This is an exciting post to write. Not only because it profiles the Gnarpoon project by Worthing’s Sick Bicycle Co., but also because it features the work of Frank ‘The Welder’ Wadelton. Sick’s Gnarpoon is the latest contract to be built by Frank, and it is fully sick.
The core of the project is the Gnarpoon: a Made-In-The-USA hardcore full-suspension trail weapon MTB, designed by Sick Bicycle Co. and currently attempting to get funded on Indiegogo.
Avid followers of the custom industry must have come across Sick Bicycle Co. previously. They’ve been building and riding handmade hardcore steel bikes for a while now and sending them successfully to customers at home and across the Atlantic.
One of the prohibitive costs for US and Canadian customers buying a bike from the UK is the cost of freight, so Sick came up with the idea of making them in the US. And if there’s one builder who can handle a big order of complicated full-sus frames, it’s FTW.
Frank’s contribution to mountain bike culture is undeniable. A Hall Of Fame inductee, he’s championed the use of aluminum within the industry, building frames for numerous brands like Yeti, Spooky, Sinister, Mongoose and Turner.
The Gnarpoon is offered as a 4130 steel or 6061-T6 aluminum frame, in 160/150mm or 180/170mm travel build configurations. It’s versatile enough to be a full-on DH rig, or an agile and speedy single crown fork race or trail bike.
Sick Bicycle Co. previously specialized in serious steel frames, but recognize that some riders appreciate the sharper action of an aluminum frame. The geometry of the two are identical, and are interchangeable with the same swingarm and cable mounts.
They’ve future-proofed the frame, so it’s a lifer: ZS tapered headset, a 31.6mm dropper post, 148mm hub, and 73mm threaded BB. It comes equipped with standard bearings and replaceable dropouts.
This could very well be the long-term off-road trail-muncher you’ve been looking for. I know it’s mine, from reading about Frank’s work in the early issues of DIRT magazine and having an appreciation for quality handmade frames.
Find out more on the Gnarpoon Indiegogo page.
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