Details
At the 2017 World Cup season opener in Lourdes, Loris Vergier, Luca Shaw, and Greg Minnaar qualified 1, 3, and 6 aboard the ‘controversy machine’—a V10 with a new swingarm rolling on 29-inch wheels.
The clouds broke open before the top qualifiers, soaking the track, and the question of technological supremacy would have to wait…for five weeks, when Greg Minnaar climbed to the top step at Ft. William for the seventh time.
Over the next winter, using what we learned during the 2017 race season, we set about designing an entirely new V10—longer reach, better shock rate, and better frame and cable protection. All three frame sizes (and Reserve carbon DH wheels) were designed and manufactured in time for a week of testing before the Ft. William World Cup in 2018. Greg crashed in those sessions, breaking his arm, and effectively ending his season. A few days later, Luca qualified first and Loris third on the new bike. Loris put down a scorcher in the finals that only fellow Frenchman Amaury Pierron could top, but Luca flatted high on course and had to cruise down.
The new school had arrived, and they had new wheels.
Testing continued throughout the 2018 season, usually in the form of link sets designed to tweak the shock rate or make minor alterations in geometry. We had the big variables figured out, but fine-tuning the suspension under the Syndicate during World Cup season guaranteed regular, high-level feedback and lots of high-stakes puzzling. The result is perhaps the most refined suspension performance available outside of a World Cup pit.
That brings us to now—kind of.
Pairing 29-inch wheels with 215mm of travel makes a juggernaut of a race bike, but racing isn’t everything. Depending on the type of trails or riding style you’re into, breaking out the biggest artillery might not be ideal. Rider height also looms large when deciding which wheel size is optimal and a lot of people may opt for smaller wheels.
So we decided to make a 27.5 V10, too.
No compromises, no gimmicks, no shortcuts—it was designed in parallel to the 29er V10 as an original suspension platform and chassis. The 27.5 bike comes in Small, Medium, and Large, while the 29 comes in Medium, Large, and XL. Make your choice according to your size or riding style, and you’ll be the recipient of every bit of work and puzzling that’s gone into the Syndicate’s race bikes.
The most successful bike in downhill history shows no signs of slowing down.
Specs
Frame | Carbon CC |
---|---|
Fork | FOX 40 Factory, 203mm |
Headset | Cane Creek 40 Hellbender, ZS49 upper/ EC49 lower |
Rear Shock | FOX DHX2 Factory SLS Coil |
Axles |
Front: 20 x 110mm Rear: 12 x 157mm |
Rims/Wheels | Race Face ARC HD 30 Rims |
Hubs |
Front: DT 350 20x110 32H Rear: DT 350 12x157 XD 32H |
Spokes | DT Competition (32) |
Tires | Maxxis Assegai 2.50 MaxxGRIP 3C |
Crankset | Race Face SIXC Crank 83/165mm |
Chainrings |
36T: 27.5-inch 34T: 29-inch |
Bottom Bracket | Race Face BSA 83mm BB |
Chain | SRAM XX1 |
Front Derailleur | E13 LG1+ Chain Guide |
Rear Derailleur | SRAM X01 DH 7sp |
Cassette/Rear Cogs | SRAM X01 DH Cassette 7 Spd |
Shifters | SRAM X01 DH |
Handlebars | Santa Cruz Bicycles AM Carbon Bar 35x800mm |
Tape/Grips | Santa Cruz Palmdale Grips |
Stem | Santa Cruz Direct Mount 35x45/50mm |
Brakes | SRAM Code RSC |
Saddle | Ergon SMD2 Pro Ti |
Seat Post | Burgtec Xpress Carbon Post, 31.6mm |
Accessories & Extras | Stans Sealant 2oz |
* Subject to change without notice.
Part Numbers
Option | UPC | MPN |
---|---|---|
Carbon / Small / 27.5-inch | 192219130248 | 58-20198-137-2-634-574101 |
Carbon / Medium / 27.5-inch | 192219130255 | 58-20198-137-3-634-584101 |
Carbon / Large / 27.5-inch | 192219130262 | 58-20198-137-4-634-594101 |
Grey / Medium / 29-inch | 192219130187 | 58-20197-131-3-627-584601 |
Grey / Large / 29-inch | 192219130194 | 58-20197-131-4-627-594601 |
Grey / X-Large / 29-inch | 192219130200 | 58-20197-131-5-627-604601 |