Racking up Miles in Road-Mode
This year at Sea Otter we introduced our new paradigm shifting do-it-all drop bar bike - the Thesis Project N1 Prototype. Using our novel dropout design, it transforms from a fast and responsive road bike into a stable and capable gravel bike in just a couple minutes.
It's only appropriate that we would launch this bike at Sea Otter, as we first began discussing the concept in 2019 while walking the show. I had brought Randall over to Rondo's booth, where they had a drop-bar bike with an odd looking flip-chip fork on it. While I agreed with Randall that the geometry change achieved with their fork was the opposite of what we would want to do, we both knew that adjustable geometry would be the next step in taking the one-bike philosophy of the OB1 we were showing that year to its ultimate manifestation.
It took five years, a pandemic, a new component brand, and many miles to get here, but here we are!
Ease of use was a primary design requirement when we started working on this bike, because if the process of switching this bike between geometries wasn't super quick and easy people wouldn't end up using its full capability. We're happy to report that the system will be easy enough for novice mechanics to use reliably and frequently.
Using the rear sliding dropouts and flip chip fork (still under production) Project N1's racy road geometry slackens substantially, while extending the rear center from a tight 415mm chainstay length to a much more stable 435mm. The bottom bracket also drops, maintaining that "in the bike" feel, even when running plush 700x51mm tires.
What's next?
We'll keep you all updated as we continue to rack up miles on our test steeds. Early ride impressions have been fantastic; after taking it up SoCal's Mt Baldy over Memorial Day weekend it is abundantly clear that this is one hell of a road bike. Composed yet precise, it absolutely rails turns, while pointing it uphill you get fantastic power transfer and ride feel.
In our upcoming newsletter, we're hoping to have some dropout refinements to share with you, as well as an update on the progress we have made on our Logos Duo Fork, which will be featured on Project N1 when it goes to production.