Hi
Just seen this!
Looks very nice.
I’ll have one with Fox suspension, Carbon wheels and green bits (I think 🤔)
Think I’ll need to start saving.
Cheers
Steve

It’s proper proper good! Rode it on Wednesday as part of the dealer launch along with being shown around the factory (which is amazing)

A quick 12k at Gisburn, nothing too tech but a good laugh and enough time to get a feel for it. I am about 5 foot 9 and rode a medium, going to ride our shops demo first which is a large but think I will be ordering a medium.

Pedals really well, looks amazing, rips downhill. Lovely bike! A real UK built Smuggler.

£6000 minimum with a bespoke rear hub & BB…

hmmm

Sounds about right for a small volume very high quality uk produced bike. The fact that it’s got proprietary parts is what makes it good, it can be designed properly from scratch rather than around other people’s ‘standards’

Surprised it doesn’t come with the Hope crank mind.

Surprised they dropped the “radial” brake mount. I wonder why they no longer think it a good idea – they’re selling in such small numbers that i can’t believe a lack of compatibility with other peoples brakes was going to be an issue.

I think the proprietary hub and BB take away more than they add. big old seat tube too, wouldn’t help sizing up for reach. That said, there’s a lot to like.

The non-radial rear mount is because when they sell a frame set people can put what ever rear brake on they want.

The BB only non-standard in the fact you can’t put another BB in there. Bearings can be pressed out and new ones pressed in.

The X01 crank is because SRAM won’t supply the Eagle group without it, but most shops offer it as a free swap on the HB160.

Rear hub is a non-issue if you like Hope hubs. If you don’t, tough.

I’d have silver. Looks lush in the flesh. Happy with the orange and green tictac theme on my HB160, though.

Liking the pencil themed name. Lovely looking bike, but way over my budget. Somebody please buy one and post loads of pictures up

£6k? You could buy an ebike for that!

Can someone recap the idea of the 130mm rear hub?

the Ebike won’t be half as much fun or fast as this downhill, a lad at Boltby was on one, looks great in the flesh , he’d have got topspot in ebike category shaving another minute off :0)

From the HB website:

REAR HUB
We produced a uniquely spaced rear end to achieve a dishless wheel build. Moving the drive-side chainstay out has altered the chainline to give more clearance around the bottom bracket (this was pre boost, but realistically has achieved the same thing). Additionally we brought the non-driveside chainstay in to create a narrower 130mm dropout width rear end and moved the rotor/caliper as close as possible to the spokes.
The hub is fitted with a 17mm thru axle and 25mm location spacers for maximum stiffness.

It’s a stunner alright!!! I’ve only seen the 160 in the flesh and it’s a thing of beauty!

Thanks teethgrinder should have googled it myself

I like Hope hubs just fine, I’m as much a Hope fanboy as anyone, but a bike where no shop, mate or friendly stranger can lend you a wheel in the event of a mishap is a non starter for me. Non standard BB and Headset, less of an issue, just unnecessary.

Lovely bike. I’d have proper bike envy if it was a bit longer travel.

Yep, wheel sharing between my bikes would rule it out for me too – if I were even in the market for one in the first place.

The world does need more short and mid-travel 29ers though, too many LT ones kicking about.

*goes off to buy lottery ticket.

The rear axle being 17mm is a great idea. The bolt thru becomes the surface on which the hub bearings sit.

What might have been even better would have been to keep it at 12mm and taken the chance to run some bigger bearings.

If I had the money I’d have one. I don’t though, so I’ll just dream….

I think the radial rear brake was the only ‘non-standard’ bit of the HB160 that I thought was questionable, as it locks you into using Hope brakes, which rules me out as I don’t like their modulation.

Narrow Hope rear hub and BB is fine by me, as I run Hope hubs anyway and a BB is a BB, and Hopes are decent.

£6k is obv a lot but it’s equivalent to any high-end MTB like SC, Ibis, Yeti et al.

Are they dropping the radial rear brake on the HB160 too?

We had the factory visit and HB130 test ride on Tuesday, so I reckon I can answer a few of those questions.

The BB is a tweaked version of the Hope 30mm one – uses the same replaceable bearings, just a slightly different sleeve. Being Hope, you’ll always be able to get parts.

Rear axle/spacing – I can’t see anyone looking to run anything other than Hope hubs on a Hope frame, so having something specific makes sense here – Hope were keen to do what they saw as best, the frame axle doing both jobs seems a decent solution.

The brake change is because they’re doing a framset option for the HB130 – frame/headset/hubs/BB. Again, I think a Hope fan will run Hope brakes – but there’s at least the option to bolt something else on.

Yes please . I’m in no position to afford one but 6k seems a pretty reasonable price for a hand built uk made bike with hope components .

I can’t see anyone looking to run anything other than Hope hubs on a Hope frame,

The brake change is because they’re doing a framset option for the HB130 – frame/headset/hubs/BB. Again, I think a Hope fan will run Hope brakes –

A bike for the fanbois then. I assume the B in HB stands for Brexit as it’s a niche UK supplier doing its own thing and disregarding worldwide standards. Not one to be taking on any foreign holidays.

That looks really nice and when I do look for a new rig that’s at the top of the list. As they are offering the 130 as a frame only I can understand why they went back to the post mounts for the back brake.

I know it was a tongue in cheek posting, but Hope were very Brexit friendly before the referendum. HB was the joke referencing a pencil (carbon) for those not in the loop.

Anyone saying it’s expensive needs to check out the cost of a CC Hightower X01. Aeffect stem, cheap suspension, built in Cambodia.. £6599.

Not claiming £6299 isn’t an expensive bike, but for the kit on it and the frame production it’s stunning value (compared to the competition). If you think it’s too much, don’t buy it and get a full built carbon Orbea Occam for £3k instead. Doesn’t life have a lovely array of choices.

I don’t think hope are niche, as for the rear hub far as I can see they took a flawed/compromised “worldwide standard” and re engineering it to suite their needs. I’m sure that’s never happened before.

Not one to be taking on any foreign holidays.

Why not?
I wish others would adopt this rear spacing as it’s simply a better solution but that’s unlikely.

Price seems decent compared to others on the market. Though that probably says more about how silly the market is!

Similar to the radial caliper mounts. After all, if you were designing a mount now, why wouldn’t you? What advantage does the current offset post mount standard give over radial mounting other than being established.

How do the radial mounts differ from post mount?

I guess if you’ve got enough money for one of these a spare wheel and BB won’t be a problem. Plus how often have you trashed a back wheel trail riding. First non painted carbon bike I’ve liked the look of.

With a radial mount, the caliper is centered to the axle. If you want to go up a rotor size (+20mm) you add a 10mm spacer under each end of the caliper, rather than an offset mount.

Rear hub is the same price as a normal Pro4.
BB – press old bearings out. Press new ones in. 15 each at Wych

Thought HB was a nod to their Rolls-Royce roots as the founders used to work for Rolls-Royce. Their first demo bike sported HB211 stickers a nod to the RB211 Rolls-Royce engine with the RB in the engine name standing for Rolls Barnoldswick.

Thought HB was a nod to their Rolls-Royce roots

I just thought it stood for Hope Bike…

Gotta agree with slackboy.

The 211 reference was what led me to think it was linked to RR. Anyway we’ve got Hope Bike, a reference to pencil lead and a reference to their previous lives. One of the mysteries of modern times.

Either way it looks like a cracking bike.

My understanding was that HB is Hope-Barnoldswick.

Most of their parts catalogue is HBSPxxx

Hope-Barnoldswick-Spare-Part.

I heard it stands for Hairy Bum, which is a nod to the chief designer and his often on show crack.

@brianblessed I used to think the same but someone pointed out to me that all the hub spares use hbsp part numbers as well. Given the Rolls Royce connection and the fact that RR use a similar convention, I’m still tempted to think the “B” is Barnoldswick rather that Brake but it would be interesting to know the definitive answer.