Extreme Geometry That Puts Power to the Ground

Extreme Geometry That Puts Power to the Ground

All McLarens are built to be fast and fun to drive, and the McLaren Extreme electric mountain bike is no exception. The aggressive, powerful machine was built to give riders an exhilarating ride on any trail. 

To match the bike to the incredibly powerful motor, McLaren made several key design choices, considering and optimizing every aspect of the frame; each angle, each tube’s length, and every degree of suspension travel was carefully engineered to keep riders connected to the ground. 

Even the bike’s “mullet” configuration – 29” front wheel and 27.5” rear wheel – helps to ensure the perfect balance of power, control, and fun. The result is a bike that’s fully trail-capable and will help riders put as much power into the trails as possible when climbing while also allowing for the most fun possible on descents. 

Key geometry features include:

  • Longer, 490mm chainstays for improved tracking and compliance on rough terrain 
  • A steep, 78-degree seat tube angle puts the rider forward, perfectly distributing the bike’s center of gravity while climbing.
  • Slack, 65-degree head angle makes it easy to keep the front wheel on the ground, even on steep terrain, for better handling. 
  • Long wheelbase (1,252mm on the small, 1,272mm on the medium, and 1,306mm on the large) makes the Extreme more stable at high speeds. 
  • A low 340mm bottom bracket height makes for a stable center of gravity and makes the bike more balanced, optimizing maneuverability and control.
  • A handlebar position that’s slightly higher than other bikes in this class allows for an optimized rider position. This helps riders keep the bike on their chosen lines, improves steering stability, and gives the front tire plenty of grip, especially while climbing

SUSPENSION PERFORMANCE 

To help riders feel confident and in control while pushing their downhill speed, the Extreme is built around 160mm of front fork travel and 145mm of rear suspension travel. To fully unleash the bike’s downhill potential, riders can drop their saddle for a stable, controlled ride, allowing the plush, reactive suspension to soak up all the bumps in the trail.   

HIGH-SPEED AGILITY AND STABILITY

Stability is important for any bike, but especially for an electric mountain bike like the Extreme. To keep the bike stable, designers centered the weight from the mid-mount motor, battery, and electronics as low as possible. From there, designers made very intentional choices about frame geometry.

The steep and aggressive seat tube angle helps the riders cruise over obstacles, without sacrificing the bike’s precise handling. The slack head angle makes it easy for riders to keep the Extreme on course, even on the roughest terrain. The angle also helps perfectly center the rider’s weight over the bike and still allows them to move forward on the bike on steep terrain. 

Designers built long, 490mm chainstays that make the bike easier to control at any speed. The long stays contribute to the bike’s overall long wheelbase (1,252mm on the small, 1,272mm on the medium, and 1,306mm on the large). Both geometry features ensure that none of the mid-mount motor’s power is wasted, even when a rider uses the motor’s full power to boost through twisty singletrack. 

The motor generates a class-leading 160Nm of torque, and the longer chainstays help to ensure that none of the bike’s power is wasted by counteracting the torque and keeping the front wheel planted on the ground.