MTB history buffs will know Sunn from back in the day. From Anne-Caroline Chausson and François Gachet’s World Championships back in the nineties, to Eric Barone hitting 130mph on a ski slope and one of the current stars of EWS Isabeau Courdurier, Sunn has had a prolific history in racing.
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Sunn has been a bit quiet in recent years though, and with new money a few years ago, we’re enjoying seeing Sunn becoming more and more visible each year — and UK distribution is currently being discussed.
It turns out some pretty cool looking bikes, too. The Kern LT is piloted by Courdurier, but it’s the Shamann that stood out at the 2017 Eurobike, can you guess why?
The seat tube / linkage area is a feat of industrial design and neat linkages. In fact, the linkages are so neat (and the picture sadly blown out a touch more than ideal) that it looks more like a hardtail. The linkages are smooth both physically and aesthetically, and the shock basically hidden.
The carbon XC bike is built with 100mm of travel front and rear, with RockShox providing the suspension on this €4,000 S1 model.
The S1 and S2 models will get a Toray 700/800 grade carbon mix, while the top-line Finest will get a Toray 800/900 build.
While the frame looks crazy, it holds some neat features. The seatpost is rigid as standard, but there is routing for dropper posts too, as well as (we believe) Di2 and shock lock-outs — Sunn has made this as adaptable as possible.
The down tube is as wide as we’ve seen on an XC bike, no doubt there to boost stiffness.
Kit on the S1 looks fair — there’s a RockShox SID RL fork and Deluxe RL shock, while the drivetrain largely comes from the Shimano SLX range. A Race Face Turbine crank finishes the drivetrain.
The seatpost and bar also come from Race Face, while Sunn provides the 70mm stem and saddle.
Mavic’s Crossmax Pro tubeless wheels hold Hutchinson Python and Taipan 2.1” tyres. The whole thing is brought to a stop by Shimano SLX brakes.
More information will be available soon on www.sunn.fr
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