NEW Bike Launch - Atherton S.150 Walkthrough

Hi, I'm Rachel Atherton and this is our brand new S150. Like our A-range bikes and its big brother, the S170, the S150 is built different with world-beating technology applied right here in the Hunkleth mid-Wales to bring you unrivalled fit, strength and performance. Our motivation for the entire S-range was to bring the learnings from our award-winning Halo range to a more accessible price point. Right from the start when we founded our bike company we wanted more people to ride our bikes. From weekend trail rides to kids in the woods to bike park shredders, not only is it more affordable but when we first wrote the design brief for this new range, durability and ride quality were at the forefront. Our new S150 is built from aluminium and it features Dave Weigel's world-renowned DW4 linkage. Like in the A-range we use lug and tube construction so at the start of this project we considered a lot of different building methods but after a lot of investigation lug and tube was such a clear winner. We use an innovative approach to CNC to create the aluminium lugs and then we bond them to drawn aluminium tubes using an insanely strong double lap shear joint. This also means that the joints are moved away from areas of maximum stress. In the case of our seat tube lug where double lap isn't possible we use a bonded and bolted hybrid utilising a custom-made threaded fixing. Because we don't weld our bikes we can use 7075 aluminium which has a 70% higher fatigue performance and a 70% higher ultimate tensile strength compared to weldable alternatives and it's also Dan's favourite aluminium. He used to love it when he was a kid. Probably got it shaved into his head once. We use an infinite life design approach so there's no fatigue over time. We've all put a lot of hard hours in on these bikes mainly Dan whose body is wrecked from the testing. That's for you guys. Thanks Dan. Then we sent them off to the labs at EFBE for their take no prisoners try tests so we can confidently offer a first owner lifetime warranty whoever you are and wherever you ride. Because we build all our frames right here where we live in Machynlleth, all of our bikes are treated at the same level of perfectionism that you'd expect from an Atherton bike. The S150 is super fun confidence inspiring enduro bike built from 100% aluminium. This bike wants you to ride it hard with a mullet setup straight through seat post and 150mm of rear travel. Responsive and playful the S150 turns on a dime boosts every lip and tackles everything you can throw at it. Honestly one of the most fun bikes I've ever ridden and I can pedal it uphill. When I first rode it in the bike park I was nervous to ride a 150 in the park but I couldn't believe how it tracked the ground on the technical bit stuck to the floor and almost felt like a downer bike it was absolutely mind-blowing. It loves to descend but taking learnings from our A150 it handles great on the climbs as well even I don't mind pedalling this up the hill. With 12 standard sizes the S150's geometry is personally fitted to you for the ideal ride position at the moment you sit on the bike and the perfect amount of flex on the rear end means you can lean into turns that much harder. This much extra confidence means guaranteed fun on every ride whether you're shredding the loam or railing trail centres the S150 begs you to ride it hard. In the park you can push as hard as you like I was blown away how planted the 150 is but head out onto the trails for a big enduro ride and the new geometry and DW4 linkage have got your back. The mullet setup means we've been able to use a straight through seat tube so you can slam your seat for the descents but get that extended height for the climb back up. The S150 is perfect for riders who want one bike to do it all but who are looking for a more affordable and low maintenance option. Like the S170 it comes in 12 standard sizes simply input your height your saddle height and your arm span into our fit calculator and we'll calculate the closest size for you. Almost 20 years on the world cup circuit means we're obsessed with how fit improves both performance and rider confidence so we offer a lot more sizes than any of our competitors. All of our S range bikes are built around Dave Weagle's famous four bar linkage the multi-world cup winning DW4 platform offers a simple structural solution whilst still delivering the top-notch performance that we demand for all our riders. You'll appreciate the wildly efficient pedalling performance then on the downhill sections DW4's progressive leverage ratio helps the bike feel supple and small bumps while at the same time shrugging off the bigger impacts planted confidence fun it's a simpler solution than the DW6 that's found on our A range for a no-nonsense chuck your bike in the back of the van and ride type of vibe. DW4 works in combination with our custom profile drawn aluminium tubing that we designed to achieve the perfect balance of stiffness and compliance so whether you're climbing or descending you'll enjoy the feeling of maximum connection to the trail. Honestly I'm not even kidding for a 150 it was yeah it was really sick but like everyone just thinks of course you're going to say your bike's good because it's your bike you'll find yourself pushing harder than you've ever gone throwing in some style because it's such a playful bike but it's so capable I was riding the tracks I train on for world cups and it was absolutely handling it. Prices start from £4,500 for our rugged and reliable build 3 built on a Mazzocchi suspension setup. Build 2 is built around the RockShox Lyric Ultimate and the Super Deluxe Air Shock and the super rugged SRAM GX drivetrain and this is build 1 with a Fox factory setup that leaves nothing to chance. It has a mixed SRAM drivetrain with GX and X01 upgrades where the performance advantage is highest. Every component is chosen to guarantee the maximum trouble-free days riding combined with performance to deal with the biggest hits and satisfy even the most demanding riders. All our S150 builds have Hayes Dominion A4 brakes, Stans wheels, FSA cockpit and Continental Kryptotile tyres as chosen by the race team. The S150 comes with internal routing for optimum cable life and a clean aesthetic. We've used standard fasteners wherever we could make it work and concentrated threads in low-cost replaceable parts. The exception to this is the bottom bracket which remains the BSA. There's also a down tube protector which is pretty important on the W slate wherever you ride. If you're looking for a bike that will take all the punishment you can throw at it that's rugged but easy to maintain and still offers high performance at a more accessible price point, the S150 is for you. To find out more visit our website www.Athertonbikes.com Atherton Bikes. Built different. Atherton Bikes. Built different. Atherton Bikes. Built different.