Myth Cycles, a custom and semi-custom steel bike frame fabricator based in Durango, Colorado, have released their first full suspension mountain bike. The Zodiac is a 29er MTB running 140mm of (adjustable) single-pivot actuated rear wheel travel. Currently only available in sizes small to large, coming soon are XL and XXL options. We have all the details and images of the prototype Myth Cycles Zodiac right here.
Myth Cycles Zodiac
There’s no doubt about it, the Myth Cycles Zodiac is one of the most interesting looking single-pivot full suspension mountain bikes we’ve seen. That’s thanks to the triple-triangulated swing arm that is said to add stiffness to the 444mm rear end.
Though the Zodiac is based around a single-pivot suspension platform, Myth Cycles say it is amenable to running a coil shock as well as air shocks, thanks to the placement of the effective upper pivot.
The design of the shock yoke places it behind the main pivot, making for an increasing leverage rate throughout the travel. We see something similar on the Pipedream Full Moxie, another steel single-pivot 29er that can run a coil shock. Myth Cycles say the leverage ratio gives the best balance of plush small bump compliance and bottom-out resistance.
Though the stock rear travel setup is 140mm with a 210mm x 55mm shock, a shorter travel stroke shock (210mm x 50mm) can be used to adjust the suspension platform to deliver just 128mm of rear wheel travel.
Combined with the swappable shock mounting plates that lower the rear end by 12mm, this gives the rider several options for setting up the bike according to their riding style.
Myth Cycles Zodiac Geometry
It’s fair to sat the Myth Cycles Zodiac is a fairly progressive trail bike in terms of its geometry. A 65° head angle is married to a 76° seat tube angle, with generous reach figures stretching between the two. Reach starts at 440mm in size small (pretty long, considering this is a 29er), topping out at 482mm in size large.
Chainstay length is consistent across the Zodiac’s frame sizes at 444mm, which should make for a pretty stable ride feel for that small frame. The BB drops 20mm from the dropouts, giving a BB height of 350mm. Only S-L have gone to production so far, but XL and XXL frames with “to be determined” geometries are promised.
Swapping out the “high” shock mount for the “low” shock mount drops the BB height by 8mm and slackens off the head and seat tube angles by around 0.5°.
Zodiac Frame Specs
The Myth Cycles Zodiac is fabricated from air hardened aircraft-grade 4130 steel tubing, with tailored (and secret) butting profiles. The tubes are welded with gusset reinforcement visible at the top tube-head tube and downtube-head tube interfaces. While the tubes themselves are sourced from manufacturers around the world, the head tube, BB shell, and dropouts are supplied by US-based Paragon Machine Works.
The Zodiac gets a 73mm BSA threaded bottom bracket, 44mm headtube, a 31.6mm diameter seat post, stealth cable routing for a dropper and 180mm post brake mounts. Boost 148mm x 12mm rear-end spacing leaves clearance for 29″ x 2.5″ tires.
The Zodiac is Myth Cycles’ first foray into the world of full suspension mountain bikes, having only produced hardtail MTBs, tandems, all-road and fat bikes historically.
“Most of our customers want something straightforward and reliable, which they’ve gotten from our hardtails for years. This is a continuation of those principles. This bike is for the rider who wants to own a great trail bike and be able to just do basic maintenance every year and not worry about his [or her] bike becoming obsolete. Linkages add a lot of complexity and weight to a frame, and the reality is, you can get a really fantastic ride out of a simple design, especially with today’s range of shocks.” – Eric Tomczak, Myth Cycles founder.
Pricing & Availability
The first small-batch run of Myth Cycles Zodiac frames is due to be ready by mid-May (2021). Pre-order for this first lot opens on Feb 1st, requiring an $800 non-refundable deposit. Prices start from $2599. for the frame only (no shock). Myth Cycles are able to offer complete builds of the Zodiac starting from $5999.
