Back at Sea Otter, David Turner dropped a bit of a bomb on us. There was going to be a new carbon Flux, and it was at least for the time being, the end of aluminum Turner mountain bikes. Essentially, since the launch of the RFX and the Czar carbon models, the sales dwarfed the demand of the aluminum Burner and with Zen Fabrication closing their OEM framebuilding operation, it left Turner with a tough decision. Dave didn’t seem too flustered about it though stating that consumers wanted light weight carbon bikes more than U.S. made aluminum bikes when the price points were similar.
Which allowed him to focus on projects like the new Flux. Back for version 4.0, the Flux adds modern geometry and a unique ordering system while keeping a few things the same…
Filling in as the third carbon Turner in their current line up, the Flux uses their C6 Toray high modulus carbon fiber front and rear with aluminum DW Link hardware and 120mm (4.72″) of travel. The tapered head tube houses a tapered ZS44/56mm headset, and the frame continues Turner’s ‘No More Zip Tie’ approach with fully external cable routing with individual clips. The only internal routing is for the stealth dropper post which tucks in at the bottom of the seat tube.
Fans of doubles needn’t worry as the frame includes a high direct mount provision which can also be used for an upper chain guide for those running 1x. The choice for a PF30 bottom bracket was made for the larger bearing and spindle which offers better bearing performance and longer service life and is also lighter than a similar threaded system. Not shown is the downtube Rock Pad which will protect the frame from trail debris impacts.
Like other Turners before it you’ll find post mount rear disc brake tabs with replaceable hardware and a stout replaceable derailleur hanger.
What you won’t find, is Boost spacing – at least at the rear. Dave points out that a huge portion of their business is still frame only. While he would love to sell more completes, the ability for consumers to be able to use their current wheels was very important. There was also not a huge benefit to adding Boost spacing in the rear since the frame is meant for one wheel size and the 142 x 12mm axle works very well with the frame design and offers a lot of heel clearance. Meant to be paired with 130mm travel forks, the frame only option allows consumers to build up a new Flux with most of their current parts.
However, completes will ship with Boost spacing Fox suspension forks which Dave says is a result of product availability. Non-Boost forks are still available, but for a super small OEM like turner, the availability of small quantities of non-Boost forks apparently isn’t something they can count on if they want to get bikes out the door quickly. If you have a current set of wheels that you want to use that aren’t boost, you have two options – replace the (cheaper) front hub with a Boost hub, or simply use something like the Boostinator Kit for the front. Dave mentioned that they have been using the Lindarets/WTC Boostinator kits for awhile thanks to how many wheels they have that are non-boost, and likes the fact that the kit not only recycles good wheels, but it actually improves the spoke bracing angles after the wheels are re-dished.
You have a few options when it comes to buying a new Flux. Buying the Frame only will run you $2,895, and you can add the Upgrade kit for another $723 which includes a Cane Creek 40 headset and Fox 34 Float Boost Kashima fork. From there you can add one of the 5 build kits (GX, XT, X01 Eagle, XX1 Eagle, or XTR) which all do not include the wheels (note the prices below do not include wheels). The wheels are the final piece of the puzzle with Turner offering a number of options from ENVE, Industry Nine (custom colors available for an upgrade), Stan’s, DT Swiss, and Knight Composites. All frames are Matter white and ship with a Fox Factory Series Float DPS Kashima rear shock.
Sold in S-XL, the Flux features a 67.5 degree HTA, 73.7 degree STA, and 437mm chainstays for a fairly modern XC/Trail geo that should make for a fun bike. Available now.
