First Look: Alchemy Arktos Mountain Bike
Alchemy Bicycle Co. is probably best known—and was featured in Bicycling’s 2014 “Dream Bikes” issue—for its handmade, custom, carbon road frames. But the reason this Denver-based boutique bike maker is making a big splash at this year’s Interbike trade show is its new carbon trail bike, the Arktos.
The Arktos—the Greek word for “bear”—is Alchemy’s first full-suspension mountain bike. It has six inches of travel, 27.5-inch wheels and pretty typical trail bike geometry: a 66.5-degree head tube angle, 73.5-degree seat tube angle, 17.2-inch chainstays, which should give the bike plenty of whip, and a 13.6-inch bottom bracket height to provide clearance through techier terrain. (All measurements are for a medium-size frame.)
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The bike was designed with suspension expert Dave Earle, most recently known for developing Yeti Cycles’ Switch suspension (the version preceding the Switch Infinity system on the company’s newest models). The Arktos features a new dual-linkage platform called Sine that Alchemy licensed exclusively from Earle.
The name derives from the way the shock rate, when graphed, resembles a sine wave: It’s regressive through the first part of the travel to absorb small bumps and provide climbing traction; progressive in the middle of the stroke to avoid wallowing on big hits or in hard, fast corners; then slightly regressive again in the last 15 percent of the stroke to enable the bike to use all six inches of its rear-wheel travel. Sine is also designed to minimize chainstay growth when the bike is moving, which is intended to help with pedaling efficiency and keep the suspension active under braking. Although Alchemy says Sine behaves differently than other dual-link systems like Santa Cruz's VPP, it was the recent expiration of the VPP patent that made this design possible.
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Alchemy brings its expertise in high-end carbon to the Arktos in the form of tube shaping and layups that target stiffness and strength where needed, as well as durability that stands up to the rigors of aggressive trail riding. The carbon front triangle is produced in Alchemy’s facilities in Denver, while the carbon rear triangle will be manufactured overseas, with production managed by Earle. There are two stock paint schemes, but like all Alchemy bikes, you can also choose custom paint combinations among Alchemy’s 15 stock colors.
The Arktos will be available in January 2016, and Alchemy is taking pre-orders now. The frame and shock will be $3,750; complete bikes will also be available, with pricing determined according to build.
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