The prototype Morpheus looks nothing like the current crop of small tubed, steel hardtail frames that are commonplace at most dirt jump spots and comps. Keep an open mind and look beyond popular frame fashion and you may see a fresh design that can brag about an extremely short rear end and astonishing top tube clearance.
Morpheus Cycles in NYC is embracing the concept of creating bikes that further the capabilities of the person riding that bike. It a bold statement, but it is hard to criticize when you take a close look at their new DJ Prototype. With chainstay options ranging from 14.5 to 16 inches the frame can be tricked on the dirt jumps or raced competitively on a slalom course. According to Morpheus, the prototype shows class leading potential in areas such as reduced weight, lateral stiffness, top tube clearance and of course, chainstay length. The new Morpheus at first glance, appears to be a trials frame reworked by aliens and then sent back to earth. Let's take a closer look into the concept, meet the designers behind it, and the riders who are helping bring it to life.
Action sports are evolving so fast that in practically every sport from snowboarding to gymnastics people are doing more spins and flips than the year before. Michael Schwartz (
owner/founder) of Morpheus Cycles started to study the tuck in various action sports and created an unorthodox approach to jump bike design. The concept was to developed a 26 inch frame that was as compact as most 24 inch dirt jump frames. The geometry requested by the factory riders created major challenges, but Mike and Chief Engineer James Trimble took the geometry requests and shattered them. On the way toward beating every single spec request of the team, Mike and James created some very interesting proprietary features as well.
The bike's designer, James Trimble, set out to create a 26-inch-wheeled frame that is as tightly packaged as a 24-inch dirt jumper.
James Trimble, Chief Engineer of Morpheus Cycles, has little to prove at this point is his career, yet his innovation still impacts the industry. James is arguably the first person to ever create a bike frame out of carbon fiber. In addition, his Trimble racing frames have been banned from the UCI for being too aerodynamic. Turning yet another page, James and Morpheus collaborated to create another ground breaking platform with several proprietary features. The simplicity of the rear dropout designed by James, currently nick named "
Telescopic Rear Dropout," provides a wheelbase range between 40.5 and 42 inches. The extended dropout also creates a cantilever effect that is claimed to provide a reduction of harshness upon impact. Morpheus has asked us not to disclose some of the minor details relating to the construction of the dropout system, but promises to provide full details prior to the bike's release in December. Other proprietary features designed by James exist in details of the bottom bracket and hollow, CNC-machined reinforcements welded to the bottom bracket shell. James claims that the production version of this frame will be more laterally stiff than any of its competitors.
The Morpheus chassis has an extraordinarily short rear end.
Of course a prototype is meant for testing – Morpheus created three identical proto’s and got them out to several pro-riders and everyday dirt jumpers putting them through the works – pump track manuals to 360 double whips in competition. All the feedback has gone into several changes as they get ready to create the second prototype – a sketch of which you can seen below. Some of the specs and changes from the first to the second proto are: The top tube length increased to 22.2 inches – the top tube angle has also become slightly less drastic – all making for a more comfortable feel in the cockpit. The wheelbase has been lengthened by 1 inch making it adjustable from 41.5 to 43 inches - this will help to increase high-speed stability and slalom racing precision. The head angle has been slackened by half of a degree ensuring the bike is gravity friendly at 68* even. Morpheus also shortened the chainstay to be adjustable from 14.3 – 15.8 inches. The second proto will accommodate all 2.5’’ tires, rather than a 2.35’’.
The second generation of the Morpheus Cycles prototype features a number of geometry changes.
As far as some of the concerns Morpheus has gotten from people on the sturdiness of their Telescopic Rear Dropout design – Morpheus’ technology is holding up. Rather than just an attached weld on the TRD, they now have a CNC piece that is welded across the entire distance above the dropout. This not only increases strength, but also increases torsional rigidity by at least 40%. As far as the adjustable piece itself, they use a very unique hard-coat aluminum,
A clever arrangement of machined pieces and tubing allows the rear wheel to be tucked in extremely close to the bottom bracket shell.
Sliding, adjustable dropouts have been around for a long time, but Morpheus Cycles takes it to the extreme with their Telescopic Rear Dropout that allows the rear end to dirt jump friendly at just 14.5 inches, or set up for racing at a full extension of 16 inches.
After his big win over the weekend at Jamie Goldman's comp we caught up with Morpheus Factory rider Mitch Chubey and he told us the following about the prototype:
| It's rolling everything so smooth and because it's such a short and light bike it's easier to spin than any bike I have ridden. It was so sketchy three weeks ago when I got it and then after a couple rides I was able to adjusted to it. It was a more dramatic evolution from our current steel jumper than I had prepared for. Now that I'm adjusted to it, it is completely blowing my mind. It's 23.6 pounds right now with dirt on her and I'm not even sure that should be competition legal. |
Morpheus Cycles' Mitch Chubey spinning his way towards winning the Upside Down and Underground contest on his prototype. Photo by Justin Olsen
Stay tuned for more details of the "
Name the Morpheus Dirt Jumper Contest" in June. The winner will receive serial number 00001 off the line, custom hard coat anodized with color options FREE. Check out the
Morpheus website for more information.
Pinkbike's take: There is no denying that the prototype Morpheus is vastly different from what is popular right now, that being simple looking, steel framed dirt jump bikes. But it looks to offer a shorter rear end than you'll find on the majority of other frames, more stand-over clearance and it has the potential to be lighter as well. Mitch seems to be getting on with it quite well, as he proved by taking the win at Goldman's Upside Down and Underground contest recently, but I suspect that some less open-minded riders will be more set on how the prototype frame looks instead of any advantages it can offer.
Let's hear what you think of Morpheus Cycles' prototype DJ frame - are you a fan of Morpheus' boundary pushing dirt jump frame?
haha Gordon2345 that is a monstrosity on wheels
freerider020 its really mean to compare it to the Acid, the Acid is an actual disaster, nearly as bad as the Gary Fisher XD gordon2456. greenwood102 thanks for the link i couldnt bther to google it. had never seen this...thing? befor.
"Frame
PHD Oversized ZR9000 and 6061 aluminum" oversized ? YA THINK ?
to seeing how they progress!
I think the acid looks way better than this! My mate used to have one. It's not photogenic but its nice in real life
why not just get a 24" ?
When I went to buy some carbon DH bars last year I was told that its advised that you replace them yearly due to fatigue.
I didnt buy them in the end, but I dont know how true that is....
but as chazdog said it will take a while to break (generally)
but the health and safety crew dont want you chasing them when it does break at 13 months or whatever
it will also depend on the type of riding
as i recall, carbon absorbs impacts and can eventually just have too much force built up in it and then shatter
very rare stuff like that happens though
then too much and it shatters
spaced, you talking about how the carbon is weaved?
Though I'm more than sceptical about these dropouts as the force leverage is so long. Withstanding slamming it to the hard dj trails or concrete pavements might be tricky.
Anyways great design, fresh yet still simple
The 4 bolts aren't doing a whole lot of "holding it together".
The bolts are simply holding the hardware together.
The solid dropouts slide into I-beam style chainstays. This takes care of forces from hard hits.
It is like a telescoping rod.
For example: take a camera tripod...
Slide one of the legs half way out then clamp it back down. Let's say the extended length is 3ft.
The rod inside of the other makes it stronger. You could take this 3ft section of leg and try to bend it, it would be way more difficult to bend it than a 3 ft section of straight pipe the same length.
The chainstays are square and wrap around the bottom bracket (really stiff)
If you exert force sideways, it isn't like you are putting a lot of pressure on the bolts.
The opposing chainstay is keeping the dropout firmly in place.
All of this boxed together with a 12mm axle is plenty strong enough. You would be more likely to pacman/fold rims or break pedals before the strength of this rear end would be a problem.
Good work James and Mike
The dropouts are something new and maybe weird for some , but if they work as they should, I say why not...respect for the engineer/designer of the frame.
The only question i have is: since the clearance between the rear wheel and the frame is so small...wouldn't that limit your tire choice?
Anyway looking forward to seeing this frame in shops.
Good luck in the future!
now my most concerning thought, the dropouts, regardless of how strong they are, something like that isnt going to last riding big jumps andf slopestyle... and it looks crap. also why would you want to race 4x on your dj bike ?
and yeah i was regarding the size and overlapping beading
and yes agreed it is a prototype so yanno probly a lot more well rounded further on
So many kids posting "looks like a copy of...." with familiar frame designs, but....
"Its too different. I just puked...." with innovation.
Sigh!!!!.........
but the question is if you really need such possibilities to change the geometry?
I would love to try one out, even just a manual in a parking lot or something, just to see how it feels
its got a sick look and its diffrent
and you guys havent even rode the god dam thing
god forbid if a dj frame was actually diffrent >.
shorten the dropouts and i'm sure i'd be sweet!
Or were you referring to sliding dropouts. Which are... somehow new?
Your argument is invalid.
What I'm saying is that the dropouts are just not what 80% of people want. There's too much that can go wrong with them.
I know it's different but it doesn't seem beneficial to me at all. What if it breaks ? Then you're fram becomes useless, where as you probably wouldn't have a broken dropout with a conventional system.
And you can garuntee me they 100% will not bend/break by me riding as hard as I can.
I find that hokey.
Yet he tells me he's had it five weeks. Yeah, okay.