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Roc d’Azur Sightings – Bicycles from Commencal, Eden Park by Lapierre & Labyrinth

commencal acid chromoly urban fixed gear single speed trick bike
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commencal acid chromoly urban fixed gear single speed trick bike

The great thing about European events is that we get to see a lot of bikes that rarely if ever make it to the states. While we’re familiar with Commençal for their suspension mountain bikes (like the new Meta AM), their chromoly Acid urban fixed gear trick bike jumped out of their booth.

The asymmetric frame is sold as a complete bike for just €550.

More pics of it, their 29er hardtail and some gorgeous commuter bikes from Eden Park and crazy intricate suspension linkages from Labyrinth, after the break…

commencal acid chromoly urban fixed gear single speed trick bike

As if the frame weren’t eye-catching enough, the “acid” purple paint job is lovely. Or, wait, ironic. Yeah, ironic.

commencal acid chromoly urban fixed gear single speed trick bike

commencal supernormal 29er hardtail mountain bike

Another decent looking bike that seems to be overshadowed by their full suspension offerings is the SuperNormal 29er hardtail. It’s also available in a 26″ wheeled version, both offered in a couple of trim levels.

EDEN PARK by LAPIERRE

Eden Park commuter bicycles from Lapierre bikes

Tucked inside a semi-closed tent at the LaPierre booth were these elegant commuter bicycles oddly named after the one of the largest Rugby stadiums in the world. They tick all the right boxes: hydraulic disc brakes (Formula The One!), fat slick tires, Brooks saddle, rear fender and internally geared hubs. Hardened commuters might want a chain guard and front fender, too, but it’s a nice looking package overall.

UPDATE: They’re actually named after the Eden Park clothing brand, which is (apparently) named after the Rugby Stadium. The bow tie on the seat clamp is their logo.

Eden Park commuter bicycles from Lapierre bikes

Rugby themed head badge and custom seat post quick release. Chromed internal headset is another nice touch not often found on a city bike.

Eden Park commuter bicycles from Lapierre bikes

Eden Park commuter bicycles from Lapierre bikes

Mens version, too, showing full fenders with integrated tail light, battery powered headlight, cream tires and leather grips. It also has a Headshock front suspension and paint-matched fork.

Eden Park commuter bicycles from Lapierre bikes

Saddlebag and saddle match the grips, and the frame includes rack mounts.

LABYRINTH MOUNTAIN BIKES

labyrinth mountain bike suspension linkage design

Labyrinth is a rider-owned French manufacturer based in the Le Vosges mountain range. They had the most interesting linkage designs we’d seen in a while:

labyrinth agile mountain bike suspension linkage design

The Agile is their 150mm all-mountain platform. The bottom of the shock mounts inline with the main pivot, which keeps it simply. Where it gets complicated is the additional swing arm connecting the seat stays to the primary rocker arm. Called the Adapt Link design, it, along with the Marzocchi rear shock, create certain leverage ratios that are very sensitive to small bumps in the beginning with a flat curve in the middle of the stroke, then ramping up progressively for the last third of the shock’s travel.

labyrinth minotaur downhill mountain bike suspension linkage design

Not crazy enough? How ’bout the multi-linkage design on their Minotaur downhill race bike.

labyrinth mountain bike suspension linkage design

The Minotaur has 200mm (8″) travel. The linkage design provides a 2:1 leverage ratio and looks to give the rear wheel a nearly vertical axle path. Check the video below at about 34 seconds in to see it in closeup action:

Labyrinth Minotaur Teaser from Razor Images on Vimeo.

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radeus
12 years ago

If I’m looking at that Minotaur correctly, all the linkage is about the shock rate. Other than that, it’s just a single-pivot, so it can’t have a vertical axle path. Am I missing something?

Primoz
Primoz
12 years ago

Nearly vertical travel path? ON A FRAKING SINGLE PIVOT?!?! I know not everybody isinto the technicalities of suspension designs, but if you are not interested or not educated on the matter, don’t make assumptions like that. Becaus they are COMPLETELY wrong.

And the adapt link is anything but complicated. If you want a link driven shock on a single pivot, you need two links, or else the suspension wouldn’t suspend, it would be seized up. So this is just another take on the same topic. You can see a lot of similarities with this design in anything from Commencals (from old to new, new being the 2012 Meta and Supreme v3 range), over Morewoods (not the Split Pivot kind, though that is actually a quite simmilar design, from the shock’s standpoint – the diferences come into play when you start braking), all the way to Konas, Canyon’s Strive (other Canyons use a horst link), etc. etc. The choices are endless.

Turbofrog
Turbofrog
12 years ago

Did you watch the video, Primoz? Looked pretty vertical. There are at least 4 pivot points in play there…

alloycowboy
alloycowboy
12 years ago

@Primoz……. If you locate the pivot high enough and the radius of the swing is large enough you can get a pretty vertical travel path. If you don’t believe me make your self a full scale card board cut out and see for your self.

greg
greg
12 years ago

in Primoz’ defense, any single pivot will travel in a perfect arc. the pivot is not any more forward than a lot of bikes. as with a lot of bikes, the linkage arrangement is purely to locate the shock and adjust the leverage ratio along the swingarm travel.
the “nearly vertical” axle path is so often touted, so incorrectly. is a purely vertical axle path even that desirable? i doubt it…
but seriously, it’s a linkage-driven single pivot, nothing more (and nothing less). leave the marketing-hype-catchphrase-speak out.

gringo
gringo
12 years ago

Single pivots travel in an arc. that linkage drives the shock.
Marketing BS is still marketing BS even if the bike looks OK

‘nearly vertical’….gimme a break bike rumor!

JT
JT
12 years ago

From the views on here and their site, as well as in the vid, it’s hard to discern if the drops are replaceable or if they’re on pivots ala the ol’ Lawwill design Schwinn, Yeti, and Rotec used. If replaceable, Turner has gotta feel a smidge of pride as there’s yet another knock off of the ol’ DHR. If they’re pivots, then sweet! Those Lawwill designs tracked dirt beautifully, even with the amount of brake jack they tended to suffer. More info needed to be sure.

Steve M
Steve M
12 years ago

C’mon guys. Single pivot, constant arc. Grows the chain length for a while, gets neutral about mid-stroke and then starts coming back. No big deal. Tyler is correct as it is mostly vertical on average. The Turner DW Links are about the same, as the lower links do virtually nothing in terms of mechanical advantage- same for the Ibis Ripley- two high frame pivots with very, very short links.

Too much marketing confusing the issue of what’s good and what’s bad.

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