Drover Cycles is launching a product development wing, with our first offering – the SubZero stem – slated for debut this summer.
The SubZero has been driven by the recent trend for ‘forward geometry’ mountain bike design and places handlebars behind the head tube, rather than in front of it.
We signed up with Mondraker earlier this year because forward geometry is clearly where mountain bikes are heading.
The new design approach has seen frames getting longer and slacker and stems shorter and shorter.
We think the natural progression has to be to a minus stem, hence the SubZero.
We’ve had local riders testing our prototypes and the feedback has been incredible. The upshot is we’re backing the development ourselves, and hopefully getting the jump on the big boys!
Test rides have demonstrated how moving the handlebars to a rearward position improves weight distribution in descents.
Centre of gravity is shifted naturally towards the back of the bike but, we assure, the differences are subtle enough to ensure climbing ability is unaffected.
With a set up like this, you might expect to see a lot of front wheel lift when you’re climbing, but the SubZero is surprisingly stable, even on steep and techy ascents.
Inevitably, it really comes into its own when you point the bike downhill. This is unashamedly a component for the enduro generation!
The SubZero – seen above on our Mondraker Factor – is being developed in Spain.
Plans are to CNC machine the stem from a solid billet of 6082 aluminium alloy, with manufacturing to take place here in the UK. The SubZero will come initially in 20mm, 30mm and 40mm lengths.
Development manager Abril Papanatas commented: ‘We’re very excited to be teaming up with Drover Cycles. Mondraker’s Forward Geometry concept in inspiring the very best in forward thinking and it’s great to be a part of it.’