Bike Check: Gee Atherton's AM.170

Sep 16, 2023
by Mike Kazimer  

Gee Atherton s Atherton Bikes AM.170 as seen in Ridgeline IV The Dolomites.
BIKE CHECK
Gee Atherton's
Atherton AM.170
Photography by Dan Griffiths

At this point, Gee Atherton has fully cemented his reputation as one very tough (and talented) rider. His latest video, Ridgeline IV: The Dolomites, has him rocketing down a mountain in Italy with massive exposure on one side and a rock wall millimeters away from his handlebar on the other.

His bike of choice for this round of wild riding was the AM.170, the newest addition to the Atherton Bikes lineup. Like the other models, it's constructed using titanium lugs and carbon fiber tubes, and uses Dave Weagle's 6-bar DW6 suspension layout for its 170mm of travel.

What's next for Gee Atherton? Well, he's secured a spot at this year's Red Bull Rampage - it's going to be interesting, and nerve-wracking, to see what sort of line he comes up with in the Utah desert next month.

Ridgeline IV The Dolomites
Rider Name // Gee Atherton
Age: 38
Height: 185cm / 6'1"
Weight: 85kg / 187 lb
Instagram: @gee_atherton


Gee Atherton s Atherton Bikes AM.170 as seen in Ridgeline IV The Dolomites.
AM.170 Details

Frame: AM.170, size 11 of 22 (480mm reach)
Wheel size: mixed
Fork: Fox Factory 38, 180mm travel.
Shock: Fox DHX2 coil, 205 x 65mm, 500 lb/in spring
Wheels: Stans Flow EX3 rims w/ Stan's M-Pulse hubs
Tires: Continental Kryptotal Front on both wheels (different than pictured) / tubeless with Stan's sealant
Drivetrain: FSA Gradient cranks, SRAM GX derailleur
Pedals: Crankbrothers Mallet DH (different than pictured)
Bar & Stem: FSA Gradient alloy, 30mm rise, 780mm. FSA Gradient stem.
Seat & Post: Fox Transfer 200mm drop, Proxim Nembo saddle.
Brakes: Hayes Dominion, Galfer pads and 203mm Sharkfin rotors
Grips: ODI Longneck
More info: athertonbikes.com


Gee Atherton s Atherton Bikes AM.170 as seen in Ridgeline IV The Dolomites.
Gee's settings for his 180mm Fox 38 fork are as follows: 7HSC 10LSC 6 HSR 7 LSR, 98 psi. No guarantees that running those numbers will give you anything close to his riding skills.

Gee Atherton s Atherton Bikes AM.170 as seen in Ridgeline IV The Dolomites.
An FSA Gradient alloy bar with 30mm rise, trimmed to 780mm for a little extra cliff wall clearance.

bigquotesWhen we scouted this trip most of it was under deep snow so I had no idea what we were going to find out there, but I knew that whatever we found the 170 would be more than capable; being so involved in the design and manufacture and long, hard periods of testing means I know exactly how far I can push. The 170 is playful but it also has a stability, that meant I could push things to the limit.

Gee Atherton s Atherton Bikes AM.170 as seen in Ridgeline IV The Dolomites.
A 200mm Fox Transfer post with a Proxim Nembo saddle.
Gee Atherton s Atherton Bikes AM.170 as seen in Ridgeline IV The Dolomites.
No fancy electronic shifting here - Gee's running a tried-and-true cable actuated SRAM GX derailleur.

bigquotesOn trips like this where we are miles from anywhere with no capacity to carry spares, the strength of the components was key, and where we were dragging the bike up a rock face on a rope that’s a real commitment! Set up was difficult on this trip, the bike had to be confident on the fast rocky downhill sections, then suddenly you’d be dropping into a steep smooth slick slab, with 200ft cliff edges, you had to know what the bike would do at every possible moment, and trust it completely.

Gee Atherton s Atherton Bikes AM.170 as seen in Ridgeline IV The Dolomites.

bigquotesI ran my tires at 27psi, 29psi for the fast rocky sections of the film, I wanted them firm to avoid a puncture 6 hours hiking into the mountains, On the super steep slab I went much lower, probably closer to 22psi, I needed way more traction, in fact my life depended on it... My bars were 780mm – I saw someone in the comments guessed 800, but where I’m sprinting along this narrow track with my handlebars just inches off the rockface that 20mm of space was vital.

Ridgeline IV The Dolomites

If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to check out Ridgeline IV here.



Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Bike Checks Enduro Bikes Atherton Bikes Atherton Am170


Author Info:
mikekazimer avatar

Member since Feb 1, 2009
1,666 articles
Report
Must Read This Week
Final Results from the Châtel EDR World Cup 2023
78765 views
Ibis Enduro Team Pulls Out of World Cup Racing
51386 views
Must Watch: Gee Atherton Rides More Exposed Lines in 'Ridgeline IV: The Dolomites'
45754 views
Spotted: New Enduro Bike from Lapierre
44295 views
Bike Check: Gee Atherton's AM.170
40308 views
28 Handlebar & Stem Setups of Enduro World Cup Riders
40288 views
Kona Announces New Aluminum Process X
39241 views
Devinci Global Racing Steps Away from Enduro World Cups
39176 views

97 Comments
  • 151 2
 That's the absolute dream right there. Make another banger of a vid on a gorgeous machine of your own making, while also preparing to ride at rampage after what many would consider one of the greatest careers in mountain biking history. Hats off to you, Gee.
  • 59 0
 I agree but to be fair don’t forget a long recovery from one of the most brutal crashes ever. He’s paid some price!
  • 10 9
 Maybe a bit too similar to this: youtu.be/3IaY7a1D1sw?si=biLdc-uoNuAVThMG&t=45
  • 10 4
 @Monkeyass: It’s called mountain biking, Bron does not have a parent on riding down those specific mountains.
  • 6 0
 @Monkeyass:

Another great video!
I hope it gets more views!!
  • 9 1
 Mountains get concerned when he’s riding them
  • 2 0
 @Monkeyass: exact same spot, looking forward to watch Gee riding Rampage this year
  • 15 0
 Not to be pedantic but…it was actually only 10mm of space.
  • 15 0
 @scary1: maybe he only cut 20mm off of one side... checkmate. are asymmetrical bars the hot new thing?
  • 3 0
 @12MBert: touché !
  • 2 0
 Whilst we’re all celebrating cool bikes in the dolomite’s: here’s another cool one
youtu.be/9lGiNqI144w?si=aD9eUCTOERAxgGK3
  • 1 0
 @Monkeyass: All others are pretenders to Killian Smile
  • 6 0
 @scary1: bloody good point
  • 1 0
 @12MBert: he's the Tony Furgeson of mtb. @gee-atherton is the kind of guy that needs 10mm of clearance off either side of his bars, cuts 20mm off one side, and makes it work.
  • 1 0
 @CamT: my Chuck Norris style joke receptors are tingling......Gee is so tough....all yours pinkbike
  • 27 0
 Gee’s slumming it with a GX derailer?
  • 73 1
 One of us.
  • 57 9
 A "tried and true" GX derailleur - so must be a different one to what the public can buy.
  • 12 1
 Yea I wonder if the clutch is nonexistent like mine.
  • 6 0
 Gee Xtreme
  • 4 0
 @JiminOz: it’s the clutched version that’s only available to sponsored riders
  • 9 0
 Never had an issue with GX. Does the job well, even when I don’t.
  • 23 0
 For all the slack he got being too serious while he was racing, I'm glad to see him smile!
  • 13 1
 Has anyone seen a review of the AM 170 other than what's been put out by Atherton bikes? I'm sure it's awesome, but really interested to see the review from a third party. Would love to own one of these if it's such a rad bike.
  • 17 0
 watch out for reviews from our customers, MBR magazine ( November issue) and Enduro Mag coming very soon...
  • 1 0
 @Athertonbikesteam: nice!
  • 2 0
 Here you go, a great review from the guys at MBR!

www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/full-suspension-bikes/atherton-am-170-m1-first-ride-review
  • 10 0
 When you see those bikes close up, only then do you really appreciate what the Athertons are doing. Saw one on display at their bike park, had a roll around on it, was instantly sold.
  • 4 0
 I’ve been lucky enough to ride one of their bikes that my brother owns, definitely a special bike. I could never do it justice but it was a hoot to ride.
  • 8 1
 Yeah this bike is very pricey, but the only one from it's price point which could be worth it. Instead of bling you get real expertise behind it and almost custom geometry. You just heve to respect what Atherthons have done here.
  • 3 0
 I've got 8 weeks on my AM.150 and loving it. I love the build process and the way it looks, and the rear suspension lives up to the hype. Great bike.
  • 16 3
 Fucking Legend.
  • 7 0
 Damn I hate when the rear brake hose don't round the headset pipe...
  • 8 2
 Just want to say that I think Atherton bikes are rad. Nice, clean, simple, functional, interesting.
  • 3 0
 @Athertonbikesteam any chance you can comment a little about the rear axle path without giving away trade secrets? Rearward for the first half of travel like the old Robot bike? What is the chainstay length at sag?
  • 2 2
 It is the old robot bike
  • 2 0
 It goes backwards a bit, then forwards a bit... sorry! Can't give specific effective chainstay length at sag for obvious reasons, and it does of course vary as we offer 3 different chainstay lengths.
  • 4 0
 @chrismac70: the last 4 years of RnD might say otherwise!

We are not in any way trying to hide our heritage, but our current product range has come a long way since RBC days. Always good to be reminded of our roots! Cheers
  • 5 0
 What length are the cranks?
  • 4 0
 The AM170 is optimised around 165mm cranks but it can take 170 cranks if needed. One of the characteristics we've been pushing on the 170 is a lower BB height to optimise its descending capabilities and designing around 165mm cranks has enabled us to do this.
  • 2 1
 I really like the idea of these 3-D printed lugs with carbon tubes. I saw a video on carbon bikes recently that described the metal and carbon points on a frame as weak spots due to the metal expanding and contracting with changes in temperatures. How is this addressed with these Atherton bikes?
  • 3 0
 I could be wrong and I’m sure someone will correct me but Ti might not expand as much as more traditional metal lugs
  • 3 0
 Titanium has low coefficient of thermal expansion. But even so, i don't think that temperature range is so big, that that has to be taken to equation.
  • 1 0
 Makes sense, thanks. I think in the video I saw they were pointing out aluminum bb shells and dropouts bonded to carbon.
  • 2 0
 brackishcycles.com owner here. I have looked into this along with galvanic corrosion specifics as I use 3D printed aluminum lugs. in short, the epoxy insulates the expansion due to it being so flexible (unlike epoxies used way back when that were exceptionally brittle and did not have flex). I guess so long as there is sufficient tolerance to allow for the materials to expand separately (which I'm sure atherton has done an excellent job with)
  • 10 0
 Even for extreme variations in ambient temperature this isn't an issue for our joint design, i.e. the specific combinations of substrate material (Ti and Carbon), the adhesive choice and the actual joint geometry.

The issue you describe in carbon frames is compounded massively by the inherent stress raising effect of using metal inserts in a carbon structure - they are typically used in an area of high and multi-directional load (i.e. pivot mount). Carbon isn't well suited to these types of loads or the types of geometry that are typically required to achieve it (intricate shapes).

We very intentionally keep the location of our bonded joints away from areas of high load, and we locate all of our intricate complex loaded features within the Titanium parts, as Titanium is very well suited to this type of load and geometry.

Cheers, AB Design Team
  • 1 0
 @Athertonbikesteam: Great info! Thanks!
  • 2 1
 Such a great bike. Bit bummed by the missed opportunity to offer an option for small riders this time around with the straight seattube. Maybe a short people bike is up next Athertons?
  • 5 1
 They’ve got 395mm seat tubes options on bikes with up to 470mm reach. That should cover most short folks, unless I’ve missed your point.
  • 3 3
 @twonsarelli: 470 is something you would find on a longer-than-average medium. Not for short people
  • 4 0
 @Sardine-Vladu: yes, exactly. I was just pointing out that they’ve got short seat tubes even on bigger-reach sized frames. So short people should be well served by one of their frame options (all the way down to reaches of 410mm).
  • 1 0
 @twonsarelli: I agree that this serves just as well as most other frames in size Small for people down to 160 or 165 depending on leg length. If you’re shorter that long a seat tube is just horrible on a bike for steep terrain as you’re always on the tiptoes when getting off which is the opposite of confidence inspiring. I get why many companies don’t go through the trouble of making a XS considering the lower demand. In the case of Atherton with 22 sizes and custom options and Taylor made frames it’s a bit of a bummer though.
  • 1 0
 I'm pretty sure you can pay an extra few £ for a customer frame if one of the 22 options don't suit. Someone buying one would probably have the spare cash for that service.
  • 2 0
 @chriss78: Yeah you can but at least in the calculator the seat tube isn’t getting shorter for shorter people, I’ll stop moaning though and ask them - shall report when I hear Smile
  • 1 0
 @ESKato: I guess I was thinking 395 was quite short. I’m constantly looking at seat tube lengths and a lot of S or M frames are still 400-430, which is way too long if there is a kink. At least these bikes are straight seat tubes
  • 1 0
 @ESKato: You don't drop your seat post every time you stop? Or are you still on your tippy toes with the post dropped?
  • 2 0
 @FaahkEet: Yeah if your inseam is less then 700, you’d seattube is 395 and your bb sits at 345 you’ll be well on your toes with the seat all the way down (we shall add 30 for the seat and 45 for the Oneup dropper to the bill). It’s no fun when it gets sketchy Big Grin
  • 1 0
 @ESKato: I'm at the other end and appreciate all these long bikes with relatively short seat tubes. I think for shorter legged / smaller riders the limiting factor is suspension design. You can't make the seat tube shorter that the BB + shock + mounts / hardware. I hate to say it, but you may have to look elsewhere..... a few designs that lend themselves to shoooooort seat posts are SantaCruz's VPP, Specialized Enduro, and Commencal (horizontal shock alignment. Maybe hit one of them up?
  • 2 0
 6ft 1 Gee Atherton is riding a 480mm reach.
  • 1 0
 @ESKato: *tailor
  • 1 0
 @ESKato: Sketchy indeed, and must be very difficult to find a bike that fits. Hopefully the seat post can be made a bit shorter.
  • 3 0
 There's quite a few things to unpack here! As discussed in the replies we can at the very least offer a shorter seat tube length as a custom fit. Probably best to get in touch to discuss direct.

sales@athertonbikes.com

Cheers
  • 1 0
 @Athertonbikesteam: Cheers I’ll be in touch Smile
  • 5 1
 Can we have the GPX track? Asking for a friend!
  • 3 0
 would like to hike it.
  • 4 0
 203mm pads? Bet even Guides could stop with those.
  • 6 5
 This Ride is too Dangerous For every Level of Rider. 1 Small Stone that causes your Front wheel To slip , one little technical Problem and thats It.
  • 2 1
 Gee is an absolute beast and is quite inspiring to see him back at this level after his last crash. Plus, 780mm bars on some of those trails looked like sheer death at speed.
  • 3 0
 7K CAD for an Atherton 150 frame. Wowzers!
  • 1 0
 Would be sweet to have the option to use these lugs on the 150 travel bike. The seat and HT of the 170 are on point for the good Colorado descents
  • 3 1
 I really want one in full 29 to move all my current build onto.
  • 1 0
 They could custom build you a titanium-carbon penny farthing if you could afford it. I'm sure a full 29 version of their AM.170 isn't going to be a challenge.
  • 3 0
 You have to trust us that this bike works best as a mullet!

The DNA of this bike was "Dan Atherton's perfect bike", and we've kept true to that throughout development. The mixed wheel config, together with the specific geometry decisions, gives a brilliant balance from park fun to big peddle days and everything in between, but all with a distinctly Athy rowdiness!
  • 2 1
 The only full mtb where i could put my money. The design is a great engeenering and so simple, is a bike!
  • 1 0
 Love to see someone of this caliber running cable GX and not the latest and greatest wireless stuff - a man of the people
  • 2 0
 love the bike, love Gee, don't stop!
  • 1 0
 This is my dream frame! Likely never going to happen, but I can keep dreaming.
  • 1 0
 Is it really a bike check without the suspension settings? Clicks from fully closed please.
  • 2 0
 What's its weight?
  • 1 0
 Impressive just getting the bike up that
  • 1 0
 GX good enough for Gee...
  • 1 0
 Is mixed the same as mullet?
  • 2 0
 yeah
  • 1 0
 What else could it be?
  • 3 0
 @puukkopedro: 29 rear, 27.5 front?
  • 1 1
 There is an elegance to an Atherton frame. It looks like a bike. It is the essence of bike.
  • 1 0
 True LEDGEnd
  • 1 1
 The 200mm dropper on the photo doesn't look like it's fully extended.
  • 6 0
 You're not wrong. Bikes are often photographed with the saddle at handlebar height instead of full extension.
  • 1 0
 Weapons grade
  • 2 5
 wait, was this a repost?
Below threshold threads are hidden





Copyright © 2000 - 2023. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv65 0.047735
Mobile Version of Website