Radical Bicycle Co Announces 2023 Hardtail Lineup

PRESS RELEASE: Radical Bike Co

Who remembers Covid?

Well, that's not a great question... because most of us will remember that time...

During that time cropped up an array of new small companies, and the bike world was certainly no different. One of those many companies is us; The 'Radical Bicycle Co', And its understandable how we have got lost amongst the growing ocean of brands.

We are a small independent brand based out of Shropshire (near the Welsh borders) in the UK. The brand is family and rider operated by Kieran, with Alysha aiding, but also working with some very well known industry experts, such as engineers and fabricators.

The Short Version...
The brand was officially formed back in 2020, a time when the world was closed off. Some of us were able to focus our time and energy into a passion or project, and that's just what happened. During 2019, Kieran began designing his own custom steel hardtail, but decided to take it that one step further realising (what seemed) to be the potential in the market.

Kieran was able to make this happen thanks to a few key elements; his understanding in managing and scaling projects, bespoke aluminium design & supply chain management. Combining these, we were able to work alongside our contractors to bring the very product he designed to market.

In 2020, we put our lives on hold and committed with everything we had for product testing, prototyping and development, rolling into our first batch of 10x frames, set sizing and colour.

These sold out even before fabrication had finished.


Roll on through the year the batches continued; Frames were finished, prepped and sent out from our home in Shropshire, a joint effort whilst working full time (Alysha working for the NHS) to fulfil orders that were being taken from all over the globe. This form of operation continued, and during the whole period, every customer was kept regularly up to date with their orders, and shipped efficiently with zero holdbacks. But most importantly, the feedback from customers and reviews was exceptional.

It was this commitment and success that aided the brands development..

Fast forward to 2023, and we are still here, with even more exciting developments, and have (thankfully) moved out of our kitchen to a small local unit, where all operations are undertaken.



So, What about those Bicycles?

Currently there are a grand total of 2x current models, with another 2x due imminently this year.


Chilli Dog

The Chilli Dog was the first model produced by the brand, and has actually taken quite the evolution in a short space of time...

The Chilli Dog is what Radical would call the 'ultimate enduro hardtail'. But what makes it that 'ultimate'? Well, the Chilli Dog is manufactured in the UK, and uses a carefully select tri blend of Reynolds tubing (composing of 853, 631 and 525) which we say is 'using the right tubes in the right places'. Anyone could slap a few 853 tubes together, but that doesn't necessarily make a good bike....

These tubes, paired with carefully located weld points, give a ride that is extremely compliant with a strong frame, that is also light; something arguable even more key in a hardtail.

On top of that, the rear yoke is designed specifically for this bike; unlike other yokes, this has designed to be overbuilt with no boring/material removal from the internals. This adds the most significant amount of weight to the lowest part of the bike, whilst removing the torsion effect that can be felt with the abundance of a yoke.

Something that is very interesting is that the rear end and the joint location for the seatstay/seatube/top tube is the same across ALL sizes. This creates a consistently low stand over and helps keeps sizing even more flexible.


The newest version (the Mk.3) has moved away from batch manufacturing, offering a more bespoke package; The Chilli Dog now offers a selectable reach, meaning the customer can find the perfect fit for them. On top of that, custom paint is all part of the package.

The Chilli Dog is available in 2x variants: the 290 (29 wheeled version), or the 275 (the 27.5, which is due any time soon).

The Chilli Dog retails at £1,250.00 frame only, including all custom finishes.


Grim Ripper
The Grim Ripper has taken the 'batch manufacturing' hole left by the Chilli Dog. This is the brands first non UK made production model, offering a great frame at a reasonable price.

This model is the shorter travel sibling, but remains with the modern/aggressive roots of the brand. This frame came about from the brand continued growth, but also in an attempt to offer a more affordable model and broaden the customer base.

Details are limited, with initial production samples due August 2023. But we can give you the following details.

- 120-140mm travel
- Sliding dropouts gicing +/- 15mm adjustment
- 2x sizes (Regular and Long)
- the ability to run both 27.5 & 29 wheels
- Pre-orders expect to open early September for delivery end of the year

The Grim Ripper is expected to retail at £695 frame only


Surveyor

The Surveyor is the second frame currently manufactured in the UK.

The Surveyor is what is described as a 'progressives gravel bike'... more of a toned down mountain bike opposed to a beefed up road bike.

Like the Chilli Dog, the frame adopts the same theory in utilising a tri blend of Reynolds steel, but is finished with a pair of Deda stays at the rear. Unlike the Chilli Dog, however, the Surveyors offers a COMPLETE custom package. So in a word, you can have it how you like.

The reasoning for this is because we believe the use of such a bike is much broader than that of the Chilli Dog, and the requirements from person to person vary much more.

That being said, a standard sizing is also offered at a slightly cheaper price.

The Surveyor retails at £1,250.00 for a size Medium or Large, or £1,395.00 for the complete custom package.



If you are interested in any of our models, or want to see what we are up to, head on over to our website.

Website
https://radicalbicycleco.com/

Email
info@radicalbicycleco.com

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