First Look: Turner's Carbon Racer - Sea Otter 2013

A Turner First The rise of carbon fiber and its advantages, both perceived and actual, has meant that handmade aluminum frames don't carry the same panache as they once did. This fact has transformed the market, with nearly every brand offering carbon models throughout their lineup. Turner Bicycles is company that had stuck to their guns, though, by producing US-made frames that many riders sought out regardless of their aluminum make up. David Turner, the man behind the name, knew that he would have to offer a carbon model at some point, though, and the 100mm travel Czar is their first stab at full carbon fiber frame. No, Turner's aluminum models won't be disappearing anytime soon, but expect carbon to play a big part in the California company's future. While Turner's 125mm travel Sultan 29er can be assembled as a light duty trail bike, the shorter travel Czar has been penned as true cross-country race weapon. Having said that, the bike will also likely be embraced by those who might not race but are still looking for an sporty ride as their everyday steed. The frame's 5.3lb weight (with a FOX Float CTD shock) also means that gram counters out there have a good platform to start their build on. Turner plans to offer the Czar frame for $2995 USD, just $500 more than their aluminum Sultan.

Turner Czar Details • Completely new 29er model • Carbon fiber front and rear triangles • Rear wheel travel: 100mm • DW-Link suspension • Journal bearing pivots • PF30 bottom bracket • 12 x 142mm DT RWS axle • Two bottle mount locations • Frame weight: 5.3lb w/ FOX Float CTD shock • Made in Taiwan • MSRP $2995 USD

Tuned DW-Link

As you might expect, the Czar employs Dave Weagle's renowned DW-Link suspension layout that Turner utilizes throughout their entire lineup. Turner told us the Weagle has made some very important changes to the system's pivot locations to better suit both the bike's 100mm of travel and race inspired intentions, with the specially tuned FOX Float CTD shock and the bike's anti-squat characteristics being different from what is found elsewhere in Turner's lineup. Interestingly, while many suspension designs are being optimized for use with either a double or single-ring setup, the Czar's DW-Link system is laid out to function well with a standard triple-ring drivetrain. The reasoning for this, Turner told us, is that he feels many riders still prefer and use three chain rings, despite the movement to simpler drivetrains.

Pivot hardware has also seen an update, with lighter weight fasteners holding everything together, as well as new threaded-in grease ports that should make for a more reliable maintenance system (the old style press-fit ports could push out if overfilled with grease). Journal bearing pivots are still used at each location.


Frame Details

While the Czar's front triangle is a single bladder molded unit, the bike's rear end is actually manufactured in three different pieces and then bonded together. Yes, it might have been simpler to construct the back of the bike in one go, but doing it in three different sections allows the factory to attain proper void-free compaction of the complicated areas around the yoke and link attachement points. Up front, Turner has gone with a true press-fit headset cup interference rather than the far more common ''drop in'' setup used by most carbon frames. There is no aluminum sleeve - the cups press in against the carbon tube - but Turner is confident that the snug interference fit is far more robust in the long run.

www.turnerbikes.com