You may remember Brian Berthold from his invention of the Kona Magic Link a handful of years ago. Well, he's still at it, this time with a new line of bikes under the Tantrum brand. What makes these bikes most unique is the suspension design, which use what Brian calls the "Missing Link" that connects the chainstay to the shock.
The Downburst (shown here) has a 27.5mm rear wheel with 165mm of travel, and a 29-inch front wheel with 140mm of travel. Why the odd travel numbers? It's all about stability under big compressions, says Brian, and being able to get over the back of the bike and let it do its thing. The Downburst was created by combining the front end of a shorter travel 29er frame with a new rocker, shock mount, and dropouts. It has a 66-degree head angle, 73-degree seat angle, and weighs 29-pounds with pedals.
Brian plans to officially launch the brand using Kickstarter in the coming months. The lineup will also include the Meltdown, a 160mm 27.5 bike, and the Outburst, a 125mm 29er trail bike.
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