Before you know it, we’ll be on our way up north for the 2015 Frostbike show. The fact that the show doesn’t start for another few days isn’t enough to contain Foundry’s new ride. As a company that has dealt exclusively in carbon fiber up to this point, the Overland Ultra Cross bike is quite a departure.
Not necessarily a cross bike, and not pigeon holed as a gravel bike the Overland joins that category that is meant to do just about anything off road with skinny(er) tires…
Yes, that is raw, wonderful titanium you see peeking out from the matte black paint job. After focusing solely on carbon frames for the past few years, titanium seems like a vastly different, but desirable direction for the company to be headed in. At Saddle Drive in 2014, we were shown a titanium prototype mountain bike that was devoid of any information, but clearly the company was interested in testing out titanium as a build material. According to Foundry Brand Manager Todd Schmidt:
“The Overland was developed to be the only bike you need when it comes to gravel and cyclocross. We knew that in order for a bike to help you tackle the demands of a 6 hour gravel race or an hour long cross race it had to be responsive, compliant and stable. We also believe in building bikes that will stand the test of time. For that reason, Ti was an obvious choice for the Overland. With Ti, it is recognized that you get a high strength-to-weight ratio, a near infinite fatigue life, and a very lively feel that no other bicycle materiel can match in ride quality.”
Now with the Whisky No.9 thru axle forks available again, the Overland is fitted with thru axles front and rear (we’re getting the details on which standards, hold tight). Employing DT Swiss RWS front and rear thru axles, the disc brake only frame uses post mounts at both ends with replaceable thread inserts for the rear. Built with clearance for 41mm tires, the frame and fork also offer full fender mounts to keep the riding going when it gets sloppy.
Other than the routing for electronic drivetrains, all the routing for the Overland is external. Front and rear derailleur housings plus the rear brake housing are routed over the top tube, and the frame uses a seat tube pulley to allow the use of a bottom pull front derailleur. Foundry went tried and true with the bottom bracket, using a threaded shell.
Sold as a frame only in limited quantities, the $2,495 price tag will include a Whisky No.9 fork, DT RWS front and rear axles, a Cane Creek headset, and the seat collar Complete bikes will also be available for $4,695 with a SRAM Force 22 Hydraulic drivetrain, DT Swiss R24 wheels, Zipp cockpit, and Clement tires.
We’ll have plenty more Frostbike coverage in just a few days!
d*mn.
HHHHHnnnnnnggggggghhhh. So hot.
Which company is manufacturing this frame? If it’s Lynskey, it’s junk.
If it had the option of using fully enclosed cable runs for the shifters I’d have given it a 10/10.
Yes I know you can use Ashima or Gore enclosed inners, but it would be so much better to just run fully enclosed outers.
Thank you Foundry for thinking of fender (or mudguards as they are really called!) mounts.
(deleted) Slam dunk. I agree with cracked-frame, I hope it’s not a Lynskey, though I have owned a few of their bikes and never had an issue, their finishes just aren’t up to the standards I’d like.
Also, mudguard mounts, thank f’n God.
Looks almost exactly like the Lynskey Cooper CX that I have (and love).
I sincerely hope it’s not a Lynskey. I would assume it’s the same people doing the Salsa Ti frames… But I could be wrong.
Most interesting new bike in some time. I like the Foundry basics-strong and good. Bikes are too disposable-
Definitely on my list!
@Doug: How so? Does your Cooper CX have a tapered head tube? Integrated headset? Thru axles? Mechanical/Di2 routing? Unless of course by “almost exactly” you mean “shiny”.
Looks nice
What’s the beef with Lynskey?
I don’t think it’s Lynskey.
One, It would make sense to use the factory used for the Salsas.
Two, that doesn’t look like a Lynskey in terms of tube shaping. For example I’ve never seen a Lynskey uses chainstays that tall and shaped. They’ve always been round.
Not a Lynskey. Go to the Foundry Overland page; click on the frameset option; click on the closeup pick of the bb area and see the ‘Made in Taiwan’ sticker. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Mudguard mounts? I don’t see them, except on the fork ends. A bike like this ought to have such fittings, and wouldn’t some rack mounts have been a simple addition?
So. Hot.
Well thought out, and really nice execution.
Thanks for the fender mounts!
The Foundry site indicates 15×100 front and 10×142 rear. http://foundrycycles.com/bikes/overland/sram_force_22
Thanks @T, the bike wasn’t on the site when that story was written, now we’re on the road to Frostbike!
What everyone should have been doing with their cx bikes since disc brakes came out, excellent and about time.
Not bad for price point with Ti and Force hydraulics when you figure actual retail a few hundred off that price.
Throw some 28c slicks on there and that is the type of bike most people who ride road bikes who don’t race should be on.
What happened to all their mountain bikes?
I think they realized the “mountain bikes” they were making had the same angles as their CX bikes and dropped the “mountain” line.
just looked at the geo on their website – really nice in size large! May have to find $ for this one…
@dockboy: mounts are on the back of the dropouts, look to be the same style Trek did where you thread in the fender fitting, or remove when you don’t need it.
well done Foundry.
D*mn. If this had some rear rack mounts it would be ideal. That simple addition was the deciding factor between getting a Ritchey Ti Breakaway CX vs. Salsa Warbird.
Other than that – it’s beautiful.
Nice but the build kit cries out for a Shimano CX70 top pull front derailleur to get rid of pulley kludge.
Man what a nice bike
I wonder how long it will take YT to start making Ti gravel bikes and cut out the middle men.
Thru-axle ruins another otherwise decent bike.
If you were making something for the spec-sheet warriors, you should have put a 142 rear on it as well.
(deleted)
@JeffS
It has 142mm rear spacing.
And Thru-Axles are the way forward. They are the better/stiffer solution.
sick frame. What is the deal with the negative Lynskey comments? I have a Lynskey pro29 and adore the thing.
So. Many. SEXY! Holy crap, Please take my money!!
Whats with the bottom pull front derailleur. Why?