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Morpheus DH bike - 32.3 lbs, carbon/kevlar, adjustable CS

Hesh To Steel

Monkey
Dec 12, 2007
661
1
Hell's Kitchen
Apologies if someone beat me to this.

Morpheus posted a photo of their new DH bike on Facebook a little while ago along with some interesting info.


I'm going to quote the info directly so I don't screw it up:

" Yes it can be ran single speed. Also it feature our patented teloscopic rear dropout system which give the rider chainstay ranges from 16.5 to 18.0. The frame is full carbon fiber with kevlar layer for built proof resistance. The travel is adjustable from 180mm to 225mm and any mm in between. BB is adjustable from 13.6 to 14.6 and any mm in between. The head angle is adjustable from 62.8 to 65.5 and any angle in between."

Build apparently came in at 32.3 lbs, and there is apparently no chain growth.

There's a lot of interesting ideas here so ill leave it to the RM engineers to unpack.
 
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buildyourown

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2004
4,832
0
South Seattle
Looks flexy?
Actually it does look really flexy. I'd like to see a closeup of that adjustable CS setup, but the bolts in the middle make me suspicious.
 

Tetreault

Monkey
Nov 23, 2005
877
0
SoMeWhErE NoWhErE



Morpheus is expecting a release date of December this year. Retail price is estimated to be $3300 with a shock. :eek:

Yes it can be ran single speed, and there is apparently no chain growth.
This doesn't mean a bb pivot does it?

Also it feature our patented teloscopic rear dropout system which give the rider chainstay ranges from 16.5 to 18.0
cool concept but who is ever going to want 18" chainstays anyways? 16-17 would have been more then appropriate

The frame is full carbon fiber with kevlar layer for built proof resistance
this is cool and i actually somewhat like the aesthetics of the frame, a little different then what we are used to over the last couple seasons

The travel is adjustable from 180mm to 225mm and any mm in between. BB is adjustable from 13.6 to 14.6 and any mm in between. The head angle is adjustable from 62.8 to 65.5 and any angle in between.
this is cool 63* headangle, 13.6" bb 180mm travel, 16.5" chainstays is nice geo overall

Build apparently came in at 32.3 lbs
I don't doubt it that build is heinous
 
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xy9ine

Turbo Monkey
Mar 22, 2004
2,940
353
vancouver eastside
more custom builders crawling out of the woodwork! full adjustability is fun. crap pedalling concentric (w/ no room for the bottom guide pulley) however...
 

Tetreault

Monkey
Nov 23, 2005
877
0
SoMeWhErE NoWhErE
more custom builders crawling out of the woodwork! full adjustability is fun. crap pedalling concentric (w/ no room for the bottom guide pulley) however...
Not a custom builder here, been sourcing increasing quantities to asia over the last couple years. Never hand made.

they said they dont need one because theres no chain growth :rolleyes:
something out there has got to work, or maybe a little modification to the boomerang on some guides
 

BmxConvert

Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
715
0
Longview, Washington
From their Facebook post:

Just Van, I appreciate your opinion however the frame has been designed for functionality over looks. Even though I happen to like the way the it looks she is designed that way to be the most aero dynamic frame out. The entire front end of the frame is designed in the shape of something a virtual airfoil which actually creates a pocket of air around the object behind it. So even if our frame is a 1% more efficient than all other frames, the added efficiency would increase your position in an average World Cup between five and ten places. So you see the overall shape is secondary to us and functionality is the most important thing
So aerodynamics is more important than wheel path and pedaling characteristics?
Aerodynamics will move you up 5-10 places in World Cup races is same principle as Edelbrock stickers adding 15hp to any vehicle right?
 
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no skid marks

Monkey
Jan 15, 2006
2,511
29
ACT Australia
Nice layup,not my favourite design. Would be fun specced down as a 4X bike.
It'd "jack" under brakes too.
Shame cause I think it looks good, higher pivot and I'd rock it. Or just whole new suspension design..
 
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IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
Aerodynamics will move you up 5-10 places in World Cup races is same principle as NOS stickers adding 15hp to any vehicle right?
ftfy.
seriously, a 1% difference would gain that much of a difference? gwin would really be unstoppable on this!


i actually think the frame looks pretty good. kinda reminds me of a Foes Zig Zag. the CS looks a bit odd but i guess if it works...
 
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Mo(n)arch

Turbo Monkey
Dec 27, 2010
4,441
1,422
Italy/south Tyrol
The wheelpath is not really considered what we call "ideal" on a DH bike. Completely up and forward is not what I want from a DH-bike.
Also Leverage ratio? Any word on that?
Pretty interesting concept though. And I like the design.:thumb:
 

trib

not worthy of a Rux.
Jun 22, 2009
1,456
388
Appreciate new bikes being built, but to refer to the adage:

'New ideas are just old ones we've forgotten'

there is a reason why we don't use bb pivots anymore. No brake arm isn't going to help either. There's a reason the bb pivot was forgotten, it's ****.

Also those infinitely adjustable screws seem a great way to have misaligned shock eyelets.

I quite like the look though,
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
Just wondering why the huge alloy dropout? Yeah it's adjustable but is it. Necessary? Tidy work though :)
They do the same on their DJ bikes. It's their "special" thing. I don't know why but I guess they want to be different for the sake of different.

To be honest this design makes me sad. So much potential and so much fail.


btw. They claim their fancy shmancy dropout thing in dj bike isn't flexy and is durable. I don't see how but maybe they have a deal with Tony Stark or something and we are wrong.
 

dylan s

Chimp
Jan 16, 2010
63
0
Morpheus cycles is bringing the hate on evil

From there facebook page - Morpheus cycles "So it more no?. Also you more than welcome to trust it if you like. They still have over 500 customers waiting over 1 year for a replacement from there defective dh frames"

Having ridden neither, i'd put my money down for an undead before a morpheus.

Also from there facebook - Morpheus Cycles "I just saw that vitalmtb.com got wind of this post and put it on there home page. There was so much ignorance about the bike in the comments section I didn't even comment. Its the Vimana all over again. Everyone will hate on it and when it proves to redefine the industry they will all hide or pretend they believed in it the whole time."
 
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Morpheus cycles is bringing the hate on evil


Also from there facebook - Morpheus Cycles "I just saw that vitalmtb.com got wind of this post and put it on there home page. There was so much ignorance about the bike in the comments section I didn't even comment. Its the Vimana all over again. Everyone will hate on it and when it proves to redefine the industry they will all hide or pretend they believed in it the whole time."
God thats just petty.

I like the infinate adjustabality concept but BB pivot, really????
must be a slopestyle thing being carried over. (tho a singlespeed DH rig would cut out a lot of drivetrain issues)
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
Morpheus cycles is bringing the hate on evil

From there facebook page - Morpheus cycles "So it more no?. Also you more than welcome to trust it if you like. They still have over 500 customers waiting over 1 year for a replacement from there defective dh frames"

Having ridden neither, i'd put my money down for an undead before a morpheus.

Also from there facebook - Morpheus Cycles "I just saw that vitalmtb.com got wind of this post and put it on there home page. There was so much ignorance about the bike in the comments section I didn't even comment. Its the Vimana all over again. Everyone will hate on it and when it proves to redefine the industry they will all hide or pretend they believed in it the whole time."
That kinda explains the bike. They just know better.
 

Wa-Aw

Monkey
Jul 30, 2010
354
0
Philippines
God thats just petty.

I like the infinate adjustabality concept but BB pivot, really????
must be a slopestyle thing being carried over. (tho a singlespeed DH rig would cut out a lot of drivetrain issues)
I absolutely agree that in theory a BB concentric pivot makes the bikes useless for anything but big hits and being a SS hipster...

But I also want to know what it's like to ride a long travel BB concentric pivot bike. Is there any out there that someone has tried? I rode an old turner DHR which had a pretty low pivot. It plowed surprisingly better than I was expecting. But apples and oranges, I'm sure it's still hugely different.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
I absolutely agree that in theory a BB concentric pivot makes the bikes useless for anything but big hits and being a SS hipster...

But I also want to know what it's like to ride a long travel BB concentric pivot bike. Is there any out there that someone has tried? I rode an old turner DHR which had a pretty low pivot. It plowed surprisingly better than I was expecting. But apples and oranges, I'm sure it's still hugely different.

There were a few small companies that did bikes like them. The one I tried felt so bad Id rather have a hardtail than it.
 

4130biker

PM me about Tantrum Cycles!
May 24, 2007
3,882
447
Wasn't the damping/adjustibility in most shocks garbage in the day of the Rotec and Lenz concentric bikes? Could a shock be a decent patch for this design?
Seems like old ideas can sometimes be reused if technology in other areas improves enough to make up for it. I could be wrong though!
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,030
5,918
borcester rhymes
corner like a banshee, pedal like a trampoline. Brake like a hardtail. Forget it, move along people.







What are two things all these frames have in common? BB Concentric pivots and nobody makes them anymore. Having actually owned a bike with a BB pivot, I know why.
 

blackohio

Generous jaywalker
Mar 12, 2009
2,773
122
Hellafornia. Formerly stumptown.
Sounds like some pretty stupid bull**** being said by the morpheus dudes.


Im sorry but aerodynamics? really. How often are we pinned in a straight lined. DH bikes change direction so often that i'd venture to guess that a frames aero efficiency has so little to do a riders timing its not noticeable.

...and that rear end looks like ****.
 
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dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,194
4,419
Maybe morpheus is trying to "win the speed trap" like the yeti guys ;)
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
Sounds like some pretty stupid bull**** being said by the morpheus dudes.


Im sorry but aerodynamics? really. How often are we pinned in a straight lined. DH bikes change direction so often that i'd venture to guess that a frames aero efficiency has so little to do a riders timing its not noticeable.

...and that rear end looks like ****.
Looking at the whole skinsuit affair aerodynamics matter but it is the same stupid idea as believing shock placement has a significant influence on the bike+rider CoG. Silly ideas often come from people thinking bikes ride on their own.
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
ftfy.
seriously, a 1% difference would gain that much of a difference? gwin would really be unstoppable on this!
Well, 1% on a 4 minute track is ~2.4 seconds. So ya, 2.4 seconds is probably about 5-10 places on average. Maybe even more.

(Just playing devil's advocate here)
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,030
5,918
borcester rhymes
Well, 1% on a 4 minute track is ~2.4 seconds. So ya, 2.4 seconds is probably about 5-10 places on average. Maybe even more.

(Just playing devil's advocate here)
too bad you have a 40mm triple crown fork and big rider dude wearing baggy clothing to push air past before you even get to the frame. I'd bet you're looking at an aerodynamic area significantly smaller than the any other part of the bike, coupled with what affect, if any, this bikes shape would have on it. I think the overall percentage would be miniscule in an air tunnel.

but it's fun to hype your **** on the internet.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
too bad you have a 40mm triple crown fork and big rider dude wearing baggy clothing to push air past before you even get to the frame. I'd bet you're looking at an aerodynamic area significantly smaller than the any other part of the bike, coupled with what affect, if any, this bikes shape would have on it. I think the overall percentage would be miniscule in an air tunnel.

but it's fun to hype your **** on the internet.
Maybe they just hired the Tollwut marketing guy ;)
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
too bad you have a 40mm triple crown fork and big rider dude wearing baggy clothing to push air past before you even get to the frame. I'd bet you're looking at an aerodynamic area significantly smaller than the any other part of the bike, coupled with what affect, if any, this bikes shape would have on it. I think the overall percentage would be miniscule in an air tunnel.

but it's fun to hype your **** on the internet.

Yes I'm aware of that. I was just commenting on the 1%=5-10 places part.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,030
5,918
borcester rhymes
Yes I'm aware of that. I was just commenting on the 1%=5-10 places part.
wasn't pointed at you, just saying. Everything about this bike makes me want to punch kittens, right down to its 15" bb height. I think it would be a fun bike for a bike park (like highland), if they made it 6" of travel and out of steel or aluminum. BB concentrics are very fun bikes, they love to jump and corner, they just don't like bumps or pedaling. IE, not good for WC/any DH