Hope Unveils New HB.130 29er - Core Bike 2019
Hope has unveiled an early prototype of its second ever bike, the HB.130, at Core Bike 2019. Following on from the HB.160, the HB.130 is being designed and developed from carbon in-house at their factory in Barnoldswick, Great Britain.
The bike is the second carbon prototype of the HB.130, and there's a third carbon mould that's being made to accommodate a few geometry tweaks. Hope's unique manufacturing capabilities allow them to do multiple carbon prototypes. In contrast, most other brands do their prototyping in alloy with "test mules" before pressing the carbon button, crossing their fingers, and then making any other changes with only mould modifications.
The bike is the second carbon prototype of the HB.130, and there's a third carbon mould that's being made to accommodate a few geometry tweaks. Hope's unique manufacturing capabilities allow them to do multiple carbon prototypes. In contrast, most other brands do their prototyping in alloy with "test mules" before pressing the carbon button, crossing their fingers, and then making any other changes with only mould modifications.
Hope HB130 Details
• 29" wheels
• 130mm rear travel
• Contemporary geometry
• Flip-chip
• 100% manufactured in Barnoldswick
• Carbon front triangle
• Aluminum machined and bonded rear triangle with post brake mount
• Bottle cage mounts
• Adjustments: rebound, low speed compression
• hopetech.com
• 29" wheels
• 130mm rear travel
• Contemporary geometry
• Flip-chip
• 100% manufactured in Barnoldswick
• Carbon front triangle
• Aluminum machined and bonded rear triangle with post brake mount
• Bottle cage mounts
• Adjustments: rebound, low speed compression
• hopetech.com
The big distinction from the HB.160 are the HB.130's 29 inch wheels, but apparently the geometry will also be a departure from the philosophy of the former bike. While the HB.160 was best described as conservative, Hope suggest a more on trend approach with this bike. In fact, the last minute change was to steepen up the seat tube, chasing modern consumer (editor?) tastes.
That said, don't expect it to be too radical, Hope have still called this a bike for themselves, to ride on the trails near to them and have promised the geometry, "won't compromise the bike's handling on tighter trails and climbs." Final numbers are yet to be finalised but with the bike due to drop in June, it shouldn't be long before they're released.
The next prototype of the bike will accommodate a metric shock to futureproof the frame.
For now the stays are CNC's aluminium, as they were on the HB.160. However, the bridge between the two seat stays have been added because Hope want to have the option of going full carbon in future.
While the production bike is likely to be covered in Hope bits as this show bike was, some bits on here were simply what Hope could get their hands on at this time.
From Hope:
PRESS RELEASE: Hope
At Hope we’ve always made products to fulfil our own needs, to enable us to experience maximum enjoyment from our favourite trails. Right from our first mechanical disc brake thirty years ago we’ve never lost this passion for riding bikes.
The new HB.130 continues this ideology. It’s a bike for ourselves. Some might call it selfish, but if you had the opportunity to create your own bike to suit how you ride who wouldn’t jump at the chance.
We’re still trying a few final tweaks on the frame geometry and since we’re actually producing the frame in our own factory in Barnoldswick, we can keep testing alternative ideas. The final piece in the jigsaw is the rear shock. The early designs didn’t allow for a metric shock, but to futureproof the frame a little we’re currently working on a design to allow this to happen.
The HB.130 has been designed with UK trails at its heart, whether we’re riding our local Gisburn Forest trails or travelling a little further afield to the mystical riding in Torridon, the HB.130 is a willing companion. We’ve created a bike that will give you confidence on the descents, yet still make you feel like you’re an XC champ on the climbs.
The current longer, lower, slacker mantra has been followed, but not so far as to compromise the bike's handling on tighter trails and climbs.
We plan to have the finished bikes available from our HB dealer network in early summer 2019.
At Hope we’ve always made products to fulfil our own needs, to enable us to experience maximum enjoyment from our favourite trails. Right from our first mechanical disc brake thirty years ago we’ve never lost this passion for riding bikes.
The new HB.130 continues this ideology. It’s a bike for ourselves. Some might call it selfish, but if you had the opportunity to create your own bike to suit how you ride who wouldn’t jump at the chance.
We’re still trying a few final tweaks on the frame geometry and since we’re actually producing the frame in our own factory in Barnoldswick, we can keep testing alternative ideas. The final piece in the jigsaw is the rear shock. The early designs didn’t allow for a metric shock, but to futureproof the frame a little we’re currently working on a design to allow this to happen.
The HB.130 has been designed with UK trails at its heart, whether we’re riding our local Gisburn Forest trails or travelling a little further afield to the mystical riding in Torridon, the HB.130 is a willing companion. We’ve created a bike that will give you confidence on the descents, yet still make you feel like you’re an XC champ on the climbs.
The current longer, lower, slacker mantra has been followed, but not so far as to compromise the bike's handling on tighter trails and climbs.
We plan to have the finished bikes available from our HB dealer network in early summer 2019.
Author Info:
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I rode a 2017 Cannondale Bad Habit 1 at Blue Mountain, Collingwood. 120mm travel front and back, Lefty 2.0 fork, and 27.5 x 3.0 tires (just barely fit on the lift). I had a blast riding downhill on it. Got lots of looks, compliments and people just asking about it ahaha.
Home Depot”
I hope Atherton will look after legacy Robot owners...?
Having said all that if I can get a Robot bike for a ‘normal’ rather than double normal premium price I’ll lay my dollars on the table! Looking forward to what they come out with. I think it’s a great concept and they look awesome - total opposite of big box store looks for me
I saw the prototype in the press release still had the R160 branded lugs... I’d like to know the whole story of what has gone down.
So potentially they will release a more "conventional" looking mountain bike, once they've prototyped it to the sweet spot on the additive manufacturiled frames.
Personally, in ~15 months when I've budgeted my next rig, I'll be hard pushed to choose between this and whatever trail bike offering the Athy's will have put out.
I suspect there may be soon being as our currency lost 30% of its value in the last 2 years
If you're going to cry on about what a hard deal the mean, silly Brexiteers landed you with the least you could do is complain about the facts and not be a sheep regurgitating the talking points you've been spoon-fed.
The world is too big and too complex to single out isolated exchange rates as evidence of either argument. It neither proves, not disproves Brexit is leading to a devaluation of the pound.
Btw, one of the great (and undersold) benefits of Brexit will be the ability to once again take *full* control of the British economy (for better or for worse) and not be answerable to a bunch of unimaginative (and unelected) technocrats.
"Light, Strong, Cheap, Future-Proof; Pick two of the first three cos you ain't never getting that last one!"
What's annoying about the orange bikes is that they're really simple designs and they've been banging the bikes out the same way a while - folded aluminium sheets, single pivot etc and yet the bikes cost the same as a Santa Cruz. £2000 for a Stage 6 frame only + another £100 for any colour other than black or orange. £3900 for a pretty basic spec Stage 6... You also hear of them breaking more than other bikes. Shit value for money.
The cracking thing does seem to be their achilles heel though, can't argue with that.
I predict that after this trend will be over then the new one will be the steeper head tube and slacker seat tube angles to sharpen up the handling and make the ride more comfortable... and we will end up at today's 'contemporary' geometry.
Oh, and the bike looks awesome!
But hey, whatever, we have different needs and opinions. For me, the long/low/slack trend already hit the BS meter and for you, it works well... that's all good.
And yes, there will be a 'trend cycle' because manufacturers cannot just sit back they have to come up with something 'new' to keep selling bikes. So after they will be too low/long/slack the 'sharpening up the handling' will come and the media will ask for 'fun bikes'.
if hope hubs were bad it would only a good idea with a bad resolution, but as they are great there is nothing to worry about
We’ve mentioned plenty of times that steeper seat angles (up to a point) work bettter with the latest crop of bikes with longer reach numbers. Oh, and we have a La Sal Peak in for review now - you’ll be able to read all about how it pedals in a month or two.
www.acklandsgrainger.com/en/product/p/JHL40-0220
You do realize the effective angle is only measured in one place right? and not at full extension of the seat to climbing height?
Could you be any more racist?
130 read dropout? lol
and the targets are not super aggro/rad riders, but rich sunday warriors ...
It is ok looking bike with probably ok geometry, covered with nice components.
We need bikes that transition us to the future.
I read that hope all decked out with hook components any day
1 because that’s where they make everything.
2 because they want it to actually work and not fall apart. Sorry but products made in the us have a terrible reputation for build quality anywhere else in the world. I would go as far as avoiding anything made in the us. Just look at cars for a start!