As riders ourselves, we obsess over material quality, frame geometry, and suspension optimization to live up to the legendary ride quality we’re famous for. We strive to create bikes with the perfect balance of all the variables rather than just chasing isolated metrics at the expense of overall performance.
Our world class engineers work closely with our athletes in a rapid, agile feedback loop. If you ride the iconic trails near our North Vancouver Development Centre, it’s not uncommon to run into pros like Thomas Vanderham and Jesse Melamed out for a rip with our designers—data acquisition sensors strapped to their bikes and notepads stuffed into their packs.
From the moment you throw a leg over one of our bikes, it's clear that they’re made for people who Love the Ride.
The hallmark of Smoothlink suspension is our ability to fine tune its characteristics for the intended use of each bike we design. There is no one-kind- fits-all to suspension design, and we work to hone variables like braking, anti-squat, small- bump sensitivity, and end-stroke progression across a wide range of applications.
Our patented RIDE-9™ system uses two interlocking chip inserts to adjust geometry and suspension characteristics, allowing riders to tune their bikes to their specific riding styles, terrain, and weight.
The RIDE-4™ system uses a single chip insert to adjust the geometry on bikes that require more subtle changes. This allows for more precise adjustments and more isolated shock-tuning.
Smoothwall carbon uses one of the world’s most sophisticated carbon processes to build frames with industry leading stiffness, weight, ride quality, and durability. By using rigid internal molds, we are able to perfect the shape of the internal features and eliminate excess materials. We use different types of carbon in specific frame areas to maximize stiffness and impact resistance while minimizing overall weight.
Not all aluminum tubing is created equal. FORM alloy is the key to the ride quality our aluminum bikes are known for. We use premium materials that meet our strict requirements, and each FORM tube is engineered for its specifc purpose within our frames to ensure optimized strength, weight, and stiffness.
RMB 6061 custom alloy balances strength, weight, and value. The heart of every bike is its frame, and this tubing allows us to produce a high quality frame in an economical package.
The Pipelock collet system expands radially and locks into the frame, creating a wide and rigid pivot stance. Using Pipelock collets lowers front triangle pivot weights while maximizing lateral stiffness.
There are advantages to different wheel sizes in different situations. The Equalized Wheel Concept allows riders to choose their preference without compromising steering dynamics. Other companies simply provide two axle positions, which negatively affects BB height and fork trail. Instead, our Equalized system uses a headtube spacer in conjunction with two rear axle positions to maintain optimized geometry and handling regardless of which wheel size is used.
Autonomous braking makes you go faster by slowing you down more effectively. Other suspension systems squat dramatically under braking, causing a “grip-slip” phenomenon and losing traction. By balancing anti-rise, caliper counter- rotation, and instantaneous inertial brake transfer values, our system provides more control by remaining neutral and active through the majority of travel.
ABC pivots have angled bushing surfaces to increase their relative contact area, optimizing them for compact locations like chainstay pivots. Unlike other bushings, our patented system controls the contact of the bushing surfaces, reducing stiction and binding.
When it comes to shock tunes, size does matter. For each full suspension bike we make, our design team does custom shock tunes based on real world field testing, because the world's best trails provide feedback that spreadsheets never could. Size Specifc Tune takes this a step further by adjusting the tune for each specifc frame size, from XS to XXL. Now riders of all sizes get the right balance of small-bump compliance, mid-stroke support, and end-stroke progressiveness.
Every riding style needs a different set of design principles that go beyond pigeonholing a bike by its chainstay length or headtube angle. Whether we’re creating a versatile trail bike or a downhill race weapon, we follow our Ride Tuned Concept to make sure that key variables like wheel size, suspension travel, and geometry work together to optimize ride quality.
Designed by us in Canada, the Powerplay™ drive system is a sleek, lightweight, and powerful electric assist that pushes the boundaries of electric bikes. Its compact, low-mounted motor allows us to design electric mountain bikes to our suspension and handling standards—with proper geometry and ideal pivot placement. The system provides class-leading torque, ultra quiet operation, instant power response, and super fast charging.
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