Nitrous
Over the last several years of riding gravel, I have fully enjoyed the speed and the feeling of being really connected to the roads and trails, with nothing more than the air in my tires muting the impacts. But as I pushed the limits of a gravel bike further and further, I realized there was no tire combination, no geometry, no drop bar shape that would create the control one gets on a cross country mountain bike with flat bar.
That’s why the mountain bike was invented right?!
But for many of us, there is also a ton of riding that does not require a full suspension bike. So I decided to make a fast, lively feeling, fully modern Cross Country mountain bike with up to date geometry that utilizes a beautiful steering, short stem and a wide bar.
Voila'! A bike far more capable feeling than any gravel bike when the going gets rough, and conversely far more nimble and responsive than a full suspension bike for powering along on the less demanding terrain that so many of us have easy access to.
The first part of designing the Nitrous was to make it inspiring to ride up the hill, almost urging you to new speed. With the low weight and balanced geometry, you will look at the steep sections of your favorite trails and know you can go further and faster than ever before. To create that snappy feel I pulled the chainstays in nice and short. As always there is a balance to frame geometry aspects and the first couple protos were even shorter, but I really felt the bike should be more stable. So the chainstay was stretched just a bit for some more stability on ungroomed trails.To maintain the awesome traction on the rear wheel, the seat tube angle was slackened a little.
For me, the 'longer’ part of the longer, lower, slacker ditty means that you can now install a crisp steering, super short stem and still be in a focused, powerful position while climbing. This ‘longer’ aspect to frame geometry also puts the front wheel further in front of your center of mass for more descending stability, and this is especially important when pushing the limits outside of the smoother trail networks.
Ok, now we need to talk about the ‘slacker’ part of the ditty. To be sure the Nitrous is slacker than most hardtails ever built. But it is by no means the slackest, the race to create the most extreme numbers is over. What is important is that the head angle is properly designed for the type of riding most will do on the Nitrous. Not so slack as to cause wheel flop on the tight technical turns and more importantly, it is not so slack that one cannot weight the front wheel on flatter turns.
The results of all the testing and geometry tweaking was to give the stability we expect out of a modern cross country / trail bike, without losing the liveliness we crave from a high performance hardtail.
So, is the Nitrous a fast XC bike or is it a stable , fully modern XC sled, ‘downcounty’ or is it the perfect bike for Leadville type endurance races? I would say yes, it is.
S | M | L | XL | |
rec'd height | 5'1"-5'6'' | 5'6''-5'10'' | 5'10''-6'2'' | 6'2''-6'6'' |
effective TT | 585 | 615 | 640 | 670 |
seat tube | 370 | 400 | 430 | 470 |
seat tube angle real | 75° | 74.5° | 74.5° | 74° |
head tube | 85 | 100 | 125 | 155 |
head-angle | 66° | 66° | 66° | 66° |
bb drop | 62 | 62 | 60 | 60 |
chainstay | 435 | 435 | 440 | 445 |
reach | 420 | 443 | 462 | 478 |
stack | 610 | 623 | 644 | 672 |
wheelbase | 1140 | 1166 | 1200 | 1233 |
standover@mid | 760 | 775 | 805 | 835 |
Max post insert | 250 | 210 | 240 | 280 |
{ All specifications are subject to change. Measurements are given in ‘Millimeters’ and ‘Grams’ unless otherwise noted. } |
Frame Spec
Seat Post Diameter | 30.9mm | |
Headset Dimensions | 44/56 semi integrated ZS | |
BB Shell | T47 Threaded | |
Fork Length | 120-140 | (Geo based on 120 fork) |
POST mount rear brake | 180 max | |
Max Tire Clearance | 29'' x 2.5'' or 27.5'' x 2.8'' | With full clearance |
Max Boost chainring size: | 36t oval 38t round |
Eagle XO Build Kit
*Parts subject to change based on availability
Fork | FOX Factory 34/130 Fit 4 Fork |
drivetrain | SRAM Eagle XO 12s 10-52 |
crankset | Eagle XO , Boost DUB, 175, 32t |
brakes | SRAM Level TLM, 180 ft 160 rr |
wheelset | Reynolds 289/309 Black Label with Black Hubs |
tires | Maxxis Rekon, exo/tr 29x2.4WT |
sealant | NoTubes Sealant |
headset | Cane Creek 40 Series, 44/56 semi integrated, zero stack top and bottom. |
handlebar | One UP carbon riser, |
stem | One UP, 50mm |
seatpost | One UP dropper with lever. 150 small frame, 180 medium plus sizes |
saddle | WTB Volt, medium width, CroMo rail |
grips | ODI Elite Motion, lock on, Black with custom laser etched clamp |
Subtle shaping at the lower end of the Down Tube to the spread load over the BB shell and a dramatically flared Seat Tube both increase lateral rigidity for better feel when smashing the pedals. Along with the custom tapered chainstays, these subtle features set the Turner Ti ahead of the pack when it comes to ride tuning.
Bolts are stronger, stiffer, and simpler. Which is exactly why all our bikes come with them, it simply makes sense.
Every aspect of this Turner Ti frame is designed and engineered in the USA. From the gorgeous CNC tapered head tubes to the proprietary dropouts, we have designed every aspect of the frame.
As you probably figured out from the great price and long list of standard features, this frame is imported. We found this factory when we were producing the carbon Flux frames years ago. Soon after we started developing the first Ti Cyclosys with them. Our frames are not the first or the only Ti bicycle frames they build, as they are a factory long known for building world-class titanium mountain and road frames. What drew us to this factory was their ability to taper and create butted titanium tubing, and their massive CNC capabilities allowing us to create exactly what we wanted with out cookie cutter head tubes, bottom brackets and dropouts. Even our chainstay bridge is CNC out of billet to be super thin and not create a mud shelf!
‘T’ stands for threaded! Due to popular demand threads are back, and the new T47 offers bigger bearings & longer service life than older threaded standards. It will easily fit the larger and 30mm aluminum spindle creating a stiffer crank assembly, which is up to 18% lighter than the traditional steel spindle system.
Specifications subject to change without notice.
Simply put, we know that you are going to love your new Turner Bike. But given the chance that it just doesn’t seem to fit right, we want to ensure that you will be happy in the long run.
Our customer service rocks and our bikes ride like no other, but in the end, we want it to fit you. If you cannot get comfortable on your new Turner Bike within 5 days of receiving it, give us a call and we will work out a solution, you may only need a different stem, or length of seat post. If that won't work, a different size frame can be swapped out.
Received my Nitrous from Dave Turner a few weeks ago and wanted to get a few rides in before commenting. This bike is absolutely the S$#t!! The super refined metalwork is unbelievable, and it rides as good as it looks. I have three bikes now, but keep making excuses to ride this one almost every ride. As a long time customer of Turner Bikes, all I can say is thank you Dave. Knowing that you are out riding what you build and constantly making slight changes with each new build has paid huge dividends. I wouldn't change a single thing.
Dave definitely got the numbers right on the Nitrous. The slack head angle just makes it feel so playful. I love the way it handles. Quick and nimble. It feels like it’s just meant to go fast on flowy single track. Thanks again Dave.
I’m new to the Turner brand, but Dave and his bikes came highly recommended! I live Boise, ID, where our trail systems are ideal for modern geometry hardtails. To start, the price point for this build was incredible. Everything is high-end, from the group set to carbon wheelset to handlebars. Put these components on a well thought out and designed titanium frame, and the riding is such a blast! This thing is a climbing monster. And then when you point downhill, the slack headtube and longer reach instills confidence. There were a few small components issues when the bike arrived, but Dave responded quickly and resolved the issues. For me, the mark of a good company is not an absence of unexpected problems, but how these problems are resolved. Dave was a pleasure to work with!
Pretty sure that I - unsolicited - already reviewed this but just got an email requesting a review of my purchase. Reiterating, this bike is incredibly well made, is exactly what it is built to be, rides great, and looks like a million$$
VERY satisfied; this is my 6th Turner beginning with a 5-Spot, Flux, 2 Sultans, a Czar, and an older RFX for one of my kids.
Boom!!!
Nobody thinks I should ride this. It's beautiful, and hits every checkbox for what it is.
That said, I DO ride it, and it's fantastic! So simple, versatile, and fun! Thanks Dave!!! Perfect!
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