Crossfire 428

NEW FLAT MOUNT

It was difficult to improve our Crossfire 428 2020, but we put all our know-how and our forward-looking vision into the field to succeed. The design, the simplicity and the efficiency of the Crossfire 428 are the characteristics that have made it popular and much talked about in the race fields, but we still wanted to give topics for discussion to the best riders. Crossfire 2021 adopts the Flat mount brake on the rear frame for the first time in the MTB world, proving that we do not expect others to dictate the trends, but we always try to anticipate them! The even more streamlined line, the more protected caliper and the clean braking are among the benefits of this innovative solution that we wanted to make available to riders who choose to ride without compromise.

Internal Cable Routing system

The Crossfire’s rear triangle design benefits from Lee Cougan’s True Internal Cable Routing system that see cables pass from BB directly into chainstay, leaving them exposed for only 1cm. Not only for a cleaner aesthetic the routing design aids in protection from external elements as well. Internal cable routing finds its way into not only the frame but also the cockpit as the Crossfire cements itself firmly among the first in the mtb world to route transmission and brake cables within the stem and steer tube.

Shorter is better

Crossfire model adopts the shortest chainstays available on the market. Measuring an amazingly short 428mm the Crossfire, with 100mm travel, is able to locate the rear wheel closer to the bottom bracket than nearly anything else in cross country mountain biking currently in terms of a full suspension ride. The resulting performance gain is impressive and renders the bike extremely competitive in even the most demanding scenarios. Shortening the chainstay to a mere 428mm on a full suspension bike was no small feat as traditional suspension link construction places additional hardware between seat tube/bb and the rear tire. The Lee Cougan engineering team developed an innovative and very atypical solution to overcome such an obstacle by moving the chainstay bridge in front of the seat tube. Not only does this revolutionary design allow for a shorter chainstay along with all of its performance advantages but it makes for optimal torsional rigidity while allowing for tire clearance up to 2.25”.

Solid rear triangle

The horst link was eliminated in favor of a solid semi triangle. To compensate for its removal and eliminate the negative side effect that derives from “bobbing” the new 2nd Gen 3D link as well as the form and construction of the rear triangle have been designed specifically to reduce to a minumum the movement of the top link and therefore less flex of the seat stay. The result: more efficient, comfortable race-ready suspension performance.

Opened HT angle

While the rear triangle represents a solution to render the handling more reactive and immediate, the front end was developed in order to offer more stability. For pure cross country courses are becoming increasingly extreme and a more open head tube angle aids in overcoming difficult terrain. XC marathon riders too will welcome the plush yet stable and safe front end with a 68.5° head tube (for 100mm travel fork) by rendering the terrain more manageable after hours in the saddle. To keep both frame and cables safe the internal block system prevents instances of oversteering from causing damage.

Lee Cougan’s Air Technology

Crossfire model takes advantage of Lee Cougan’s Air Technology, a carbon molding technique that uses extremely high pressure in the modling phase to eliminate imperfections casued by trapped air in addition to blending the 1k, 3k and unidirectional carbon fiber in a manner that makes for a more compact overall structure. The result: stronger, more reliable carbon frames that weigh less than comparable frames that use more traditional construction methods.

Frame: Carbon T700 1K + 3K + UD
Fork: FOX 34SC Factory 110mm remote lock out
Rear Shock: Fox Float DPS Factory, 165mm trunnion
Group set: Sram XX SL T-Type 12sp
Crankset: Sram XX SL T-Type 12sp
Brakeset: Magura MT8 Brakes, 160mm Rotor
Seatpost: FSA SLK carbon
Saddle: San Marco GND
Wheels: Ursus Diablo Carbon
Weight: 10.2 kg