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Bike Czech: Switchcraft Cycles Full-Sus MTB

Bike Czech: Switchcraft Cycles Full Sus MTB

Like the track bike, the BMX is pure simplicity. The modern dual-suspension MTB, however, is way down the other end of the spectrum — but Jakub Junek drew inspiration from some of the BMX’s best features when he built himself this one.

Bike Czech: Switchcraft Cycles Full Sus MTB

Jakub lives in the Czech Republic, a country whose custom bike scene just keeps blowing us away and, although he’s not a fulltime framebuilder but ‘just’ a hobbyist, this is the fifth frame he’s built under the moniker of Switchcraft Cycles.

Bike Czech: Switchcraft Cycles Full Sus MTB

Riding BMX for about ten years, as Jakub did, will give anyone an appreciation of solid components and construction as well as the aforementioned simplicity. All of which he sought to incorporate into his full-suspension rig.

Bike Czech: Switchcraft Cycles Full Sus MTB

It took about a year to design and refine, followed by three months of cutting, filing and welding — a completely understandable timeline, considering the myriads of extra measurements to need to be wrangled into a symphonic machine.

Bike Czech: Switchcraft Cycles Full Sus MTB

Like most BMX frames, it’s built from high-grade chro-mo tubing. The geometry is modern: 66° head tube, 76° seat tube, 482mm reach, 654mm stack, 433mm chainstays and a 40mm BB drop. There’s 140mm of travel up front and 130mm in the rear.

Bike Czech: Switchcraft Cycles Full Sus MTB

For simplicity’s sake, Jakub developed a single-pivot design, which rolls around on massive 41mm bearings and a 24mm axle. A Shimano SLX drivetrain gets everything going and SLX brakes slow everything down.

Bike Czech: Switchcraft Cycles Full Sus MTB

We’ve seen a few handmade steel duallies emerging from various workshops over the last few years, and it’s a good thing. The modern steel frame’s robust elegance work equally well for this genre too. Hopefully we’ll see more from Jakub as well.

Switchcraft Cycles | Instagram

Bike Czech: Switchcraft Cycles Full Sus MTB