News | The All New Kross Soil 130mm Trailbike
Kross Cycles may not be the biggest name in the mountain biking industry, but with 25 years behind them, the Soil has officially landed. With it’s innovative suspension design and well choosen spec the 130mm trailbike could be a true alternative. Read out for more information.
Kross Soil is the latest project in the Kross collection and one of the most advanced in the more than 25 year history of the brand. Soil determines and gives direction for the development of the design for subsequent models and is a consequence of the company’s efforts to harmonize the entire collection and to transfer Kross DNA to every model.
The aim of the designers was to create a complete bike for a ride along the paths equipped with modern solutions, the heart of which would be RVS suspension developed by them. The introduction of variable geometry so that the bike could be adapted for riding in all conditions and on every route was a great challenge.
Work on the Soil was started shortly after the official presentation of the Kross enduro bike; Moon. The first task for the designers was to adjust the RVS suspension to 130mm travel in full compliance with its properties known from previous models such as the sensitivity of suspensions and active braking (suspension doesn’t stiffen when braking).
A few months from the start of the design work thanks to the 3D printing technology R&D team had the first prototype, with which they realistically were able to check the functioning of the suspension with 130mm of travel. Simultaneously with the work on the suspension lasted the design work on the final development of solids and sections of tubes that were supposed to constitute the indicator for remaining projects from the 2016 collection.
After a year of hard work from the team of designers and constructors, and after consultation with the riders cooperating with KROSS; the final version of the new frame was created, first in 3D printing technology, and then in the final material.
The most important design feature of Soil is the ability to change its geometry through the use of two types of link. In the basic setting so-called “t-trail” Soil will have a link installed that makes it a versatile track bike with the head tube angle at 68 and the angle of the seat tube 76. Thanks to this setting of the angles, a rider pedals more efficiently, driving up and turning is better, and the bottom bracket that is located higher does not hook roots and rocks.
The nature of the bike changes when using the ‘ex-trail’ link. Angles of the head 67 and angles of seat tube 75 extract the second face from Soil. Thanks to open angles and lowered center of gravity, the bike drives down better, overcomes obstacles easier and is stable at high speeds in rough terrain. Which settings we use depends solely on us. Thanks to attaching to every Soil, the additional link we will be able to adapt the bicycle to our style of the ride and to the trail which we intend to conquer.
Spec Soil 3.0:
Frame: Aluminium Superlite, Revo Virtual Suspension, travel 130mm
Fork: Fox Factory 34 FIT4 (travel 130mm,Tapered, Kashima, QR15)
Rear shock: Fox Factory Float LV EVOL Kashima
Drivetrain: SRAM X01
Brakes: Sram Guide RS (hydraulic, rotor 180mm)
Wheelset: DT SWISS M 1700 SPLINE
Tyres: Shwalbe Nobby Nic Evo
Handlebar: Ritchey WCS Trail Alloy, low rise, (35mm, 760mm)
Stem: Ritchey WCS Trail 35mm
Seatpost: Rock Shox Reverb Stealth 125mm (Remote, 30,9mm)
Saddle: WTB Volt Race
More information: kross.pl/soil
Text & Photos: Kross PR
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