2023 ARC8

Evolve FS XT

This new featherweight whippet from little-known brand ARC8 aims to compete with the best XC race bikes on the market. And with progressive sizing, low mass and some clever engineering, it has every chance of hitting the front. Need to know Sub 10kg XC race bike that rides like a trail bike With a 1,240g frame weight ARC8 can use burlier components like the 120mm Fox 34 fork Frame travel is 110mm stock, but can be reduced to 100mm and paired with a 100mm fork for a more traditional XC ride One-piece carbon bar/stem combo looks more enduro than XC race Frame available in two sizes: M and L Priced at €8,999 When it comes to XC racing, weight is of critical importance. The riders are lean, and the best XC bikes have every ounce of excess fat trimmed back, too. It’s all about optimising the power to weight ratio of rider and machine to increase their chances of success on race day. But long before the start gun sets heart rates rocketing, rider prep starts in the off season and at the same time bike engineers are looking at ways to minimise frame weight without compromising stiffness. It’s one thing sitting at a computer manipulating layers of carbon, but it’s a very different situation if you live in Taiwan and work directly with the factory. And that’s exactly what Jonas Mueller, the engineer and co-founder of ARC8, does. And it’s by having a much better understanding of the manufacturing process, that ARC8 is able to make such impressively lightweight frames. At the launch of the Evolve FS in Massa Marittima, Italy, I was blown away by the sub 10kg XTR build with regular, albeit fairly lightweight, high-end components. No custom ultralight kit with questionable durability needed to reach the impressive weights achieved in large part by the 1,240g frame weight. Take a closer look at the ARC8 Evolve FS and the suspension design lends itself to weight saving too. Instead of having a rotating link to drive the shock, a linear rail takes its place, the shock driven directly by the seat stays. Most XC bikes use short links to save weight but shorter links also generate bigger variations in the leverage rate. By using a rail, ARC8 achieves an infinitely long link, which gives a more consistent and progressive leverage rate across the 110mm of rear travel. Like most XC bikes, flex in the slender carbon seat stays eliminate the need of the pivot at the rear dropout. And because the more traditional swing link has been replaced by a sliding rail, the seat tube doesn’t need the same degree of reinforcement to support the forces a link typically generates. So again, the frame can be made lighter without compromise. The reversed main pivot is also a key part in the construction process. With the swingarm going inside the front triangle rather than around it, the bearings can be placed further apart to improve stiffness. The void that …Continue reading »

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The Swiss brand Arc8 presented its new full suspension XC rig – the Evolve – in Massa Marittima during the BCA Winter. This is a full carbon bike with the claimed weight of the frame alone without rear shock of just 1,240 grams. After the presentation I was able to try it for a few weeks on my home trails. In the video I’ll explain it in detail and tell you how it goes. Arc8 Evolve in short Wheel size: 29″ Rear travel: 100mm or 110mm (tested at 110mm) Front travel: 100mm or 120mm (tested at 120mm) Sizes: M /

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