Crestline Bike Co. Announces 2 New eMTBs
Who doesn't love a cheeky NON DRIVE SIDE shot? (Custom painted example of the RS 50/75)
PRESS RELEASE: Crestline Bike Co.
It's no secret that Crestline Bike Co. is working on an eMTB, so we wanted to release some key information on the bike, or I guess we can sort of say "bikes" that are coming soon. These two performance-focused eMTBs are in essence the same bike, but will be available in two distinctly different configurations.
The RS 75/50 features 175mm of Cascade Components tuned rear travel, paired with a 180mm fork, while the RS 50/75 features 150mm of Cascade Components tuned rear travel, paired with a 160mm fork. The difference in rear travel is possible by combining the use of a flip chip and a stroke adjustment on the rear shock. This opens some other tinker doors for everyone to start thinking about since using only the flip chip with no change to stroke adjusts the long travel bike from 175mm down to 163mm. Geometry is not affected when only adjusting rear travel using the flip chip since the eye-to-eye on the shock remains the same. We'll stop there for now but lots of fun options in store.
The fork is simply an air shaft swap to get your desired travel as one might expect. The battery is fully removable via a small door under the BB area with 2 simple M5 bolts. This small door allowed us to ensure minimal compromise to frame stiffness. We felt this was especially important for a race bike when swapping batteries quickly and easily is important, plus don't forget about folks who just want to keep the laps on laps going!
The RS 75/50 features 175mm of Cascade Components tuned rear travel, paired with a 180mm fork, while the RS 50/75 features 150mm of Cascade Components tuned rear travel, paired with a 160mm fork. The difference in rear travel is possible by combining the use of a flip chip and a stroke adjustment on the rear shock. This opens some other tinker doors for everyone to start thinking about since using only the flip chip with no change to stroke adjusts the long travel bike from 175mm down to 163mm. Geometry is not affected when only adjusting rear travel using the flip chip since the eye-to-eye on the shock remains the same. We'll stop there for now but lots of fun options in store.
The fork is simply an air shaft swap to get your desired travel as one might expect. The battery is fully removable via a small door under the BB area with 2 simple M5 bolts. This small door allowed us to ensure minimal compromise to frame stiffness. We felt this was especially important for a race bike when swapping batteries quickly and easily is important, plus don't forget about folks who just want to keep the laps on laps going!
Details
• Removable 750wh battery
• 500Wh and 625Wh compatibility
• 150mm - 175mm rear travel options
• Size dependent rear wheel & CS lengths
• Bosch CX Race Motor (Limited release)
• 56mm internal diameter straight head tube (no integrated headset!)
• Compatibility for aftermarket reach adjustment +/-5mm with tapered +/-10mm with a dual crown
• Nice high plug-in port for easy charging
• Kiox display integrated into top tube
• Wireless handlebar mini remote
• Wireless drivetrain on all builds
• Weight 50lb-52lb's with (9.1lbs - 750Wh battery)
• Price: TBC ($11k-$13k) Limited build options
• Bikes will be available around 03/03/23 from: Crestline Bike Co. , Worldwide Cyclery and potentially your LBS depending on your location.
• Removable 750wh battery
• 500Wh and 625Wh compatibility
• 150mm - 175mm rear travel options
• Size dependent rear wheel & CS lengths
• Bosch CX Race Motor (Limited release)
• 56mm internal diameter straight head tube (no integrated headset!)
• Compatibility for aftermarket reach adjustment +/-5mm with tapered +/-10mm with a dual crown
• Nice high plug-in port for easy charging
• Kiox display integrated into top tube
• Wireless handlebar mini remote
• Wireless drivetrain on all builds
• Weight 50lb-52lb's with (9.1lbs - 750Wh battery)
• Price: TBC ($11k-$13k) Limited build options
• Bikes will be available around 03/03/23 from: Crestline Bike Co. , Worldwide Cyclery and potentially your LBS depending on your location.
This also allows the user the potential to run a variety of battery sizes as Bosch has a 500wh and a 625wh batteries soon to be available for the BES3 smart system. The bike uses the latest Bosch CX-R (race) motor, a minimal Bluetooth remote on the bar, a Kiox computer integrated into the top tube and a system controller hidden away under the top tube. This is the brains of the whole system and can function on its own in the rare case that any of the aforementioned parts fail.
The limited launch edition will ship with the new Race version of the Bosch motor which is less weight than the standard plus has RACE MODE with added overrun.
System controller
Motor and Battery
The Bosch Performance CX-R motor offers class-leading power and solid range with the 750 Wh battery. All of the first 100 limited bikes will be outfitted with the 750wh battery. That's not to say you can't purchase an aftermarket battery that is smaller. The battery always sits at the lowest possible point in the frame if you remove and re-adjust the rail system, giving the lowest possible center of gravity. Crestline is also working on some battery spacer options that will allow hot swap-able options to run the 500wh, 600wh or 750wh within the same 750wh setting cavity, which will hopefully be available shortly after release of the bikes.
The on / off switch sits under the top tube while a Kiox computer screen sits neatly integrated into the top of the top tube. This shows you a host of selected information including battery percentage (100%-0%) with nice accurate battery readings along with remaining range numbers. A small mini remote sits on the handlebar allowing for quick mode changes, engagement of walk mode and control of your Kiox display unit. This connects to the bike's system controller via Bluetooth to avoid any pesky cables going to your handlebar, or through your handlebars as some brands have done trying to hide them. It should be noted that even if the Bluetooth mini remote battery dies, you will still be able to operate your bike using only the system controller under the top tube, albeit with limited functionality, but you wont be left out in the cold.
The first 100 limited-release and individually numbered bikes come with the Race version of the Bosch CX motor, which is 150g lighter and has the overrun feature in race mode. This means that the motor keeps working a little longer after you stop pedaling. This can be very helpful when trying to get up and over trail obstacles where you have to pause pedaling while climbing technical terrain, and it is actually extremely valuable in a race environment on undulating trails once you come to terms with exactly how it works.
Neat clean Bluetooth mini-remote
Bosch CX-Race Motor
Frame Details
With our adjustable travel settings you don't have to be worried you got the wrong bike. Anyone who gets either model of the bike will be able to set the bike up in the longer travel or shorter travel setting, plus we even have a few options in between the two extremes. This means if you move to a new location where your trails are burlier and you want more travel, you can have it! Or vice versa.
We will also be offering aftermarket rear triangles in the future. The 27.5 and 29 rear triangle use the same same linkage. All that changes is chainstay length. 27.5" runs at 443mm and 29" 449mm. The bikes will ship as we feel they should be set up, but we won't stop you from doing whatever you want to, if you don't agree with our recommended setup. People all have unique riding styles and terrain they want to ride, so we want you to be able to set this up exactly as you desire.
Bikes will be available in the following sizes: RH-2, RH-3, RH-4 (*RH = Rider Height)
• RH-2 will always ship MX (29 front 27.5 rear) on both models RS 75/50 and RS 50/75
• RH-3 will ship MX (29 front 27.5 rear) on the RS 75/50 and 29/29 if purchased setup as an RS 50/75
• RH-4 will always ship as 29/29 on both models RS 75/50 and RS 50/75, for taller riders!
We feel that this format keeps the bikes appropriately balanced by utilizing our ability to have either a 27.5" RT or 29" RT and thus keeping stay lengths nicely in check for all shapes and sizes!
Recommended sizing chart
In addition to this, our 56mm straight head tube allows you the option to adjust your reach by +/-5mm from stock on all frames sizes. *With available aftermarket headsets. This grants the opportunity for a much more precise fit, and helps to eliminate the issue of riders getting stuck between sizes. Side note: If you plan on throwing a dual crown fork on you'll be able to adjust reach by up to +/- 10mm due to the straight steer tube on a DH fork.
Limited Edition RS 75/50 Ohlins
This is a custom painted example of the RS 50/75 (production is very similar and just doesn't have thee color splash top tube)
Geometry
When checking out geometry, please keep in mind the rear wheel size since this can sometimes cause some puzzling, especially when it comes to wheelbase numbers. For example when looking at wheelbase on an RH-3 RS 75/50 and comparing it to an RH-3 50/75, you'll notice the wheelbase is very similar even though HA and a number of other things change pretty substantially. As expected, one might then look for a bigger difference in wheelbase. The reason for no real change on these two is because the one comes with a 27.5 rear wheel and the other a 29" and so that difference in the rear center measurement is what keeps the overall wheelbase similar on both builds.
RS 75/50 - 175mm Rear Travel / 180mm Fork
RS 50/75 - 150mm Rear Travel / 160mm Fork
Kinematics - Long Travel Setting
RS 75/50 - 175mm
Kinematics - Short Travel Setting
RS 50/75 - 150mm
Timeline and Availability
I think it's safe to start getting excited about the bikes. We have been holding off announcing them for some time since we wanted to do it fairly close to availability. We are on track for our first examples to arrive in March 2023 with an additional batch following approx 60 days behind those and more lined up for later in the year around June/July '23.
We will be sending out an email to everyone who has reached out with questions on availability and/or expressed interest in wanting to purchase a bike. We appreciate your early support and feel it only fair to give you first chance to get one. It should also be noted that all current owners of the Crestline RS 205 VHP DH bike will be given first option to purchase one of the first batch of ebikes. Please reach out to us via crestlinebikes.com, @crestlinebikes, or email info@crestlinebikes.com to get yourself added to the growing wait list or if you are a current RS 205 VHP owner who is interested in adding the ebike to your quiver. Look out for reviews from your favorite media outlets over the next couple of months.
Lear Miller stepped out from behind the lens to get in on the action for a couple of hits!
Looks like Josh Woodward, Lear Miller and Troydon, all had fun making shapes while out on the bikes!
Pictures by: Lear Miller
Riders: Josh Woodward, Lear Miller and Troydon
Author Info:
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f*cking poors, man........yuck
$200,000/kg is what my University paid for their fuel cells for research.
But just like batteries and combustion engines size and use cases affect prices.
Check out the Toyota hydrogen car. That runs off a fuel cell.
www.toyota.com/mirai
You can also buy very basic water electrolysis hydrogen expirment kits on Amazon for under $5000 for educational use.
If your talking a per kg price I would expect that to be referencing the cost of the fuel itself. Hydrogen is a similar price to many fuels with regards to available energy vs cost. Quoted per m³, our labs have purchased it at $1.50/m³ not including delivery cost, tank rental, etc.
All that to say it is scaleable, and while not cheap, certainly more affordable than suggested, though I doubt there could be a use case on a mountain bike... maybe some sort of electric cargo bike where weight and space are less of a concern.
When speaking of a hydrogen fuel cell, I am strictly referencing the "chamber" in which oxidation takes place and electricity is produced. Certainly experimental versions of fuel cells are pricy by nature, and in the case of what are you are describing, solid-state storage of hydrogen in a hydrogen permeable solid medium would I suspect be expensive. I know nothing about it except that it exists and the hope is to more safely store larger a larger mass of hydrogen at lower pressure.
Sounds like something aimed at aerospace as hydrogen storage is one of the bigger barriers challenging the use of H2 in aircraft.
Anyways, I'm not trying to be a dick, and I'm confident whatever is being done at your University is cutting edge and justifies the cost, but I'm also confident there are cheaper modalities being used by industry for many years.
The bike wants to accelerate and floats once you're in the air. A true rocket ship! And the amount of adjustability leaves us bike nerds plenty to wrench on to fine-tune geo and on-trail feel.
Side Note: One thing I've learned over the years, you'd be hard-pressed to meet a dude as picky with his bikes as Troydon. It's safe to say he's channeled that into something amazing for all of our benefit. Well done, T! Looking forward to seeing Crestlines out in the wild soon!
I am currently really amped up over this bike, article, and my second cup of coffee. I already see some great comedy in comments hating on ebikes or watt-ever. Way too many people with pent up energy due to weather.
These Crestline eebs are E-xotic works of art. The attention to detail and sleek design is unmatched. Hands down the cleanest cockpit with a gorgeous integrated display.
With features like adjustable geometry, 750 battery, Bosch motor, integrated display and Cascade link by default, it's clear they put a lot of thought into the design. The big price tag makes sense considering its from a boutique brand and how much more this bike offers compared to other options in the market, it simply outpowers shine of any other emtb option.
It's also really cool to see Crestline working with Cascade for linkage and suspension kinematics before launching a bike, cascade is for once is not an afterthought, it shows they're dedicated to creating the best ride possible. I saw some really sexy sneak peaks of this bike a while back on loamwolf video. The bosch rep seems to be riding this bike, which says a lot considering he could probably pick any of the bosh bikes.
I messaged them pretty early on and was able to get a frame last month. Before buying I asked about the warranty process and they stock all individual parts if unlikely event something broke and it would be easier and less red tape than working with the big companies. They also explained the extent they went to have the frames tested in factories far beyond standard as well as real world thrashing they have done on the frames over the past year.
When I bought the frame it probably cost me close to what a complete big box bike probably would have cost in the current market of everyone dumping their outdated inventory, I gotta say the bike is 1000% worth it. I have been on very few bikes let alone Ebikes that have this active and energetic suspension. The way it pops between sections of trail, boosts off jumps, and stays composed through chunky gnar without feeling dead. Why settle for half-power when a full powered Crestline rides better?
eebs: for when you want to ride like a pro, but don't want to actually train like one.
The guys that brought this brand to life are passionate riders who obsessed over the little details that someone who is considering a top end bike would appreciate.
Looking forward to a Crestline in the garage!
www.vitalmtb.com/community/cblesius/crestline-bikes-cascade-components-rs205-vhp-11-50
Some will say it's all just a coincidence.
The bike shreds, beating my PR's out of the gate. It's true compared to all of the e-bikes I have tried this thing disappears under you when riding, but ITS NOT A TRAIL BIKE!! If you ride fire roads and flow trails look elsewhere.
All these people complaining about the cost of new TOTL ebikes are hilarious. Just go and buy a used one, plenty of options out there.
I buy Radbikes for whole family and take everyone out to get ice cream for less.
Only the road and xc bikes that say sworks on it are worth to pay 10k+ because the sworks makes em go faster.
I go to local mountain fire road and see only Surgeons riding fancy bike. Johnny from Dairy Queen, my friend, he can't afford dis bike. He want to shred too, but he can't. He work at Dairy Queen and make only little money. Why bike company make it only for fancy dentist people?
I want to make a change. I want to tell bike company to make less development and technology an testing on bike. Make it affordable for everyone. Not just for high paying investment banker people. Let Johnny shred too. Let everyone enjoy mountain fire road.
Thanks
Xi J
maybe the secrecy and anonymity scales cross at -40, like farenheit and celsius...
the bike looks fantastic, i'm down, just amused by the intro.
Size L, I'll scoop it this weekend!
Are you hard of thinking or something?
Don't be such a dickhead and do some research.
Here, 12 years later you are saying a start up bike company would design a bike from the very start to infringe on a the giant company that is SC's patent and go through all the trouble of making it without checking?
Oh, and the Outland bikes VPP patent that SC purchased expired around 7 yrs ago.
You are a plonker.
One wonders if manufacturers pay for this service. We might be literally reading payed commercials!
Covid delayed new tech 2 years.
1) heavy
2) big battery and motor
3) expensive
4) kinda ugly