Pässilä’s Runtu Titanium Enduro Hardtail & An eMTB Proto with Automatic Transmission
Even though many think hardtail mountain bikes are not meant for enduro racing, such a frame has been on Pässilä’s list for a long time.
Finland has its own category for the hardtail racers in the Finnish national enduro series. Fins have a special place in their hearts for riding between the tapes on the weekends with a bunch of friends and fellow racers. Racing (not always so) seriously when the clock is running and goofing around when it’s not. The Pässilä’s team had so many unforgettable racing weekends on their hardtails over the years that they figured it was time to expand their frame line-up to finally include also an enduro racing frame. It has been the missing piece. Runtu is a frame that’s been developed with just one purpose in mind: to be fast.
Runtu is designed for 160 mm to 170 mm travel suspension forks and provides a progressive Pässilä geometry to back it up. It has a 63.5 degree head tube angle for stability in high speeds and taller stack heights to optimize the rider’s position while descending. Runtu’s short seat tube provides lots of clearance for the rider when the seat is set low but also has enough of room for long dropper posts.
The 77 degree seat tube angle keeps the rider centered in the bike while seated. The 440 mm (size S1) to 450 mm chain stay length gives stability while descending and traction in the uphills. Runtu has also a higher than normal bottom bracket to provide quick handling in spite of the long wheelbase, which is crucial in tight corners during the race.
After the team thought they had the numbers and details right, they let their friend and an enduro racer (way faster than any of us at Pässilä!) Tero Alapoikela ride the Runtu prototype frame in the hardtail category of the Finnish enduro series during season 2022. He ended up on the highest podium at the end of the season, winning not only races but the overall as well. So the frame has been race-approved and the brand is now ready to introduce it to other hardtail enduro fanatics around the globe.
Pässilä Runtu titanium frames are now available for 2023 preorder as well as other titanium frame models in stock. You can head over to passilabicycles.com for more information.
Pässilä x Revonte titanium prototype hardtail with automatic and stepless transmission
During 2021 and 2022 Pässilä has also been busy developing something else. They teamed up with an innovative Finnish e-biking company and together created a prototype of a titanium eMTB hardtail with automatic and stepless gearing. Pässilä titanium frame combined with Revonte ONE Drive System creates a combination that the bicycle world hasn’t yet seen. A titanium eMTB with a single speed belt drive drivetrain and automatic transmission was something the Pässilä crew could not resist when they heard about Revonte the first time. Maybe more about this later but here’s a sneak peek…
