Since their start in 1987, Pace Cycles has been struck by a rather unique affliction. When it comes to most of the bike technology we take for granted today, Pace has always been way ahead of the curve – pushing the limits before things like disc brakes, long top tubes, and short stems were widely accepted. They were also on the forefront of carbon fiber, though only used as part of their revolutionary suspension forks and hubs, rather than complete bikes.
That will all change with the new RC295. It’s been a while since Pace has put out a full suspension bike, but their early helped set the stage for full suspension mountain bikes to come. Now, the RC295 represents their first new suspension bike in over 10 years – and it’s being built with a full carbon frame. Like all of the Pace bikes, we assume that the RC295 will be designed and built in North Yorkshire, England to continue the Pace legacy.
While the bike shown here is still just a prototype, the finished bike is reported to run 29″ wheels with 135mm of travel in the rear and will be built with 130-150mm travel suspension forks. Calling it a trail bike that is more capable than just a trail bike, the RC295 will sit somewhere between trail and enduro with what is said to be a poppy, playful ride.
Using the latest generation of their free floating suspension system, a metric shock is mounted to the upper and lower suspension links allowing it to float as the bike moves through the travel. It will also feature Boost spacing, internal cable routing, an integrated headset, and sealed bearings for all of the pivots.
Availability is said to be some time in 2019, though an exact date isn’t known. The bikes will be available in Medium, Large, and Xtra Large only, with the Large featuring a 642mm effective top tube and 64.5° head tube angle.
