Introducing Tor Cycling and Arq DJ Bikes

15 August 2022 - Santa Clarita, California: Tor Cycling is a new Trail/Enduro component brand by Mike Flaherty, the founder of the OG brand, Atomlab. Tor has been in the works for a while, but experienced some major production delays due to the pandemic. While ‘not so patiently’ waiting through Covid delays, Mike and Spencer Thompson (founder of the old Knucklebone BMX brand) also started a new DJ brand called Arq Bikes. The two brands are full of innovations and unique features. 

After selling Atomlab to his partner over a decade ago, Mike continued working and designing in the bike industry. Inspired by his collaborations with industrial designer, Pablo Tafoya, Mike decided it was time to bring some of their designs to market under the Tor brand. The initial Tor line consists of hubs, rims, splined nipples, pedals, bars, and stems. The entire line is light, lean, and designed for trail and enduro bikes. 

TOR COMPONENTS 

Some of the standout Tor products include a unique stem design that squeezes the steer tube instead of pinching it; the extremely high engagement TR150 hubs; wide, asymmetrical rims; and the return of splined alloy nipples. All the Tor products have benefitted from years of testing and development. Each of the Tor components is well thought out with an exceptional balance of strength to weight.

ARQ DJ BIKES 

Arq Bikes has 26” single speed wheels and a Wire 26 complete DJ bike with a bunch of customization options including a choice of a 32mm pump track fork or a 36mm DJ fork. The bike is ultra-light at just 23 lbs. This bike was designed to have the tight, nimble feel of a high-end build, but at a reasonable price. As soon as you throw your leg over the Wire26, you can feel the responsiveness of the weight, design, and geometry choices. 

All the products were designed from the ground up through a streamlined design process developed by Mike and Pablo using Shapr3D industrial design software on an iPad and a MarkForged Mark II carbon-composite 3D printer. The process allows for quick design iterations, greatly increasing the speed of development. You can see this in the refined shapes and details of the Tor parts. Designs can be quickly updated with the Shapr3D software and then sent to the 3D printer. The 3D prints are incredibly accurate, to the point that Mike was even able to print working pawls in the initial TR150 hub designs. Although the 3D prints were generally not rideable, they could be installed on a bike to confirm fit and function.  

Check out this sneak preview of the USA made products that Tor is working on. These are the 3D carbon prints that they use for development.  

The Arq bikes also benefitted from this development process. The hubs, rims, stems, seats, and frames were all designed in-house specifically for the Wire26 complete bike. Additionally, the forks are also created by Mike and Arq but used an off-the-shelf long-travel platform that was modified for short-travel DJ use. The forks were slammed down to 100mm at the factory and are then modified at Arq’s Camarillo, California office with a reducer and volume spacers to give them a stiff, core feel. 

While both companies are new to the market, the products have the refinement of a much more mature brand. Mike and Spencer intend to keep things fresh and are already developing premium USA made products for both brands. There will be lots more coming from Tor and Arq. 

Check them out online at www.arqbikes.com and www.torcycling.com. In Canada Visit www.bikecomponents.ca. 

If you’re a dealer, be sure to check out www.tordealer.com to find everything Tor and Arq.