Designer Serafin Pazdera and developer Jonas Müller are old classmates. In 2019, they made their dream of having their own bike brand come true. To date, they have three mountain bikes and two road bike models on offer. More will follow in the course of the year. They do not currently offer complete bikes, but frame kits as a basis with optional add-on packages.

Arc8 specializes in the production of carbon frames. Jonas has acquired valuable knowledge over many years as a development manager in a carbon factory. He has already worked for Santa Cruz, DT Swiss and BMC.

The Extra is a classic enduro bike with 160 millimetres at the rear and is designed for suspension forks with 160 to 170 millimetres of travel. When developing the frame, the focus was on the essentials and system-relevant features were left out. The result is a product that is almost unbeatably affordable. 1990 francs for a high-quality carbon frame from a Swiss company is quite an announcement. This is possible because the entrepreneurs focus on direct sales and forgo cost-intensive marketing measures.

- With the geometry of the Extra, we didn't follow the "longer, flatter, lower" trend, we went straight to where the competition will be in two to three years' time.
- Focusing on the essentials when developing the frame. It contains no unnecessary features, making it very light (2.3 kilos) and cheaper to produce.
- A clean design was important to us, especially when routing the cables that ride through the headset.

Equipment

Since Arc8 mainly offers framesets, we don't go into much detail about the equipment. The decisive factors for the handling of the test bike are the Fox 36 Performance Elite suspension fork and the rear shock, a Fox Float DPX2 Performance Elite. The bike was equipped with Arc8's own W30 carbon rims in combination with 350 hubs from DT Swiss.

Processing & details

It is difficult to realize an independent frame design these days. At first glance, the Extra looks like many other products. But if you take a closer look, exciting details come to light. It has no cable ports that ride the cables inside the frame and no brackets on the outside. They are routed directly through the headset to the inside, where they are guided with noise-reducing foam hoses. In addition to the tidy appearance, this has the advantage of making the carbon frame cheaper and faster to manufacture. The chainstays and the linkage of the suspension strut are not attached to the outside of the frame as usual. They are mounted inside and make the construction stiffer. The pivot points have special washers that spread out and thus clamp the axles better. All screws are made of stainless steel. The seat tube was deliberately kept short so that longer telescopic seat posts can be installed. The workmanship of the frame is top quality.

It is important to know that normal wheels must be re-centered for use at the rear.
To allow plenty of tire clearance, Arc8 decided to offset the rear triangle by 4 millimeters. They realize a chainline of the Super Boost standard in combination with a regular 148-boost installation width.

13.5 kilograms is a very good value for an enduro bike, which translates to efficient acceleration. This is promoted by the stretched seating position and the central crouch above the bottom bracket. The 64 degree steering angle takes some getting used to at first, but it ensures a pleasant straight-line stability. The Extra shines with good acceleration and high propulsion.

Up the mountain

Go up, go down! Long or steep climbs are mastered with ease and stoic smoothness. The low overall weight contributes significantly to this. On rough trails, the rear follows the front as if there were no obstacles. This bike climbs "extra" class.

Downhill

You are well advised to take your time with the setup. Because only when it is set up accurately does it unfold its full potential. The rear is sensitive and sits nicely in its travel. The end progression is high and provides the necessary reserve if you get off track or hit the flat after a jump. In comparison to other enduro bikes, you don't get that "lying flat on the ground" feeling. But that's exactly what it does: the grip is excellent, but it rides like a light trail bike, in a positive sense. Jumps are effortless with this Arc8, it's easy to push off and get airborne. Landings are smooth and the suspension has reserves. It responds directly to steering inputs and thanks to the 430 millimeter short chainstays, it is easy to steer through tight corners. The very long wheelbase is deceptive. The bike pulls through long bends with a certain elegance and always with precise steering.

Conclusion

The Arc8 Extra is a contemporary enduro bike that scores with its good handling and light weight. It's just as much fun going uphill as it is going down. Especially because it is so easy to ride.

Recommendation

The Arc8 Extra has a wide range of uses, from the bike park to altitude-intensive day tours. This enduro bike is therefore suitable for a wide range of people. By buying an Arc8, you are supporting a small and fine Swiss brand and getting a great bike for relatively little money.

Specifications

Manufacturer/distributor

www.arc8bicycles.com

Test report published in issue 04/2020 of Ride magazine