First Look: Pipedream Skookum 29er and Moxie.

Pipedream have come out with some new bikes to their range including a 29er version of their popular Skookum in both reynolds 853 tubing and a Ti. version. They have also released a hardcore 160mm travel hardtail called the Moxie.

Check out the official word from pipedream below...

Pipedream Skookum R853 29er...Frame RRP £395

We’ve designed this, to be the big-wheeled version of our award-winning Sirius. Sharing a number of features from it’s sibling, the Shookum has sliding dropouts and a new-for-2012 tapered head tube (HT). Sliding dropouts offer more than just the gears/no-gears choice – they allow you to change the length of the chainstays. Our variable CS length allows you to hit your ‘sweet spot’ and tune the wheelbase to your own requirements.

But that’s not all, tucked back there at the drive-side dropout is a coupling for a belt-drive system offering you even more choice.

Other notable features of the Skookum are the tubeset and HT. Reyolds DZB tubing has thicker tube ends which allows us to build an even stronger joint at the head tube (HT). This allows us to dispense with gussets. Furthermore, with the longer DT found on 29er frames, we’ve used a bigger gauge tube and DZB tubing once again to balance strength, stiffness and ‘feel’.

With many folks now realising the benefits of dropper seat posts, we’ve also specified a 30.9mm seat post diameter.

Most folks will happily run this frame with a 80-100mm fork but by using a Reynolds 853 DZB tubeset for our main triangle, this frame has the strength (and geometry) to run a fork up to 120mm for you crazy folk.

Finally, we’ve routed the cables under the BB this time so that a single-speed or internal gear hub set-up gives a clean look to the frame with no redundant stops obviously visible. And no, we’ve had no mud/shifting issues.

http://www.pipedreamcycles.com/product/skookum-29er-r853/

And in Ti...

It may appear that we’ve entered the field late in the game but our first 29er was built back in 2006. Since then, we’ve followed with great interest 29er development and been messing around with some designs of our own.

We’ve not done anything radical but instead built a ‘sure-footed’ trail bike that will reward you with a sublime Ti ride. This bike loves to be ridden hard and once again, has that “point and pedal” accuracy that you’ve come to expect from Pipedream.

http://www.pipedreamcycles.com/product/skookum-29er-ti/

Introducing the Moxie - 160mm Hardnut HT.

It was conceived as a ‘garage project’ – experimental, a Sirius on steroids, a bike we could grab when we wanted to flirt with insanity yet live to tell the tail.

With no plans to build any more than a couple, we took it to the Cycleshow anyway and to our surprise found ourselves listening to the frequent song, “It’s exactly what I’m looking for. When is it available?” Only problem was, the tubing we needed to build the frame to our spec’ was not available, worse still, not even being made – until now.

The build you see is the prototype and has noticeably different tubes and a slacker geometry than it’s Sirius R853 and Scion R853 siblings and will happily run a 160mm travel fork.

It’s just as capable as our other frames for trail riding but ‘juiced up’ it’s a genuine alternative DH session bike for those days when the uplifts aren’t running. Yes, you can ride this bike uphill without bursting a blood vessel.