Pipedream Cycle’s 2nd generation Moxie hardtail gets new geometry, still bonkers

Pipedream Cycles debuted its prototype long-travel steel hardtail back at the 2017 Eurobike show – in a retina-burning hot pink no less.

Designed to accommodate a 140-160mm travel fork, and your choice of either 29in or 27.5+ wheels, the Moxie was pitched as the ultimate UK enduro hardtail.

Its steel frame was constructed with some rather lengthy 4130 chromoly tubes to create one of the slackest and reachiest hardcore hardtails on the market. Along with adjustable chainstays (for singlespeedin’ or wheelsize tweakin’) and the all-weather essentials (a threaded BB, externally routed cables), the Moxie quickly garnered attention.

Pipedream Moxie MK.2

Although Pipedream says the original Moxie has been well received so far, some key ingredients have changed somewhat over the past two years. Those ingredients being that 29er tyres and rims have gotten wider, big-travel 29er forks have become more prolific, and fork offsets have gotten shorter.

Bearing these in mind, and with feedback from racers and testers, Pipedream decided to give the 2019 Moxie a bit of a facelift. Structurally the bike is very similar, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find some subtle geometry tweaks that are designed to further its go-fast potential.

Longer Chainstays

First of all, the chainstay length has grown by 10mm. The dropouts are still horizontally adjustable, but in the most rearward position you now have a 441mm chainstay length. Pulling the rear tyre backwards has also opened up tyre clearance – important for all-weather riders and hardtail racers.

Mountain bikes still need to be pedalled uphill though, so to put the rider in a more central and aggressive climbing position, the seat angle has been steepened. This now sits at 77.5° in the un-sagged position, which (when you factor in a 140mm travel fork sagged to 25%) steepens to an oh-so-fashionable 79°.

Steeper Seat Tube

As a result of the steeper seat tube, the top tube itself is now shorter. This shrinks the cockpit length when you’re pedalling in the saddle with the seatpost at full-mast. However, to retain the Moxie’s descending prowess, the reach measurements are unchanged. So you still have an enormous 470mm reach on the ‘Long’ size, and a 510mm reach on the ‘Longer’ size.

As for the head angle? It’s slack. As in 64° in the un-sagged position. Put that 140mm travel 29er fork at 25% sag and the head angle steepens to 65.5°. Feeling particularly hardcore? You can run up to a 160mm travel fork, and that’ll kick the head angle back half a degree.

All of that means the Moxie’s wheelbase has grown. For the Longer size with a 160mm travel fork and the dropouts set to the longest chainstay position, you’re looking at a whopping 1280mm wheelbase. To put that in perspective, that’s nearly 20mm longer than an X-Large Mondraker Foxy 29er. Yikes!

All-Weather Essentials

The 2019 Moxie retains much of the structural features of the original. That includes a Boost 148x12mm thru-axle, a 73mm wide threaded bottom bracket shell, ISCG 05 chainguide tabs, and external cable routing – save for the wee internal section for the stealth dropper post.

Tyre clearance is generous. You can run up to a 29×2.5in tyre in the back, or a 27.5×2.8in tyre if you’re going the plus route.

The frame material remains 4130 chromoly, which is custom-butted for the front triangle, and heat-treated throughout. The frame gets an internal and external ‘Electrophoretic Deposition treatment’ that creates a uniform, non-porous layer to protect the frame from corrosion.

What do you folks think of Pipedream’s enduro hardtail? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below!

And iff you’re interested in one of the new Moxie frames, Pipedream has a pre-order special on the frame that is valid until Monday the 18th of March. You can get a frame for £579 (VAT inclusive), and if you’d like a DVO Diamond fork, you can have one of those for £499 extra.

Head to the Pipedream Cycles website for more information.

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