Tomac Announces Two New Trail Bikes for 2011

PHOENIX, ARIZ. - Some trails are rough, but then there's South Mountain Park. Full of gnarly descents, big drops and lots of short technical climbs, it's not a place to take the kids for a ride, but it is a great place to show-off two of the latest additions to the Tomac Bikes lineup for 2011, the carbon Supermatic 120 and the Diplomat 29er.  Journalists from all over the world did just that during a company held press camp from Jan. 13-15th, and Mountain Flyer was on hand to check out the goods.

First up, the full carbon Supermatic 120mm, a bike that has been in development for two years by owner Joel Smith with the help of the legendary John Tomac, is a machine that is meant  for ripping on the descents, but will also get you back to the top in a hurry. 

"It's a trail bike with cross-country sensibilities and downhill capabilities," Smith said

In setting out to build this bike Tomac wanted something that was not only light but extremely stiff, and while using a material like carbon is an obvious choice, the company payed special attention to a number of details to come up with an extremely rigid bike.

"Because we're small, we can really concentrate on the details," Smith said. "What we originally set out to do we accomplished with this bike."

The company took into account things like the manufacturing process and tubes shapes to help accomplish their goal. Starting with what they already know works, they used extra layers of carbon on the bottom of the down tube and top tube to evenly distribute loads. They also used stiffening layers on tube sides to reduce side to side flexing. These and other details, like using a tapered head tube and an internal headset, allowed Tomac to design a bike that lives up to their original intent.

And yet despite the stiffness, Tomac managed to create a bike that looks light, sleek and fast. The Supermatic 1 package (shown) clocks in at a really sweet 24.5 pounds, quite impressive for a 5-inch travel trail bike.

On the suspension side of things, Tomac used a single-pivot design and it's proven IAS system to create a bike that is simple and effective without sacrificing pedaling efficiency. With IAS, a CNC machined link between the rocker pivot and seat stay end, carried by high end full compliment bearings, allows the rear shock to initiate more quickly and the suspension to be more responsive. Tomac also spent a significant time on developing the rear shock, four months to be exact. All this adds up to a light and efficient suspension that makes quick work out of bumps and is also easy to set up.

 Here's a quick rundown on the Supermatic's specs:

-120mm travel, designed for 120 or 130mm travel fork

-Tapered head tube (1 1/8th top to 1.5 lower)

-5 pound/2300g frame weight with Fox RP23 shock

-Optimized carbon fiber front triangle, individual lay ups for each size.

-High modulus carbon fiber with aluminum dropouts.

-Fits SRAM, Shimano and FSA front derailleur's

-Full seat post extension

-Dual water bottle mounts on all but small size

-Up to 2.35 tire clearance

-69.5 degree head angle, 73 seat angle, 13.1 BB height, 17 inch chainstays

-MSRP $2499 (frame only)

-MSRP $5999 (Supermatic 1)

-MSRP $4499 (Supermatic 2)

 For a full rundown on the Supermatic, check out Tomac's website

The Diplomat is the company's first full-suspension 29er with 120mm of travel. When the company set out to build this bike, they wanted something that was fast, nimble and felt like a 26 inch wheel bike.

"It's a good bike for someone who wants to ride a 29er, but not feel like they are in an ocean," Smith says.

In trying to build a bike with the qualities of a 29er, but still handle like a 26 inch wheel bike, the company focused on a few key areas, especially the overall wheelbase. Most notable in accomplishing this is the chainstay dimension of 17.5" to keep the overall length of the bike down. To make it happen, Tomac designed a removable seat stay arch and attached the front derailleur directly to the chain stay yoke. This is one of the main factors that allows the bike to handle like a 26er. The shorter overall length allows the rider to pick the front end up easily, while still allowing the larger size wheels to roll over objects with ease.

Like the Supermatic, designing a stiff bike was also part of the goal with the Diplomat, which can be challenging on a rig with larger wheels. The swingarm typically sees a lot of side to side flex, so the Diplomat uses a fully triangulated rear swingarm to increase stiffness, which translates into better rider control, but it also allows the suspension to be more active in rough terrain.  Also like the Supermatic, the Diplomat used the company's IAS suspension system.

Other features like a low stand-over height, a tapered head tube, bottom cable routing and heavy duty pivot bearings indicate that Tomac  spent time in trying to get the details of this bike right.

Here's a quick rundown on the Diplomat's specs:           

-29 inch wheels

-120mm rear travel, designed for 120 travel fork

-Tapered head tube (1 1/8th top to 1.5 lower)

-6.8 pound/3100g frame weight with Fox RP23 shock

-6069 aluminum with custom butted top, down and seat tubes

-Fits Shimano direct mount front derailleur's

-Full seat post extension

-Up to 2.5 tire clearance

-71 degree head angle, 73 seat angle, 13.1 BB height, 17.5 inch chainstays

-Available in medium, large and extra large

-MSRP $1299 (frame only)

-MSRP $4099 (Diplomat 1)

-MSRP $3299 (Diplomat 2)

For a full rundown on the Diplomat, check out Tomac's website.

I normally ride a 120mm travel 26 inch wheeled trail bike, so I found myself constantly referencing my daily riding machine against the Diplomats capabilities. As would seem normal, the first couple of rides took some getting used to, especially with the big wheels, but it wasn't long before I hit a groove and really felt at home on the bike. In fact, there was a point where I noticed myself riding technical terrain features that I'm not sure I would have attempted on my go-to bike. Big drops with pointy rocks jutting awkwardly into the trail, off-camber chain-ring bashing steps, and even tight turns proved to be surprisingly easy.

I was also especially pleased at how well this bike climbed, and it turns out Phoenix's South Mountain Park is a perfect place to really experience the bike's abilities in this regard. Full of short, technical climbs scattered with loose rock, I was able to navigate the terrain with confidence. As my time on the bike progressed I realized that confidence was the central idea at work here, and I became less worried about the quirks of a new bike and more focused on finding the sweet line. Pretty much anything the trail could dish out, the bike handled beautifully.

 The Tomac Bikes brand, while not a large company, is fast becoming a serious contender in the world of ultra high-tech mountain bikes. If you're looking for a new 120mm trail bike, either of the new releases from this company are worth taking a look at.