One of the most exciting thing about mountain bikes is that, compared to the rigid and predictable nature of road riding, their terrain and, therefore, their nature, is chaotic, unpredictable and loose. This results in a realm where bike design needs to be completely fluid.
Like a surfboard shaper that creates a board to surf a particular break, one-person framebuilders are best poised to create completely individual machines that would never see light of day in any big name bike shop. Enter the GhostCat from Colorado’s Matter Cycles.
The GhostCat is a strange beast, a concoction of obtuse angles and odd wheel sizes. This is a speciality creature and you probably won’t win a 24-hour enduro on it, but you’re guaranteed of a tonne of fun for many years, ripping up your local trails on Any Given Sunday.
Matter Cycles’ Collin Schaafsma builds bikes that are Completely Different. The GhostCat is a good example, with a 29″ front tire and a 27.5″ rear tire, which makes it an easy trail weapon to get over logs and rocks. I would also imagine that it can wheelie for days.
The GhostCat is one of a number of bikes offered by Matter Cycles as a completely custom frame set, ranging from the SlayRide and WolfBeard to the CogFight and UrbanAssault, which you can tweak to your own specification. Colours and build kits can also be personalised.
GhostCat’s rear end is exceptionally short, which means you’ll be able to whip it through tight sections. The slack head tube angle evens it out — so all you need to do is point and shoot. The front end can accommodate either a 29+ tyre or a 100mm suspension fork.
It’s built from US-made True Temper butted steel tubing and hand-formed stays, 142×12 thru-axles and Paragon stainless steel rocker dropouts with replaceable inserts. A 44mm head tube is up front, with a 31.6 seat post size for dropper post compatibility is in the middle.
It is, as Collin describes it, “Stout as all get out”. And if you think this looks fun, you should check out GhostCat’s stablemate, the Benefat. See more on the Matter Cycles website, and follow along on Instagram and Facebook.
