The Atherton Bikes Downhill rig has already proven itself and bagged two World Cup podiums at its first outing. The new company’s trail bike, however, has seemingly been kept in the shadows away from prying eyes. We caught up with the Athertons at the Endura Protection launch, held in Riva, Italy. Here is everything we know about the Atherton Bikes trail bike:
Atherton Bikes are an exciting new brand launched late last year by the fastest family in DH racing – the Athertons. The family have raced and ridden almost every bike on the market and played their role in both the development of Downhill and Trail bikes alike. What sets the new Atherton Bike brand apart from the rest of the market is the unique manufacturing process used. Each frame is formed from titanium lugs that are 3D printed and bonded together with carbon tubes. The titanium lugs can be designed to give almost any geometry configuration, which allows the Athertons to prototype extensively, and means that each bike will be fully customisable for the buyer.
Whereas the Atherton Downhill bike has already gone through many stages of prototyping, the Trail/ Enduro counterpart is still only in its early stages of development. For this reason, we were asked not to take detail shots of the linkage and lugs. However, we were able to find out some key details of what to expect from this exciting new trail machine! Although all details are still to be finalised, here is everything we know so far:
Atherton Bikes Trail bike lineup
The Atherton Bikes Trail bike lineup is likely to consist of three bikes. We heard that the current plan is to produce a 160 mm travel bike with the smaller 650B wheel size, a 150 mm travel 29er and a 130 mm short travel machine. The Trail bikes will use the same DW Link suspension platform as the DH racer, and the geometry is likely to be on point with current trends. Although Gee and Rachel could not comment on any geometry measurements, we were able to swing a leg over the bike. On first impressions (ridden in a carpark) the early prototype has a noticeably roomy reach, comfortable upright sitting position and we felt very balanced between the wheels.
Pricing and availability
Again, we are unable to confirm any of these details, however, the current estimate for release is late summer 2019. Pricing for a frame is currently expected to be around £3200, however, this may change as the manufacturing process progresses. Gee and Rachel were keen to state that they want the bikes to be competitively priced, and accessible to a wide range of riders.
Keep an eye out on the Atherton Bikes website to stay up to date with the latest developments!
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