With the introduction of one of the first suspension forks called Manitou in 1990, Doug Bradbury had a lasting impact on the face of mountain biking. Just one year later, Bradbury completed his work by creating one of the first functional full-suspension MTBs. The striking FS used two suspension forks, with the second simply replacing the seat stays on the rear triangle.
Although the original Fully was already causing a stir at the time, nobody could have guessed that the Manitou FS would be the bike that would change the future of MTB. With the introduction of the FS in 1993, Manitou already had the right instinct and pushed the development of suspension forward in leaps and bounds. As a tribute to the FS of that time, Manitou launched a modern study called FS II.
The framework: Craftsmanship meets science
Manitou found the perfect partner for the realisation of the project in Gamux. The Swiss frame builders run an engineering office that not only develops designs for their own frames, but also for a long list of customers in the bicycle industry.
For the FS II project, the Swiss engineers combined state-of-the-art production and engineering technologies such as CNC machining and bonding with the best raw materials available. From CAD design and FEM optimisation to the manufacture of components from 7075-T651 aluminium on a 5-axis CNC machine and the redesign of the fork bottoms, the frame construction was as much craftsmanship as it was science.
The body: Iconic design & drive of the future
Building the frame of the future also required the integration of the drivetrain of the future, and so the Manitou FS II features a Pinion C1.12 transmission and a Gates CDX belt drive. The inclusion of these technologies heavily influenced the design of the frame, and the overall package brought a host of performance improvements. The FS II now has a lower centre of gravity, a protected gearbox and a significant reduction in unsprung weight at the rear wheel.
Nothing has been left to chance in the choice of equipment and frame details either. The centrepiece of the FS II is of course once again the Manitou suspension fork. At the front, a Mattoc with 110-150 mm travel is used, which has a very wide range of use. The rear suspension is based on the iconic design of the original Manitou FS, but uses a Manitou Junit fork with special CNC lower parts and newly tuned internal components.
By the way: The Manitou Junit was originally developed as a suspension fork for children's MTBs and may be for smaller riders. However, it is equipped with the same internal parts, technologies and performance features as the Forks for adults.
For the wheels, the Manitou FS II relies on the Enduro wheels Reynolds 309which should perfectly harmonise durability and vertical flex. The choice of brakes is also light years ahead of anything imaginable in the years of the first Manitou FS. The Hayes Dominion Brakes in their limited purple colour scheme ensure top deceleration.
Incidentally, the colour scheme is a tribute to the brand's origins. The original Hayes logo contained elements of purple and was seen on the best athletes at the time. To round off the build, grips, pedals and spacers from Wolftooth were used, while ProTaper supplied the handlebars, stem and seatpost components.
