"Nomen est omen", as the saying goes. And often quite wrongly. In the case of the small start-up company Bold Cycles from the Swiss canton of Bern, however, this saying fits like a glove. Because the frame concept of Bold Cycles indeed.
Damper integrated in the frame
Linkin Trail is the name of the first mountain bike from company founders Oliver Kreuter and Vincenz Droux. At first glance, it looks like a classy but conventional all-mountain bike with 130 millimetres of suspension travel. Carbon frame, clean and appealing look, high-quality add-on parts: The only thing you won't see is a rear shock. This is because the Linkin Trail's shock is located in the frame, more precisely in the seat tube, and is controlled via a rocker system. This makes the Linkin Trail the first bike of its kind ever.
This is actually incomprehensible, as the system known as "Internal Suspension Technology" (IST for short) has many advantages. The shock is completely protected from dirt. The frame's centre of gravity is low, which ensures good handling. The Bold designers had a freer hand with the rest of the frame; the pivot points of the rear triangle allow for completely new kinematics thanks to the integration of the shock, which should result in a drive- and brake-neutral chassis.
But the damper inside the frame also brings certain problems with it. Installation and removal is more complex, the rigidity of the frame can suffer and adjustment is more difficult. However, it seems that Bold has found a solution. The shock should be easy to remove from the frame from below and the SAG can be preset using a template. As a partner of the "IST" system, DT Swiss has developed a shock tailored to the needs of Bold - the DT Swiss X313 customised.
Bold Oneplus: 27.5+ and 29 inches in one
Bold has also packed all the new standards into the Linkin Trail. Like the Boost 148 dimension as the axle standard on the rear triangle. The Linkin Trail's cables run completely inside the frame and the rear triangle is said to be extremely drive-neutral. Depending on your preference, the Linkin Trail can be fitted with 29-inch wheels or 27.5+ wheels. The 130 millimetre fully will be available from 8 July 2015 in four different equipment variants via the Swiss web shop. With the top-of-the-range equipment, the Linkin Trail only weighs around 11.5 kilograms. But so much technology comes at a price. At least 7390 Swiss francs (approx. 7100 euros) are due for the Linkin Trail.
About Bold Cycles
Bold Cycles Ltd. is a Swiss company based in Lengnau near Biel and was founded in 2014 by Vincenz Droux and Robert Droux. The former is already well-known in the bicycle industry as the owner of Flow AG. He has developed a large number of products and brand appearances for well-known bicycle manufacturers. Engineering, graphic design and brand development come from the four-person team. The company develops and sells mountain bikes under the Bold brand. There are long-term plans to expand into the road bike sector.
Adrian Kaether
Editor
