What’s That Coming Over The Hill, Is It a Monster?
Sat 1st Sep, 2018 @ 9:30 am
Could this be the future look of the Enduro MTB? Sick Bicycle Company certainly seem to think so. The next generation of EWS courses marry World Cup DH levels of challenge with the added lunacy of climbing back up. Here’s Sick to tell us why this bike is the nuts…
We didn’t design a trail bike, we didn’t design a bike for the masses. This is for the brave, foolhardy and insane. Not a weekend warrior.
Made in the UK – By riders for riders.
Deep Tech
F.A.S.T™ – Fu*kin Active Single-Pivot Technology
Our first prototypes had an array of complex linkages, and while the performance was marginally improved, we found with a high and active single pivot, you got rid of a lot of complex things to get damaged, a lot of needless bearings to service, the bane of every bike shop. So we focused on a single row of oversized bearings doing the brunt of the work, but we also use needle bearings in the shock mounts to reduce breakaway force. And our isolated chain tension means no pedal / suspension conflict. This leads to an active rear suspension system geared for gravity. And we’ve all seen those recent world cup runs.
180/180 Optimised
Next generation of Forks and Shocks now allow usable and reliable long travel options that blurs the line between a mountain bike and a pure downhill bike. On the fly climb switch means, whilst climbing this will never be a pleasure, you can climb to places few long travel bikes can reach.
If you think all that travel is excessive, so do we! But if you want to be the first person to carve a new trail or hit that drop. This will have your back. And its only 20mm more than a 160mm.
29”
For fast rolling and super monster trucking feel, nothing beats 29r wheels.
Silence is golden
No mech, no chain devices, no chain slap, no losing a chain… Ever! Perfect chain alignment, silent freehub. Focus on your run, not the clatter of your bike, become zen in the most challenging moments.
Every part of the frame is engineered to allow sniper levels of concentration.
Gearbox
For something so complex to engineer, for the rider, a gearbox means a choice of 9-18 gears over an insanely wide ratio, A low centre of gravity and moving all that weight off your rear hub, and between your feet, which, actually adds to stability and traction. Go on, pick up even the fanciest of the fancy carbon rim, luxury hub wheel, and the most exotic 12spd cassette. That dinner plate size ring makes for a heavy and unstable mass right where you don’t want it on a full suspension bike. Not only that but you can run a more sturdy singlespeed chain. Oh and servicing intervals of ten thousand miles per oil change. This bike is always ready when you are.
It’s bullet time
If you’ve not ridden an advanced geometry bike, you are in for an experience. Longer top tube, shorter stem, slacker head angle, steeper seat tube and lower centre of gravity. What does all this jargon add up to? A bike that feels that you are in it, not on it. Most test riders get the same feeling, that the bike feels like its slowing time down, more reaction time and more focus but faster times. Stability is the key. Without a twitchy front end you have less calculations to make, you can stay on line easier and hit speeds you never thought possible. In the air the bike is balanced with the rider leading to predictable take offs and landings. You can pick a line through root or rock gardens rather than just hitting and hoping.
Future proofing
There was no point in building a bike that would become obsolete. We took onboard lots of real world rider concerns.
No weird standards
ZS tapered headset, 31.6mm Dropper post, 142 Singlepeed hub (SS doesn’t need boost as flanges are wide spaced), Post mount Disc. All these standards we expect not to change anytime soon.
Off the shelf bearings and fixtures
We designed every part of the frame with simplicity in mind. The bearings and bolts found on the bike are common sizes and are all easily and affordably obtained.
Replaceable dropouts
Not only good for damage control in the event of a bad accident. These replaceable dropouts allow future adjustment to the near endless wacky wheel standards the bike industry is so keen on. They hold our rear disc so if that changed in size or offset we’ll be able to design a fix. You can even get modified versions if you have an unusual hub, like DH singlespeed / boost etc.
Open source parts
We will host the files, free to use, needed to create a replacement idler transfer ring, dropouts etc. You can buy replacement parts,from us, or any 3rd party that makes them, or make them yourself if you are handy**.
What if Pinion gearbox goes obsolete before frame does?
We chose the Pinion™ floorplan because we believe that the company is stable enough to continue growth and will last the life of the frame. Should in the very distant future the unthinkable happen. There is a plan B. We will generate a cradle )or more likely hassle Olsen bikes in to sharing theirs with us) to replace the Pinion gearbox with BB73. And this is where the replaceable dropouts come in. The frame will be designed to maintain, albeit suboptimal use, with a rear mech and cassette.
