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TECH NEWS
Fearless Bikes launch steel adventure frameset called the Vulture
News reaches us all the way from Brighton of a new cycling brand called Fearless Bikes and its debut model the Vulture, a steel-framed adventure/all-road frameset that aims to combine the best of cyclocross and adventure bikes.
There’s no shortage of choice in the cycling market at the moment in this growing market, but there are a notable handful of British brands daring to be different to the Goliath's in this industry, and Fearless aims to join that growing band. Its first frame looks really good, let's take a closer look at the key details.
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The Vulture is designed to “hit that sweetspot between cyclocross and adventure bikes” which is certainly an exercise in splitting hairs. Most adventure bikes generally split the difference between a cyclocross and an endurance road bike, but there's no exact blueprint that the bike brands are following so there's a lot of variation on offer.
As the company’s founder Tim Cokayne explains in more detail, the Vulture has a shorter wheelbase than a typical adventure bike to speed up the handling but that a taller head tube makes it more comfortable for longer rides than a cyclocross bike. The company says it has lowered the bottom bracket to 70mm to compensate for the bigger tyres, but that’s about the same drop as something like a Specialized Crux cyclocross bike rather than the 75mm or so we'd expect on an adventure bike.
There are four sizes to choose from, S to L, with an ML measuring up with a 560mm effective top tube and a stack and reach of 568mm and 392mm effectively, with a 1,031mm wheelbase and 71.5-degree headangle.
As mentioned, the frame is made from Reynolds 725 with a custom shaped downtube, ovalised at the bottom bracket, and a tapered head tube into which slots a non-tapered 1 1/8in chromoly straight blade fork - a carbon fork with a tapered steerer tube could be used.
The rear triangle meanwhile is made from 4130 tubing with 16mm diameter seatstays to provide a high level of stiffness. There’s a 68mm English threaded external bottom bracket, external cable routing and 135x9mm quick release rear dropouts with Breezer-style hooded dropouts. Unusually the company has specced an international standard disc mount, something we've certainly not seen in a few years as the industry has adopted first post mount and more recently flat mount
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Tyre clearance is ample for up to a 700x45mm adventure/road wheelset or a 29x1.75 mountain bike setup. Claimed frame weight for a 54cm frame is 2,100g with an uncut steel fork (350mm steerer tube) weighing 1,100kg.
Versatility is a keyword with frames like these, and so it’s adorned with eyelets for fitting mudguards and front and rear racks, so it could be used for everything from daily commuting to touring.
“Fearless Bikes is Tim Cokayne who’s been sketching bike ideas for many years and after teaching himself CAD started to transfer his ideas in to full working drawings. He’s got over 25 years of cycling experience and originally became interested in cycling via the cross country mountain biking in the early 90s and taking part in group rides and local races near his home town of Brighton. He’s also completed extensive road tours in the US, Japan and Europe.”
Fearless is charging £540 for a frameset including UK postage and sells directly through its website www.fearlessbikes.com
So what do you think of this latest British bike brand and its debut frame?
David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes.
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18 comments
Is there a thread on here I can read without us sniping at each other? Good debate is good, but it doesn’t need to be so personal.
You cunts.
what the fuck is this shit?? is it a repainted chineese frame from ebay?? what the fuck dropout is this on the fork! what the fuck is this disk brake caliper mount??!! is2000 in 2018?? And why oh why the fuck a steel fork and frame neet a tapered head tube!! are you fuckin insane??do you people think cyclists are idiots??
It's apparent that some are total idiots.
Reading between the lines you’ll not be buying one of these frames, will you?
Seems a bit pricey really compared to say a Cotic Escapade for £399 or a 631 Jamis Renegade with thru axles, carbon fork and flat mount brakes for £500. Both of whose designers have exceptional history working with steel.
Eh cyclisto, can you spell 'wooosh'?
Edit: I bet you're one of those European types.... Remove the ',' from the weight and re-read...
I am not a Cambridge professor but I may argue for something simple like bicycle weight much better in your maternal language than you in mine, so not really offended in case you tried to.
I bet '1100kg' is still more car than bike weight in your maternal, paternal or second cousin's language.
"...with an uncut steel fork (350mm steerer tube) weighing 1,100kg"
I'm no weight weenie but I just don't have the gears to get that kind of weight up a hill
So with 3/4 of a kilo extra you need special gearing? Your diet must be really stressful!
Dropouts are facing wrong way for disc brakes.
Avoid...
source
https://cdn-cyclingtips.pressidium.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Fig3-9...
https://cyclingtips.com/2015/10/road-bikes-are-headed-towards-through-ax...
The front dropouts look to be 10-15 deg off vertical- same as All-City, Surly Salsa etc. Rear ones don't count as they're loaded.
exactly - no idea how people are getting away with this. You can read some lovely stories about people and dropouts with disc brakes.
Unless the dropout is facing forward it’s just not worth the risk. (My mtb has front facing QR)
I have a charge plug frame but bought a soma thru axle fork for the front.
Rear is loaded as you said so isn’t a worry.
Doesn't look too shabby for the money, would need repainting though if I was buying.
No XL so I'm out, however...
Can you get IS-->flat mount adaptors?
Not yet, I can imagine someone will be doing them soon.
Probably better off just buying the huds and a mountain bike caliper currently
Don't think I.S works with flat mount- sit in a dif angle to the wheel. Just stick some post-mount CX callipers on it. Lovely looking bike tho, looks a bit agro which is nice.
Nice color and a reasonable price. Limited size options if actually exists is a problem. And you aren't really a racer and you like having fun at bed so you need a taller headtube.