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While I already wrote a lengthy review on the 44 Bikes Marauder hardtail, Kris over at 44 Bikes wrote his explanation for the bike. I always enjoy reading Kris’ thoughts on frame design and component selection. If you do as well, then head over to the 44 Bikes Blog for more.
If you’re interested in the problem solving that accompanies a custom bike like this 44 Bikes Huntsman Super Trail, then you’ve gotta head to the 44 Bikes blog for the backstory. It’s well worth it!
As a Radavist, I swear to shred and recently that word’s been used a lot in terms of bike reviews. Shredding doesn’t imply you’re the fastest, or the best at hucking, it’s subjective, dependent upon your skill level and the trails you ride. Here in Southern California, the landscape is arid, exposed, rocky, rutted and loose. Having a nice and nimble bicycle underneath you aids in that ever-elusive atavistic urge to play.
Hardtails are my favorite form of mountain bike. Sure, there’s a time and a place for a full sus, when the trails are steep and technical, just like there’s a time and a place for a rigid, when you want to hone in your skills like a sharpened battle axe. Having just gotten my Rosko 29r dialed into what I would consider perfection, I was a bit hesitant to take on anymore hardtail reviews.
Then Kris from 44 Bikes up in New Hampshire came knocking at my inbox with a proposal. He’d build me a Marauder 29r to demo, Fox, SRAM, Thomson, WTB, RaceFace, Industry Nine, ENVE would supply the goods and I’d get to try it out for an extended review. Nice! What’s the catch? Well, when you review a bike and you like it so much, you might just end up wanting to buy it. Dowhhh…
This was an interesting experience. It wasn’t part of the festival and it didn’t look like anything special at first. Matt’s commuter has the #4 serial from Kris at 44 Bikes. It’s a singlespeed made for zipping around town with three unique details: a Mike Flanigan fork with a custom 44 Bikes rack and a special cable hanger Kris machined and mounted to the Thomson stem.
My favorite thing about bikes like this is the amount of use it has seen…
Rivalries between component manufacturers are ongoing. When SRAM introduced XX1 a few years back, they made quite the stir yet die hard Shimano loyalists were still uninterested. For people like Kris at 44 Bikes, riding as many different setups as possible helps him better understand his client’s needs, which is why he took a look at XX1 versus XTR on his site. Head over to 44 Bikes to check it out.
Scout’s honor!
I can’t wait to break this bike in tomorrow in the San Gabriel mountains. Kris’ work at 44 Bikes is so incredibly clean, down to little branding hits like this decal.
Man… Kris at 44 Bikes sure knows how to present an intro to a fun project. This one’s gonna provide for some good times in LA this week. Expect more soon but for now, check out more at the the 44 Bikes XXX The Radavist ISSU book.
This one’s coming in hot, all the way from New Hampshire. Next up in the review queue: a 44 Bikes Marauder 29r hardtail. More to come…
Julie got her 44 Bikes Hunstman (huntswoman?) last winter and built it up this spring. Kris from 44 had never seen it complete until recently, when she allowed him to photograph it. As far as ‘cross bikes are concerned, this might be one of the slickest to ever grace this website. The white paint, juxtaposed with the sour apple green is so attractive. Also, those Ashima Ai2 rotors look amazing on this bike, especially with the sour apple Chris King R45 disc hubs.
See more drool-worthy ‘cross goodness at the 44 Bikes Flickr.
Kris from 44 Bikes has been posting a few photos on Flickr recently that shows how a lot of framebuilders carry their obsessiveness to all aspects of their lives. In this case, a few projects, related to his company and his favorite tone: black.
Check out the 44 Bikes Flickr for more eye candy!
When I first came across this MTB on the 44 Bikes Instagram, I immediately was reminded of a 1980’s BMX frame. Turns out, this is for a man entering his retirement in Connecticut. The client approached Kris of 44 Bikes with a few ideas of what he wanted, pointing towards specific products like a Rohloff system, as well as a few color notes, but let Kris and painter Jay Nutini take over from there. The resulting design exudes speed, despite the upright riding position.
For the long term this bike is initially for rails to trail usage and buzzing around town, but it’s infused with true 44 Bikes trail shred-technology so when the client is ready to ride single track, the bike is waiting for him.
Check out more photos below, and follow 44 Bikes on Flickr!
The guys at A Maker Tale recently interviewed Kris from 44 Bikes on the life of a framebuilder. It’s a great listen, so check it out at Soundcloud.
The latest from Kris’ garage is truly drool-worthy. This Huntsman is about as black as a bike can get, save for the 44 Bikes’ insignia and a few product labels. These are some of my favorite disc “all-road” / cross bikes out there… even with disc brakes!
Thanks for sharing this one, Kris!
Amen, Kris. Scoop up one of these posters at 44 Bikes’ web shop.
Praise the Necronomicog!
It’s that time again! Kris from 44 Bikes walks us through yet another one of his shred sleds. Head on over to 44 Bikes to read up on one of my favorite bikes in his stable: his singlespeed MTB.
People dug Kris’ explanation of his Huntsman cross, so I thought I’d share this as well. I know a lot of you have been interested in getting your first MTB, solely based on all the emails I receive asking for my opinions on the market’s offerings.
I’m not trying to tell you to go custom for your first MTB, because that doesn’t make sense at all, but you should head over to 44 Bikes and read Kris’ thoughts on why he rides what…
And yes, ride as many mountain bikes as you can – demo days, shop rentals, friend’s, etc – before you dive in head-first to a new rig!
So what do frame builders think of their own bikes? Kris from 44 Bikes has some interesting things to say about his own Huntsman’s component selection, which I think it spot-on for the kind of riding Kris likes to take part in and for the kind of bike his clients often request.
See more at 44 Bikes and thanks for sharing Kris!
While N+1 may be the theme around here these days (so many bikes!), I love seeing projects like this coming from the 44 Bikes workshop. Murdered-out cross bikes with disc brakes and SRAM Force 11-speed look great, especially with big tires for shredding, but let’s be honest, there’s no sense in forgetting that these bikes make great commuters as well.
See more photos below and thanks to Kris from 44 Bikes for sending this project over!
