Pro Bike: Oscar Härnström’s 2020 INTENSE Carbine 29

How could you describe 30-year-old INTENSE team rider Oscar Härnström? Pro rider, adventure seeker, content provider, strong character? Oscar, a former Swedish World Cup racer, joined INTENSE last year. He raced World Cups from 2008 until 2017 and was also a regular feature on European downhill series podiums. He’s now moved his career more into freeride disciplines, whilst also still doing some selected Red Bull events every year – like Valparaiso, Hardline, etc. You could call him a ‘freeracer’, as he’s very much known for his speed.

As you can imagine, Oscar has quite a few INTENSE bikes to choose from, but as his ‘do-it-all’ bike he chooses our INTENSE Carbine. With 155mm of suspension front and rear and 29” wheels the Carbine really is all about big wheels and long travel, something that INTENSE has championed since the very early days. The Carbine 29 is a bike that is light, lively and capable… it can take the hits.





“I’m just loving how playful the bike feels under my feet when I ride. It’s super direct and light, and goes exactly where I want it to go. It’s really active and playful but at the same time like a tank (in a good way!) over the rougher stuff. Like me, you will be amazed by it.” - Oscar

Oscar Härnström

Job title?
Living my dream as a pro mountain bike rider.

You ride an XL, so how tall are you?
I’m 1.87 cm.

Where do you live?
I’m living up in Åre, Sweden.



How would you describe your riding style?
I come from a motocross background, so would say I add some MX spice to it. Apart from that I love to find big hucks and to express myself.

So your Carbine 29, can you tell us a bit about the riding you do on it?
Where I live there is so much to explore, there are endless trails. The bike is also perfect for lapping the bike park on, so it is pretty much my all-day bike.

How do you set up your suspension?
I run all my bikes pretty stiff and hard, but I really like it when they are soft off the top and then ramp-up really hard. Normally I prefer springs to air shocks and forks, but I’m enjoying the air so far. My fork is set up with 120 psi in the main chamber and 220 psi in the ramp-up chamber, 2HSC, 6LSC, 7 rebound… for all the tech heads! For bigger stuff I go a bit harder and slower again.

For my rear shock I normally run 205-210 psi with 4 volume spacers in and 14HSC, 8LSC, 11HSR, 9LSR starting from fully open. It’s the same thing here for bigger stuff – I pump it up to about 215-220 psi and slow down the rebound by a few clicks.



You have a lot of co-sponsors, so this bike is not a stock build?
That’s right, it’s got lots of e*thirteen goods. I have never owned this much carbon before!

The Box One components are new for a lot of people, can you tell us a bit about them?
I got on board pretty late with them, so I have only used it for a short while now, but I’m really happy with the performance and feeling. I’m sure people will get to know and hear about them very soon.

Do you have any odd set-ups on your bike?
I had a really ugly crash in Lourdes 2015 and exploded my left wrist. So I need to run my rear brake on my left side more tilted down than before.



Interesting that you use the plastic composite pedals from e*thirteen. Why?
I really like the look and feel of them.

Do you have a favorite part on the bike?
That is a tricky one, as I just love every single part of it.

Do you change this set-up at all depending on where and what you are riding?
Yes, as mentioned earlier I run my suspension a bit softer while riding trails and easier bike park stuff. Then if I ride bigger lines and jumps I stiffen my suspension up a touch, and I also put bigger tires on.



What about your tires, do you have any particular favorites?
I really like the MoPo compound on e*thirteen’s new tires, it doesn’t matter if you ride in snow, mud or dust. For tire pressures I normally run 1.9 bar (27 psi) in the rear and 1.75 bar (25 psi) in the front for normal bike parks days and singletrack trails. I go down a bit if it is rainy and slippery. For bigger lines with big gaps and high speed I go a bit harder, then I run 2.3 bar (33 psi) in the rear and 2.1 bar (30 psi) in the front. For urban downhill races I go even harder.

I check my tire pressure almost every time I ride. It just makes me so much more confident whilst I’m riding. It’s a good tip, one that helps you understand your bike and how it rides. Tire pressures make a huge difference.

Can you tell us a bit more about your ‘Ride in Peace’ sticker?
My dad passed away recently from cancer, so it has been really tough. I’m working on a collection (Fuck Cancer) together with my street/handcraft partner De Palma Workwear, all the income from that will go to cancer research. Stay tuned for more and ride in peace dad.

Carbine 29

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