The most recent challenge out of the thoughts of Ghost Factory Racing’s staff supervisor is this Lector FS Unicorn II complete-suspension mountain bike. In in between prepping their race bikes, staff mechanics were buffing the spring pollen off of the most blinged-out XC bike in the Nové Město Entire world Cup pits forward of this past weekend’s racing. Even though it was not racing the Entire world Cup itself, this unusual unicorn was designed up nearly just like the workforce bikes, in a remarkably stock make at the time you get above the fancy BikeAhead components…
2022 Ghost Lector FS Unicorn II XC venture bicycle
We first spotted the initial full-suspension Ghost Lector FS on the Nové Město Globe Cup monitor again in 2020. And the German brand based mostly just 5km from the Czech border does like to debut new bikes listed here – whether distinctive editions or prototypes.
In truth, race staff supervisor Tom Wickles experienced his shiny pink Unicorn I super bicycle below very last spring. But COVID limits at the time retained that wild venture bike from a broader audience. In any situation, that bike was extra about around-the-major customization, though this a single simply brings the bling with a spec list you can just buy off-the-shelf…
Distinctive Edition Facts
The Ghost Lector FS Unicorn II is as scarce as its namesake, a a single-off complete construct and complete. But the body alone is a stock Lector FS SF with the same Lightweight Carbon (LC) layup as their six distinct entire carbon cross-nation entire-suspension establish solutions.
The 29er Lector FS is distinctive in that its suspension travel is sizing-unique, so Tom’s size Massive receives 120mm of rear wheel vacation matched to a 120mm SID Best fork.
Ghost calls the limited-website link 4-bar suspension Traction Website link, based on their more time vacation Riot path bike. It employs a one-piece rear triangle for light-weight & stiffness, linked to the front end with two carbon linkages on oversized sealed bearings.
Rear suspension is handled by a matching RockShox SID Luxe Supreme shock, but no remote lockout or Flight Attendant for Wickles who prefers a simpler, fewer complex setup.
The Ghost Lector FS Unicorn construct gets a direct flush-mount 8 Pins article for the cleanest dropper set up ever, furthermore the absolute maximum dropper journey achievable. The bicycle also includes an excess cage or device mount beneath the toptube, for XC & marathon racers who need to have to have much more than a single water bottle inside of the main triangle.
The Lector FS will get conventional modular inside cable routing, and an integrated 1.5″ tapered headset with inner lock block.
The relaxation of the SRAM drivetrain is quite uncomplicated – no a lot more Hopp carbon updates listed here.
The carbon XX1 crankset gets a Quarq AXS electricity meter and 4-bolt 34T chainring, linked with a silver Eagle chain to an XX1 AXS rear derailleur and black GX cassette – due to the fact even pro workforce supervisors really don’t have a whole lot additional Eagle cassette inventory lying all-around these days!
Pedals are even very simple mid-stage black Crankbrothers Candy 3s, though Tom claims to eventually give them a gold titanium axle upgrade.
Bike Ahead BiTurbo RS wheels
The Bike In advance BiTurbo RS wheels are usually an eye-catcher, even in their typical uncooked carbon end. But these shiny chromed-out 6-spokes were essentially what I initially noticed, peeking out from driving the workbench in the Ghost Manufacturing unit Racing team’s pit at the Czech Environment Cup…
The 27mm internal BiTurbo RS wheels have been around for nearly 7 several years by now, but they continue to continue to pop up on everything from Entire world Cup cross-country bikes to ultralight trail bikes, and even crazier undertaking bikes in amongst.
What seriously would make them special further than their sharp-edged superior seems is that the handmade-in-Germany wheels are as gentle as 1249g as 29ers and extremely-rigid, yet even now claimed to be difficult enough for down-state and trail riding abuse.
The Ghost Manufacturing unit Racing staff is just one the wheels for their 3rd time, and assert to have experienced “not a single defect to report“.
Inside, the staff use Pepi’s Tire Noodles for minimal-stress flat security. And Tom likes a set of the still pro-only 2.4″ Maxxis Aspen ST tires in the ultra-supple 170tpi pro Take a look at Pilot casing for rapidly, dry using. Or put together with a 2.35″ Rekon Race up front when he demands a little bit much more grip.
On a side be aware, a person flaw we found with the mirror-like chrome finish covering this bike… pollen. No make a difference how substantially you want to see your reflection in a shiny mountain bike, mother mother nature is unavoidable in the center of a springtime pine forest!
Bike In advance The Device mountain bike handlebar
A new bit of tech we hadn’t but witnessed from Bike Ahead Composites is their new The Device a single-piece carbon handlebar & stem cockpit. At the very low, minimal price tag of just 499€ (/s) The Device weighs as small as 215g and is offered with a lot of choices. Select from 7.5° or 9.5° backsweep, 800 or 820mm widths, or 15mm increase, 0° to -12° helpful stem angles, and effective stem lengths from 44-88mm.
The ultralight bars are e-bike rated, have an optional out-entrance GPS mount, and a 130kg rider+equipment excess weight limit.
Tom’s cockpit is rounded off with a bit of trick detailing, swapping in an more mature set of Guide Supreme brake lever bodies with Hopp carbon reservoir addresses to get rid of a gram or two, and paired to more recent Level 2-piston calipers to pair the make contact with-point adjust of the levers with the lighter calipers. And Wolf Tooth’s clean bearing all around-the-bar Distant BarCentric dropper to manage the 8 Pins dropper.
Oh yeah, and he goes “Full Send” with some tailor made-engraved ESI silicone grips, a amazing customization element anyone can order, and frequently ignored.
Tom’s Ghost Lector FS Unicorn II is not so considerably off from the race bikes of Anne Terpstra & Caroline Bohé who the two concluded in the prime 10 at this third spherical of the UCI XCO Environment Cup… so continue to keep an eye out for a Pro Bicycle Examine coming later on this week.