Some adventures are about taking your time and drinking in your surroundings, others are about getting there fast. This bike is designed for lightweight bike-packing, able to tackle ultra-distances on mixed terrain. Given the versatility of this frame, it is perhaps to be expected that there is a large number of different builds on offer. It is available with flat bars and drop bars, carbon forks and steel forks, there’s even a titanium frame option. For each of the builds, there are different spec levels donated by a ‘10’ for the entry level and ’30’ for the top line. Other bikes might have the specificity to perform better in a single one of these uses, but very few bikes would be able to perform as well as the Croix de Fer in all of them.
I listed “no mounting points for cargo” as a con but with the limited support here and somewhat delicate battery interface I think they made the right call. Almost the antithesis of the Day One, the Flyer is sublime in its simplicity. It employs easily adjustable rim brakes, a single 42×17 gear, and it has mudguards to keep the spray off. Although the frame is steel, it’s relatively lightweight with a carbon fork and no excess components weighing it down. There are, however, a number of points that make this a more versatile bike than the carbon alternative.
Limited suspension, relies on cushy seat and balloon tires to smooth out the bumps… Affordable,highpowerelectricbikewithadecentwarrantybutrearheavydesign. High speed, off-road only electric bike that’s not legal to ride in most states without modification and insurance. Quality SRAM, Truvativ and ZOOM components, hand assembled in the USA, solid two year warranty…
Some practically remains, with downtube bottle bosses (useful for holding extra water or a tool keg) and discrete mudguard mounts. The frame is fully carbon and the cables are integrated into the frame for a cleaner look and better aerodynamics. An affordable, but heavy, folding electric bike with twist throttle only.
The frame has internally routed cables for better aerodynamics and a wide section down tube for better torsional stiffness. The greatest restriction on how fast you can go when pinning singletrack is the tyres, yes they are fast rolling but they lack bite, something with greater cornering grip would certainly show off bikes handling better. The wheelset is lightweight genesis mountain bike with an internal rim width of 19mm that will take good sized rubber which means you could add some float to the ride with some high volume tyres. The Core 26.4 came fitted with 2.2 Mountain Kings, the originals not the much improved Mountain King II. 500 watt direct drive motor is quiet and capable but offers less torque and weighs more, no regen modes.
Errol started to import some American brands as well as develop his own mountain bikes under the Ridgeback brand. Demand for these products grew from other bicycle retailers and consumers. This lead Errol to create Madison to supply product to the trade and the Freewheel mail order catalogue for the consumer.