Ari has a lot more than a name change going on this year, with something like eight or more planned bike launches and updates coming throughout 2024. We got a look at five of them at Sea Otter, and they range from road and e-gravel to an affordable alloy trail bike, plus aluminum downhill and dirt jump bikes, too! Here’s what’s coming…
The Ari Suncrest is designed as a climber’s bike, with an average frame weight across all sizes of just 670g! This joins their Empire all-rounder and Veyo aero road bikes, both of which we’ve reviewed positively and carry forward unchanged for now.
Details are light (pun intended) for now other than its clear focus on going uphill easily. Tire clearance is claimed at 700×35, and release date is likely mid- to late-summer.
The Bonneville is a carbon all-road e-bike that shares design features with the Veyo and their Shafer gravel bike, but with a lightweight Fazua motor.
Tire clearance looks more like it’s for all-road than full gravel, and the front triangle and seatstays have a modified version of the Veyo’s aero shaping.
Fazua’s drop-bar mode switches are tiny buttons placed behind the hood covers on either side of the handlebar. The display is on the top tube and shows battery life and color-coded mode selection. This one’s frame looks very finished, but the saddle wedge cover looked 3D-printed, so the details are still getting ironed out.
Prototype Ari mountain bikes
The Superior Peak downhill bike has been in testing for a while and will likely be seen on some race circuits this year.
It uses a highly adjustable version of their Tetra-Link Horst Link suspension, but with the rocker arm pivoting from the downtube rather than the top tube. That’s likely because it needs to be longer to drive longer shocks and get the full 200mm of rear travel.
The oblong shape of the rear pivot suggests a flip chip design. Ari says the bike offers eight different configurations so you can setup the geo and kinematics to suit your needs. It’s shown here with 29er wheels front and rear, but we’re guessing you can run a 27.5″ rear if you want.
3D-printed cable guides on either side of the top tube will likely be replaced with molded parts. Cable management through the chainstay yoke keeps things clean. It’s all external, but you will need to run the brake hose through a hole above the lower pivot point.
This DJ prototype should be super affordable, with a simple single-speed setup and rear brake only. Note the brake hose length…enough to let you twist the bars around on the slopestyle course.
The new Cascade is coming out very soon as an alloy trail bike that’s similar to the carbon Delano Peak, but with a bit less travel. It’ll have 135mm rear travel with a 140mm fork and have some very affordable builds.
This one replaces the prior Wiki, Abajo and Cascade models, simplifying their lineup while also (finally) modernizing their alloy trail bike with a stiffer, more capable frame. Look for this to launch in early May.
