Why start Tantrum Cycles? 

The short answer? To get it out there. 

Since the advent of suspension for mountain bikes, the traditional goals of plush suspension action for comfort, traction and control has been at odds with the desire to minimize rider induced suspension action due to pedaling and weight transfer due to climbing.

Until now, it has never been accomplished.

The top reviewers and press in the mountain bike world have ridden and confirmed the Missing Link's unique capabilities

Here's what Pinkbike's Richard Cunningham had to say:

The Missing Link “does the impossible; pedals like a hardtail and delivers a plush ride over bumps-without levers or electronics” 

 ”The Missing Link delivers the goods. Compared to the current crop of carbon superbikes, the Tantrum Meltdown performs well on the downs - essential for any 160-millimeter trail bike-and its pedaling action is better than all of them”. 

  http://www.pinkbike.com/news/first-ride-tantrum... 

 Zach Overholt at Bike Rumor has this to say:

 “I’d go so far as saying the Meltdown may be one of the best climbing 160mm travel enduro bikes I’ve ridden.-

 “the suspension remains surprisingly supple while climbing, yet offers a supremely efficient climb.-excellent small bump absorption, yet climbs and pedals way better than the travel should allow.” 

 Zach concludes: “It’s – mindboggling because the design carries with it all the suspension clichés that have become so commonly thrown around, only this actually works.”

http://www.bikerumor.com/2016/11/03/tantrum-cyc...

Even in tech-savvy Germany, the bike's design is turning heads:

Eurobike'16-Tantrum Cycles Missing Link, the new Superbike?

http://twentynineinches-de.com/2016/09/13/eurob... 

The above statements are important, but in reality, only half the story. At least equally important is the geometry change that can occur when climbing. The Missing Link is able to fully extend the rear shock during steep climbs, while still maintaining full bump absorbing capabilities. This extension, coupled with more fork compression due to the forward rider position, can effectively be up to 3-4 degrees steeper in the head tube and seat tube, than another bike of similar travel, with similar static geometry. 

Simply put, this puts the rider in a much better position on the bike, more over the pedals and handlebar, enabling more of the rider’s energy to go directly into pedaling. It’s so much easier to climb, because you are focused on pedaling and the terrain, not trying to maintain a good position on the bike while feeling as if you’re falling off the back. 

On a long travel trail or enduro bike, this translates into easier climbs , with more energy at the top for the fun stuff to come. For a short travel cross country bike, this translates into time. It is said that cross country races are won on the climbs. The Missing Link offers a quantifiable time advantage on a climb.

At the same time, the ability for the Missing Link to engage the suspension at speed allows the geometry and head tube angle to relax, further increasing the advantage of the "adaptive" geometry over conventional designs.

The intuitively variable suspension performance, combined with the adaptive geometry combines for a ride like no other.

Listen to what demo riders and actual paying customers have to say:

"climbing this shallow rock covered grade. The Outburst was - I'll just say what I said to Brian after riding through there - it was like cheating. I had all the traction from riding my FS bike through there, and none of the fighting the suspension. Standing up and shifting the bike around, the bike pedaled like my hardtail, but I had traction for days."

"did not bottom out the bike at all, nor did I ever get the sense that it wasn't THE most plush bike I've ever ridden. Yet, it still pedaled as well - better? - than the best bikes I've ridden." co

"it rails corners with confidence""it wouldn’t get out of shape when hitting roots in corners at speed. Normally I would expect a bike to feel “skittery” in situations like that, but this bike felt planted, both front and rear. This one of the best f*cking bikes I have ever ridden. It’s in the “one bike for pretty much everything” category." ay

"You don't have to think about the changing shock leverage. The rear suspension just seems to respond with exactly what is needed in any situation."Yes, the bike behaved exactly as advertised. Yes, I think it will be my next bike. I'm going to trust that the competency and poise I felt on the short downhill bursts will translate onto bigger terrain. I'm going to believe that the traction and efficiency I felt on these short climbs will carry me up and over the top of something larger. And I have no reason not to." bz

"long story short it's an unbelievable bike. "

"The tantrum is different. The first few pedal strokes out the drive way it's instantly noticeable, the bike accelerates faster than any other FS I've ridden. Coming out of corners the bike always seems more composed and faster. The section of trail I rode, lizard, has some bumpy parts where I usually put in a couple of pedal strokes while still going down a -15% hill. The transition to and from bumps and pedaling was completely seamless--even going downhill."

"Going up smooth stuff, it's like it's locked out. Once the bumps start to come, it's still composed, and it's plush over the bumps.""The crazy thing about it is the grip and what happens at the front end when climbing. The bike just doesn't wander at all. It has crazy grip. I'm used to struggling to pedal up steep stuff while struggling to keep the rear tire from spinning and the front tire on the ground steering. This bike was just easier. "

"I went down a trail called rattelsnake, it's a rock garden that's very awkward. it has loose rocks and ruts and there is no rhythm to it. There are narrow rocky chutes and 1-2' successive drop offs that seem perfectly arranged for a maximum OTB launch. I'm always careful riding a bike for the first time and half way down the trail I just realized I could go faster, and then as I picked up speed I realized I could go faster still and wondered why I had gone so slow at the beginning. it was super stable, didn't try and send me over the bars at all and didn't get hung up in any of the holes. "

"This bike actually pedals better than a cross country bike and descends as well as an enduro bike. ""This summer is going to be amazing!" li
 

 Who else is talking?

                                             Brandon Turman enjoying a Meltdown

Vital MTB had a chance to ride it. States Brandon Turman, "I can confirm that this bike does indeed pedal incredibly well without sacrificing traction in the same manner that many other bikes do"

Added Brandon "On the gas, I was instantly surprised by just how quickly it responded to hard pedal inputs. Even though it has 160mm of travel, it stands up and accelerates with a gusto comparable to a good bike with 50-60mm less travel"" the corresponding burst of uphill speed was nothing short of impressive. I actually found climbing fun during these sprint efforts. At no point did I notice any harsh pedal feedback while pedaling over bumps. Unlike a hardtail, the rear wheel stayed pretty well glued to the ground through the rough stuff.​"

On the Downhills, Turman concludes"the bike has a great ability to maintain speed, in large part thanks to its pedaling traits for those smooth sections of trail between features. In most instances you get the sense that you're on a lighter bike with a low perceived weight.""It has a precise nature that allows you to change lines easily. "

"Those willing to take a risk on a startup and an unproven build might find reward in a revolutionary trail ride."

" "its design allows for the rear shock to be fully extended on step climbs, all while retaining bump absorption capabilities. This", says founder Brian Berthold, "will effectively offer an extra 3 to 4-degrees in steepness at the head tube during a climb that comparable travel bikes."

   Mountain Bikes are generally either good at climbing uphill, or good at absorbing bumps. But the holy grail of MTB suspension design is one that’s good at both."                       

Why start Tantrum Cycles? So you can ride one. It is such an unbelievable joy to have people be able to enjoy your work. Amazingly fulfilling that they can appreciate and OWN something that is the culmination of vast life and professional experience, topped with an unceasing desire to not just improve what is available, but to actually re-imagine what might be possible. And achieve that goal. 

By supporting Tantrum Cycles, you are helping one man realize his goal of making his designs available, not to everyone, but to discerning riders that actually believe there is more left in the development of modern mountain bike suspension.

The video below shows how the horizontal forces on the chainstay interact with the vertical bump forces on the shock.

It does this by using a novel (MISSING) link,, which, by reacting to the fore/aft horizontal forces on it, will control the amount and quality of the suspension travel to provide only what is needed for the given conditions. Additionally, it will also provide the optimum geometry available for the conditions.  

It can provide a much steeper climbing geometry than you could normally use on an all around bike. Eventually what goes up must come down, so in turn it allows much slacker geometry when the Missing Link allows the suspension to fall into its travel at speed or pointing downhill. 

The Missing Link does allow the suspension travel to vary from essential zero, under maximum power, to whatever the maximum limit of the bike is, and provide unprecedented ability to absorb bumps for that amount of travel due to the manipulation of the spring force as needed, as well as the initial rearward wheel trajectory.

The graph below shows how the Missing Link can modify spring force at the wheel, in either a positive or negative direction, depending on forward acceleration or bump and braking forces.

 Missing Link Peformance Features   

 Virtual hardtail on steep, smooth terrain  

 Very steep climbing geometry (ST and HT)

 Higher BB when climbing  

 Instant reaction to bumps, even while climbing  

 Stiff, short travel suspension with moderate geometry while sprinting on level ground  

 Instant reaction to bumps, even while sprinting  

 Slacker geometry at higher speed and/or downhill

 Very plush suspension reaction to bumps as spring rate falls during initial bump travel  

 Suspension does not wallow in travel due to ML  

 Bottomless feel due to rising rate in last part of travel  

 Initial rearward axle path to further aid square edge bump absorption

 Immediately slacker geometry upon application of rear brake  

 Slower “topout” reaction of suspension when encountering a jump lip or other bump that would have a tendency to kick the back up. This is due to the increase in rebound force from sag to full extension, a result of the rapidly changing motion ration in this range of travel. This helps prevent the rider from going over the bars in steep, bumpy terrain.

 Packaged in a compact design that can be optimized for any specialty and travel range, from full on 10” travel downhill bike to a 29” cross country race bike and everything in between. Offering advantages to each category that until now have been unattainable.  

 This design utilizes very short, stiff and light links. The ST, BB and main pivot are tied in with the shock mount resulting in high chassis stiffness. This avoids the long, curved links and separation of ST and BB that compromise stiffness of many designs.

Modular Design allows multiple configurations

The modular design of the Meltdown/Outburst series offers many unique advantages.  

By changing the bolt-on dropouts, you can use either 142 x 12 OR 148 x 12 Boost wheels. (148 x 12 is standard).  

By changing the dropouts, rocker arms, shock and shock mount, Either Meltdown or Outburst frame can be configured into one of 5 different models. With the right parts mix and front fork);  

You can turn a standard Meltdown (27.5 x 160 mm travel/160 fork) into:  

Meltdown RACE: Slacker geo, 180mm fork, 160 mm rr, 27.5 fr & rr

Outburst: 140 mm fork, 125 mm rr, 29” fr and rr  

Outburst RACE:: 150 mm fork, slacker geo, 125 mm rear, 29" fr & rr

Outburst XC: Steeper geo, 125 mm fork, 125 mm rr, 29” fr and rr

Downburst: 150 mm x 29 front, 165 mm x 27.5 rear

The Outburst can be similarly configured into all models with a parts swap.

                                               bolt on dropouts allow modular configurability

                                          Clean, all internal routing for dropper and rear derailleur

                                                            External brake line routing

                                             Room for Large water bottle in all size frames

 REWARDS  

Note: All indiegogo frames will be hand serialized, signed and noted as indiegogo exclusives.  

 Frame add on upgrades

The following upgrades can be made to ANY frame award selected. Simply increase your total pledge by the amount listed. We will confirm all upgrades via email and invoice. 

Misc components

UPGRADE to an installed FSA ORBITHeadset for $90 

UPGRADE to an installed Cane Creek Angle Set for $160 

Suspension

UPGRADE to a DVO Topaz shock by adding $175 to your pledge.

UPGRADE to an Xfusion Sweep or Trace Roughcut HLR fork for $620

UPGRADE to an Xfusion Metric 180 mm fork for $880 

UPGRADE to a DVO Diamond fork for $750 

Wheels

UPGRADE to DT Swiss M1700 Spline 30 mm internal width for $550 

UPGRADE to DT Swiss EX 1501 Spline One 30 mm int width for $720 

UPGRADE to DT Swiss XMC 1200 Spline 30 mm int width for $1100

Brakes

UPGRADE to Magura MT 5 brakes w 180/160 mm Storm disc for $275

UPGRADE to Magura MT 6 brakes w 180/160 mm Storm Disc for $355

UPGRADE to Magura MT Trail w 180/160 mm Storm Disc for $355

UPGRADE to Magura MT Trail Carbon brakes w 180/160 mm Storm Disc for $525

Gears

UPGRADE to SRAM Eagle 12 speed, complete, no crank. 

Incl : XO1 Eagle XG-1295 12 sp cassette

XO1 Eagle 12 sp Rear Derailleur

XO1 Eagle 12 sp trigger shifter

PC XO1 Powerchain

SRAM/Truvativ GXP 73 mm threaded bottom bracket

For $$800

UPGRADE to all of the above, plus:

SRAM Descendant Crankset, with 32 t N/W chainring, for $930

UPGRADE to complete Eagle package plus:

SRAM XO1 Eagle 12 sp carbon crank, with 32 T NW chainring for $1115

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Specs Meltdown/Outburst

 • 160 mm (125 mm Outburst) rear travel Missing Link suspension

 • Boost spacing (optional 142 mm dropouts available) 

 • 31.6 mm seat post • 73mm thd BB • Room for a Large water bottle

 • Short, 429 mm (434 mm Outburst) chainstays

 • Post mount rear brake with replaceable threaded inserts

 • Short seat tube on all sizes allows longer dropper post

 • All internal dropper post cable routing 

 • All internal rear derailleur cable routing 

 • External brake line routing 

 • Optional 2x drivetrain capability 

 • Frame weight, M, no shock; 3150 gms= 6 lb, 15oz

 • Frame weight with Xfusion rear shock; 3422= 7 lb, 9 oz 

 • 1-1/8 x 1-1/5 tapered head tube

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How to decide which build is for you   

All of our builds feature DT Swiss wheels, Maxxis tires, Magura brakes, DVO and Xfusion suspension, SRAM shifters and WTB saddles. FSA and Gravity grid make up the majority of other components. These are all long time and highly regarded component companies with stellar reputations. 

 hubs and wheels have long been a favorite and we're very happy that they have a range of wheels with 30 mm internal width, to fit our group sets.  

 suspension has worked hand in hand with Tantrum to insure the forks and shocks are optimized to our specifications. While the lower priced versions lack some adjustability, they offer stellar performance for the price.

 suspension is regarded among the best and most adjustable on the market. 'nuff said.

 brakes offer excellent performance across the price range, which allows us to offer them exclusively, with the new for 2017 Trail version offering great power, bite and modulation with 4 piston front/2 piston rear calipers.

 have long been industry standards and personal favorites.

Here's a little insight into how we chose the component groups for various backer levels. After very careful consideration, we settled on four build levels.

At the lowest priced level, we wanted to offer the best possible value at the lowest price. The caveat was that all of the components had to perform at a base level. That means every component must be cable of serious mountain bike terrain, including extremely technical. They also must be able to survive such use. This is what we came up with. The LowDough. Yes, at this base price, you have to lower your saddle manually (all other builds come with a dropper), but this is a value priced bike you can ride any terrain. These builds are around 30 pounds complete, no pedals  

The next level up, the WorkingMan, is indeed, for every discriminating woman or man. This build has important upgrades at almost every component from suspension to brakes to shifters and wheels. A dropper post is also included. The upgrades save weight and improve performance and reliability for the more serious and avid rider, that might more regularly ride tougher terrain. The build is intended to use the "sweet spot" of component technology. That is to say, use components that are close enough to the best in order to utilize most of the technology, while avoiding the price. These builds are around 29 pounds with no pedals.  

The RACE build is just that. It is intended for the rider that wants to race enduro, or even downhill on their Tantrum. It includes a longer travel, higher performance fork, slacker head tube angle, upgraded rear shock, lighter but stronger wheels and more powerful brakes. A lighter crank and saddle help keep the weight under 29 pounds, no pedals.

Now...........enter the DDS. Let's face it, if you can afford it, a top end build kit is SWEET!!! The lightest, strongest, best performing kit available. Featuring carbon rims, crank, handlebar and brake levers, and top line suspension, the SRAM Eagle 12 speed tops off a ride for the most discerning rider with a higher budget. These bikes tip in around 28 pounds, sans pedals.

NOTE: In the event of non-availability of a certain component, we reserve the right to substitute with a component of equal or higher value

                                                       Meltdown in Illusion Black

                                      Reward Build Specification for Meltdown  

                                                                 Outburst in Blueberry

                                         Reward Build Specification for Outburst           

                                  Reward build specification for Downburst    

_________________________________________________________

Tantrum pint glass. Cheers!

The Theory of Evolution (of the mountain bike)

For Formal Occasion.....

Who is Tantrum Cycles?

The Man Behind Tantrum

The man who created Tantrum Cycles is relentlessly driven to improve things. Things that he is passionate about and enjoys daily. For whatever reasons, for Brian Berthold, those things always seem to involve speed. Even as a kid, bikes were being modified. Wheels, tires, gears, frames; it was mix and match with whatever worked. There were even a few ill-fated attempts at adding suspension (to a StingRay) where there was none.

Bikes and wooden crate downhill carts were soon augmented with motorcycles and real karts. Where to channel this passion was an issue at first. With no chance of college and the impending Vietnam era draft looming, Berthold chose to enlist in the Air Force, serving a 3 year stint in the test ranges of Nevada. The desert was good for racing motorcycles, which Brian was already involved in and would continue to do long after. By the time his enlistment ended, Berthold realized that the GI Bill would let him get a Mechanical Engineering degree  and let him make a good living at his passion, making things go fast.

Brian spent the next 15 years as a professional race engineer, chassis designer, aerodynamicist and shock absorber design specialist. His work has won many races and championships at the highest levels of motorsport, from Formula 1, to Indy Cars to Paris/Peking Rallye cars to LeMans prototype sports cars. He had worked for such factory teams as Jaguar, Audi, Nissan, Toyota as well as motor racing luminaries such as Jackie Stewart, Hans Stuck, Walter Rohrl, Arie Lyundyk, Chip Ganassi, Robby Gordon and many more.

Throughout his high speed motorsports career, bikes were never far from Berthold’s focus. He was known in the pits for bringing whatever his latest creation was and riding it through the paddock, eschewing the common scooters and golf carts. Riding a bike around a race track provided subtle insights that helped Brian engineer the car. Things such as a slight, previously unnoticed elevation change or a bump, entering or exiting a corner.

When the mountain bike world started getting serious about suspension in the 90’s, Berthold knew he had something to offer. While still employed full time in auto racing, Brian started racing XC and downhill and developed OE prototype shocks for Cannondale and Proflex. To address a growing demand for downhill specific products, he designed a highly regarded 7 inch travel upside down fork. Brian sponsored a male and female pro DH racer, as well as traveling the NORBA National DH circuit himself, racing as an amateur while servicing customers and athletes.

Later on, first with his Brake Therapy disc brake conversion for the rear in high demand since no bikes had mounts on the frame, then with the Brake Therapy floating brakes, Brian had customers ranging from John Tomac’s factory team, to the Giant, Jamis and Trek factory DH teams as well as supplying floating brakes to Trek on an OE basis. He then starting working with and sponsoring Fabian Barel on the Kona factory DH team. This led to Brake Therapy having full factory sponsorship for the entire team, resulting in multiple World DH championships for Fabian and Tracey Mosely.

As he was already designing and licensing floating brakes to Kona, Berthold approached them with his concept for a Magic Link bike. Just a plastic model at the time, but Kona gave Brian a Dawg to hack up and make a rideable prototype, which Brian promptly dubbed the “Frankendawg”. Less than a year later, the first production Magic Link Coilairs were in the hands of customers. Rushed to market, the first bikes suffered from early QC issues and were a bit ungainly to look at. Berthold remembers “my mandate was to adapt the invention into an existing Kona frame, changing as little as possible. The result was akin to stuffing a V8 into a Chevy Vega (ok a Prius).  

But the bikes garnered worldwide critical success and were among the earliest models to sell out. The line spread to 3 models with the G2 version, which was cleaner in every detail, with the shorter travel Abra Cadabra and 2+2 complimenting the big mountain Coilair. Said Berthold “the G2 bikes were a clean sheet of paper, which I really enjoyed designing and working with the factory to innovate new production methods to optimize the design for the Magic Link”  

The Magic Link bikes sold well over a 5 year period, garnering over US$40 million in sales and numerous glowing magazine reviews for its suspension performance. 

Brian knew he could design an even better system. A system with the Magic Link’s advantages of variable geometry and spring rate according to the demands of rider and terrain, but in a more simple layout, lighter, stiffer, easier and cheaper to make, easier to understand and setup and less visually intimidating due to the elimination of the secondary auxiliary shock.  

The Missing Link was born, with the added advantages of even more geometry change and the ability to go to infinite stiffness in the rear spring rate, if climbing dictated and smooth surface allowed.  

Brian decided to take a different route licensing this design. The exclusive arrangement was just that. It excluded too many brands and people that wanted to enjoy the design. Berthold decided the best way to make it available was to start his own brand. Using a wealth of connections and knowledge accumulated from the bike industry, he formed Tantrum Cycles not only to make the design available to customers, but to promote and license the design to other brands. This would increase the scope of availability. And no matter what the licensees might do, Brian knew that with Tantrum, he was free to offer the bike in whatever configuration he might choose.

For a detailed pictorial account of Brian's career, please go to www.brianberthold.com

 Tantrum Timeline

We are ready for production. After the initial handmade prototype, three more iterations followed during a 3 year product development cycle. With countless hours of riding and testing, the result is the pre-production samples you see here.

Actual production of frames will start in Jan 2017, to be delivered in Jul/Aug 2017.

Risks and challenges

The mountain bike industry is full of technology and established brands. The biggest challenge is setting yourself apart and proving to people that what we have created isn't just a gimmick.

We need to clearly communicate the overwhelming advantages available with the Missing Link suspension. Not marketing hype or jargon, but real world improvements in your daily ride.

Of course, starting a bike company out of thin air is a challenge on it's own.To say the least. Thankfully, Tantrum has a wealth of long time industry friends to help and advise, as well as the experience of the founder. These funds will provide very useful cash flow for all phases of this startup.