The New Corsair Marque

We haven’t had our morning coffee yet so you’ll have to make do with the full-on hype Press Release info… 🙂

Representing the newest breed of all-mountain/trail bikes the Marque is lightweight and tough. Ideally suited for the rider who requires more travel than offered by typical XC bikes but who wants efficient pedalling and climbing characteristics. With over 5” (130mm) of high-quality travel, the Marque quite simply out-climbs and out-descends anything else in its class. As with all Corsair models, this frame features an adjustable head tube angle, and replaceable Maxle rear drop-outs.

Features

Adjustable Head tube Angle; The Marque is shipped with a zero-degree headset that results in a head tube angle of 67 degrees when using a 510mm fork with 130mm of travel. For riders that love to fine tune their ride, our optional 1-degree headset allows the head tube angle to be increased to 68 degrees, or decreased to 66 degrees. The 1-degree headset is also helpful when using a fork that differs from the recommended axle-to-crown measurement.

Centre Balance; The pivot point on the Marque is in a mid-high position located behind the bottom bracket. By positioning the pivot in line with or behind the bottom bracket, Centre Balance helps alleviate the heavy feel that can be associated with a forward pivot location. Corsair bikes have a lighter, more manoeuvrable front end and ride-feel because of the centre balance design. This characteristic is mandatory for successful slope style athletes.

Centre of Gravity; Low centre of gravity results in a more manoeuvrable bike. The Marque’s swing arm pivots are located close to the bottom bracket and the rear shock is located low and close to the bottom bracket. This shock placement is a key in achieving the Marque’s low centre of gravity.

Low Leverage Ratio; While many bikes are developed around suspension systems that result in leverage ratios of approximately 3:1, the low 2:1 stroke ratio (5” (130mm) of rear wheel travel and 2.5” (65mm) of shock stroke) utilized by the Marque, results in a number of benefits: First, longer and lower stroke ratio shocks have a larger environment in which to do their work, resulting in less stress on the shock itself, leading to a more durable and longer lasting piece of equipment. Second, longer stroke shocks offer a greater range of adjustability. Finally, lower spring rates result in more sensitive shock reaction.

Rear Suspension Design; The Marque features a single pivot rear suspension design. Designed for serious pedalling, the Marque includes a full length seat tube which allows for full saddle height adjustability. The bikes 9.5” x 2.5” (240x65mm) rear shock is actuated by an innovative rocker link that pivots around the bottom bracket shell. Finally, the Marque’s mid-high rearward mounted swing arm means that the overall swing arm length is short – resulting in optimal lateral stiffness and a lightweight swing arm, both of which contribute to high quality suspension performance.

Axle Path; The Marque’s axle path has been carefully considered in order to produce maximum suspension performance. Specifically, a high rearward pivot location is used to achieve a rearward axle path. The greater the rearward movement of the axle, the more efficient the design becomes at transferring energy to the rear shock rather than the frame. By combining this pivot placement with our idler pulley system, the Marque’s axle path offers high quality suspension movement and energy management while providing for efficient pedalling.

Pedalling Efficiency; Pedalling efficiency is a challenge facing every long-travel bicycle design. The Marque utilizes a swing arm-mounted idler pulley to neutralize chain-growth and reduce pedal feedback in all three chain rings. This pulley position that creates a very slight stiffening of the rear swing arm while pedalling – a functionality often referred to as “anti-squat”– which results in a more efficient and responsive pedal feel. The idler pulley system’s effect on chain growth is notable – 5mm of chain pull at 130mm travel is a very low number, better than many short travel XC bikes (not to mention other 5” trail bike designs). The Marque’s new 2nd generation idler pulley system supports the use of a front derailleur and offers the ability to use one, two or three chain rings.

Serviceability; The Marque’s rear swing arm is attached to the main frame using our washer less SureLock axle system which prevents the hard anodized 7075 aluminium axle from loosening. When it comes time for service, this simple system is among the easiest high-performance bikes to service and maintain.

Fit, Finish & Attention to Detail; As with all Corsair bikes, great time and effort have gone into ensuring that the smallest details are treated with the greatest degree of importance. The Marque’s hardware is recessed into the frame – this creates smooth, clean lines and durable mechanical connections. Our M8 shock mounting bolts use our proprietary design to ensure rattle-free rear shock performance. Corsair’s custom-designed, interchangeable dropouts (Maxle or Q.R. compatible options), make our frames more versatile, and finally, our 12-step painting process (which includes a special extra-durable clear coat) creates a long lasting, high quality finish.

Sizes; Small, Medium, Large

Colours; White or Black

SSP; £1599.95 (frame, custom tuned Marzocchi Roco R, headset, seat clamp, Maxle)

Availability; Now

www.windwave.co.uk/corsairbikes

Ben Haworth

Orange Switch 6er. Stif Squatcher. Schwalbe Magic Mary Purple Addix front. Maxxis DHR II 3C MaxxTerra rear. Coil fan. Ebikes are not evil. I have been a writer for nigh on 20 years, a photographer for 25 years and a mountain biker for 30 years. I have written countless magazine and website features and route guides for the UK mountain bike press, most notably for the esteemed and highly regarded Singletrackworld. Although I am a Lancastrian, I freely admit that West Yorkshire is my favourite place to ride. Rarely a week goes by without me riding and exploring the South Pennines.

More posts from Ben