In 2013 RSD Bikes made a big hit on the Fatbike Scene with the introduction of their Mayor Fatbike. Being a Canadian based company, their product naturally sparked our attention, not to mention the bike was loaded with quality components at a comfortable price-point.
What's new for this company in 2016? We just spoke with Mark from RSD at their Interbike Booth. Mark brought us in on some of the changes the company has made over the last year.
They have streamlined themselves to focus on fatbikes and plus bikes, which they feel they do best. They have added a sleek looking “700cc+” gravel-grinder to the mix, called the Catalyst. The plus sized gravel bike rounds out their quartet of bikes, comprised of the 27.5+ “Sargent”, the 29+ “Big Chief”, and, of course, their full on fatbike, the Mayor.
Their iconic Mayor hits 2016 with a bold colourway that RSD is calling “Blazing Orange”. It's definitely hot! The bike is also available in Titanium. Besides the new look, RSD has been busy re-working some of the fundamental frame designs from the ground up.
They have created a custom yoke so you can now run the widest tires on the market without issue (so far, says Mark, they ran 5.05” tires on 80mm rims with no issues). If the Fatbike trend continues to grow in the direction we are seeing, with wider and wider tires coming out each year, this bike has you covered and will keep pace with the growing industry standards.
The frame is also cast in all new hydroformed tubing, which looks really awesome, shaves some weight, and adds strength where it's needed most.
Finally, where there used to be quick releases there are now thru-axles to really fortify the frame, adding torsional stiffness and strength overall.
The basic Mayor comes in Blazing Orange or Raw Clearcoat. There are different fork options as well, besides the stock fork: a rigid RSD custom carbon fork, or a120mm suspended Bluto. The frame is also available in Titanium (who's geometry is a hold-over from the 2015 Mayor), with a carbon seatpost, carbon handlebars, and carbon rims.
You'll be happy to know that RSD has their custom carbon fat and plus wheelsets for purchase separately, as well, if you're looking for a deliciously lightweight upgrade your current wheelset.
The Aluminum Mayor is available in three different Build Kits, and the Titanium version is offered in two Build Kits.
The Aluminum Mayor frame specs are as follows:
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Head Tube: 44mm
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Fork Length: 490mm (100mm)
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Bottom Bracket: 100mm BSA
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Drop-Out: 12mm Maxle
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Rear Spacing: 197mm
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Seat Post Clamp: 34.9mm
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Seat Post: 30.9mm
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Max Tire Size: 5.25in
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Max Fork Length: 510mm Axle to Crown (120mm Travel)
For detailed information on what is in each of their Build Kits, visit www.RSDBIKES.com.
The Canadian based company's efforts to streamline have really paid off, and their new 2016 offerings in the fat and plus-size world are more impressive than ever before! You'll definitely want to check them out
Happy trails!