Mcgoo, of Biltwell, Chop Cult, and Snafu fame sent over this press release, about some big wheeled hellride bikes…-
COMING THIS SUMMER: SNAFU Urban Freeride/DJ MTB’s
Steady lurkers on the SNAFU Facebook and website have no doubt seen my rambling tomes to all things new, improved and high-tech.
Well, this July I will be heading to Taiwan to inspect production on SNAFU’s Crenshaw and Hawthorne UDJ MTB’s, our humble brand’s first foray into full-stop bikes for full-sized riders. As fun bikes go, I’m as proud of these machines as any in my career. Erik Westergaard at Bulletproof Concepts and SNAFU MTB pro Mike Montgomery provided invaluable input during both bikes’ development, and we couldn’t have created these machines without them. Thanks, gentlemen.
The MSRP $1,299 SNAFU Crenshaw and $999 Hawthorne UDJ MTB’s are built on the same SNAFU Crenshaw Project frame.
This chassis features small-diameter straight-gauge 4130 chromoly tubing with an externally butted seat mast, butted and tapered rear stays and a CNC-machined 4130 chromoly head tube for integrated headsets. Braze-ons include removable T/T cable guide/stops leading to a set of removable U-brake bosses on the underside of the seatstays, plus the standard battery of hydro cable guides leading to the rear disk caliper mounts on the left rear dropout. Said dropouts are laser-cut 6mm 4130 chromoly. The weight of the frame only is 2.69k/5.8 lb. This is a laudible accomplishment for a full-featured rigid freeride MTB frame.
In a nod to SNAFU’s freestyle roots, the Crenshaw Project frame also features removable cable stops on the head tube for setting the bike up with a cable detangler. This is in fact how the Crenshaw complete bike comes stock, and SNAFU’s C-lever, Mobeus detanlger and UDJ-specific top and bottom AstroGlide cables control the Tektro Lyra mechanical rear disk brake. The SNAFU Crenshaw is the first complete UDJ MTB to come equipped with proven SNAFU freestyle brake accessories, and this spec makes the Crenshaw superbly well suited for progressive trail and street riding.
No conversation about handling and performance would be complete without mentioning geometry. The Crenshaw Project frame measures up as follows:
T/T length – 22.5″
H/T angle = 72°
S/M angle = 72°
BB height (center to ground with 457mm long/3″ travel fork) = 12.75″
Chainstay length (center to center) = 15.5″
Wheelbase = 40.125″
The combination of a short rear end, spacious front compartment and steep head angle, comparatively speaking, makes the Crenshaw and its stablemate a balanced bike for manuals and an able carver on trails and tarmac. In short, it handles like a oversized BMX machine, which in the age of brakeless bikes with one-inch-long seatposts isn’t a bad thing.
