Pipedream Cycles have launched the MK2 Pipedream Moxie, with updated geometry said to improve its stability at speed, manoeuvrability on steep terrain, and climb more efficiently. The Original Pipedream Moxie, launched at Eurobike in 2017, was designed for 27.5+” and 29” capability, with sliding dropouts allowing riders to tune the length of the chainstay to get the tire clearance necessary. It was ultra pleasing to look at, and proved a very capable Enduro bike, with Lewis Kirkwood taking the hardtail overall series title of the Scottish Enduro Series in 2018.
Updated geometry of the Pipedream Moxie MK2
When Moxie frame designer Alan Finlay conceived of the Moxie, 25mm internal width 29er rims were the mainstay, with 2.3” width tires the most common. By the time the Moxie came out, the industry was already moving toward wider rim profiles, with 30mm internal width now the new standard, and burlier 2.4″ and 2.5″ tires the tires of choice. When running 29″ wheels, some rim and tyre combinations were proving to be a tight squeeze.
Listening to this rider feedback, Pipedream have given the Moxie an extra 10mm in the chainstay, with the sliding dropouts still providing 17mm of adjustment and a chainstay range of 425mm to 441mm. This range still overlaps the chainstay position of the MK1 Moxie, which had a range of 415mm to 431mm, but with the increased length there should be plenty of tire clearance for those more modern burlier rim and tire combinations. Running a 29er wheelset with a 30mm rim, the frame can fit most 2.5″ tyres currently available.
Wheel size, head angle and fork offset all affect trail: bigger wheels, a slacker head angle or reduced offset increases trail so a bike can carve the turns easier and hold it’s line better in the steep stuff. The head angle on the MK2 Moxie has been slackened from 65.5 to 64 degrees and with Pipedream also offering a reduced offset fork, there’s the potential for even more geometry fettling.
The long reach of the Pipedream Moxie is part of the appeal of this bike, but for some riders, it felt a bit too stretched out when in the seated climbing position. Pipedream have addressed this by steepening the already very steep seat angle from 76.5 to 77.5 degrees, bringing the rider’s hips and weight forward relative to the bottom bracket. This has decreased the effective top tube length by 12mm, to 610 (size long) and 650 (size longer), without actually affecting the reach measurement. The steepened seat angle should keep the rider more centrally positioned ‘in’ the bike, giving greater control and manoeuvrability while climbing.
The frame itself is Taiwanese-made 4130 heat-treated Chromoly steel with double-, triple-, and quad-custom butting profiles for increasing strength especially at the tube-join areas. This design means that the frame can be finished cleanly without the need for gussets, massive seam welds or plates for strengthening joins.
Pipedream Moxie MK2 Full Geometry Details
The Moxie MK2 is available in sizes Long and Longer, serving rider heights of 5′ 5″ to 6′ 3″. Happily, Pipedream have gone to the trouble of providing both the unsagged and sagged geometry of the Moxie, with a 140mm fork and a 160mm fork.
Pricing and Availability
The Pipedream Moxie MK2 is available now, direct from Pipedream, in Vivid Green, Vivid Pink, a prismatic Rainbow Silver, and Teal. The frame itself will cost you £629-£649 (~$800-$825), while DVO frame-fork bundles are also available. Pipedream can also provide a full Hope finishing kit, a Bike Yoke dropper post, components from Burgtec, and the new Pacenti P-DENT carbon handlebar.
For those who might be in the area, the Moxie MK2 will be on show this weekend (7th-9th June) at the Transcend Bike Festival, Tweed Valley, Scotland.
