CX racing is underway with first WS victory...

The Wrench Science Cyclocross Team has been hitting it hard lately and at this point we've added some of the Sacramento Cyclocross races into the mix as well. In fact, we were fortunate enough that a our newest recruit, rider Ricardo Moran chalked up the first victory for our 2010 team...

Ricardo was invited onto the team with one request--"win." He reports that he was happy to oblige.

In other news, it seems that next year we should write another post about how we never get wet and muddy conditions for our cyclocross racing in Northern California...

WS Cyclocross Team - Season Opener

After months of anticipation, a leaner and meaner Wrench Science Cyclocross Team has hit the trails for this fall/winter’s race calendar. We are all tricked out and rolling atop the stealthy black Ibis Hakalugi’s. The 2011 “Black Lung” frames to be precise. Thanks again Ibis!

We’ve got both Sram and Campy drive trains, Edge/Enve carbon forks, Paul Brakes, and custom built tubular wheels featuring Chris King hubs and the silky Challenge Grifo tires. In the end, our bikes are tough as nails and still weighing-in around 16 pounds. We’ve been pretty excited and feel as if we have achieved these weights without even trying. That said, we are Wrench Science...

Our Machines

Once again, in 2010 our team’s main focus will be the Bay Area Super Prestige series. This is the premier race series here in Northern California where the cyclocross scene is becoming bigger and more competitive every year.

In fact, as residents of “sunny California” and more specifically the San Francisco/Bay Area, the only complaint we have about our cyclocross racing is that the weather is too nice. Seriously, those racers up in Portland have all the fun in their mud and muck while we often race in Indian Summer like conditions. However—yesterday’s race was a welcomed exception...

It rained. And we got dirty.

The Leaders of our CX team, are also the operations team at WS...

Ken Dick

& Mitch Trux

It was a fun race to start off the season. The conditions and technical course led to a plague of equipment failures and flattened tires, but our team managed not to have any mishaps. Our scene was dialed and we all scored decent results. As we roll into the season, we'll expect improvements in out fitness to come just in time to go for some solid standings in the series' final omnium standings. In case you didn't know it, we're tough...

Just a few minutes before his Men's A start time Wrench Science teammate Stephen Dey had a mishap in his warm up...

...and raced anyway.

According to Steve "it was easy enough to temporarily stop the bleeding with the mud from my front tire." Too bad for his brand new pair of WS socks! He went to the hospital an hour after the race for some stitches. :)

It should be a fantastic season of racing.

BMC wins again

BMC impec wins the EUROBIKE GOLD AWARD

Of 417 products submitted for the Eurobike Award, the twelve most innovative were distinguished with the Eurobike Gold Award. The impec, launched at this year's Tour de France, was one of the proud winners. The Swiss producer BMC is building a racing bike that achieves an entirely new caliber of perfection. Its name: impec. That is shorthand for "the impeccable bike" – with a frame that is nothing short of perfection, being the first exclusively machine-made carbon frame in the world.

The ceremony for this year's awards took place on the first day of Eurobike, the world's leading trade fair for the international bicycle sector, in Friedrichshafen. The jury of experts selected the twelve most innovative contributed products from a total of 565 registered contributions from 30 countries (417 products and 148 student contributions). These winners had the honor of accepting a GOLD AWARD for particular performances with regard to design and innovation on the first day of the trade fair, September 1, 2010, in Friedrichshafen.

impec, the impeccable bike from BMC, was also there. The jury that selected the bike had the following to say: "The first carbon frame with fully automated manufacturing. The tubes are woven with a radial braiding machine to be seamless and adapted to different loads. An innovative construction method that allows for manufacturing various sizes and geometries. A superb innovation!" The impec from BMC truly is the herald of a new era in frame building. Until now, conventional pre-impregnated carbon mats had been used in the manufacturing of racing bikes. Every frame had to be hand made from hundreds of carbon mats in operations based mostly in the Far East. After several years of research BMC, under the leadership of Andy Rihs, has now constructed a new factory in the Swiss city of Grenchen to build the frames for the new

flagship model. BMC has thus set a new benchmark in the worldwide bicycle industry.

The new manufacturing method is not the only trailblazing innovation. The tubes are connected by newly developed shells to form a highly stable frame. These shells are made from ultra-lightweight, high-strength composite material. The shells comprise a high content of carbon fibers, to withstand extremely high loads at a minimum weight. They double up as a key design element. The Shell Node Concept (SNC) means that impec is also visually distinct from any other racing bike.

In addition to the innovative manufacturing process, the unique BMC design is also being applauded with this win of the Eurobike Award. The first impec will be available to end customers as of fall 2010.

You better ask somebody!

In the spirit of full disclosure...

One of my best friends (Avi, who's also Wrench Science's sales manager, and owner of one of the most badass Mojo HD's out there) convinced me to buy this bike. And while at the heart of it all, Avi is a "sales person", he didn't have to say or do a whole lot to sell me on it. Instead, just like the latest hit from Anthill Films, all he said was "Follow me" down some of the best trails in the world's best mountain bike park--Whistler, BC. In the better part of 5 days riding behind my friend, I witnessed how confidence-inspiring this bike is. Rocks, roots, big jumps, big drops--the HD handled it all with ease. While my boutique American-made 9.3" travel downhill race bike was losing bolts, creaking, and cracking, my buddy's HD did not so much as hiccup. At the end of our trip on the drive home, I declared: "I want a Mojo HD."

Fast forward about a month. I am now the owner of a large "Vitamin Pee" HD built with a "Mini-DH" spec: 2011 Marzocchi 66RC3 Ti (180mm), Hope Pro2/Mavic 721 wheelset, 1x9 SLX drivetrain, Maxxis DH tires/tubes, etc. For how burly the build is, the weight is incredible (barely 34 lbs). Consider this: Avi's large HD is equipped with a 2010 RockShox Totem SoloAir, Crank Bros wheelset, 1x9 Saint, and when setup tubeless weighs under 32 lbs. WOW!


(** And from what I've gathered from here, Chuck Spew, the HD that Brian Lopes just won his record 5th consecutive A-line Air DH on was handsomely sub-30 lbs! And if you're curious the kind of "abuse" a 6-time world champ puts his bike through @ Whistler, watch this: Video Yeah, my jaw was on the ground too...)

* * *

I spent the past weekend on my new Mojo HD's inaugural ride/road-trip. Venue: Downieville, California--home to one of the World's most-esteemed enduro races (the annual "Classic") and some of the best trails in the state. I am what some may consider a "new-school trail-rider". (Others call it "all-mountain", but I think that label is lame). Basically, it boils down to this: I love pinning it downhill (I used to race DH), but I don't mind the climb back to the top (in fact, I enjoy the challenge in a masochistic way). This combined with the terrain that Downieville has to offer made for the perfect place to put my new bike through its paces. Here's what I have say about what I consider as the 3 most important things to consider in a new frame:

Materials & build quality
Like many folks out there, I was admittedly slightly skeptical about a full-carbon frame. We've all seen those horror pictures of snapped carbon handlebars/seatposts. But please, before you dismiss the idea of carbon fiber as a material for a mountain bike, recall back to your high school chemistry class. Carbon fiber is atomically no different than the world's strongest material popularized by De Beers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond). And if science isn't convincing enough then know this, the full carbon fiber construction of the Mojo HD combined with the 135x12mm Maxle rear end is the stiffest full-suspension bike I've ever ridden. Point it down a steep rock chute or rock garden and this thing holds its line as well as, if not better than any full-on DH bike. The "snappy-ness" of the Mojo HD makes changing direction quickly and accelerating under load effortless.

The finish is phenomenal (as it should be for a frame of this caliber). The paint is truly a sight to be seen (personally, I love the bits'n'pieces of raw unmasked carbon fiber). The pivot hardware is top-notch, and unlike several other "boutique" manufacturer's frames, all bolts are properly Loctite'd and torqued to spec. The bottom bracket comes faced/chased from the factory. The cable routing is very well thought out (I highly recommend getting the polycarbonate downtube protector) and for those Inspector Gadget types your front derailleur, adjustable travel seatpost, etc. integrate seamlessly. The Brian Lopes-inspired MRP chainguide is one of the most "trick" parts on a bike today. There's no need to worry about ISCG tabs (which are prone to damage) or toy with boomerang rotation. It attaches via a single 6mm bolt into the front lower link and sandwiched by the bottom bracket cup. Lightweight, yet very secure and very durable.

Unlike so many other frames out there, the Mojo HD comes together so easily. It's a shame Ibis can't steal a line out've Apple's book, because like your Mac, the Mojo HD "just works".

Suspension
I've ridden just about every suspension design out there (FSR, VPP, linkage-driven single-pivot, high/forward single-pivot with idler, etc.) and the DW-link equipped Mojo HD is one of the best "feeling" bikes I've had the pleasure to ride. I understand that many folks are still caught up in the hype of Sam Hill's multiple DH world championships on a DW-link suspended ride, but the Mojo HD is an entirely different beast compared to the old position-sensitive Sunday. It's better. The Ibis engineers no doubt spent countless hours modeling the wheelpath and leverage curve of the HD. The end result is a frame that takes full advantage of the modern speed-sensitive air shocks tuned for a lower leverage ratio. This translates into more adjustability/tunability for compression damping and less stress on your shock (lowered effects due to thermal expansion).

I opted for the Fox DHX Air 5.0 upgrade for my HD and am very pleased with the setup. The shock itself is custom-tuned at the Fox factory for the Ibis application. After playing around with air pressures (I'll spare you the intricacies), I arrived at a feel best described as "controlled" and "balanced". While some other bikes blow through their travel or are overly soft/stiff at start/end, the HD remains very controlled throughout its stroke. For those familiar with Downieville, specifically Butcher Ranch, you know there are quite a few (what I call) "Mark Weir" lines that are basically mounds of loose dirt/shale piled up that you can use as a launch ramp for airing over slower sections of the trail. What goes up must come down and when I landed, be it on dirt or more rocks, the suspension did a great job of soaking up successive hits and helping me carry speed. And yet despite "only" 160mm of travel, I felt very comfortable and equally capable of riding at the same speed as my full-on DH bike--a testament to the HD's confidence-inspiring "feel".

Geometry & fit
I am about 6'0", 165 lbs. and opted for a large frame. Being a "numbers guy", I analyzed every measurement/angle on the Mojo HD before pulling the trigger. Realistically, I could have fit on a medium, but the additional inch in wheelbase--which offers greater high-speed stability--was ultimately the deciding factor in favor of the large.

As for the angles... the HD is as cutting-edge as it gets. The progression in the sport has called for more aggressive geometry tailored to steeper, more technical tracks. With the 180mm fork, the HD sports a 66-degree head angle, 17.125" chainstays, and 13.8" bottom bracket height. When properly sagged, the BB height drops to around 12" and you sit very comfortably "in" the cockpit with a natural, balanced stance. Combined with my 50mm + 760mm wide low-rise bars, this thing absolutely slays the corners and stays glued to the ground in the steep wide-open better than my DH bike. And should I ever go somewhere where the terrain calls for it, the Mojo HD has me covered with its tapered headtube--enabling me to run a Cane Creek AngleSet Cane Creek to reduce my H/A another 1.5-degrees. My DH bike pretty much just became obsolete.

Like I said above, I love to ride down, but I also don't mind earning my turns. What truly amazed me in Downieville was how well the Mojo HD climbed! The uninterrupted, full-length seattube, ample standover height, and stable angles combined with DW-link made the climb after Butcher Ranch up to Third Divide--where they say the Classic is "won or lost"--seemingly effortless.

Really, it just works.

* * *

So there you have it--my initial "review" of my new Mojo HD. But this is only the beginning! Coming full circle... I am headed back to Whistler, BC on 9/3 through 9/11 where, rest assured, I will push this bike to its limits. I can't wait.

Signed,


A very, very happy Ibis Mojo HD owner

Oh WOW!!!!! Fresh Master X Light Build.

With all of the Master X Light builds that come out of Wrench Science, each one is more impressive than the previous. I do not know whats more beautiful the hand built Italian frame, or the hand built Italian components that go with it. Polished lugs ,and an Icy cold paint job this is honestly one of our nicest Master builds to date, more impressive is the build weight, 16.5!! Thats even with the steel fork. This build impressed us here so much at wrench science that I decided to send some photos to our friend at www.prollyisnotprobably.com, and see what our east coast friends think about it. In case you do not know about, Prolly he is our go to guy for anything cycling culture. From track bikes to road culture hes our guy. So check him out for updates from Wrench Science.

Brian Lopes has Air DH on lock

Brian Lopes takes Air DH at Crankworx AGAIN! Atop his new Ibis Mojo HD Brian Lopes is unstoppable. If you have ever been to Whistler and had the chance to ride A line you would know that its an incredibly demanding trail physically, so it's no surprise that the cardio king that is Brina Lopes takes the win. In places where you would kick back and catch your breath BL is out of saddle hammering, speed jumping over all the jumps, looking like a scene out of E.T. , This is an awesome statement of how versatile the Ibis Mojo HD truly is. Its long travel XC it's all mountain..it's free ride, it's DH!!! It's does it all! Now with the new LIMBO CHIPS technology you can easily run a 140mm rear shock and shorten your front end travel (if you have a 2step from rock shocks or a talas from fox) and "abracadabra" You have a muscle bound version of the standard Mojo. This new LIMBO CHIPS technology will allow you to have 2 bikes in 1!!! Thank the guys at Ibis for that one!!!!

BBOX, AND C59 STRIKE AGAIN!!!

Bbox Bouygues Telecom’s Anthony Charteau took the lead in the mountains classification at the Tour de France after a hugely impressive ride on the key stage through the Alps to St Jean de Maurienne. A member of the lead group all day, Charteau finished fifth in the sprint for the stage victory.

Aonsiderable compensation in the shape of the fabled red polka-dot King of the Mountains jersey having led the race over the super-category climb of the Col de la Madeleine on his Colnago C59 Italia.

BBOX 2wins in a row!!!!

"I knew it was going to be my day," said Fedrigo, who handed his team their second win of the race after Thomas Voeckler's impressive victory on stage 15 on Monday. "I felt something this morning that it was going to be my day. It's just little details, like seeing fans of the team and some family, but I knew I just had to go for it."

An amazing tour for Colnago, and Colnago fans alike, Before the C59 is even released its already landing podium wins, and tour stage wins. 2011 is going to be one of the most exciting years for Colnago. With Wrench Science being the premier dealer of these amazing bicycles, we are honored to be carrying the C59 for the 2011 year.

C59 Preview

With the tour de france we get see alot of the new product for 2011. One of the most highly anticipated is the C59 which is sure to be a show stopper. Check out the beautiful pictures below.

Taking pre orders now. Call Brian at 866.497.3624 ext 207.

RADMASSAKER AlleyCat 07/11/10

The 2010 Rad Massaker Alleycat is a bicycle race being held on July 11th to raise money for Cycles of Change, a non-profit dedicated to bringing cycling to low income areas of the Bay Area.

Registration- 11:30-12:35
Mosswood Park Oakland CA. MAP
Start Time 1:30
Fee - 10$
Limited # of race shirts for 1st 150 entries

Good idea to bring these things but not required:


* Water, tube, pump, bars or gels, $$$ for after party BBQ food
* Finish will be by a local Supermarket for Chocolate milk and Cheeseburger fixin's
* All bikes are welcome. Fixed riders will get top honors
* Don't worry geared riders will get their share of prizes and awards
* Please come and do the route with friends, You don't have to race to have a good time!
* It will be long
* There will be hills but not too many
* Bring a map of the east bay that includes Berkeley, Oakland, Piedmont, Richmond, Albany...
* WEAR A HELMET!

Merckx to release EMX-7!

Eddy Merckx is getting ready to launch the EMX-7. There are some specifics that are still industry secrets at this point but we do know that the EMX-7 will be the stiffist, lightest most responsive frame Merckx has created. That's saying a lot considering the amazing line up Merckx has produced over the years. The AMX is still a favorite.

Merckx will use the bike industries best carbon fiber (Toray) to integrate the seat mast into the frame. The bottom bracket is oversized, which makes the EMX-7 frame even better at turning leg power into to speed. Build this bike with Campy Super Record and you will, quite possibly, have the best machine in the industry.

Watch Boonen and Eddy test ride the new Eddy Merckx EMX-7 (above). Learn more about Eddy Merckx bicycles. Sign up for the Merckx newsletter to get updates, news, special offers and industry info at EddyMerckx.com (below)

Mary Maroon racing at Nature Valley Grand Prix

As the U.S. professional cycling scene focuses its attention squarely on Minnesota, Wrench Science employee Mary Maroon is tearing it up at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Mary was one of six female athletes from across the country selected via the Nature Valley Pro Ride competition to compete as part of a composite team at the top pro stage race in the country, and at the end of the first day of racing she is the highest placed rider from the Nature Valley Cycling Team.

Mary has been having a break out season racing for the Touchstone Climbing and Wrench Science with top results against some world class competitors at some premier NCNCA events such as the Merco Road Race, Copperopolis, and the Santa Cruz Classic. So when she got the call to join the Nature Valley Squad and ride this very prestigious National Racing Calendar stage race, nobody around here was surpsied and we were all glad to do our part to help her live this dream.


She will take the start of today's Cannon Falls Road Race sitting in 37th on general classification, 1'09' back from the overall leader. Please join us in wishing her the best of luck and good sensations in the legs as she fights her way through the next four days of hard, fast racing!

Niner Demo Day in the East Bay

Fuzzy Mylne and the Niner demo fleet will be rolling through Berkeley, CA on Sunday June 20th to give you the opportunity to ride the world's hottest 29ers on some great Oakland singletrack (just a short drive from Wrench Science).

Fuzzy will be at the parking area next to the Sequoia Arena at the top of Joaquin Miller Park from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. Here is a link to a Google map of the location.

Here are a few of the many sweet bikes that will be available for you to ride:

R.I.P. 9: All sizes!

Air 9: MED and XL

Also on board: E.M.D. 9, One 9, S.I.R. 9, and M.C.R. 9 in various sizes. Come meet Fuzzy, ride a Niner, and see what the big revolution is all about!

David Arroyo takes lead in the 2010 Giro d’Italia - Dogma magic

David Arroyo Duran (ESP) Caisse D'Epargnein leading the 2010 Giro d’Italia. Can you say Pink Pinarello Dogma.



Build your Dogma at Wrench Science:
http://www.wrenchscience.com/road/frames/Pinarello/Dogma+60.1

Finding Wrench Science

Many of our customers like to drop by the shop to check out a new build, to get a bike fit, or just to take a look around. Because Wrench Science is located in an industrial sector of South Berkeley, finding the shop can be a little tricky.

The image above shows the location of the shop in relation to the I-80/I-580 at Ashby Avenue. We are located inside of a gated parking lot, and the image below gives you a look at where the gates are located and where to head once you have made it past the gates.

You can follow these links to open the Google Street View of the North Gate or the South Gate so you know where to turn when you get here.

Screamer Spyder

I've had this sitting on my desktop for months now. I can't seem to throw it away. It's from a Sears christmas catalog from the 70's. Every bike in here has something special. The deluxe model, has the sweet "butterfly" curved handlebars, dual rear brakes, and front/rear suspension. You would be the coolest kid in the neighborhood. I also like that there is a parking brake next to the gear shifter. I supposed to make sweet witch whistles on the local hill.

The Green bike, which is the most normal, still runs a high sissy bar and oversized front wheel. This is the bike I would have probably ended up with, but it would have been used.

The Red bike, with production steering wheel is out of hand. It actually has some clean lines. I want it one. I'm trying to imagine the first kid who decided to hit his local jump. If there wasn't a lawsuit involving this bike I would be surprised.

Or you could double your sweetheart with the padded sissy bar on the blue bike with the upgraded shifter.

All of these bikes are cool, quirky and potentially dangerous. I'm sure they will be saying the same thing about some of the more current bikes in 30 years. Trek Y bike comes to mind.

A Gentleman's Bet

Avi Byer, one of our oldest employees, nailed the Tour Of California bet for which bike would win. Michael Rodgers of Team Highroad Columbia rode his Scott Addict to an overall win. Rolling in behind teammate Mark Cavendish (first place) on Stage 1 to take 11th place, Rodgers just kept improving. 10th (stage 2), 2nd (stage 3 & 5 & 7), 3rd (stage 6), 8th (stage 8). He took 32nd on stage 4 where Cavendish got to shine again. Overall SCOTT bikes blew away the competition.

Podium:

Scott first place

BMC takes second

De Rosa, third

Paul Mach climbs into KOM lead on Pinarello Dogma

Congratulations to Paul Mach (Bissell Cycling) for making it into the early break and putting the smack down on Foresthill Rd in Stage One of the Tour of California, an effort which was rewarded with the first mountains classification leader's jersey in the in the 2010 edition of the TOC. The UC Davis graduate student PHD Candidate in mathematics will have the esteemed honor of starting in his home town in this very prestigious jersey, as the TOC rolls out of Davis, CA to begin Stage Two.

Ever the modest strategist, Mach commented on his blog that he simply had "a good day." Will he be willing and able to match the accelerations over the four categorized climbs on offer on the road to Santa Rosa? He played down the idea of defending the jersey so early in the race and stated simply that "As for tomorrow, I'm just going to go race my bike." Anybody who has ever tried to hold Paul's wheel on the roads around Davis is surely not doubting that he has what it takes to hold on to the KOM title. He certainly has the right tools. But with a tough week of racing to come there are a million ways to lose it and only one sure way to hold on.

Congratulations, Paul, and good luck!

A Gentleman's Bet: The Prologue

We are one week closer to the start of the Tour of California where 6 of the best teams in the world compete on Wrench Science bicycles. Pinarello, Merckx, BMC, Colnago, Scott and DeRosa. Over the weekend we watched some of these bikes preform under crazy conditions at the Giro. The results of the poll have changed significantly, perhaps as a direct result. Here are the tallied results of your votes to date.

BMC: 34%

Pinarello: 21%

Merckx: 19%

Colango: 14%

Scott: 9%

DeRosa: 3%

Vote for the bike that will to win the Tour of California NOW!

Click here to take our Online Survey

A Gentleman's Bet

Wrench Science carries the best bikes in the world. Six of them are being raced at the Tour Of California May 16th - 23th. Back here at the office, there has been some discussion as to which bike will win the ToC. The discussion turned a little competitive and now we have a friendly wager. What do you think?

Click here to take our Online Survey

Results of the ToC, this survey and the WS winner of the bet will be posted on May 24th. Stay tuned.

Winner!!

We love it when our customers kick ass!!!! Will Uher came in one day with his Specialized moutain bike with what seemed completely original. He had the bike for 25 years or so!! What a beauty!!! Depsite the time tested trusty steed, he was ready for something fresh~~~ After discussing his needs, wants and desires. We finalized on a custom Moots Titanium. Fully decked out with our industries finest. Here are some images of Will's recent success at sea Otter!!!!! Oh and a lil testimony!



"Hi Avi,

Thought I would tell you the bike is running great. I did the 19 mile Mt. Bike cross country race at Sea Otter this past Sun. Had a lot of fun with it. There were 20 of us in the cat 3, 60 + age group. Had a chance to meet most of the group. I have attached several photos.

I appreciate your expertise and knowledge in helping me get my bike setup.

Again thanks,"

Will Uher (Red Jersey on Podium)

Boonan takes 5th at Paris-Roubaix on Mercks EMX5

Team Quick-Step News

The Hell of the North was dry and dusty today. After a fast start of the race a group of 19 riders, with Maarten Wynants, escaped out of the peloton. Belgian champion Tom Boonen was always on the front of the bunch. Stijn Devolder made a good impression too, but was bothered by some crashes and mechanical troubles. Wouter Weylandt went down hard during one of the many crashes during this day.

Boonen attacked several times, which reduced the first group to only 20 riders. With 50 kilometres to go Fabian Cancellara attacked. Boonen had to chase, but saw the Swiss champion riding away metre by metre. Boonen got in a group with Leukemans, Hushovd and Flecha, but they couldn`t catch Cancellara anymore. The Swiss rider of Saxo Bank took his second win in Paris-Roubaix. More then 3 minutes later Boonen ended in 5th.

Boonen was very dissappointed after the race. "When Cancellara attacked, some riders didn`t want to chase. I was in the back of the group, so I had to ride to the front first and the started the chase. I went full speed on the cobbles, so did Cancellara. The gap wasn`t that big and I felt good, but there were 2 or 3 riders that didn`t want to work in the chase on Cancellara. Probably I couldn`t have beat him, but I didn`t get a fair chance to defend my chances", the Belgian champion told afterwards.

sweet rack

One of the best things about a track bike is the aesthetic simplicity. This rack follows nicely in the footsteps. Now when will it come to the U.S. Know any Dutch?

Another wonderful day in the Bay.

A small winter WS group ride down the coast to Stinson Beach on Highway 1 in northern California. It didn't feel like winter out there!

Everything is better in HD!!

Due to the success of the Mojo, the bar was very high for this bike (high jump reference, not a limbo reference). After reading what Brian said about the frame, consider that the weight of the HD frame is 6.3lb, half a pound more than the Mojo. Light weight combined with the pedalability of the dw-link along with all that go-fast stuff Brian mentioned means They’ve hit their goal.
The HD is designed to be used with forks in the 160mm to 180mm travel range. Two geometry charts are provided for your viewing pleasure (one at 160mm and one at 180mm)
Although there’s a family resemblance, the Mojo HD uses all new molds and layups for both front triangle and swingarm. The frame is made from the same modulus carbon as the SL. The lower link and Lopes Link are all new too.

Here are some of the various features and design of the HD.






The HD features what’s being referred to (at least this week) as a mixed tapered headset with a 1.5″ lower and a 1.125″ upper.
The 1.5″ lower provides an exceptionally rigid front end platform. Combined with the through axle fork and our very stiff front end layup, you’ll be amazed at the precision found in the front end, particularly when pushing hard.
The HD is also compatible with the King InSet headset.






Lopes’s Influence

The HD has been in development for three years, before the started working with Brian Lopes. They had originally planned on a 68 degree head angle and had already done the CAD models that way. When they started working with Brian he pushed hard for 67 so they actually went back and redid the models. They're happy they did.
Brian and his mechanic Joe also helped us refine the cable routing so that cables are well protected, run clean and friction free and also have compatibility with single and multiple chainring setups and adjustable seatposts.
Although people suspect they do, They haven’t been making special layups for Brian. He’s just been riding the most current rev of the latest proposed production layup and been giving us feedback. They’ve done several versions now and the frame he rode at Downhill World’s in 2009 isn’t as good as the one that the consumer will be able to buy (sorry Brian).
Brian and Joe were also pretty adamant about having the chain guide attach in some way other than just around the BB. They didn’t want the guide to be able to rotate when you hit the bash guard. Joe came up with tapping threads into the main pivot bolt to secure it and it worked really well. The head of the Ibis engineering department (the amazing and incredible Colin) refined the idea and designed a custom guide that they’ll be stocking for it. They’ll be made by MRP and one is pictured below (note the nifty bolt that secures it to the lower link-definitely click on this image for a bigger view).

Pricing

The Frame price is $2399, which includes the RP23 shock.
The initial groups they spec will be an X9 based group and an XT group.

Secure your HD frame!! Get on the list!! To do so call 1-866-497-3624 ext 210 or email

Avi Byer at Avi@wrenchscience.com



Mojo “HD” Specifications

* 160mm of rear wheel travel.
* DW Link Suspension.
* 26″ Wheels.
* Weight for the frame and shock, size large: 6.3 lbs, 2.86Kg.
* 67 degree head angle with a 160mm fork.
* Polycarbonate down tube cable guard.
* Chain stay length: 17.125″.
* 12 x 135mm Maxle rear axle.
* Post mount magnesium left dropout, carbon right dropout.
* Compatible with the new tapered steerer standard: 1 1/8th hidden upper, 1.5 traditional lower.
* Compatible with both Chris King InSet and Cane Creek Frustum headsets.
* If you want to run your current straight 1 1/8″ fork, they have got you covered too. They will have an adapter available, and you will be able to use a King headset top and bottom.
* 2.35″-2.55″ rear tire depending on brand and height of cornering knobs.
* Dual row angular contact bearings in the front of the lower link that have less play than standard sealed bearings. Preload adjustment is not necessary. Large 28mm x 15mm x 7mm radial bearings in the rear for stiffness and long wear.
* The leverage ratio, like the Mojo and Mojo SL is designed for air shocks. The Mojo HD comes with a 8.5″ x 2.5″ Fox RP23. A DHX air will work on all but the small size. A coil shock is not offered because the linkage rates weren’t designed for it. They lowered the top tube to get slightly better standover than the regular small mojo while having a higher BB because of the longer travel (they managed to retain the DHX air compatibility in 3 of the 4 sizes).
* The Bottom Bracket height is 13.8″-14″ depending on tires.
* Front derailleur (if you use one) and adjustable seatpost housing (if you use one) run along the top tube.