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IB16: LaMere Cycles launches the Dopamine – their own full suspension carbon fat/plus/plus fat bike

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LaMere Cycles has made a name for themselves by selling factory direct carbon frames at very enticing prices. That usually means the frames are of the open mold variety and very similar to other bikes on the market. Their new Dopamine carbon full suspension bike is apparently a different story. After testing a full suspension frame that was available from an open mold (and breaking it), LaMere designed their own frame with a proprietary mold.

The result is a crazy light carbon full suspension bike that can be built with a dizzying array of options depending on how fat or tall you want to go…

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Starting with the frame’s construction, the Dopamine is a full carbon frame that weighs in at a claimed 2170g for a medium without the axle or rear shock. Cable routing is a mix of internal and external including internal dropper routing. One of the more interesting features is the ability to swap out the rear swing arm to run either 148 x 12, 170/177 x 12 or 190/197mm x 12 rear hubs depending on your needs.

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Combined with a 100mm threaded bottom bracket, the frame can then clear a number of different tire sizes up to 29+. This bike was built with the Bontrager Hodag 27.5 x 3.8″ tires on Lamere carbon rims, but the bikes have been built up with 26 x 5″ (on 86mm rim), 27.5 x 3″, and 29 x 3″.  Depending on the wheel size, different fork travels are used to keep the geometry fairly consistent which includes a steep 69.5º head tube angle. JP LaMere says this is to keep the bike’s ride as lively as possible and more of an XC race machine than other full suspension fat bikes. Stock rear travel in fat bike mode is 140mm, but it seems like that too can be adjusted – we’re clarifying this and will report back.

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Frames start at $2200 and complete builds include an X01 build with 29 x 3″ wheels and tires at 25.4lbs for $6500 and an XT fat build with a Bluto at 25.81 lbs and $5700 – though LaMere often builds custom bikes for their customers which will probably be the case for the Dopamine since there are so many options.

lamerecycles.com

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Fan Boy
Fan Boy
7 years ago

the article states that it can run a 26″ x 5″ tire. So it will fit the only 5″ tire on the market? The Vee Tire Co Snowshoe 2XL?

JP LaMere
7 years ago
Reply to  Fan Boy

Hey FanBoy this is JP of LaMere, we have a set of the big Snowshoe 2XL tires and can try them on the 197 rear Dopamine version (we have the 177 version as well, just different rear triangle) and let you know but which rim size would you want us to try that with our 65, 85, or 90mm…..

Alex
Alex
7 years ago
Reply to  JP LaMere

Try them with the 90’s then if they don’t fit, go down from there. Let us know what the largest size rim is that they work with pretty please!
Thanks!

Haromania
Haromania
7 years ago

SAHWEET!!!

Clamps
Clamps
7 years ago

If their circa Y2K website is any indication, these are cheeseball frames. How many frames does the lifetime warranty extend to? The owner personally slams local bike shops, while attempting to devalue the services they provide. Even at the “low prices” they’re asking, you’re taken for a ride. I’d love to see what the margins on those things are. Wholesale over $300 would be a shock.

myke2241
myke2241
7 years ago
Reply to  Clamps

Same can be said about most bike manufacturers. Direct to consumers… fact is LaMere has a very good product for the price. It’s not for everyone one but still a good step forward

Haromania
Haromania
7 years ago
Reply to  Clamps

I like their web-site and the times I’ve emailed JP he’s always been very gracious with his time and he has a great reputation. If their not for you that’s fine, plenty of choices out there, but I think you come off sounding a little foolish about this company. Their prices are lower than most larger stores with larger name brands and you get more goodies like carbon hoops many times when the money is similar. In other words, exactly what his web-site says. LaMere’s are anything but cheeseball frames, plenty of people who actually own and ride them will tell you that.

cranston
cranston
7 years ago

Having worked on a few Lamere full suspension bikes for “customers” I can tell you that they are “cheeseball” and require constant linkage attention if you ride these how mountian bike should be ridden. I have also received used and rusty linkage hardware directly from JP himself. Not sure if it is still this way but you used to call Lamere and you would get JP’s cell phone. His voicemail message was “Hey this is JP leave a message.” No mention of Lamere at all. His wheels lose tension quickly as the nipples dig the carbon out of the spoke hole marginally increasing the erd, but I am sure he will have solved that with ti washers by now. Long story short as usual in this world you get what you pay for with Lamere.

JP LaMere
7 years ago

Clamps and Cranston, most of the frames we sell are open mould, or we build bikes on frames customers supply to us. The Dopamine and also our original carbon HT fat bike is our own mould. The open mould frames are good and a good value so we use those in our builds often times. But we do cool things like we just had a new carbon rear Boost triangle made for the super popular open mould 29er full suspension frame, so its half open mould half our frame.

Some of my good friends own bike shops and I want them to do well so I definitely don’t hate bike shops, and we sell many frames and wheelsets to bike shops who love our quick delivery, low price, stock, and warranty policy. But I will say there’s a big difference between local cool bike shop owned by local bike junkie who does it for the love of cycling compared to the big Trek or Specialized chain charging $9000 for a high end bike that should only cost $5000.

Now our website sure that is a little cheeseball, I made it myself as we spend no money on marketing or paying bike magazines or websites to review our products…. all word of mouth for us and I would say 99% of our customers love us….I know this because almost all our business is referrals & repeat. We would never send out a rusty replacement pivot bolt kit like Cranston says, that is ridiculous and if that’s true get in touch with us directly Cranston and we will talk and make it right….maybe it got wet & surface rust during sending or something but this is first I’ve ever heard of this.

Yes our phone directs to my cell phone, call me any time day or eve to talk bikes or visit our HQ in Minneapolis where we are pumping out, what we think, are cool custom bikes at an unbeatable price.

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