Description
Seattle’s RatKing Frames, the source of clean and cool design, and Back Alley Bike Repair, experts in high-performance, high volume fun bikes, are pleased to offer The Lost Highway.
The Lost Highway is a radical bike unbridled from a specific style of riding. The collaboration was inspired by the Dark Divide 300 hosted by local ride coordinator, Ben Everett of Evergreen Gavel Racing. It’s a mixed terrain route of road, dirt, and single track through the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. We wanted to create something that could hit it all and feel good doing it. The front end is designed to remain intuitive in its handling through the gamut and the longer but stout rear end keeps you ripping up chunky ascents.
The Lost Highway has clearance for 27.5×2.3 or 700×50 makes it the perfect platform to build it your own way, however we are offering two packages of how we envisioned the builds. The Lost Highway geometry is optimized at 27.5x 2.2 or 700×40 to allow for a sportier road-oriented setup, or a beefier dirt leaning jammer. Set it up with drop bars, throw a Cradle and bedroll on the front and ride the coast, slap on your flat bars and wheelie through the forest, or pop on down to the corner store for a baguette. We’re trying to make something exceptional at being basic. It’s a platform for you to build for how you want to ride and we’re offering the setup for how we like to ride – for those who aspire beyond the boundaries of the city streets, offering a ride feel that is as complementary to style as it is to adventure; a collaboration that blurs the lines between the urban jungle and backcountry trails and corridors.
In the spirit of RatKing and Back Alley’s affinity for utility, the frame was designed with mechanics in mind. Its fully external / full housing cable routing throughout keeps cables clean through the worst of weather and keeps maintenance a breeze, even trailside.
The frame leans into the mix of Columbus Zona, Life, and 4130 tubes to complement the Enve Adventure fork for intuitive handling, snap, and zip on pavement and durability out on the chonk. The result is a svelte and distinctive ride-quality focused design.
Inspired by trips into the PNW forest and low angle sunscapes, the Lost Highway is complemented by a gorgeous Cascadian Golden Hour finish and a raw steel logo treatment that allows each frame to develop a uniquely storied patina.
TECHNICAL FRAME SPEC
- Frame Material: Mix of Columbus Zona + Life, 4130 rear stays, ‘natch. Frame Saver pre-treated.
- Includes ENVE Adventure Fork (killer deal!!)
- 142x12mm rear, 100x12mm front spacing (TA axles f/r included)
- Tapered Headtube, EC34/44
- 27.2mm Seatpost – 30.0mm collar req’d
- 160mm, minimum flat mount front & rear
- Tire Clearance for 700x50c or 27.5x 2.3” (before fenders)
- 68mm BSA BB Shell
- Clearance for up to a 42T single chainring
- Full Mechanic-friendly External Cable routing™️
- 3 bottle cage mounts, 2 inside main, 1 under down tube
- Full Fender mounts/Rear rack mounts, rear non-drive seat stay light mount
Full Build A Spec – Rival shift/brakes / GX AXS 1×12, White Industries Cranks (38-tooth, or specify), e*thirteen 9-50 12sp cass, Light Bicycle (700 or 650b) carbon rims, Onyx hubs and/or SON Dyno, handbuilt wheels, Rene Herse or Conti Race King’s set up tubeless, Tooth headset, Cowbell bars (42cm-46cm width), Ritchey WCS cockpit, Brooks C17 saddle . Pedals not included. Size 58cm weight ~21lbs
Full Build B Spec – Rival 1×11 shifters, derailleur, cranks (40-tooth). TRP Spyre, DT Swiss R500 alloy rims/Bitex Hubs/S handbuilt, SunRace 10-46 cass, Rene Herse or Conti Race King’s tubeless, Wolf Tooth headset, Cowbell bars, black alloy cockpit, Brooks C17 saddle. Pedals not included.
