I’m not quite sure why Krutor have only produced one of their flagship model, the Hrotor, but it’s right there on their website: “This bike is not for sale and we’re not going to produce another piece. Therefore we ignore any questions regarding the price.” Maybe they used up the Czech Republic’s entire supply of aluminium and carbon fiber in its manufacture. Or maybe there is only enough room in the world for one Hrotor.
Regardless, it’s an impressive machine. There’s a 4-speed internal Shimano Nexus rear hub tucked into that swing arm, above the bottom bracket, connected to the rear wheel via a left hand drive train. The shock is capable of almost a foot of rear wheel travel, which is almost excessive by today’s World Cup standards. While internal transmissions aren’t new to downhill bikes, Krutor have certainly produced a very tidy layout. They specialize in machining most of their own components, their hubs and stems are nothing short of incredible. The cranks, hubs and stem are all created in-house at their factory in Brno, the Czech Republic’s second largest city.
Obviously the mechanical infrastructure is enough to support being dropped from the side of a small building, I’m just hoping Avid mechanical disc brakes are enough to haul this beast up? Because if you apply a musical analogy to this bike, it would be a death metal aria. Check out the pedals: no hex key sprigs here, grip is maintained by overlapping sawn-off wood screws. Ouch.
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