Redline Bicycles showed off what appears to be the first high-end disc brake-ready cyclocross bike from a major manufacturer with their new carbon fiber Conquest Pro and Team bikes.
Funny thing is, they didn’t spec them with disc brakes, just made the frame compatible and promised that a disc-ready fork will follow shortly. But don’t worry, the bike stands on its own as a pretty solid choice thanks to some nifty features and lightweight frames.
Make the jump to see it all…
We know what you came here to see, and here it is. Disc brake mounts planted (molded, actually) right inside the rear triangle. Redline admits that while they went ahead and put this out there with 130mm rear hub spacing, they’re prepared for what’s likely to be a 135mm standard. They said it wouldn’t require a major tooling change to open up the rear end a bit. And lest you think (like I did before talking to them) that you could simply spread this frame to fit or squeeze a 135mm to fit a 130mm hub, consider this: While it may not be terribly detrimental to the frame, it would probably a) void your warranty if they discovered that’s why something broke, b) potentially throw off your alignment and c) throw off your derailleur’s alignment and make it shift like crap. Short story? Don’t try it.
If you decide to stick with Cantilever brakes because, you know, this whole disc brakes thing is just a scam to get you to buy a new bike, you’ll be happy to know the new Conquest frames have brake mounts that run completely through the seatstay and pierce the backside. This is something we’ve seen on Vanilla’s cyclocross bikes in the past and it reduces frame twist and flex when braking hard. That, in turn, gives the bike stronger braking power.
Both the Pro and Team models use the same 1200g frame (size 58!) and 480g fork. The cable stop mounting hole on the fork runs all the way through the crown if you want to run the hanger on the fork rather than from the steerer tube spacer stack. Internal cable routing for all mechanical shifting cables and traditional brakes. There are guides on the bottom of the downtube leading back to the disc mounts if/when you decide to run those. A tapered headtube and fork keep things stiff. Oh, and what are those? Water bottle cage mounts! But, sadly, no fender or rack mounts to be had.
The disc brake cable then runs on top of the BB shell and behind the chainstay with guides all the way. Rear stays provide plenty of clearance with a nice hourglass shape.
The massive bottom bracket shell houses a fully enclosed aluminum BB30 sleeve that seals the bearings inside. This prevents them from seeing the elements. The small hole on the BB is a drain hole, and the larger hole will be covered by a plug on production bikes and is there to help you guide the front derailleur cable into a funnel that sends it to the business end of things.
The Conquest Pro comes in at 18lbs 5oz for a 58 size. Same size in the Team weighs 17lbs 12oz for a little over 1/2 a pound of weight savings.
Frameset will retail for $1599 and the complete bikes will be $3499 for Team and $2599 for Pro. Bikes are available in August and a disc-ready carbon tapered fork will follow closely behind as an upgrade option. In case you’re wondering, Redline says FSA, Velomax and Redline have 130mm disc ready hubs or wheels available now.
