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Turner goes enduro with all-new 160mm carbon fiber RFX V4.0 mountain bike

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2016 Turner RFX v4 carbon fiber 160mm enduro mountain bike

At first glance, and knowing Dave Turner’s passion for local manufacturing, the new RFX would appear to be an alloy bike. But look closer and you’ll see he’s pulled out all the stops with the fourth generation long travel bike to make it the ultimate enduro machine.

Built around 160mm of dw-Link travel, the bike gets an adjustable head angle, massive tire clearance and a stiff yet light frame. Turner says that lets it become anything from a lightweight trail bike to a “park slayer”, but it’s the in between spot called enduro that hits its sweet spot…

2016 Turner RFX v4 carbon fiber 160mm enduro mountain bike

“Utilizing the dw-link, it climbs similarly to a hard tail but descends almost like our DHR, truly amazing,” said David Turner, founder of Turner Bikes. “It’s got an incredibly stiff frame, weighs in at 27.5 pounds and is an absolutely amazing enduro bike.”

2016 Turner RFX v4 carbon fiber 160mm enduro mountain bike

In stock configuration, the bike is designed around a 160mm fork and has a 66º head angle. But, thanks to a new 49/62mm headset size, the bike can go +/-1.5º in half degree increments using an aftermarket kit Turner will sell direct. That means you could run an ultra-slack 64.5º head angle for the really steep trails and bike parks, then set it back to normal for regular trails and races.

2016 Turner RFX v4 carbon fiber 160mm enduro mountain bike

The frame is made of Toray hi-mod fibers, and all pivots spin on EnduroMax cartridge bearings just like their DHR downhill bike.

2016 Turner RFX v4 carbon fiber 160mm enduro mountain bike

Cable routing is kept external for everything, with stealth dropper seatpost lines entering the seat tube just above the BB. Everything’s held in places with these cable clamps, one of which doubles as a water bottle boss to fit some hydration inside the front triangle.

2016 Turner RFX v4 carbon fiber 160mm enduro mountain bike

Underneath is thick polymer bolt-on rock guard. A removable front derailleur mount keeps it tidy

2016 Turner RFX v4 carbon fiber 160mm enduro mountain bike

Like the redesigned Burner introduced in April, the RFX gets a lower seat tube and standover. Besides making the bike more maneuverable, it allows for a full 150mm dropper seatpost to be used…and allows shorter riders to use a long travel dropper post while still getting the post low enough to work properly for them.

2016 Turner RFX v4 carbon fiber 160mm enduro mountain bike

2016-Turner-RFX-v4-carbon-fiber-160mm-enduro-mountain-bike-10

The split wishbone connecter on the rear triangle keeps things open for 27.5 x 2.4 tires with room for mud.

2016 Turner RFX v4 carbon fiber 160mm enduro mountain bike

The rear end keeps the standard 142×12 hub spacing, helping prove Boost really is leaning more toward a 29er standard.

2016-Turner-RFX-v4-carbon-fiber-160mm-enduro-mountain-bike-11

Post mount rear brakes get replaceable threaded inserts.

2016 Turner RFX v4 carbon fiber 160mm enduro mountain bike

Frames are on sale now for $2,995 with Rockshox Monarch Debonair shock. Cane Creek Double Barrel shocks and various wheels are available as upgrade kits, as is an FSA headset plus Rockshox Pike fork combo. Complete bikes are also offered with GX, X01 and XX1 SRAM builds or XT and XTR Shimano builds, prices TBD.

TurnerBikes.com

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36 Comments
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Kevin
Kevin
8 years ago

$2995 then they will drop the price $2195 like they did with the Czar. I feel duped. I’ll never buy a Turner again.

JD
JD
8 years ago

Yes no more sticky bushings! Wish the reach was a little longer and the chainstays just a tiny shorter!

Brian
Brian
8 years ago

Hi JD, can’t you just go one size up to get a longer reach?

Tony
Tony
8 years ago

So….where is the frame made again?

Bike=fun or you're doing it wrong!
Bike=fun or you're doing it wrong!
8 years ago

Either you’re a Turner guy or you’re not. For those of us who are: we will always understand that Dave and his crew do their best to deliver a “real Mtb” and after that it’s up to you “the rider” to get it done on the trail! After almost 10 years of us asking for a new RFX here it is! Looks as if it a great bike and ready to shred! Price is competitive and other than what appears to be a new headset size(lower cup) no surprises and everything is well thought out. I want one but will likely have my 5.Spot for many years to come…

benzo
benzo
8 years ago

Turner should get another medal for “worst-industrial-design-of-the-decade”. Somehow in the past he managed to pen some of the worst looking bikes. And now he shows that he can even ruin the look of carbon … forget smooth lines and any concept of functional elegance: this thing looks like a neanderthal designed!!!!!

Tim
Tim
8 years ago

The bike looks good to me. Wonder how much it weighs…

Johannes
Johannes
8 years ago

I like the design and I’m a big fan of the DW-link. Unfortunately the geo is not perfect for me. Reach is too short, CS too long. If I go one size up the seat tube will become to long for me.

jeff
jeff
8 years ago

@ benzo – Do you even ride? Of all the things to be critical about on a bike, looks should be on the bottom. Honestly, without the elevated chainstay and the “Made in USA” sticker, this bike looks like every other bike in the same category.

Miles
Miles
8 years ago

I guess the clear anodized links are a bit industrial looking, and the tubes aren’t overly swoopy, but that’s still one sexy looking bike from where I’m standing. Even if it were ideous, I’d buy one in a second if it rides as well for “Enduro” as my Czar does for XC.

CornerCanyonRider
CornerCanyonRider
8 years ago

@Tim, it says in the article that it weighs 27.5 lbs, but doesn’t specify which size (I’d guess a medium).

JBikes
JBikes
8 years ago

@ jeff – what “Made in USA” sticker?
Assembly is still in CA, but the Turner carbon frames are not made in the USA as we apparently have no composite manufacturing centers with the no-how (or at least that is what is stated).

Me? I’m hoping Turner redoes the Sultan, although I honestly can’t complain about mine.

mike
mike
8 years ago

Can’t wait to get my hands on one of these!

Tom
Tom
8 years ago

The RFX returns to (I’m betting) greatness after too long of an absence!

Next up, Sultan!

Matt
Matt
8 years ago

I love the 30 foot berm in the video, he uses about 3 feet of it and looks like it’s not even necessary. I remember when I built my first trail…

chasejj
chasejj
8 years ago

JD- The bushings on my new Turner Burner v3.1 are as free moving as the bearings on my Yeti SB66c and they are wayyyyyyy less maintenance intensive and easier to service.

JBikes
JBikes
8 years ago

benzo,
You state Turner penned the look of the worst bikes in the past and then are surprised their aesthetic (largely derived via the suspension design) is bad?
As for carbon – it doesn’t magically appear any different, for better or worse, than any other frame material sans the lack of welds.

K11
K11
8 years ago

Follows the design language of other Turners (czar carbon). I like the classic straight lines. Too many companies out there make carbon curves everywhere in their frame design, proving that some designers can’t resist “those tools” in their cad software.

Like it. Turner is on my short list, for a new bike.

out for a ride
out for a ride
8 years ago

K11… or curves and blends are structurally stiffer and lighter than sharp carbon ridges and joints. Using “those tools” might be for function as much as it is for form…

Duro
Duro
8 years ago

That bike looks really good! I am looking forward to seeing one in person. The adjustable headset seems like a great idea.

JBikes
JBikes
8 years ago

@ out for a ride – there are no sharp ridges or joints on this. Sharp in the sense of a stress riser is much “sharper” than most people realize. Furthermore, the ridges shown, may have been added to specifically strengthen a components (much like ridges on a car hood). Done in carbon, they tend to be added on top of a “smooth” underlay.

But your probably right. The frame is likely to crack up within 5 hours of use due to some “sharp” ridges. Probably no R&D into the design at all. Its not like Turner has built a rep on reliability…why start now…And for that matter, Trek’s are failing left and right due to similar sharp edge on their head tubes.

JD
JD
8 years ago

Chase I thought the new v3.1 Burner got bearings instead of bushings. Are you sure they’re actually bushings?

RoDe
RoDe
8 years ago

If this has come out a bunch of months ago and hand been made from Aluminium, I may have been tempted to go for this. But too late and I’m happy with current ride.

Alex
Alex
8 years ago

I used to have an RFX. Before it was usurped by my Enduro 29, it was the best bike I had ever owned (out of 20 others).

I love that this bike comes with a long head tube, longish seat tube, a CCDB CS upgrade option.

I’m a 29er monster truck convert. I hope that something of that type is coming down the pipe.

benzo
benzo
8 years ago

It looks like a bad copy of a bad looking aluminum bike, including the (sic) reinforcement triangle at the seat post …

rexated
rexated
8 years ago

benzo, I think we understood from your last comment that you’re not keen on the aesthetic!

Looks psick (sic) to me :-). Nice one DT and the Turner crew. Looking forward to ride reports.

out for a ride
out for a ride
8 years ago

I offered an alternative unfounded claim to the unfounded claim that “some designers can’t resist ‘those tools'”. Instead of making up a bunch of defensive gibberish about claimed usage hours and Trek reliability, maybe we can discuss the merits of ridges, reinforcements, sharp edges, etc. and how they apply to carbon frame design. How sharp is too sharp? What areas of the frame need to be reinforced where? How much of the design of the frame is determined by functional factors and how much is aesthetics? These aren’t tubes bonded together, they’re full layups so rounded transitions are objectively better than sharps ones for lightweight strength.

Not that it matters, but I think this is a good looking bike.

Tim
Tim
8 years ago

As usual, photos of a new bicycle provoke a war of sarcasm, armchair engineering, and anonymous bile splashes at other persons’ characters. Maybe the reason it’s like this is the lack of up- and down-voting? I guess that’s an expensive feature for a site to have, but it would be nice. I’ll come back regardless for the free and enjoyable articles.

preston
preston
8 years ago

I”m also a happy E29 owner and rarely get too excited by other designs these days but I’m impressed with this bike. Although I’ve never ridden one I like the robust yet tight implentation of the DW-link, I like the adjustable headset (if it works and doesn’t creak) as I find the latest head angle trends to be too slack, I like that it accepts a FD. The frame while a bit macho also looks like it will be tough and the weight is right on par. BIg tire clearance is good too. When something like this comes in a 29 I might have to check it out.

chasejj
chasejj
8 years ago

JD- The 4 Turners in my garage including the V3.1 Burner (1 week old) all have zerks and bushings. They work great and stay tight. Are they as free moving as the new RFX with bearings? probably not. But until I go much much faster , I will never feel the difference.

Yetidude
Yetidude
8 years ago

Surely more reliable than Evil bikes…

But as stated above – really curious if the frame is US made, or from Taiwan.

Overall I kinda like it!

bicyclejuju
bicyclejuju
8 years ago

Made in china? I have bought Turners for the past 15 years because : A they perform great and B. because they were made by craftsman in the USA. I’m sure the bike rides very well and it looks pretty but if I can’t support local frame builders thru Turner than I will have to find a new brand to purchase. I’m sure Ventana, Sycip or many others will take my money. Journal bearings are far superior to cartridge bearings.

Armchair Shredder
Armchair Shredder
8 years ago

The design looks great to me. Pragmatic, practical, no BS, just like DT. I’d take the straight forward aesthetics of this bike any day over a swoopy atrocity like the Pivot Mach 4. As someone who does all of their own bike maintenance, I appreciate the easy to service external cable routing.

I’m looking forward to test riding one, because they look like a blast to ride. Those of you who complain about geometry minutia before they’ve ridden the bike, or even seen it in person, really need to throttle the negativity back a bit and go for a bike ride.

Bikerumor crew – please provide more info and photos on the adjustable head tube.

ElanMTB
ElanMTB
8 years ago

Since their both dwlink, reminds me of Sam Hill’s Iron Horse Sunday.

Marky
Marky
8 years ago

COOL… Turner made a carbon fibre Sunday!

John
John
8 years ago

What trail is he riding in the video? I’m assuming something in NorCal?

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