Is Manitou making an attempt to reinvent the mountain bike once more, greater than 30 years later with this FS II Future MTB challenge?
Actually no. Certain, Manitou was one of many pioneers of full-suspension mountain bikes again within the early 90s. However they’re totally conscious that suspension design has superior far past merely strapping a second suspension fork to the again of an any body to get rear wheel journey. But that doesn’t imply that it wouldn’t be enjoyable to see what a extra trendy adaptation of their first full-suspension mountain bike would appear like up to date with some way more trendy tech…
Manitou FS II challenge: Updating a Mountain Bike Legend
So, Manitou’s Hayes Bicycle Group mum or dad firm determined to achieve out to Swiss gravity bike builders Gamux to see what sort of trendy full-suspension path bike they might create, constructed round a suspension fork managing rear wheel journey like within the early days of mountain bike evolution.
Manitou figured they might work with a short-travel XC youngsters’ bike fork within the again, a mid-travel path bike fork up entrance, a Pinon gear field transmission on the backside bracket, after which let Gamux create one in all their wild machined aluminum frames to make all of it work, with bonded in carbon constructions to modulate body stiffness as wanted!
The inspiration for all this silliness – and a short historical past lesson for these too younger to recollect – was this early Manitou FS bike from the Nineteen Nineties. Most likely the primary suspension mountain bike fork was created by Doug Bradbury beneath the Manitou identify in 1990. Only a 12 months later, Bradbury had strapped a second fork onto the again to create a softail mountain bike. All managed by elastomers.
Again when 26″ and rim V-brakes had been the one factor going, and 3x drivetrains had been nonetheless the trend, Manitou was fairly superior with their authentic FS providing already in 1993. It was an easier time.
So, Manitou and Gamux set to work on making a brand new model of the FS.
After which as soon as they’d it, to take the brand new Manitou FS II challenge bike to the subsequent stage, they sought out Gee Milner for a Dream Construct…
Manitou FS II future path bike prototype Dream Construct
“In an effort to have a good time not solely the origins of the model but additionally an innovation that modified the face of a whole sport, Manitou has partnered with Gamux, Pinion, Gates, Schwalbe, Hayes, ProTaper and Reynolds to create a ahead pondering, trendy twist on the unique Manitou FS bike.
The thought was that whereas the nostalgic motives for recreating such a motorcycle actually maintain some worth, analyzing the previous can be a conduit to constructing a greater future. Using classes realized from such a protracted and storied historical past with the identical ardour and need to innovate ensures that the way forward for MTB is each bit as thrilling because the wild experience that has introduced us to current day.
The Manitou FS II challenge got down to incorporate essentially the most superior parts and options of tomorrow on a platform that has roots within the iconic design that kicked off the revolution of the total suspension mountain bike.”
– Hayes Efficiency Techniques
Why construct it within the first place?
Now Manitou has assured us that their FS II challenge bike isn’t actually meant to shake up full-suspension mountain bike design once more. Trendy suspension is way more nuanced than a single pivot with a semi-stock fork dropped in.
And in actuality, with the larger 29″ wheels we experience as we speak, mixed with the decrease sloping toptubes to get sufficient standover peak, I get the sensation that this isn’t precisely the smoothest approach to actuate a few sliding fork stanchions with out one thing else to offer stability & stiffness, side-to-side steadiness, and even to manage kinematics in a extra manageable method.
A fork at each ends
However I’m positive it was a enjoyable challenge. And Manitou says the Gamux crew has truly ridden the FS II a bit, and says it rides effectively sufficient. So, at the very least it’s a bit greater than a present bike.
The center of the entire challenge is that this Manitou Machete JUnit Professional fork. It apparently began out similar to the identical fork that’s on my child’s 24″ hardtail. Besides, Manitou & Gamux chopped the steerer tube off and CNC-machined a totally new set of lowers and a brand new yoke to interface with the body. In addition they created an all-new slimmer arch form, extra harking back to that authentic FS from 1993.
They usually gave it a customized tune and diminished the journey down to simply 80mm to offer the finished bike with 125mm of single-pivot rear wheel journey – paired to 130/140mm up entrance.
After which, they gave the idea bike a Pinion gear field and Gates belt drive to yield a decrease heart of gravity for “higher dealing with, protected gearing, and important reductions in unsprung weight.“
Geometry-wise, Gamux says they constructed it to the specs they’d need for a shred-capable downcountry path bike. So it will get a 66° headtube angle, a steep seat angle, comparatively lengthy 450mm chainstays to suit 29×2.4″ tires, and a 460mm lengthy body Attain.
Tech particulars by Gamux
Identical to the rear fork was closely modified by Gamux, in addition they machined all the remainder of the FS II prototype body of their workshop in Switzerland.
Whereas at first look it seemed like there have been just a few spherical tubes welded along with some extra complicated tube shapes, the entire body is definitely CNC-machined from 7075-T651 aluminum in simply two components.
Probably the most dramatic-looking is the 1-piece chainstays swingarm with a hollowed-out truss design that’s not too dissimilar to Gamux’s present manufacturing belt-drive Sego gearbox DH race bike… and even their very own still-in-development prototype path bikes.
The principle triangle is usually made up with hollowed-out field part tubes – in-filled with bonded-in carbon tubes. Gamux explains that they developed these “Bonded Carbon Parts” with their World Cup DH race staff in an effort to modulate body stiffness and tune the flex of the body individually for every rider.
The Manitou FS II challenge body does get extra standard spherical tube shapes on the headtube and seattube – the place the body meets the tapered steerer tube of its fork and the seatpost.
It seems to be just like the outsized headtube can accommodate an angle regulate headset in the event that they really feel the necessity to tweak the bike’s dealing with. However there’s actually not a lot room in that stubby seatpost to slot in a dropper put up. Though, possibly you may get away with a brief wi-fi dropper for extra rideability?
The Manitou staff describe development of the bike as “considerably value prohibitive” if anybody thought they’d intentions of constructing it a viable product you may truly be capable of purchase.
Giving the challenge bike a considerably lifelike construct
When you aren’t going to search out this Manitou FS II prototype exhibiting up on the ground of your native bike store anytime quickly, there nonetheless are a lot of extra lifelike parts that make up the entire bike construct. It’s a Dream Construct, so there’s quite a lot of fancy equipment right here. But it surely’s largely fairly attainable bits from the Hayes Bicycle household of manufacturers.
Up entrance, the important thing spec is the Manitou Mattoc Professional fork. Actually one of many lightest, stiffest, and most versatile path bike forks, the thousand-dollar 29er Mattoc options 34mm stanchions and may supply journey wherever from 110-150mm, with simple adjustability in 1cm increments.
Manitou fitted their prototype FS II challenge bike with a Gates CDX belt-drive pulling a Pinion C1.12 gearbox – fittingly in anodized purple to match the particular version Purple Hayes (Haze) brakes.
Moreover Purple Hayes Dominion A4 brakes, there’s additionally a pleasant shiny full silver ProTaper A25 alloy bar and ATAC stem for extra old-school model.
In fact, there’s a lot extra shiny purple graphics, and a set of carbon Reynolds Blacklable 309 Enduro wheels to complete off the dream construct.
“As we replicate on the previous, we not solely see the place we’ve come from but additionally catch a glimpse of the way forward for mountain biking. From the Manitou rear-facing arch to the requirements Hayes set for brakes, and the near-universal adoption of full suspension, as we speak’s riders—whether or not in XC, DH, or something in between—are having fun with a greater expertise within the saddle, fingers down. They experience on the expertise of tomorrow, constructed upon classes from the previous for an unbelievable current.”
– Hayes Efficiency Techniques
