Turner has updated their mountain bikes at virtually every point that matters: Tubing, suspension, headtube, cable guides and axles.
For 2012, all bikes will get Boost Valve shocks. Until this past winter, Fox didn’t have the right tune available in a Boost Valve shock to meet Turner’s liking. So, Fox sent an engineer over to ride with them on their local trails and, a couple weeks later, they received a box of shocks to test. One of them stood out and it actually started shipping on all trail bikes in August.
Also for 2012 models, complete bikes will no longer ship with QR forks, only thru axle options. In the rear, they’ll use 142×12 SRAM Maxle Lite rear axles on all bikes.
Last year, the Sultan and 5-Spot got the 44mm head tube that allows for virtually any headset and steerer tube to be used. For 2012, the Flux (above) gets it, too, which will shave a few grams and lower the stack height.
The down tube on the Sultan and 5-Spot will change to accept piggy back shocks, getting a new molded shape – note the bend at the bottom of the tube.. Turner anticipates about 15% of their customers will want to run a piggy back shock. They say there’s a long life for their bikes, and on the used market, second owners may want to replace the shock to breathe new life into it.
Combined, all of these changes should keep the frames’ resale value up and future proof them against the ever changing standards landscape.
All the bikes will get new cable guides that better capture and align the housing along the top of the downtube.
The 44mm head tube standard was introduced by the handmade bicycle builders as a way to simplify the building process while accommodating the myriad headset and steerer tube options. Bigger manufacturers have taken note and it now appears on a wide variety of frames. Turners geometry is based on using the external cup lower for a tapered steerer tube (left), but you can see how it works with a inset headset for a straight steerer on the right.
Lastly, all build kits will be 2×10, but there will be a 1×10 option that’ll come with an e*thirteen XCBB chain guide and the new XTR plus rear derailleur, with rider’s choice of rings. You’ll also still be able to get a 3×10 drivetrain if you want.
Not shown is the DHR downhill bike. The DHR became a DW Link bike for 2011 and needed a complete redesign. It kept the low horizontal shock layout with a really low bottom bracket. The DW Link design allows it to have a lower bottom bracket because it won’t sag as much under power thanks to the anti-squat properties. This allows riders to come out of a corner better, even off camber, and immediately hit the gas. Four sizes are available with a true small for shorter riders. The head tube is short to allow for a short stack height, and it’s straight 1.5″ and Angleset compatible. For 2012, there will be more kit offerings now with more wheel and fork options, and two SRAM drivetrain options. This gives customers and retailers better options for packaging together a bike to fit their customer’s budgets and needs.
