The forgiveness in the frame and suspension could be just one reason why Rory can run such high tire pressure and firm suspension. In fact, he preaches that the USD fork chassis and spherical bushings in shock eyelets are what allow the suspension to actively track across cambers and chattery trail tread. On the drivetrain, the idler adaptor and belt tensioner are machined from 6082 T6 aluminum by Steamer Industries.īy raising and shaping the rear triangle into a wider bridge, he was able to counteract too much twisting, but noted that he may add a seatstay bridge if less compliance is desired.
All of the pivot hardware is CNC machined out of 4140, the dropouts are 316 stainless steel and TIG welded to 4130 hoods. Out back, the 19mm chainstays and 16mm seatstays are 0.9mm thick 4130 for that compliant ride quality. The downtube is a Reynolds 851, 1.2mm thick straight gauge in a 38mm diameter, and lighter 35mm top tube produce a solid, yet vibration absorbing front end. One worry that doesn’t cross Rory’s mind is flex. The offset is stock at 49mm, but there are some shorter, custom offset crowns in the works too. The main and ramp chambers are set to 72/130 PSI which a 35mm length stem if fitted to hold a high-rise bar. That’s enough to mitigate wallowing in the middle of the 180mm of travel, 14 of which moves the axle rearward, while the EXT Storia’s hydraulic bottom out resistance takes care of the heaviest landings.Ī ten year-old Manitou Dorado has been loved and lowered to 180mm travel. The single pivot isn't totally linear and gains 8% in progression, due to the angled shock placement. Even with that much pressure in the tires typically, Rory rides a 525 lb spring that only squats to 25% sag on the single pivot frame design. Moving onto the suspension setup is where the finer details get interesting. Compensating for the brake pad and rotor overlap with the adjustable chainstay length meant that to overcome this they would need to weld the caliper mounts in the center slot and use bevelled washers were used to make up the height difference of the caliper clocking. One small afterthought was the sliding dropout, yet it had a fixed brake mount.
#Clock cogs plus
The seemingly narrow 135x12 mm Hope Single-speed hub flanges are actually almost 10 mm wider than the popular 148 Boost hubs, plus it uses male axle bolts where the washers key into circular slots to prevent the wheel from slipping in the dropouts. What this offers him is a bike that is planted when resting, but has the ability to snap to life when told to leave the ground. Standing at 184cm and weighing 72kg, he chose somewhat conventional numbers like a 475mm reach, 1250mm wheelbase, 79º seat tube angle, 30mm of BB drop, and chainstays that are evenly slotted for three positions between 420-445mm that grow by roughly 9mm under sag. He drew an excellent parallel for me: 29ers are to 27.5” what dirt jumping a 26” bike versus a BMX is like. What does Rory prefer? Nothing less than 30 psi in both of the 27.5” DH tires and firm suspension. That usually means 29” wheels, long chainstays, plenty of sag and progression in the suspension, and soft tires to grip the ground. His demands were quick handling and response from body movements, yet it needed stability and traction too. Every single aspect of this bike, from the components and geometry to the tubing and shock placement was meticulously questioned. The “Homer” creation is not something as mainstream as a Specialized Stumpjumper, a bike which Rory previously owned. Through countless hours of off-the-clock time in his shop and international web calls from Dublin to Vancouver Island, the pair set out to build the perfect bike that didn’t exist elsewhere.
Stephen's brand is also on display, so the spotlight is really on him for his craftsmanship. Although adding the gearbox was Rory's idea, Stephen had already built a single-pivot bike with similar intentions. The duo are both dedicated fathers, trail builders, and riders with full-time jobs, so finding spare time to build the bike came through a passion for designing and fabricating projects. This entire project wouldn't have been possible without the skills of his cousin, Stephen Beirne, who owns and operates a steel brazing frame company in Dublin, Ireland, called The Freedom Machine.
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