Sometimes it’s interesting to hear how a new bike comes to be. In the case of Ari’s new Superior Peak downhill bike, it was developed because the riders they sponsored needed a DH race bike or something for freeride competitions. When these riders started getting results on the bike, Ari was asked where people could get one!
Initially, Ari hadn’t decided if this bike would go into production, but excitement grew and they decided to produce a small run of the Superior Peak this year. The bike will soon be available in two complete versions or as a frameset.
Ari Superior Peak – Key Features:
Although the Superior Peak is a full-fledged downhill race bike, it was designed with a lot of versatility and adjustability. Ari has freeride athletes riding this frame in addition to his racers, so it’s good that this bike can be set up for racing or freeride/bike park use.
The Superior Peak frame is made of air-formed aluminum and can be used with 29″ wheels or MX wheels of any frame size. A flip chip on the top of the seat stays ensures that the frame geometry and kinematics are almost identical on both rear wheel sizes. For freeride or bike park setups, the Superior Peak can be used with a single crown fork.
The Superior Peak frame offers customizable geometry and suspension kinematics with eight possible configurations. Each setting is independent of the others, allowing riders to fine-tune one aspect of the bike at a time.
You can choose between low and high bottom bracket settings, short or long chainstay settings and the frame is compatible with headsets with angle and reach adjustment. The bikes come standard with regular headsets, but Ari offers customization options and will add a headset with reach/angle adjustment to your bike upon request. In addition to fine-tuning the geometry, the Superior Peak’s suspension curve can be adjusted via two settings for a less/more progressive leverage ratio.
The frame sizes S1, S2 and S3 are available for riders from approximately 1.60 m to 1.95 m.
Build options:
The two complete bike options are the Comp and Elite models. Since Ari is still in the prototype phase and things could still change, we’ll leave the full specs to the launch article. At first glance, the Elite model includes a RockShox Boxxer Ultimate fork, Vivid Ultimate rear shock, and SRAM X01 drivetrain. It will retail for $6499. The Comp model features a RockShox Boxxer Charger 3 RC fork, base model Vivid rear shock, and SRAM GX drivetrain. This model will retail for $4799. Both models will be available in either the blue or white/red color combinations shown in the photos.
Impressions from a trip:
I had the chance to do a few laps on the Superior Peak at Whistler Bike Park during Crankworx… and it reignited my love of downhill riding. This stable, supportive bike gave me back my lost bike park confidence in just a few hours!
Ari hasn’t released a geometry chart for the Superior Peak yet, but here are some of the key stats on the setup I rode: I’m 5’10” and had the S2 frame size with 29″ wheels front and rear. The S2 frame has a reach of 480mm and was in the short chainstay setting (444mm). Its head angle is 63.5°. I rode the bike in the low bottom bracket setting and in the more progressive leverage ratio position.
Since I’ve only been on the bike for a few hours, my brief first impressions focus on the frame geometry and suspension characteristics…
Geometry:
I’ve stepped away from the DH business for the past few seasons after selling my old downhill bike. In the meantime, trail/enduro bikes have grown significantly (which I’m happy about), so I was curious to see what DH frame size I would be comfortable with.
With a reach of 480mm, this is by far the longest downhill bike I’ve ever ridden. On the first lap it felt long in terms of wheelbase, but comfortable in terms of body position and reach. After a few runs, I quickly got used to the handling of the longer bike. By the end of the day, I was convinced that this is the size of DH bike I should be riding.
The long front end gave the bike plenty of stability at high speeds and was definitely not too long that I could stop for a little wheelie from bump to bump. The 444mm chainstays didn’t feel overly long at all and cornering was still relatively quick and fun. My test bike was in the short position, so you have the option to go longer if you want.
Curiously, the Superior Peak’s steering angle of 63.5° is actually steeper than the flattest position on the Specialized Stumpjumper I tested it recently and with a 200mm DH fork up front, it felt reasonably loose and was very capable on steep or uneven terrain.
Suspension:
With the bike in the more progressive lever chip setting, I get about 90% travel. Considering I’m a bit rusty at the bike park and the bike has a less progressive setting, I doubt I’d have any trouble getting it set up properly if I had more time to experiment with the setting. That’s good to know when you’re a light rider like me (at 135 pounds).
The Tetra Link suspension of the Superior Peak handled large or repeated hits superbly. What I really liked was the mid-stroke support; the bike felt lively and never spongy when going through undulations or tight corners. It also showed a willingness to jump forward and maintain speed.
While the shock absorption was great, the Superior Peak isn’t a bike that offers a numb, dampened ride. I found that its supportive mid-stroke helped it take off roots, bumps, or larger jumps quite well.
Ari plans to officially release the Superior Peak this fall, so keep an eye on Bikerumor for an article with all the details on the lineup soon. Interested customers can pre-order the Superior Peak now on Ari’s website.
aribikes.com
