and high/low screws was near impossible with the intense frame, so I ended up going with the Shimano SLX which fit perfectly. I have no picture though so just look real close. Here's the finished product!