Digit Announces New Ring Trail Bike
PRESS RELEASE: Digit Bikes
Digit Bikes has launched its second bike model featuring Analog suspension. Named RING, it is a 29” wheeled trail bike offering 128mm rear suspension with a 140mm fork. Ring is designed and handbuilt in California by Digit engineer, designer, founder, Tim Lane. Each frame and fork is customized for each rider's color preference with Cerakote ceramic coating.
Digit Ring Details
• ANALOG integrated rear suspension
• 128mm rear travel / 140mm fork
• Wheel size: 29" front, 29" rear
• Aluminum frame
• Made in the USA
• Weight: from 26.3 lb / 11.9kg
• Price: $9,845 USD
• Contact: digitbikes.com
• ANALOG integrated rear suspension
• 128mm rear travel / 140mm fork
• Wheel size: 29" front, 29" rear
• Aluminum frame
• Made in the USA
• Weight: from 26.3 lb / 11.9kg
• Price: $9,845 USD
• Contact: digitbikes.com
Not being beholden to any one component manufacturer, the build kits are a mix of Manitou, Spinergy, Sram, Shimano, Magura, OneUp, BikeYoke, Cane Creek, Race Face, WTB and Wolftooth.
Complete bike weights are 27.8 lbs (size L). Optional upgrades are available such as Berd Wheels, Shimano XTR or SRAM XX SL which can bring the weight down to 26.3 lbs. Though lighter than comparable carbon bikes, it should be noted that Ring is intended to be a stable, sturdy riding, aggressive trail bike, not a waifish noodle.
The Ring is a great all-rounder if you are more likely to occasionally enter an XC race than to occasionally visit a lift-assist bike park (the Datum, which is available, is likely a better match for you if you’re more likely to do hit the bike park than enter an XC race).
Digit's Analog suspension matches both the better descending and pedaling attributes of the industry's most respected four-bar suspension systems, while delivering significantly reduced weight, carrying more water bottles, and offering improved reliability.
It does this by replacing the many parts which on other frames comprise the upper link and shock subassembly with a unified strut, named Integer. Hidden inside the frame, it guides the upper suspension pivot smoothly and with incredible lateral stiffness, flows more oil, squeezes more air, and has fewer parts in an easily serviceable, low motion-ratio package.
Complete specs can be found here: digitbikes.com/ring
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
Maybe if We (the royal We) hadnt spent the interim 70 odd years since WWII demanding MORE. SHINIER. CHEAPER. NOW. AND FASTER. BUT CHEAPER. I WANT IT ON PRIME! YESTERDAY! And subsequently moved most, if not near all of our domestic manufacturing in the US and Canada overseas so as to satisfy our lusts for the shiny shiny new new but cheap... We wouldnt have to pay $9k-ish for a MUSA bike. But consumer greed and corporate gluttony have parked us where We(royal we) are today. This is something I think a lot of people forgot and Something people should keep in perspective when they whine about the price. We did this to ourselves. And it will come back to haunt us far further than the cost of a Bike sooner than later I fear.
Tim. Dig the Bike. Keep up the good work. And if I wasnt a gov't salaried poor, Id snap one up.
I've built all the frames and shocks with my own hands so far, so I want them to go to people who want something special, and I need to maximize my return on every frame, which I can do by hanging nice parts on them. Many of the folk I see riding here in SoCal ride nicer parts than this so I'm offering upgrades, but these are the components I ride, I think it's kind of a perfect mix.
Fun fact: there are fewer Digit's than Koenigsegg's.
I'm only selling in the US, I can appreciate how that won't resonate as domestic for you. If I don't get adequate sales from manufacturing domestically I guess I'll have move production overseas. I have lots of experience making bikes there in steel, aluminum, carbon.
You might have missed that I'm a tiny operation with more in common with Moots, Frameworks, Reeb, Fat Chance, Contra, than a big company you might be comparing with. They all use round tubes, have comparable pricing, exist in a similar market.
I don't say this to argue with you, you're absolutely entitled to your opinions and preferences. This is why different bikes exist, for different purposes, preferences, budgets, etc.
Serious, I like it when I see the people from the artical in the comment section anwsering and make time for this. Keep it up!
I think because it's hidden in the top tube, some people forget that the Integer strut is more unique than EXT/Push/Intend/etc, squeezes more oil, and has numerous advantages in this application (all respect to Darren, Franco, Cornelius. Those are outstanding shocks, I'm only comparing prices here our goals are a little different.). If you were to price one of those shocks into a Reeb/Geometron/Contra/etc the prices would be comparable (respect to all these guys too!).
Agree!
It looks like you can unscrew the collar and slide it right out? Might be nice in your next expose to remove it from the frame/link and do a deeper dive (including some cross section art) to explain the innovation.
Just because it's hidden (beautiful btw) doesn't mean it isn't packed with innovation... I for one would curious to hear more about it
.... do they need to be?
Comparing with an XO group for instance: the crank isn't terribly light, and for the derailleur the increase in performance over GX is small (in fact, I prefer the way the battery is hidden away on GX, and if I were to wreck the derailleur it'd be the least costly model to replace). Similarly, I like Magura brakes, but I'm not a huge fan of the cable direction at the lever or any version of two-bolt shifter integration, so Shigura for the win!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb9F2DT8iEQ&t=15s
But the Ring offers the "traditional" Shigura setup - 9100 Non-Servo-Wave levers with MT calipers - which improves modulation while still offering plenty of power.
Is there any reason you didn't do the 9100 levers on the Datum?
Personally, I run Deore level non-servo-wave levers on Zee calipers for improved modulation on a budget.
If you wanted 9100 levers on the Datum, or 9120 levers on the Ring I could do that. I email or speak with everyone who's bought a bike, clarifying colors, accomodating special requests, etc.
The Shimano lever needs the Shimano barb, olive and nut (these work fine with the Magura hose, same ID and OD).
I ran the CPI inflation adjuster on the early mUSA Maverick Monolink bikes. OMG, those frames would be about $6k in today's money.
It's beautiful work, and tickles the Klein lover in me. Odd you mention the Maverick. I had a Palomino, shock body developed a web of fractures and it wouldn't hold air. This (your design) seems to avoid that issue. Should also avoid the dead feel when standing.
KIR!
Oh, my, this was long ago. I'm pretty sure it was the mag version. My brother bought one later, and it had the newer shock. The Maverick were in-house, but the Kleins were all Fox. The early Fox were mag. To be fair, I'm not dainty and I always carry a huge pack...and I got a lotta rough miles out of it before failure.
Two Maverick shout outs in one day! (Yours and James's DUC32 at The New Place.)
Really like the look of the bikes, good luck at Sea Otter this weekend.
In fact I had a polished crown and I cerakote'd the stem, headset and spacers to experiment with all the options. This was the best to my eye and having a black stem and spacers will allow folk to adjust fit without feeling that they're sacrificing on the look.
In other news, does anyone want to buy a Robin Egg Blue Cerakote'd stem, headset and spacers?
For further discussion of this, please allow me to direct you here: tinyurl.com/tmhv9kmb and here: tinyurl.com/25pzbxjf and here: tinyurl.com/yc4vw7a9
Is this design super flexy? Or does it hold up well? Is the suspension tuneable enough for the masses?
I had a great time talking with you about the Datum at MADE last year. I was pretty skeptical about your design until you (literally) broke it down in front of me, and I was impressed at how easy it was to remove and service the strut once you explained it.
Looking forward to checking out the Ring at Sea Otter. Please offer this as frame only, I'd buy one.
@DirtBagTim: size pictured is Large?
PB edited the fractions away yesterday.
One question to @DirtBagTim though, did you consider going with proportional chain stay lengths? The more I ride varying lengths the more I realize how big of a difference it can make in agility/stability and ride feel for me.
basaltbikes.com/products/pivot-trail-429-team-xx1-axs
I have a mid-travel Ibis Ripley made of carbon that can't compete with this bike on weight and it would cost me $5000 to try (I'm not going to try).
Looks like a remarkable achievement and I hope I see one on the trail someday.
I have an upgraded Rocky Element sitting in my garage that weighs 26.25 pounds with pedals, and it cost thousands less than the Ring. A brand new Rocky C90 is $9699 and weighs 26.29 pounds stock
I am not criticizing the Ring. It is an aluminum frame with a weight similar to many carbon frames, which is an achievement, but the Ring is not some magical ultralight bike that weighs less than similarly priced alternatives.
Here are different points of reference... The Element C70 SRAM comes with GX AXS and alloy rims, weighs a pound less than the stock Ring, and costs $2000 less. A Trek Top Fuel GX AXS is a 1/4 pound lighter and $2300 cheaper ($3500 with current discount).
The Ring is quite an accomplishment for an aluminum frame, but it is very far from the most cost effective solution if weight is a priority. It is a boutique option and priced accordingly.
NSMB tested for about 6 months, they have 3 articles.
(Where do I collect my $10?)
Fundamentally, Analog is a compromise between the contra-rotating and counter-rotating short link systems. Not that all contra-rotating systems work the same, out counter-rotating systems, or Analog systems.
Wow, that’s a horrible word salad!
My first car was £300, and I've driven cars worth over $1/4million. One experience doesn't diminish the other.
Tallboy X0 AXS RSV + Cascade link = $9,236
29.14lbs + .33lb for the Cascade link* = 29.47lbs
Tallboy XX SL AXS RSV + Cascade link = $11,336
29.14lbs + .33lb for the Cascade link* = 28.92lbs
* I don't specifically know the weight of the Tallboy link, I've weighed other Cascade links at 0.15lbs and 0.51lbs gained.
The frame, with shock weighs about 2.9kg. (under 6½lb).
As for the tires, I've spent a lot of time on DH-F exo and DH-R exo+. But those aren't really consistent with the segment, I chose the Forecasters to differentiate this bike from the (all-mountain) Datum model.
Ultimately the Forekasters felt like the best solution. By changine one tire people who want faster can put a Rekon in the rear; people who want grippier can put a DH-F/DH-R/Dissector in front.
But importantly "Each frame and fork is customized for each rider's color preference". "Blue Titanium" got the second most votes IIRC.
@DirtBagTim sorry that these guys are ruining the thread. You've created a sick bike!