Bikes

Type X: Extra light, Extra Fast.

The Type X carbon hardtail isn't your run of the mill carbon race bike. It has been specifically designed to be ultra-light yet provide a high degree of lateral rigidity and vertical compliance. Frame weight is a low 1.1kg (medium size) and the ride quality is beyond your expectations: smooth as silk in the rough and light enough to make your legs feel invincible. If you are serious about making the top step of the podium, arm yourself with the best possible bike: the Tomac Type X.

"I raced the Type X the entire race season, even winning the 2009 U23 National Championships on it, and it is beyond doubt the smoothest, quickest, lightest carbon hardtail out there."
Colin Cares, Team Kenda Tomac, U23 National Champion

One of the lightest hardtails on the market at 2.4 pounds for a large-size frame, the Type X is the choice of team Kenda Tomac riders Colin Cares and Andy Schultz.

• Designed for 80 or 100mm travel fork
• 2.4 lbs/1100gram frame weight, medium size
• High modulus carbon fiber tubes
• CNC aluminum dropouts and brake bridge
• Short chain stays and longer front end
• Accepts dual water bottles on all size frames
• Available in medium, large and extra large

Spec

Geometry

Technology

Does the world need another hardtail? Well, the simple answer is no. But the world does need a carbon hardtail like the Type X. The Type X isn't just your run of the mill bike. It took over two years to develop, and the result is a large frame that weighs a scant 1.1kg (2.4 pounds), which allows you to easily build up that superlight race-level World Cup hardtail you've always wanted.

But, making it light wasn't the only priority with the Type X. For starters, we wanted to make sure it provided excellent lateral stiffness at the bottom bracket (to maximize power output). This meant going through multiple prototype iterations to ensure that the high modulus carbon wrap achieved the intended goals. We think you will be hard pressed to find a bike that better turns your wattage into forward momentum.

The advantage of carbon versus other materials is that you can provide a high level of lateral stiffness, extreme light weight, and excellent vertical compliance. The lateral stiffness both provides that BB stiffness and pedaling stiffness, but in the case of the front and rear triangle, translates into rider control when steering. But, this is all for naught if that same stiffness bounces you around over bumpy terrain. That's where the vertical compliance is. The Type X maintains a high degree of side to side stiffness, while doing an excellent job of damping vertical vibrations and taking the edge off rough terrain. This helps to lessen rider fatigue of course, but it also provides more comfort during the process.

Setup Guide -Suspension Setup
One of the best ways you can maximize the performance of your bicycle is by ensuring correct rear shock sag. To set sag, sit on the bike in a normal riding position near a wall to steady yourself. Without bouncing on the saddle or pedals, distribute your weight on the saddle and pedals in a normal riding position while holding the handlebars. Have a friend measure the distance between the front and back shock mounts.

Automatic/Carbide XC: This measurement should be between 153 and 155mm for the Carbide and 173 and 175 for the Automatic. This measurement means that approximately 25% to 30% of the total shock travel is used as sag. This is appropriate for cross country riding.

Recommended Sag Applications
Cross Country (Automatic/Carbide XC) 25-30% Sag

Spring Adjustment-Air Shocks
To install air pressure in the main air spring, remove the air cap from the Schrader valve located above the large air spring canister. Attach the pump to the Schrader valve. The hiss you hear when unscrewing the pump is only the air left in the pump itself and not from the shock. This does not affect your pressure setting in the shock. Likewise, when you install the pump, the shock will fill the pump and reduces the registered pressure previously installed in the shock. This usually is a 10-15 psi difference between what was in the shock and what the pump is reading. This is all normal procedure when adjusting the air spring pressure. After removing the pump, be sure to reinstall the Schrader valve cap.

Preload Adjustment – Coil Shocks

Coil spring preload adjustments are done with the spring preload adjustment ring. Adjust the spring preload adjuster up or down to achieve the desired amount of sag. Never exceed 8 mm/.325" of preload on the coil spring. Always make sure that you have a minimum of 1 mm of preload on the spring. If you reach the maximum spring preload (8 mm) and the sag is too much, you'll need to go to the next higher spring rate. If you reach the minimum amount of spring preload (1 mm) and there is not enough sag, you'll need to go to the next lightest spring rate.

Rebound Damping Adjustment
The rebound damping controls the return rate of the shock after it has been compressed to absorb a bump. Rebound damping can be adjusted for different spring rates, terrain, and rider preferences. Rebound on shocks can be adjusted by the red knob on Fox shock and the blue knob on Manitou shocks, which is located on the shaft eyelet mount on coil shocks and the air canister eyelet mount on air shocks. As a general rule, rebound that is adjusted too fast will exhibit a springy ride that has excessive pedaling movement and kick up the rear end on multiple bumps and big hits. Rebound that is adjusted too slow will exhibit a packing of the rear wheel that is identified by a low ride height, stiff feeling on multiple bumps and the rear wheel drifting to one side on stutter (braking) bumps. A good rebound starting point is to set the shock to achieve a return movement that is just short of “snapping back”.

For a handy graph of our suggested suspension setup, please click here:

FAQ

Which Bike is Right for Me?
We love bikes and would love to hear from you, so if there's even a question about which bike is right for you, please contact us via e- mail or phone so we can talk bikes.

Which Fork Travel Should I Use on the Type X?
We designed the Type X to be compatible with either an 80 or 100mm travel fork. With the 80mm fork, you have a 70.5 degree head angle and with the 100mm travel fork you have a 70 degree head angle. If you just want the Type X for all around XC riding, we recommend a 100mm travel fork. This gives you a longer travel feel to the bike of course, and slightly more relaxed handling. The 80mm travel fork is purely for racing.

Why is the Type X Made With Carbon Fiber?
Simply put, it provides the best ride quality at the lightest weight and highest stiffness.

Why Use An Internal Headset on the Type X?
All Type X frames use internal headsets. The advantage to an internal headset is that the headset cups and bearings recess into the frame and thus allow you to lower the bars as much as possible. Certainly with an XC bike, this is important because you want the bars lower (versus a longer travel bike) for improved positioning for climbing. There is already an FSA internal headset included with your frame.

Why do most Tomacs have full Derailleur Housing to the Front Derailleur?
Simply put, we want to keep the muck away from the front derailleur cable so shifting remains precise over the long haul. There is no better way to do this than enclosing the cable completely, especially in grimy areas like under the down tube.

Can I Get a New Derailleur Hanger?
The derailleur hanger is made out of 7075 aircraft grade aluminum, and is mounted with stainless steel bolts, should it should be more stout than most derailleur hangers. Should a mishap cause damage to it, simply contact the reseller in your country to purchase another one.

What is the seat post size?
30.9 on all Tomac bikes.

Where Do You Test the Bikes?
In the winter, we spend the majority of our test time at South Mountain outside of Phoenix. In the summer months, we test near Salida, Colorado. Between seasons, we ride at Platte River State Park about an hour from Omaha, Nebraska.

Why and How Did You Choose the Spec on the Complete Bikes?
When we set out to spec the complete bikes, we wanted to accomplish three major goals. 1) Use all high quality parts from brand name manufacturers including complete wheel sets, folding bead John Tomac Signature Kenda tires, FSA headsets, Thomson stems, etc) We didn't want to have cheap hidden parts on the frames. In the bike industry, it's common to spec low end stuff in places when you wouldn't easily see it (for example the cassette and bottom bracket). 3) We wanted to use parts that we had ridden and knew would provide high performance and high durability.

Who is the Greatest Mountain Biker of All Time?
John Tomac, of course! No single rider has been more competitive in all disciplines of our sport, including XC, Dual Slalom and DH. A former World Champion, National Champion in both XC and DH, and one of the icons of our sports, there's no denying John Tomac's impact on mountain biking.

How Involved in Johnny with Tomac?
Johnny is still heavily involved with the company. Not only does participate in the R&D and ride testing of all the bikes, but Johnny the businessman also helps determine the strategic direction of the company.

I Can't Find the Answer to My Question
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Owners Manual

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Warranty

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Reviews

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