Hardtails, Helmets, and More - Sea Otter 2015

Apr 18, 2015
by Mike Kazimer  
Hanebrink fat bike

Designed by Dan Hanebrink, this prototype fat bike dates all the way back to 1993. Massive 8" wide tires allow for low single digit tire pressures, but those small, heavy wheels make it unlikely to break any land speed records.


Airborne Griffin

Airborne's Griffin 27.5+ hardtail is based on the consumer-direct company's Goblin EVO frame, but uses 12x148 rear and 15x110 front spacing to fit the wider tires. The bike's 69° head angle and 450mm chainstays are on the steep and long side of things, but maybe the fact that Airborne is based in Ohio, a state without any true mountains, has something to do with this... The bike's spec includes a 120mm Manitou Magnum fork SRAM's GX 1x11 drivetrain, and will go for $1999 USD.


Smith MIPS

Smith's Forefront helmet will be available with a MIPS liner this spring, an upgrade that will add $40 to the final price of the helmet. The green portion of the helmet shown in the above cutaway is Koroyd, which is made using thousands of co-polymer tubes that are thermally welded together, forming a honeycomb like structure claimed to offer up to 30% more impact absorption than EPS.


Morpheus Vimana

Morpheus' Vimana dirt jump frame has received a few changes for 2015 aimed at shedding weight and increasing stiffness. Going to a forged bottom bracket shell and a tapered head tube was enough to shed 80 grams off of the frame, and an update to the rear dropout creates a claimed 30% increase in rear end stiffness. There's also a new sandblasted finish to help keep the frame looking good even after repeated tumbles through the dirt, and in addition to the black on black color shown, there will be blue/white and red/white color options. It hasn't been officially announced yet, but Morpheus has chosen to go the consumer direct route in order to keep the prices of their bikes reasonable. MSRP on the Vimana is $595 USD for the frame only.


Sea Otter 2015

Based in Toronto, Canada, RSD Bikes' latest creation is the Sergeant, an aluminum 27.5+ hardtail that's designed to be run with a 140mm fork, giving it a 68° head angle. The sliding dropout design allows the chainstay length to range from 435 to 447mm, and the bike uses the Boost standard in the front and rear. Early versions of the bike used an 83mm bottom bracket, but RSD realized they could still achieve enough clearance for a 3.25" tire with a 73mm shell, so they changed the design to open up more crank options and maintain a smaller Q factor. As shown, the bike will retail for $2599 USD. There's also plans to offer a stainless steel and a titanium version later in the summer.

Sea Otter 2015
Beefy sliding dropouts allow the Sergeant to be run as a single speed and with a variety of tire widths.
Sea Otter 2015
Fat tires like the 27.5 x 3.0 Maxxis Chronicle fit with room to spare.


Sea Otter 2015

Tired of all the fresh air and sunshine? Charlie Sponsel has the answer at the freshly spray-painted Gravity Components van, complete with candy and Downhill Domination. He's also offering educational seminars on 'freeride flicks' free of charge.


Be sure to check out all of our Sea Otter Classic images in this gallery.

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109 Comments
  • 183 11
 i do not understand where this plus sized trend has spawned from. are people really riding these, or is the industry just telling us that we should be riding these?
  • 45 27
 The industry is not telling you what to ride my friend, it is giving you more options I believe. That can't be a bad thing. On that note I doubt even 5% of riders have tried + sizes so we will have to try one to make a choice.
  • 126 10
 how about instead of pouring money into designing bizarre frankenbikes, figure out a way to build a cheap DH bike? or even a cheap trail bike? the cost of building these stupid bikes is getting tacked on to other much more rideable bikes
  • 70 4
 Hipsters...
  • 18 82
flag deeeight (Apr 18, 2015 at 10:27) (Below Threshold)
 Why build a cheap DH bike when few people really live somewhere where they can use it. And even in spots that do exist (we have lift access here), the folks with fat bikes now far outnumber the pool of people who like to ride downhill bikes.
  • 14 1
 Because any decent bike manufacturer knows that the best way to make a profit is to produce a low profit option of a bike that already sells like crazy as-is....
  • 66 3
 @deeeight fine, it doesnt have to be a DH bike, but what about a solid entry level full suspension trail bike for around $1000? its not lack of variety that is holding our sport back, but rather the crazy cost of a quality bike. ask any casual rider why they arent buying a new bike. odds are its not because they 're waiting for a new hub standard thats 3mm wider, or a tire that allows them to ride through a swamp
  • 7 1
 I think it may be for people that actually have snowy winter conditions, because here in Ontario the riding season basically ends in December and doesn't start again until late April unless you have a fatbike
  • 14 2
 As far as I knew, almost no one has actually ridden a plus size. Until a few weeks ago, wasn't Surly the only company producing anything like it? That's what so amusing to me, is that only three people (and were any of them serious mountain bikers?) have actually ridden plus size but all of a sudden everyone is making them. I still haven't got a clue what it's like to ride these things and if the tradeoffs are worthwhile. The industry seems to swing every year from gun-shy to jumping the gun...
  • 4 1
 Deigo b, the industry don't give options, they bring in new and fade out the old. I am not gonna say I don't like this plus size thing, because I have been doing this on my xc frame with mtx39 and 2.5 tires for a bit. so as far as I am concerned, its about damn time. especially for us guys that are SSR lovers
  • 6 0
 Product managers.
  • 35 2
 there are people out there who really love riding slow, inefficient bikes.
  • 16 16
 Surly owners have had "plus" size options for several years... the Krampus and ECR being 29+ and the Troll and Instigator being 26+. As to 650B+, the production run tires only started becoming available during the past year but besides all their company designers/test riders/owners on them (since they needed the tires to build the frames/forks around them to show them at these trade shows/spring classics) there's a cast of dozens on mtbr already being early adopters. Shame more pinkbike users don't venture out into the greater bicycle world to experience new things before they get publicity here. As to $1000 full suspension trail bikes... well they'll weigh as much as a fat bike does and existing technology has basically trickled down the price foodchain as much as is possible already. Shimano has hydraulic discs down to the 3xx series parts (basically Acera-X) and decent shocks and forks with lockouts or adjustable rebound oil damping and a non-patented linkage design. As to the "industry fade out the old" crap... yeah...over DECADES... complaining now about 148 replacing 142 is all kinds of stupid. I can still service mountain bikes from the 1970s... and you're worried about something from a few months ago ?
  • 2 1
 A plus size tire is the perfect tool for riding in the Uintas...for your trails...probably not so much
  • 4 2
 Now if someone would produce an XC weight tire 2.6 to 2.8ish for single speeders we'd have something. It's gotta fit regular stuff though.
  • 5 8
 Look at it this way. After only ever owning full sus bikes for a few years, I'm about to the get a new aggressive geo 29er, on which I can put 27.5 wheels, coupled with 27.5+ tires. Achieving both an outside diameter of 29" (thus not really altering geo) AND some big, voluminous, low psi, cushiony tires to help soften up the harsher ride of the hardtail.

Orrrrrr... I can just out regular 29er tires on it. But with 27.5+, I can use ONE wheelset on multiple wheel size frames.

Personally, I feel like only people about to purchase new bikes really care about this stuff at the moment. And to everyone else, it's just annoying... To each his own.
  • 4 0
 I like your idea @MasterSlater, but how many 29" frames will actually fit 27.5+ tires? Remember that along with extra height, there is extra width which may cause clearance issues.

My opinion on the + size trend is that it will be great for beginners, mud, soft trails, freeriding/off-trail exploring, and winter riding. I can't imagine anyone setting any KOM's in the summer with a + size tire.
  • 3 0
 Giant stance?
  • 2 0
 I like Charlie. He's fun.
  • 4 1
 That's the fucking gospel. These bikes are stupid. Dh and trail bikes have gotten way to costly. The bike industry is screwing us.
  • 2 2
 @teton... existing 29ers depends on the frame material (steel and ti frames tend to have more clearance than alloy or carbon frames) and the actual tire. WTB's Trailmaster 2.8 which started the move to wider 650B offerings is only actually a 2.8 at the casing, its a 2.3 at the tread. Since most frames/forks get narrower where the bridge between the two sides are, this works out because the thickest part ends up being down where the clearance is usually better. Vee's Trax Fattys on the other hand are pretty much equal casing and tread width so they don't lend themselves to conversions of existing stuff.
  • 1 0
 @regdunlop38 check out the Giant Stance
  • 1 0
 I rode a plus size today and loved it. A lot more fun than you think.
  • 2 0
 guys it s pretty kind to want a solid good new bike for 1000$, but it's IMPOSSIBLE ! building these things cost money, and more than you thing... not about the materials (carbon, alu, Titanium do NEVER cost more than 40€/kg ...) but all the technologies that are needed to create a bike ... all industries invest ENORMOUS amount of money into machines, and hundreds of differents people involved into the creating of ONE bike ..... don't forget most bikes come from asia where the workers aren't payed like EU or USA, at all .... considering they must live too , well ... the product marges on complete bikes aren't so big as everyone says ..
  • 1 1
 It's like this: you don't dirt jump on your DH bike or go DHing on a cross bike, so why not have different tools for different jobs. We all need more bikes!
  • 2 0
 Speak for yourself lol I'm in Ontario too, & my riding season never ends.... & I prefer my DH over a fatbike. I don't want a crutch for winter riding.... I want the challenge, so I stick with DH. Mind you, I roll 26"x 2.7" rubber on it for a wider footprint, so I can see the draw of fat, but it's not for me. Again, though, my riding season NEVER ends.
  • 2 0
 Yes but you live in Hamilton which is pretty damned flat. There's no real downhill to be ridden there at all, and the fat bike scene isn't that great either. Here in Ottawa we're next to the laurentian mountains chain, there's been world and canada cup skiing and mountain biking events in this area, and the current local XC course for the summer races at Camp Fortune is technically more challenging than most things on the current world cup or any of the Olympic venues so far. And the XC race course for the ten year olds now (which is what the senior elites were riding 25 years ago) is equal to what the world championships were held on at Bromont in 1992.
  • 3 0
 I just want an unbiased opinion of if, how, and where these hugd tires are better (other than snow or sand)
  • 2 1
 @deeeight highland is 600 vert of relatively flat terrain and yet its a huge destination for riders. ill bet that 90% of people live within a 2 hour drive of similar terrain. if bikes are cheaper, more people buy bikes, and more bike parks get built. cheaper bikes are the key, not more types of bikes
  • 1 2
 Bryce...anyplace you have rock (moab for example) or mud or exposed roots on the trails. Go ask in / read the 27+/29+ forum on mtbr. There's a fellow with a tandem with the Vee Trax Fatty B3.25s who just spent a week in Moab, Utah with his wife. Posted review/pics. He bought the tires himself, built the wheels, etc. But what would you call/determine to be unbiased ? Apparently those of us who already love them are all biased...
  • 4 0
 Trust the guy on the tandem - said no one ever. That's like taking advice from a unicycler about clipless pedals.

Don't get me wrong, these plus sized tires will have their place, but if anyone starts telling me that these tires will replace 'normal' width tires then they are full of c-r-a-p.

I might go mount up a pair of 2.25" tires today for the hell of it, and because I want more bite in softer dirt than what my normal 2.4's offer. As downhillers, we always would mount up narrow tires if we wanted better bite, that's a given. If you saw a guy show up with a 2.8" wide tire on a muddy course they were going to struggle to keep the bike upright. Hard surfaces, a wide tire is almost always better. Fat tires float. Of course everyone in the motorsports world knows this. Its only debated in mountain biking because there are too many people who simply don't know any better.
  • 1 0
 Built this for 999 Euro.
Could not get the 2014 frame, because it was a prototype, had to settle for this one.
2013 Rose Beefcake DH with CCDB. (Olde-ish)
Everything else on the bike is brand new. I even got the 66RCs with protective foil on the chrome, did the first service last week.
You can build a nice bike yourself, it is possible, it will take time that is for sure, but you built it and it is awesome Smile
P.S. Just go out and ride, if you break something and you want to try the new stuff, do it, if not, then do not.
  • 1 0
 m.pinkbike.com/photo/11158023
  • 2 0
 So I live in Hamilton.... That means I don't travel to ride? Lol & my tires work just fine on loose/soft surfaces too. I switched from a skinnier tire because these work better for me. Everyone has their own preference, & wide tires on 26s just happen to work for me.
  • 81 3
 Why would you want 4" when you can have eight? Ladies one at a time...
  • 50 3
 Current bike industry master plan: Throw crap at the wall and see what sticks. Lots of small components are still evolving for the better, but overall bike design seems to be hitting a plateau and the industry doesn't know how to deal with it. Disagree? Let's discuss!
  • 7 2
 You sir have your eyes open, Well said!
  • 4 1
 Perhaps their finding the right blend of fatbike and hardtail. The only ones who will know if the + sized tire option is effective is those who try, and they can always go back to narrower tires. I certainly find the appeal in wider tires for a hardtail, simply for the bump absorption and added stability at speed. Maybe fatter is better?
I just know that industry changes are rarely received well until they become standard. Think back to how hydraulic brakes were received!
  • 7 1
 Put it this way..... Last week I took my daughters boyfriend dhing with me he rode my last herb Dh and he's nev rode a mountain bike, but quite a bit of bmx. He sent it off most jumps including a 10ft gap and a 15ft table and guess what guys? He didn't say " oh my god it's got 26"wheels how am I going to ride that? Will I be faster or slower than my 20" bmx? Albeit he did crash hard twice but didn't give a shite about wheel size lol
  • 1 0
 Industry is trying to explore new possibilities, while I'm bigs fan of this experimenting I'm not a fan of the fact that unlike automotive and other industry Bikes can't afford to experiment and prototype for multiple years, and than release what is truly the best, we have to pay this research along with standards which may not become that standard…
Driven by competition there is too much unnecessary boom and hype about every little update, but look around and you'll see this is not happening only in Bike industry.
Some people like to buy latest and greatest, I like to buy tried and tested with enough spare parts in lesser developed country of mine. I wouldn't buy 1x11 29" couple of years ago.. but now? prices drop, geometries evolved, heck I would. There might be some sweet 27,5+ rig waiting for me somewhere in the future too Smile
  • 22 1
 looks wank
  • 15 0
 Hanebrink the fork that if you didn't rebuild inbetween runs scoured its own stantions!! Lol had one.... The point I'm trying to make is without the hanebrink, the flexstem then we wouldn't have boxxers, Bos, Dvo or Fox.... Sometimes it takes a new craze to radicalise a sport, I rememb when I had a double nose Mike vallely skate board ( the 1st double nose/tail) and everyone took the piss.... Funny cause everyone now rides one
  • 2 0
 +1 for being old enough (or schooled enough) to remember the "crazy" Mike Vallely board! All those flip tricks, that'll never take off!
  • 1 1
 Of course buddy!! Hats off to you.... No who the hell would want a double tail skateboard. I love the scepticism of the people who think progression isn't inv in any sport at all, whether it's totally right or wrong it's still progress.... And it was the Barn yard graphic Vallely doh
  • 1 0
 Props on your comment, I will wait and see what comes from the current trend!
  • 2 0
 hanebrink fork looked badass on that A-frame that cullinan rode.
double tail skates? remember alva? that was a rocker. omg when I skated mike was younger than me. thank god he is older now haha
  • 2 0
 Yes Cully's bike looked so radical and futuristic.... My bro had a Alva Freddy Punk cool as!!! I also had a Santa Monica airlines Natus..... God I miss those days and that's the point of these bikes to keep us old knackered skater dudes happy and still feeling alive! Oh my god I had 50mm Powell T bones when all my friends rode on 35mm screw balls oh no what a dilemma lol
  • 1 0
 Those A-frames were epic
  • 2 0
 Side note: The Vision "double vision" was the first double kick board (I had one). Rocco/Mullen/Vallely bribed the board maker at Vision to give them the mold from the double vision to make the Vallely Barnyard board. It was within months if not weeks of each other.

Back to bike nerding.
  • 2 0
 You are right there... The double vision was the first kick board but it was only a graphic change... Nice deck though
  • 2 0
 side note: I got nostalgic and found my latest skate in the garage. kickflipped for the first time in 7 years and landed it. second try It overrotated and ended landing with my tail bone straight on to the board sideways in front of my two children who couldnt stop laughing. pain all the way from my pride to my ankle hajahaja
  • 1 0
 I still skate. Picked it up after 15 years off, opened a skateshop and indoor park a few years ago. Keep doing it!
  • 6 0
 I'm not a fan of any of this fat-stuff, but if I WAS going to buy something with bigger tires I'd be going all out and getting a proper "fat" bike with 4.0+ tires. A 27.5+ is just too similar to my current steeds to justify an addition to the stable.
  • 3 0
 Could it be there is a better medium in between, where the 29+ 3" tires inhabit? Rarely is the solution on the periphery.
  • 1 1
 Trek's new Farley is being offered either with 26 x 5.0 or 650B x 4.0. Multiple wheelsets in one frame/fork is where the industry is going. Its no longer going to be ONE size only specific. This is how the automobile industry already works btw. I have both 16" and 17" rims with different tires which work out to the same diameter. One set for winter and one for the rest of the year.
  • 5 0
 The green portion of the helmet shown in the above cutaway is Koroyd, which is made using thousands of co-polymer tubes that are thermally welded together, forming a honeycomb like structure claimed to offer up to 30% more impact absorption than EPS

looks like the salesman did a good job, that's drinking straws glued together haha!!!!
  • 1 1
 was talking to a guy from smith at crankworks, and he was like yea it just melded together straws. But that being said its the most comfortable helmet i have ever worn. If they didn't cost so much I would definitely buy one.
  • 7 0
 Thank you for covering some Dirt Jump news with the new Morpheus bike. I wish PinkBike had more dirt jump bike news.
  • 2 1
 Although generally speaking there isn't much new in dj, i agree.
  • 19 13
 Shit's gay. The only cool thing about these new bikes, hub standards, tire widths, blahblahblah is that it makes 26" 1x10 cheap as f*ck. f*ck everything, ride your bike.
  • 18 3
 Well said man. Long live 26" and 10 speed
  • 16 2
 I'm still 26" and 2x9 and plan on staying that way for awhile.
  • 4 1
 Steel 26 10sp hardtail. Rollin old school, and I haven't had this much fun on my bike ever!
  • 4 0
 Leachie8 you are spot on. I have a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea that my 2013 RM Slayer rolling on 26" wheels with a 20 mm front axle and a 1x10 drive train is considered outdated by the industry in April 2015. I don't hate on any of the new sizes and standards. My budget certainly helps me filter the hype.
  • 3 0
 My budget also dictates my build but i dont suffer any shite on my Bike. I still run a 2000 shiver. I can afford a more modern fork , but ive never seen or ridden one that performs any better, turns so many heads. And looks so damn cool. And it cost me £90 if it ever gives ou, i Think i will die a little inside.
Stuffs outdated when its broken. 26" forever
  • 8 5
 Oh come on give it a chance before judgement lol... I feel wider rubber should inspire confidence and give another edge to bikes.... 2yrs ago it was rumoured that we'd end up on 29" dh bikes eventually and I thi this will happen but with plus size tyres as it will keep the wheel strength... Who doesn't want to just have a go on fat bike down their local trail just to see what happens?
  • 12 2
 Dh bikes will never be 29"
  • 5 3
 They will become 650+ One day or even 29"! Everyone thought 650b would be a fad now you see them everywhere.... Intense are still developing their 29er Dh but this might change their direction.... Have you tried larger wheels on a dh style bike? Have you though some people would see them as more confident giving?
  • 4 1
 I tend to agree @dickydick, why not give it a shot and rent or borrow one? Who knows, it could be super stable and fun!
  • 1 2
 My idea of a perfect bike about 6-7 years ago was a big wheeled 150mm v low slung long top tube bike that I could pedal and attack trails on..... Of course I thi in terms of 650b and 29" we're probably there but it's took 6years or so.... Look at how the Iron Horse Sunday changed DHING.... It brought the progression to the masses! And maybe one of these new bikes could??? But you won't know unless you try them
  • 1 0
 I only started riding in 2008 and from what I understand, I missed the 3.0" DH tire craze by a few years and everyone gave up on those in favor of the 2.3-2.5 tires we now ride and I kinda started feeling that the 2.5" were getting slowly phased out.

What was the reason for getting rid of the 3.0" the first time around again?
  • 1 0
 The reason that 3" was phased out was that the lack of side wall technology in the tyres meant that they wandered badly unless pumped up hard as f*ck..... But it didn't mean it was wrong
  • 1 0
 Thanks!
  • 6 0
 So Sponsel is supposed to play Brian Lopes in Downhill Domination I heard.
  • 3 2
 Like I've said its upto you the consumer if you decide to buy it. The bike companies need new technology because that's what some of the consumers want... We all like development like suspension. Have you tried a 120mm girvin flexistem? Or disk brakes like Promax? Or even non synchronised gear shifters? If not go and ride a gt karakoram or a kona lavadome form 1988 ( I love krona by the way and respect all development) bike companies need to survive or we will all be riding 650b 160 enduro bikes thinking we're at utopia lol
  • 5 0
 Hanebrink... The fork I had to rebuild inbetween practice laps.
  • 2 0
 Had one for a short time. I think that thing weighed twice as much as the frame I had it on. In between rebuilds there were lots of nose heavy landings as it dragged me and my bike down the mountain. Some parts were awfully sketchy back in the day. It's a wonder some of us "old" survivid and stuck with thw sport.
  • 4 4
 i suppose i can forgive a fatbike from 1993 but what are bike manufacturers in 2015 thinking with all this 27.5+? do they think we all live in snow driffs and marsh lands? i see the appeal of larger tyres and rims such as ibis's 941 wheelset and american classic wide lightning, but 3.0+" tyres just seems excessive for normal riding!
  • 2 1
 Though I don't, some people DO live where there are snow drifts and marsh lands, does that bother you so much as to claim these tires are excessive?
  • 2 0
 Can somebody explain me why should I ride bike with these mega, heavy, ugly, sluggish and slow wheels? I really cant find even one reason. Maybe deep snow.
  • 3 3
 Don't blame Ohio. Airborne it's just limited on research and us using a lot of older designs to keep costs down. They are still a good company to get started with since you can just migrate the spec to a new frame later.
  • 2 0
 don't think anyone was "blaming" Ohio, it's very true there aren't any real mountains, just hills.
  • 1 0
 In the part of new York from which I hail we only have hills and I think slack angles and short stays make plenty of sense there. Our climbs were short. In fact "enduro" setups were the soup d'jour there since 15 years ago. Every trail ride is like a stage race. Ride hard down then pedal slowly back up.
  • 3 1
 after the 18 , 20, 24, 26, 29, 650B, 650B+, we introduce to the public the tractor tire,for bike !!! v
  • 2 3
 Interesting... I just built up a full XT 1x10(11/36-34) groupo, Hope and Azonic hubs, Sun Ringle rims, and a 2012 150mm Sektor U-Turn, Nukeproof pedals, Answer riser bar, Race Face Respond stem, WTB saddle, ect. and I didn't break $1700.

I looked up the price of the parts on the RSD Sergeant, seems that marking up the complete build $700 to $900 is okay!
  • 3 0
 OK now put it on an incredibly boutique brand frame and see how much it sets you back..
  • 5 3
 Custom made in North America frames cost more than made in asian frames. Also Airborne has more buying power than RSD and gets better discounts because they're ordering 10,000 chains at a time, not RSD that orders 10 chains at a time.
  • 2 1
 Yeah, but does yours have Booooost!?
  • 1 0
 80 grams less than the previous years Vimana. Just spit before you get on your bike to make up for the weight if you don't have the 2015 Vimana
  • 1 0
 Blamo take a look at the "on-one 24" fattie video" it certainly gives a bit of food for thought lol
  • 1 1
 2.3" tire wicked trail bike, 5" tire floats on snow, 3.5" well not sure on this one, trail handling poor and not so good for snow riding , i don't get it.
  • 2 4
 Please build Suspension Bikes using 130 mm of travel, 34mm uppers, short C.S., long T.T., lots of S.O.,relaxed H.A.@66-68 deg.,using 27.5" normal wheels and equipped with 1x11 and dropper post for riders between 5'5"-5'8" tall. The companies that make bikes similar to this either have too short of a T.T. with long C.S. or too long of a T.T. and too much or too less of travel. This bike is all One needs; XC / All Mtn., fast uphill, downhill and around the hill through any terrain!

Geometry:
T.T. - 23"
H.A.- 66-68 deg.
C.S.- 16.6"
S.T.- 16"
B.B.- 13"
S.O.- 27.5
W.B.- 44.5"
  • 5 0
 Transition Patrol, Santa Cruz Nomad (slightly longer chainstay), and Canfield Balance are very close to what you are looking for with a little more travel. No one makes a bike with 16.6 inch chainstays and 27.5 wheels because it's physically impossible to have tire clearance. Canfield and Transition definitely love short chainstays, and have created their bikes to use the shortest possible chainstay length. The perfect bike for you is the Transition Scout. It ticks all your boxes except the chainstay is 16.73 instead of 16.6. I accept 10% commission for doing the research for you. Just kidding, I know the geo of all these bikes by heart due to my current bike search.

Scout looks like a sweet bike, but I need 150-160mm to truly be able to ride everywhere including lift served downhill bike parks, and true DH trails.
  • 1 0
 Specialized Fuse just unveiled...430mm chainstays, 67 H.A., 1x11, 650B x 3.0 tires stock with clearance for more. Trek Stache 29+ is 650B+ compatible as well, CS length is adjustable 405 to 420mm. H.A. is 67.5 with 650+ and a 140mm fork.
  • 1 0
 I appreciate the time you took to reply; but I don't think you really read on what i'm looking for companies to build.
Suspension means a Fork up front and a Shox in the rear not a hard-tail and normal 27.5 wheels don't mean Franken tires but rather something like a 2.3.
  • 1 0
 I'm with you on this one. A burly 130mm with a more all mountain oriented geo could be what I'll be looking for next time I buy something. It seems like 6" is kinda big for most trail and most 4-5" are more on the XC side of things.

The transition scout suits this bill but 30lbs for a 125mm rig is really on the heavy side. Xprezo has the "magic carpet" too at 130mm travel with 67.8HA and a long TT but kind of on the expensive side of things.
  • 1 0
 So, deeeight suggested the Scout. I was thrown back when I looked up it's geometry, thinking I might have just found the "Holy Grail";until stumbling on the weight. I was not crazy about it; especially with the 1x system and a little under 5-G's. Sooner or later, hopefully sooner we will see the build flooding the bike shops.

I do like when a company has the weight of their bikes listed.
  • 1 0
 My xc bike weighs 34 lbs. the scout weighs 30 lbs because it's built to be ridden hard. Weight barely factors into my decision about which bike to buy.
  • 1 0
 That's cool, all I'm saying is when you can buy a 160mm in the sub 30lbs range, a 130mm that weights the same is a tough sell, especially if you have to bust out 5k$+ for it.
  • 1 0
 I'm so stoked, The bike geometry I have been dreaming about for years; has finally been released from Specialized. ( 2016- Camber, 27.5".

Now just have to wait for the shop to get them on the floor!

Those who gave this a thumbs down, will be having sore thumbs when they discover the incredible ride this bike has!!



Please build Suspension Bikes using 130 mm of travel, 34mm uppers, short C.S., long T.T., lots of S.O.,relaxed H.A.@66-68 deg.,using 27.5" normal wheels and equipped with 1x11 and dropper post for riders between 5'5"-5'8" tall. The companies that make bikes similar to this either have too short of a T.T. with long C.S. or too long of a T.T. and too much or too less of travel. This bike is all One needs; XC / All Mtn., fast uphill, downhill and around the hill through any terrain!

Geometry:
T.T. - 23"
H.A.- 66-68
C.S.- 16.6"
S.T.- 16"
B.B.- 13"
S.O.- 27.5
W.B.- 44.5"
  • 1 0
 I remember that Hanebrink. I wanted one so bad for no good reason. So yeah, very similar to current fatbikes. Smile
  • 1 1
 some people don't like fat or 29" or 27.5" or 26" so what left for those people? hungry industry that will make some more money from this new +'s....
hey what about 26"+??
  • 1 0
 Surly's got 26+ covered: surlybikes.com/bikes/instigator_2point0
  • 1 0
 That Vimana is looking extra sexy, except I still can't get over how sharp and pointy that rear dropout looks.
  • 1 0
 That RSD sergeant looks a lot like Canfield Bros Nimble 9.
  • 2 0
 All i see is Rubber
  • 2 1
 2grand for Airbornes aluminum hardtail. Yeesh.
  • 2 0
 Yawn
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