The Radavist

Hinted in John’s review of the Viral Derive earlier this year, the all-new 2025 Viral Bikes Derive is based on 29er wheels only and has a bunch of other updates. Read them all here…

Inspired by the original Manitou FS bike, created by Doug Bradbury in 1993, the Manitou FS II features a monocoque frame with a unique linkage design at the dropout and pinion gearbox yoke, utilizing a Manitou fork on the front and rear seat stay. Manitou’s bikes are iconic and pushed the envelope since its founding in 1986 and this retro-inspired FS II is no different. Check it out at Manitou!

Check out Doug’s personal 1987 Manitou in our Vintage Bicycles category!

The Pinion Smart.Shift gearbox offers electronic shifting for instantaneous engagement, eliminating the soft or sluggish feeling found with the grip shift Pinion systems. Yet this system isn’t as perfect as it’s marketed, and John found one critical shortcoming during his review period…

Tout Terrain’s bombproof adventure touring bike, the Outback Xplore II model includes two new chassis configurations, improved tire clearance, and a new geometry, all running off the Pinion gearbox system and Gates belt drive. Let’s check it out.

Just announced today, the newest bike from the East Coast of Canada-based Panorama Cycles is a pinion gearbox touring bike dubbed the Boreal Pinion (4,399$ – 5,999$ CAD). Find out more below…

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Adventure Cycling Association has a new membership campaign launching this month. Join the ACA during the month of September and we’ll enter you to win a Co-Motion Bike Americano Touring Bike with an integrated Pinion Drivetrain. A year-year individual membership runs $85 and as a member, you’re entitled to:

-Nine issues of Adventure Cyclist magazine
-Discounts on cycling products and services through our corporate supporters
-Up to 30% off Adventure Cycling bike maps, and Free Shipping on all Cyclosource orders

See more information at Adventure Cycling Association!

Skeptic frame

Viral’s Pinion-powered gearbox bikes made quite the splash when they launched a few years back. New for 2021, the Skeptic got a full geometry overhaul, with a more compact triangle design for increased standover, 440/460/480/500mm reaches across the size run, and is designed for a 150-160mm fork.

Dérive complete

While the Skeptic frame got smaller, the Dérive, Viral’s excursion-ready frame, kept its geometry, while the reach numbers were increased like the Skeptic’s. The Dérive is built around a 120mm fork, like a Lauf or a rigid fork with bosses. Both frames also come in a raw, polished titanium finish now as well.

See more at Viral Bikes.

The Pinion gearbox brings a virtually hassle-free, low maintenance riding experience, ideal for everything from bikepacking to shredding trails but the biggest hurdle to overcome riding one is the cost for a gearbox and a frame that accommodates one. Viral Bikes just launched two titanium hardtails, the Dérive (120mm travel) and Skeptic (140mm travel), complete with a Pinion C1.12 gearbox for $ 4,495.00. Now that’s by no means cheap, but $2,000 of that cost is the gearbox.

See more at Viral Bikes.

Words by Adam Sklar, photos from Sklar Bikes, diagrams from Pinion

The Pinion Gearboxes have been around for a long while now but their popularity in Europe is just now starting to break its way into the US bike scene. Last Fall Sklar Bikes started receiving orders for frames built with the mounting system for these gearboxes and as someone who had eyed them for years, with only a little riding experience, I was pretty excited. Being that Sklar builds all custom bikes, it feels great to offer something that is really special and harder to get. These frames have mostly seen use as commuters, “bikepacking bikes” and everyday trail bikes for customers who are maybe less maintenance-inclined or just intrigued by this neat system. So far all of those customers have been psyched on their bikes and I am happy to build with Pinion, though there are certainly pluses and minuses that come with it. At the end of the day, it is pretty easy to overthink a bike, but of course, overthinking bikes is my job and so what follows are my thoughts on Pinion from the perspective of someone who builds bike frames for a living and also spends a whole lot of time riding them.