Zerode Katipo announced – a new gearbox driven 29er enduro machine
Named after a venomous spider from Zerode’s home country, New Zealand, this new gearbox-driven enduro machine looks like it means business. The Katipo is Zerode’s first dedicated 29er and is made for charging effortlessly through the roughest trails around, sporting 160 mm travel front and back and aggressive geometry that looks to be bang on-trend with the latest crop of long travel big wheelers.
The geometry of the new Zerode Katipo
Zerode is currently only offering the Katipo in two sizes, 475 and 505, named after their respective reach measurements. Zerode’s founder and engineer, Rob Metz, wanted to create a bike that combined the magic carpet-like suspension performance made possible by a gearbox-driven design with modern and capable geometry. A quick look at the Katipo’s geometry table will show you if he succeeded!
| Size | L | XL |
|---|---|---|
| Sattelrohr | 460 mm | 490 mm |
| Head tube | 110 mm | 120 mm |
| Head angle | 64°° | 64°° |
| Seat angle | 75.5°° | 75.5°° |
| Chainstay | 444 mm | 444 mm |
| BB drop | 25 mm | 25 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1,245 mm | 1,279 mm |
| Reach | 475 mm | 505 mm |
| Stack | 610 mm | 618 mm |
Features, pricing and availability of the new Zerode Katipo
The main talking point of this bike, other than its beautiful looks, has to the Pinion gearbox. The Katipo comes fitted with Pinion’s C1.9 XR gearbox which offers 9 gears and a gargantuan 568% overall ratio. In terms of spec, the choice is all yours. Zerode offers a configuration program that they call “Custom/er”. This effectively lets you spec your Katipo however you want. Pinion’s C1.12 12-speed gearbox is also available in the configurator. Prices for a full build start at € 5,850. The Katipo is also available as a frame-only option, which will set you back approximately €4100 and includes the Pinion gearbox as well as a FOX Factory X2 (or a different shock of your choice). The Katipo is available to pre-order now.
Zerode’s new Katipo long-travel 29er offering looks like it should be an absolute blast to ride! Zerode fans have waited a long time for a dedicated 29er, and the Katipo has answered their prayers. We can’t wait to test one!
For more info head to zerodebikes.com
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