Swiss mountain bike pioneer Thömus wants to set new standards
20 years ago, the Swiss brand Thömus launched its first full-suspension carbon bike, the "Lightrider". Now comes its successor, the "Lightrider R3 Worldcup". It is lighter, stiffer and has more suspension travel than its predecessor.
Two years of development and more than 20 years of experience have gone into the new cross-country bike from Swiss brand Thömus. The "Lightrider R3 Worldcup" was presented to the public on 29 February. According to a press release, Thömus wanted to set new standards for cross-country bikes (XC bikes) with this bike. The development targets were high: it was to be the fastest bike that the Swiss company has ever developed in order to win the biggest and most important races. The new bike for Alessandra Keller, Mathias Flückiger and their team colleagues from the UCI team "Thömus maxon Swiss Mountain Bike Racing", which was presented in Oberried in the canton of Bern, weighs less than ten kilos. The frameset including shock weighs just 1876 grams.
In addition to the Olympic Games in Paris (end of July), the team's goals for the season are the World Championships in Andorra (end of August) and the World Cup, which starts in mid-April with two races in Brazil. Ralph Näf, team manager of "Thömus maxon Swiss Mountain Bike Racing" comments: "An XC bike has to be able to do everything. Whether uphill, downhill or on technical passages - every second counts. It is the most versatile bike in terms of performance and speed."
Source: Kifcat
Two and a half years of development
According to Thömus, the starting signal for the development of the new bike was given immediately after Mathias Flückiger's silver medal at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. At the time, Ralph Näf asked two questions: How is competitive cross-country racing changing? And: What requirements will a bike have to fulfil in three years' time at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris? The answer from Thömus is: "Lightrider R3 World Cup".
The new cross-country bike "Made in Switzerland" will soon be available from specialist retailers. Depending on the version, it will be available from 4990 francs.
Titelfoto: KifcatFrom radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.
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