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IB13: New Ellsworth Carbon 650B Mountain Bikes – Absolute Truth & Epiphany XC/Enduro

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2014 Ellsworth Absolute Truth full suspension mountain bike

Last year, Ellsworth showed off an alloy Epiphany 650B mountain bike. Now, he’s added a carbon fiber version XC model and a revised alloy Enduro iteration. Joining it is an all-new carbon Absolute Truth that takes the Truth’s original 100mm travel and bumps it to 125mm along with the slighter larger wheels.

Both frames are made using Ellsworth’s “high definition” internal molding that allows them to get evenly distributed 300psi compaction across the entire frame, even all the little curves, nooks and crannies. Ellsworth lays up each section to get the stiffness needed for good handling without giving up the vibration damping characteristics of carbon. The detail shots below show just how intricate the designs get.

The Absolute Truth, above, maintains the same geometry as the shorter travel alloy bike. So, it’ll have the longer travel and 650B wheels that everyone’s loving these days, but with quick, race-ready handling.

2014 Ellsworth Absolute Truth full suspension mountain bike

Both models get internal cable routing with very nice exits at the top tube’s split.

2014 Ellsworth Absolute Truth full suspension mountain bike

We often hear “Oh, but his suspension design hasn’t changed in years.” When it works, it works, and on the bikes we’ve ridden (here and here), it works quite well.

2014 Ellsworth Absolute Truth full suspension mountain bike

Frame weight is claimed just under 5lbs with shock.

2014 Ellsworth Absolute Truth full suspension mountain bike

2014 Ellsworth Epiphany XC and Enduro carbon full suspension mountain bike

The Epiphany splits into two models, XC and Enduro. The XC model will only come in carbon fiber and will be called the Epiphany XC. Geomtery is very similar to the 2013 alloy model, with the same 140mm travel, but with a bit bigger wheel. It was originally designed as a long travel XC race bike, but some customers wanted to take that up a notch while keeping the light weight.

The forthcoming Epiphany Enduro will use an alloy frame with their SST shaping. Travel stays at 140 rear/150 front, but geometry gets a 2° slacker head angle (67° to 68° depending on set up), 1/8″ lower BB and half degree slacker seat angle.

2014 Ellsworth Epiphany XC and Enduro carbon full suspension mountain bike

A better shot of the cable routing.

2014 Ellsworth Epiphany XC and Enduro carbon full suspension mountain bike

There’s room in that tunnel for a remote shock lockout…or it could be used for a dropper post remote.

2014 Ellsworth Epiphany XC and Enduro carbon full suspension mountain bike

The chainstays are alloy because he can make them just as light and stiff as carbon at less cost.

2014 Ellsworth Epiphany XC and Enduro carbon full suspension mountain bike

All will be available as a frameset with shock or as one of five build kit options.

EllsworthBikes.com

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18 Comments
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Chunky
Chunky
11 years ago

Don’t hear or see much of Tony these days (that’s not a complaint..). Maybe he was told to step out of the limelight a bit to let the brand recover from years of bad reputation

The bikes look ok though. Suspension has moved on though 🙂

django
django
11 years ago

Man. I bet that 70* HTA makes good use of the extra travel….

And it says asdfasdf on one of the captions. Which is rather fitting. Because there is nothing to say about this bike except “asdfa;asdf;lkajsd;lfjka;slkjdf”

or “kill it before it lays eggs.”

dogbocks
dogbocks
11 years ago

wow, colored fiberglass 3K…pretty sweet….

schleicher
11 years ago

What BB type had both frames? What is seatpost diameter exactly? Els’s site shows 30, but in other reviews I’ve found 30.9… Second number is much better (then we can use almost any known telescopic seatpost) 30.0 is an esotheric useless size. And there is another question – what headset type is used and is there any possibility to use an Angleset?

All these questions I’ve asked via support on Ellsworth’s site, via FB page – I can’t remember how much times i’ve done that, but still no answer.

Does anybody know – is Ellswoth support good or not? Frames are too expensive, and this price without service and support is unreasonable.

Steve M
Steve M
11 years ago

Tony has certainly painted his suspension design philosophy into a corner. All that babble about chainlines and instant center mumbo jumbo means he cant change designs without looking like a tool.

schleicher
11 years ago

Tyler, thank you!
Bolted lower shock mount seems like joke.

Emu Legs
Emu Legs
11 years ago

Dear lord.
Is that a stress fracture on the downtube ,just in to the right of the shock pivot bolt ?

Quickie
Quickie
11 years ago

It’s too late. Nuke it from space.

greg
greg
11 years ago

hardware store nut at lower shock mount needs to go. cable routing is problematic. housing should follow links across their frame pivots. otherwise the housing is forced to collapse and extend, sticking out, rubbing frame parts, etc.

Crank It
Crank It
11 years ago

I have great luck with tech support at Ellsworth. You can go directly to the source from the contact page on their website. Tony answers many of the questions himself, so I know I’m getting the answers from the source.

Suspension just straight works–IMHO. I’ve had Ellsworth’s for years and years, and all of them work, as advertised, fully active, energy efficient. Hard to “need” to change that.

I like that Ellsworth’s Carbon takes advantage of the design elegance carbon can do. I love the anodized, laser etched aluminum too, though. I think the Aluminum shapes look better in Aluminum then other carbon bikes looking like smooth aluminum look in carbon.

bketchup
bketchup
11 years ago

Notoriously unreliable and unresponsive service. If you get one, just hope that it never breaks because getting a warranty issue solved could take a whole season. These carbon bikes are the first to have 30.9 seat tube diameters. All of their alloy models still use 27.2. for some reason.

Peddler
Peddler
11 years ago

Looks nice, but warranty and support are major issues with the brand. Friend had to wait 15 months to get a replacement frame. Maniacly egotistical responses from tech support – “if you ride the bike like it’s built to be ridden” give me a break. You tellin me how to ride a bike now? Sorry, I won’t ever buy another one.

Preston
Preston
11 years ago

This bike is horrendous, i feel like i should cut my eye balls from my skull.

afonzi
afonzi
11 years ago

That small bridge where the rear suspension anchors to the frame look a tad flimsy and prone to failure but I could totally be mistaken. That bolt look horrid though, looks like a “ghetto” mount.

4getit
11 years ago

Great marketing skills from the Boss. Warranty issues don’t hold your breath. Tony’s hiring the right people for the best job, farming out to the best manufacturers money can buy. Boutique shop and a customer service with an attitude. Best of luck from rare earth.

mtnjunkie
10 years ago

Ditto the Warranty service and Customer service. The worst in the industry. Crash replacement warranty, a joke, and just get sucked into shelling out big bucks for another frame. One that should not have broke to begin with. Ellsworth isn’t worth riding.

XC Cat
XC Cat
10 years ago

I have been on an Evoluotion for two years now and this bike is hands down the best bike I have ever ridden, I punish mine and that shock bolt – it’s just fine! I demoed the carbon 650 at Santos, and it was a blast,still lovr my 29 er, but with that full lock out -and the legs mine grows on the flats, your not catching me…

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