THE DISMANTLER WINGMAN MANUAL

Although a manual is a “trick” in itself, it’s also the prerequisite for almost any other maneuver.Ĭornering: The Wingman has a steep front end that allows you to carve up a berm and make line changes at will. The rear wheel is tucked in nicely, and lifting the front wheel is almost a subconscious decision. The gearing is on the tall side, but the frame, cranks and wheels do a fine job of providing a laterally rigid experience so your leg effort goes toward forward momentum. Launching: The short chainstays and rigid frame make getting up to speed a flex-free experience. The super-low tire clearance to the chainstays will cause tire-to-chainstay rub on hard landings. The bike makes a lot of chain-on-frame noise when landing, which can be felt through the pedals if the chain is not spot-on adjusted for tightness. Knees and shins don’t make unwanted contact with the frame during stunts. Jumping: The bike is flickable, with an ultra-low standover clearance. They are willing to give up comfort in favor of conserving momentum when hitting the face of a take-off. Jumpers do not subscribe to the 20-percent-sag-for-the-fork theory. The coil-sprung fork offers a preload setting under a removable rubber cap on top of the right fork leg. Airborne uses Funn cockpit components, including a stem, handlebar, lock-on-style grips, seatpost and saddle.Īs with any jump bike, setup is contrary to everything you already know. The Marzocchi Bomber DJ-3 fork is what you would expect to find on a $1000 dirt jumper, so it is a pleasant surprise to find it on the Wingman.

Most jump bikes are delivered without a front brake, so the Wingman’s front stopper stands out. The Wingman is currently available in only one size. The aluminum-cast dropouts are the wildest design and offer plenty of wheelbase adjustment. The only gusset is an open-ended design at the downtube/head tube junction. The Wingman gets a beefy, hydroformed, 6061 aluminum frame. And heck, you could probably trail ride the Wingman too. By spec’ing front and rear hydraulic disc brakes, Airborne gives the Wingman rider the option of using the bike for commutes to school or the store. It is also an ideal pump-track bike and could be pressed into service for dual-slalom and 4-Cross events. The Airborne Wingman is intended for dirt jumping and urban session riding. On your six: The Wingman is flickable with an ultra-low standover clearance. Now, it is not uncommon for a jump bike to be priced well in excess of $1000.Īirborne, a company that sells its bikes directly to riders, wants to reverse this price trend with a $1000-plus jump bike that sells for $800. These bikes were often built using tough components on used frames. Jump bikes were once thought of as disposable?use ’em, abuse ’em, recycle ’em. The growing popularity of jump bikes, based more closely on conventional 26-inch-wheeled mountain bikes than 20-inch-wheeled BMX bikes, has been paralleled by another growth trend?their cost.

The dismantler wingman