The nice peeps at Pipedream have sent news of two new frames in three frame materials. They’ve got a 29er in 853 and Ti flavour; the Skookum and a hardnut 160mm hardtail; the Moxie built with Reynolds 631
Here’s their words straight from the horse’s mouth keyboard.
Introducing the all new Pipedream Skookum 29er 853 and Ti and the Pipedream Moxie R631.
Skookum R853 29er
Pipedream Skookum R853 29er
Price: £395 (Frame)
We’ve compromised nothing on this design and packed it full of features you’re going to love.
We’ve designed this to be the big-wheeled version of our award-winning Sirius. Sharing a number of features from its sibling, the Shookum has sliding dropouts and a new-for-2012 tapered head tube (HT). Sliding dropouts offer more than just the gears/no-gears choice – they allow you to change the length of the chainstays. Our variable CS length allows you to hit your ‘sweet spot’ and tune the wheelbase to your own requirements.
But that’s not all, tucked back there at the drive-side dropout is a coupling for a belt-drive system offering you even more choice.
Other notable features of the Skookum are the tubeset and HT. Reyolds DZB tubing has thicker tube ends which allows us to build an even stronger joint at the head tube. This allows us to dispense with gussets. Furthermore, with the longer down tube found on 29er frames, we’ve used a bigger gauge tube and DZB tubing once again to balance strength, stiffness and ‘feel’. With many folks now realising the benefits of dropper seat posts, we’ve also specified a 30.9mm seat post diameter.
Most folks will happily run this frame with a 80-100mm fork but by using a Reynolds 853 DZB tubeset for our main triangle, this frame has the strength (and geometry) to run a fork up to 120mm for you crazy folk.
Finally, we’ve routed the cables under the BB this time so that a single-speed or internal gear hub set-up gives a clean look to the frame with no redundant stops obviously visible. And no, we’ve had no mud/shifting issues.
It may appear that we’ve entered the field late in the game but our first 29er was built back in 2006. Since then, we’ve followed with great interest 29er development and been messing around with some designs of our own.
We’ve not done anything radical but instead built a ‘sure-footed’ trail bike that will reward you with a sublime Ti ride. This bike loves to be ridden hard and once again, has that “point and pedal” accuracy that you’ve come to expect from Pipedream.
It was conceived as a ‘garage project’ – experimental, a Sirius on steroids, a bike we could grab when we wanted to flirt with insanity, yet live to tell the tale.With no plans to build any more than a couple, we took it to the Cycle Show anyway and to our surprise found ourselves listening to the frequent song, “It’s exactly what I’m looking for. When is it available?” Only problem was, the tubing we needed to build the frame to our spec’ was not available – worse still, not even being made – until now.
The build you see is the prototype and has noticeably different tubes and a slacker geometry than its Sirius R853 and Scion R853 siblings and will happily run a 160mm travel fork.
It’s just as capable as our other frames for trail riding but ‘juiced up’ it’s a genuine alternative DH session bike for those days when the uplifts aren’t running. Yes, you can ride this bike uphill without bursting a blood vessel.
The test bike
In order to show off the Moxie’s versatility, we’ve built up a test bike dressed with 160mm travel Marzzochi 55s up front, some lovely Hope AM SP4 hoops (with super grippy Maxxis High Rollers) and finished off with a mix of FSA Gravity components (including a 1 x 9 Gravity MotoX chainset and bashring), it’s ready for insanity!
1; does the Ti version have the belt drive coupling (the website isn’t clear, from what I can see)
2; what’s with the note on the spec; “For the USA, this frame does not have the model name ‘Skookum’” even Urban Dictionary can’t turn up anything especially naughty, aside from some highly suspect and probably apocryphal sex act involving an entire street full of nekid people and chicken burritos. I’m off to check that with my American friends. should be fun
“to run a fork up to 120mm for you crazy folk”
erm,
what year is this?
“you can ride this bike uphill without bursting a blood vessel”
with that seat angle?
Even if the fork could be dropped 40-45mm its still going to be something like 69.5deg’s?
Ti Skookum with Rohloff and belt-drive please!
That hardnut is like an Alpine and a PA Classic mating result.
Got the Ti 26 bike, rides beautifully. Possibly my fav bike.
Got my eye on the 29’er though, just cuz I can’t sit still.
853 Skookum @ £395 looks like a great deal
Dammit – if I’d known about the 853 Skookum about 5 weeks ago I’d not be riding a Genesis Fortitude now …. it’s even the right colour!
Think there is a deal for pre orders on the 29r. 10% iirc.
2 questions
1; does the Ti version have the belt drive coupling (the website isn’t clear, from what I can see)
2; what’s with the note on the spec; “For the USA, this frame does not have the model name ‘Skookum’” even Urban Dictionary can’t turn up anything especially naughty, aside from some highly suspect and probably apocryphal sex act involving an entire street full of nekid people and chicken burritos. I’m off to check that with my American friends. should be fun
Oh, and the Moxie? No. stop it. now.
…. well OK if you have to but just be sure you’re protected hmkay?
“to run a fork up to 120mm for you crazy folk”
erm,
what year is this?
“you can ride this bike uphill without bursting a blood vessel”
with that seat angle?
Even if the fork could be dropped 40-45mm its still going to be something like 69.5deg’s?
“this bike loves to be ridden hard”
is it just me or….