Carefree bikes that promise low care and maintenance coupled with long durability are not only extremely popular with frequent riders. Bikers who are looking for the "one" or sometimes even the "last" bike are also looking for high-quality bikes with reliable technology. This can also be a little more expensive. The custom forge Mi-Tech likes to occupy these niches and showed its new all-mountain fully with Pinion transmission and Gates belt drive with the scenario.
Mi-Tech scenario: Four-link fully with Gates and Pinion
The Mi-Tech scenario does not have to compromise on riding comfort and trail suitability. 150 or 120 mm at the rear of the 27.5-inch four-bar linkage are possible, the rocker link allows two positions for shock mounting and thus the choice between more or less suspension travel. The specially designed tension pulley keeps the belt under tension during compression, but requires a little more space than a chain tensioner. The chainstays have therefore moved up slightly compared to the chain drive scenario.
Mi-Tech customers also have a choice of equipment, frame details and colours. This individuality has its price. The frame including Pinion 18-speed gearbox costs around 3500 euros, while the bike shown here would cost 5498 euros.
Mi-Tech Druid: 29-inch trail bike with "cheat" option
The 120 mm trail bike (27.5 inch: 130 mm) Druid can be equipped with a conventional 1 or 2-speed derailleur or Rohloff hub. Here too, the suspension travel can be optionally reduced via the shock mount. Frames with Rock Shox Monach RT3 weigh from 2585 grams and cost 1898 euros in standard size.
If you prefer, the Druid is also available in a version compatible with the Vivax drive. The 250 W motor is hidden in the seat tube, which runs directly to the bottom bracket and is invisible from the outside. Only the connoisseur will recognise the camouflaged e-MTB. According to the manufacturer, the top version of the Mi-Tech Druid Vivax, complete with battery, weighs just 11.3 kg, making it probably the lightest production e-MTB on the market.
Prototypes in Plus and Fat format
Mi-Tech showed what else is possible with the prototype of a fatbike full-suspension bike: 120 mm travel front and rear, Pinion P1.18 transmission and Gates belt drive - the demand is there. Based on the design of the Epsilon marathon and touring full-suspension bike, the fatbike was given a reinforced tube set and a really fat rear triangle with a 197 x 12 mm thru-axle that accommodates monster tyres up to 5 inches (!) wide.
Including the shock, the frame (without gears) weighs around 3 kilograms. The bike shown with Shimano XT brakes, DT Swiss rims, Hope hubs, Schwalbe Jumbo Jim tyres in 26 x 4.8 inches, Rock Shox Bluto suspension fork and Pinion P1.18 weighs around 16 kg complete - not a lot for what is on offer. The price: 5800 euros.
Another unique piece at the Mi-Tech stand was the Plus hardtail based on the Tyke. The strongly curved seat tube is intended to ensure short chainstays and give the bike, which can take up to 29 x 3.0 inch wide Plus tyres, playful handling. The prototype has so far only been designed for derailleur or Rohloff gears. Whether there will also be a version with a Pinion gearbox is not yet known, nor is the expected retail price.
Sebastian Brust
Editor
