Perhaps you recall Thomson making bikes with Lynskey a few years back? Those US made frames were a unique move for the component manufacturer and even though they didn’t sell a ton of the collaboration bikes, it set a precedent for the brand, prompting this project. Yesterday, I met Mike from Thomson, who was in town en route to NAHBS in Sacramento. Mike was unpacking and building up this flashy titanium bike when I saw the Thomson logo on the downtube. While it looks like a polished, finished product, this frame is, in fact, a working prototype. Not the first Thomson bike, but one of the first bikes Thomson has developed to be made overseas in Taiwan.

Why Overseas?

While Thomson sold about 20 or so Lynskey-made frames, they wanted to hit a more affordable pricepoint, opening up the frames to more customer’s budgets. By making these frames overseas, they can hit a mark around the +/- $2,500 range for a frame and fork. They hope to sell completes, decked out with Thomson parts, and offering framesets. Pricing and other details are in their preliminary stages and are subject to change.

Details

This all road bike will be available in 5 sizes and the mountain bike will be available in 3 sizes. This bike features internal routing, clearance for a 2x drivetrain, an all-road geometry, and will come with a fork. Right now, the fork on this prototype is just an open mold, yet Thomson hopes to work on something more refined. There are a few details that aren’t correct and will be adjusted in the final run. One of which is the lack of cable guides mid-chainstay. Again, this is the first overseas-made prototype. They’ve got a bit more work to do.

Thomson Titanium Seat Post

Another detail you might notice is that shiny titanium seat post. Thomson’s been working on these for some time and finally have some working prototypes. Unlike their aluminum posts, this post has a welded head, which you can hardly tell the difference. While there won’t be massive weight savings – it’s hard to make a lighter post than Thomson’s aluminum posts! – but the ride quality will be drastically different. Having ridden titanium posts before, they offer a more compliant ride. For those wanting a road bike-specific dropper, they’re working on that too!

If you’re going to NAHBS, swing through the Thomson booth to see this in person.

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