Haibike Heet RC - Eurobike 2013
A Stealth 150mm Travel 29er Germany's Haibike had two versions of their new Heet on display at day one of Eurobike 2013, with both 650B and 29er platforms available for riders to demo. The ultra-stealth Heet RC shown here is the 150mm travel big-wheeler, although the 650B-wheeled model, known as the Heet RX, sports an extra 10mm of travel to bring it up to 160mm. Interestingly, both wheel size platforms use the exact same front triangle, chain stays, and carbon rocker link, with the only difference being the slightly shorter seat stays employed on the 29er. | Heet RC details • Intended use: enduro/all-mountain • Rear wheel travel: 150mm • Wheel size: 29'' • Full carbon fiber frame • Internal or external cable routing • Interchangeable dropouts • Shimano XT drivetrain |
Unlike many carbon fiber frames that depend on aluminum for the chain stays, seat stays, or suspension elements, the Heet is carbon through and through - not only are the front triangle and 'stays carbon, even the bike's compact rocker link is made using the same material. The result is a relatively competitive frame weight given the bike's travel, with Haibike claiming it to come in at 2,150 grams/4.7LB without a rear shock. Even when factoring in the svelte RockShox Monarch shock, it is likely still near the head of the field in the weight game. There is much more to the Heet than its weight, though, with some clever frame design points as well. Haibike has made concessions for both external and internal cable routing via
swappable caps, each one held in place with a small hex screw, that either act as either cable stops or housing entry points, and them being removable should make it easy to feed a new line through without having to struggle to line it up with a small exit hole. Protection from rock strikes can be a concern with carbon frames, especially if you live and ride in a rocky area, so Haibike has incorporated a bolt-on shield that is mounted on the underside of the down tube with this in mind. The shield is replaceable (and removable if you don't feel you require it), and is stood off from the bike by a few millimeters to allow it to absorb and dissipate impacts before they are transferred into the down tube.
The Heet's rear suspension uses a four-bar configuration to deliver its 150mm of travel, with a compact rocker link that is made out of carbon fiber. Flush aluminum hardware is used all around, further contributing to the bike's understated appearance. Moving towards the rear of the bike, a set of clever bolt-on dropouts allows Heet owners to fit rear wheels with different axle configurations, a nice feature given that axle dimensions seem to be an ever shifting detail these days.
www.haibike.de
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of course it is still beefier than the one in the article above, its still intended for full hardcore use.
simoo - I just don't think it looks like they've gone for effecient load-paths. The GT doesn't have a pivot halfway up the chainstay. plus the two members aren't even in line. That's going to flex as soon as you put a load through it - it's essentially a cantilevered beam!
I'm sure they've done their calculations and simulation, and have produced a damn fine bike that's plenty strong enough, I'm just saying I don't think they've done it as light/stiff as it could be for aesthetic reasons. Or maybe it's supposed to flex to provide some trail-buzz neutralization. Whatevs
As I said, my money would go on a Lapierre. Would be surprised if there isn't some kind of hubbub over identical suspension design...
Having said all that, I do think it looks tasty!