Two months in the past we bought a sneak peek at a prototype next-gen BH cross-country race mountain bike. We suspect it may very well be the successor to their long-running Lynx household. Particulars are nonetheless very restricted since BH is doing an excellent job protecting the prototype wrapped up each on the racetrack and within the pits. However we bought in for a better look to attempt to sus out some extra particulars…
BH XC race mountain bike prototype might exchange the Lynx
Because it stands now, Spanish bikemaker BH has two cross-country fashions within the lineup. There’s the Final Evo hardtail and the 100mm journey Lynx Race Evo totally. An eagle-eyed nameless reader despatched us spy pictures of the prototype from a race within the north of Spain again in March.
Now that the UCI MTB World Cup is in our yard, we dropped in to try to get a greater look ourselves. I had hoped by now it will be uncovered, however sadly, it’s nonetheless wrapped in neoprene.
Many of the BH Coloma group are nonetheless racing the present Lynx Race. That implies the ultimate launch of this new prototype might be nonetheless fairly far off. Nevertheless it does give us an opportunity to see the bikes subsequent to one another.
So what can we see?
Similar to we noticed within the spy pictures earlier than, the headtube actually appears identical to the Lynx Race, with the identical full inside cable routing via the higher headset bearing. And the principle pivot of the swingarm appears prefer it’s in precisely the identical place as earlier than, too.
What’s somewhat curious right here on the driveside, is that there’s an all-new – and fairly vital – tapering of the seatstay above the Cut up-Pivot concentric pivot on the rear axle. Usually once we see a taper like this, it’s meant to permit the seatstay to flex as an alternative of getting an additional pivot.
However since there’s clearly already a pivot on the axle, the one actual purpose you would wish a flex keep could be if the shock was fastened to the seatstays as an alternative of getting one other pivot hidden inside that secret wrap, proper?
What we will see.
Right here we get a close-up view of the principle pivot, the swingarm, and the PressFit backside bracket. It’s all fairly much like the present Lynx Race.
However it’s value noting that this BH prototype XC bike has a flatter, boxier form to the swingarm. And there’s a extra dramatic bend to drop the stays. That’s prone to enhance tire clearance to fulfill the brand new 29 x2.4″ customary whereas protecting a brief chainstay size.
The tall & slender boxy form continues again to the Cut up-Pivot, these large triangular brake put up mounts, and a UDH customary. Whereas many bikes have prioritized SRAM and wi-fi shifting, this one nonetheless has clear mechanical shift cable routing.
What we will’t fairly see…
This BH prototype continues to be hiding its XC secrets and techniques contained in the neoprene wrap. However a better look reveals some attention-grabbing shaping!
Simply in entrance of the seattube, the toptube flares out fairly a bit to the perimeters. That appears lots just like the shaping of the entrance shock mount on the present Lynx Race, which might counsel a reverse shock orientation?
There’s additionally a transparent inward curve of the seatstays in from of the seattube. My guess is this can be a one-piece seatstay meeting, simply with the bridge now in entrance of the seattube the place it meets the shock. And perhaps a tiny rocker hyperlink in there too?
Different BH prototype XC bike construct particulars
A detailed look BH Coloma’s Jofre Cullel Estape cockpit does clear up a little bit of the compatibility of the brand new bike. Certain the whole lot is routed internally. Nevertheless it’s additionally key to see simply many cables are going into the body. There’s 2 mechanical cable from the left hand – a distant lockout for the hidden rear shock, plus the cable for the mechanical BikeYoke Divine SL dropper put up. Then on the proper hand 2 extra – the mechanical shift wire for the XTR rear derailleur, and the hydraulic hose for the rear brake.
Extra XC World Cup race testing
That’s all we find out about this prototype of BH’s next-gen carbon XC race bike. The query stays whether or not there’s a typical shock and linkage hidden inside that little neoprene sock. And if it’ll ship 100mm, or roughly journey?
However seeing simply behind the BH rider, how tiny the linkage and Öhlins XC shock (hmm… with digital controls!) on the BMC Fourstroke is, BH might in all probability match all of it in there with a cleanly built-in design.
BHbikes.com
