An unashamedly specific design, the TD-1 is a “rigid only” 29er. Meaning you can’t run suspension forks on it.

Well, I suppose you could, but it would handle awfully. It’s designed around a 440mm fork – which is a common size for 26in wheeled bikes – but a 29in wheel fits in there just fine. Typically 29in bikes run 470-490mm forks, and so by running the shorter fork, we can lower the handlebars by 30-50mm. Which means a more racey position. What’s that? You don’t like a low racey position? You want a suspension fork? Well hey, I guess this isn’t the frame for you.

But, if you’re fed up with bars-in-the-air, bouncy forks, and just want something pure and rigid and fast, then here’s something for you. Race proven too – our races Dave and Jase got 2nd and 3rd at the ludicrously tough Strathpuffer race earlier in the year, riding their pre-production prototypes.

And as we mentioned Mark Lynskey up at the top, and though we do have plans for a steel version (and it will be a high end steel version, as this is a race bike, not a plodder), and might even throw some 7046 at an alloy version, it’s obvious that this first model (as we seem to often do around here) is a titanium model made by Lynskey Performance in the USA. It features their sliding dropouts, a horizontally ovalised top tube, a curved seat tube (better tyre clearance in short stay mode, and better front mech positioning too. We even got two bottle cages on the small frame, and so though mtb-forum-grumps reckon the “Seat tube mounted bottle looks like it will rub the frame.“, we don’t think it will.

Over on mtbr, we’ve been having a “bit of a chat” about it too. Though after doing the conversion to US dollars (as most posters there are American), someone from the UK got a bit upset about us selling it “cheaper in the states than it is here”. The sum is simple:-

UK Price = around £1200
Without VAT – divide by 117.5 and multiply by 100 = £1021
Into Dollars  multiply by 1.49 = $1526

Actually, it’s just occurred to me that depending on when Hotlines paid for them, we might have to hike the price up a bit, as we pay for them in dollars, so if the pound falls, then it’ll cost us more. But I think we’re not too far off there… And the example of “how stuff costs 17.5% less” for folks outside the EU is still true.

Right – all that before 7:15am in the morning, and I’m just drinking Taiwan Oolong Tea – no coffee. So excuse any missthakes. Cheers!

Oh yes, that’s a point – sizing…

3 sizes – 16, 18, 20. 18in has a 24in top tube, 4in head tube, 72 head, 73.deg seat. 16in is half an inch shorter, 20in half an inch longer (and has a half inch longer head tube). Usual sizing rules apply (5’10″ to 6’1″, you want an 18in – bigger or smaller than this, and you want to go up or down a size). BB drop is 2.5in, and chainstays sit around 17.3in fully forward with a half inch backward movement possible for bigger tyres/chain tensioning purposes.