Mathias and Lukas Flückiger are shaking up the Mountain Bike World Cup as a pair of brothers. With his fourth place at the World Cup race in Cairns, the younger Mathias has qualified for the Olympics. Not exactly a matter of course given the strong Swiss competition.
How Mathias Flückiger's Stöckli Morion rides
Mathias Flückiger's bike is pure luxury. His sponsor has built a bike especially for him and his needs. The result of the collaboration between Swiss engineers, racing cyclists and German carbon specialists: a lightweight race bike without compromise. In Würzburg Bike Ahead Components few prototypes of the fullys in size S, but series production is to take place in Asia for cost reasons.
On the trail, the Stöckli impressively demonstrates its race genes. The suspension is trimmed for efficiency. It is firm on the descents, but hardly bobs under chain load. The little movement that remains on the Fox suspension elements is eliminated simultaneously with electronic lockout at the rear and front.
Shimano's XTR Di2 drivetrain also changes the eleven gears at lightning speed with the help of electricity. Both systems use the same battery, which the mechanics have skilfully integrated into the top tube. Carbon rims with a 24 millimetre wide rim width make even the low-profile CC tyres appear voluminous and give the Morion a touch of comfort.
The 735 millimetre wide handlebar and the 90 millimetre long stem ensure playful handling on tight courses. The negative 25-degree tilt of the stem provides additional saddle cant. The Bike-Ahead Components handlebars have been specially reinforced for Mathias for greater stiffness and precision. The Swiss rider's entire bike is customised for racing. One that we also really liked.
What Flückiger's team mechanic says
"Mathias is half engineer. He often focusses more on the material than on his training. He scrutinises every screw and optimises everything there is to optimise on the bike. He provided a lot of input for the new Morion frame from Stöckli, for example for the geometry and rear triangle kinematics. I also optimised the cable routing. But Math is also a freak when it comes to add-on parts. He has built his own carbon chain guide. A telescopic seat post of his own design is in the drawer. But he won't have time for that until after the Olympics."
The complete test story on the Olympic bikes of Fumic, Schurter & Co. can be found in BIKE 9/2016.
The complete issue
can also be read in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or in the DK-Shop reorder:
