Being a small business owner can be a rough road. And, being a small business owner in the cycling industry with a passion for perfection can be an especially-challenging prospect. Just ask Tony Ellsworth of Ellsworth Handcrafted Bicycles how challenging it has been to run such business for the past 25 years.
I’ve personally known Ellsworth for quite some time and I can’t fault him for his passion. No question, if you want to be successful, you have to take risks and, in turn, ruffle some feathers in the process. I’ve grown to appreciate his drive and business goals and can relate to the challenges he’s faced over the years.
Now under new ownership, Ellsworth Handcrafted Bicycles is continuing forward with Ellsworth able to focus entirely on product development without worrying about day-to-day operations. Ellsworth 2.0, if you will, now has the resources to design bikes that will perform to the high standards Ellsworth intends. The first bike to hit the dirt under this renewed direction is the enduro/trail Rogue Sixty. Engineered from the ground-up to be efficient and active on all terrain while also adopting all the latest standards, the Rogue Sixty looks every bit like it will give the Ellsworth brand the shot in the arm it needs.
I got a run-down of the new bike and all the effort that went into it while at PressCamp and it is impressive.
More highlights of the Rogue Sixty:
- Utilizes ACTIVE Energy Efficient Suspension design (essentially ICT 2.0) with shorter rockers
- 27.5″ wheels with 160mm travel front and rear via Fox shocks/forks
- Ultra-stiff rear triangle with dual-row angular contact bearings and Hex-taper axle featuring Boost 148 spacing
- Short, 16.55 in chainstays (420mm), slack 66-deg head angle and steep 74-deg seat tube
- Accommodation for Di2 battery in down-tube
- 73mm threaded bottom-bracket
- Dedicated 1x frame with no derailleur mount
- ISCG-05 chain guide compatible
- All-new monocoque carbon front triangle with internal cable routing, including stealth dropper
- Frame sizes feature progressive stack/reach
- Two water bottle mounts — one inside the front triangle (huzzah!)
- 5-year warranty
- Full build-kits available with frames starting at $3600 and complete build kits starting at $6500
- Available starting in September 2016
In person, the Rogue Sixty is one of the most stunning bikes I’ve seen. And, although I didn’t get a chance to swing a leg over one, the word at PressCamp was that it was immediately comfortable and noticeably-stiff.
More Info: Visit EllsworthBikes.com
