WTB Phoenix

The 1st edition of the steel Phoenix frame (early-mid 90s) was nicely crafted using Ritchey Logic Prestige tubing, while construction of the 2nd gen made use of fine tubing supplied by True Temper. Main connections are tig welded, but also the brazing technique is used. Fillet brazed chin at headtube-downtube connection for improved impact resistance and durability.

SE (Special Edition) denotes frame is ready for use with WTB Speedmaster Roller- or Togglecam brakes. Besides brakes WTB carried much own components in their line up that goes very well with the Phoenix frame: WTB Grease Guard headsets, hubs and bottom brackets, stems, bars and more. Later Phoenix' were even available 140mm rear spacing, to go with 140mm WTB New Paradigm Grease Guard hub.

Handcrafted by Steve Potts, one of the three founders of WTB. The other being Mark Slate and Charlie Cunningham. Frame design of the Phoenix is heavily influenced by the later. From late70s/early 80s on Charlie Cunningham contributed a lot to the way how our mountainbikes looked like in the upcoming decades.

The frame is extremely slooping. A 15" counts as Medium. The philosophy is that the slooping top tube delivers clearance for manouvrability and the tight triangles with relatively short OS tubing deliver efficient power transfer at a low weight penalty. The long seatpost offers vertical forgiveness.

The Phoenix frame was available with geometry for rigid fork or suspension fork. The no.1 rigid fork choice for the Phoenix is the Type II. Type II's were not only made by Potts. Type II's of the hand of Wes Williams were usualy recognizable by the non-concave flats above the dropouts.