-
Last chance to buy
Cortex / Large
£1,949 £2,349
Fast and agile, Cortex is a mid-travel full suspension trail bike for big mountain epics on all terrain and flying round your local trail centre. It comes alive on long technical descents with 140mm travel up front and 135mm at the rear, big wheels and a stiff, responsive frame.
With bang up to date geometry, Cortex inspires confidence with a playful character. Stand up and mash on the pedals out of turns, manual sections of trail and pop off tree stumps, rocks and roots. Smash out short and loose technical climbs, flat-out descents and tight techy singletrack sections. The harder you push the bigger your grin.
The tried and tested Horst link design keeps the suspension active when braking. We've fine tuned the leverage curve and worked with SRAM RockShox to produce a rear shock that's custom-tuned for the Cortex - maximum downhill performance while maintaining the all-day pedalling efficiency from its predecessor. Cortex is your do-it-all bike of choice for lakeland 30-milers and flat-out trail centre laps alike; with enough travel to carry speed over longer sections of rough ground and a lively, playful feel through the twisty bits.
Cortex' frameset is hand-welded from 6061 double-butted aluminium for the perfect mix of weight, rigidity and durability; with a slim hydroformed top-tube and down-tube designed to improve stiffness with just enough compliance to get you out of trouble. Internal cable and stealth dropper routing means clean lines, dampened with foam liners for a quiet ride. Dialed-in geometry and 2.4” tyre clearance gives heaps of grip; a comfortable and efficient climbing position for big days in the saddle; and a stable, spirited platform for smashing down descents.
Why Shimano SLX?
Shimano drivetrains are designed, engineered and manufactured to work as complete drivetrain systems. Shimano's new microspline hub means that you can run a 10 tooth cassette for a huge gear range. The new EV shifters and brakes provide loads of adjustment to get the perfect position as well as a rock-solid feel on the bars. And the 4-pot brakes provide consistent and reliable stopping power.
**Lead image represents the bike for sale, please see store pics for the actual bike.
Features
Up to date trail bike geometry
Trail bike agility with Enduro bike stability, the Cortex has a confidence inspiring, stable and responsive ride.
Increased chainstay length for the Large and XL frames maintains consistent weight distribution for riders of all heights.
Metric Shock Standard
Designed around metric shock sizing standard, with lengthened shocks and shorter strokes that increase bushing overlap for more smooth, supple, sensitive and reactive suspension action. We've worked with SRAM to produce a rear shock that's specifically tuned for the Cortex - and made sure those benefits are felt across a wider range of rider size and weight.
140mm travel at the front and 135mm at the rear lets you carry higher speeds over rough ground without sacrificing pedalling efficiency.
Horst link suspension design
The tried and tested Horst Link suspension design allows the suspension to stay active when braking. We've fine-tuned the suspension leverage curve to maximise performance on the downhill while maintaining efficient uphill pedalling - so no need for climb switches.
Internal cable routing
Internal routing in the front triangle makes for clean lines and tidy cables, with dampened foam liners for a quiet ride.
Universal Derailleur Hanger UDH
Keeping up with industry standards, Cortex uses a UDH hanger. They're widely available so you can get rolling again sooner after any mid-ride mishaps!
The UDH also makes Cortex compatible with the latest SRAM Transmission groupsets.
Geometry and Sizing
Sizing
It is important to get the right size bike, if the bike fits it will be faster, more comfortable, and easier to handle. You can also take into consideration the standover height to ensure you pick a bike that will be a good fit. If you measure your inside leg and ensure there is a minimum of an inch from the toptube to your crotch this will give you enough seatpost adjustment to find your optimum saddle height.
Generally we recommend: Small: Riders between 5ft 2in and 5ft 7in (157-170cm) Medium: Riders between 5ft 6in and 5ft 10in (167-177cm) Large: Riders between 5ft 9in and 6ft 2in (175-187cm) X-Large: Riders of 6ft 2in + (187cm)
Transmitter
| Size | Small | Medium | Large | X-Large |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST - Seat tube | 405 | 425 | 465 | 485 |
| TT - Top tube | 575.6 | 597.3 | 625.6 | 649 |
| HT - Head tube | 100 | 105 | 115 | 125 |
| HA - Head angle | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 |
| SA - Seat angle | 74.5 | 74.5 | 74.5 | 74.5 |
| CS - Chainstay | 445 | 445 | 445 | 445 |
| BB - BB drop | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| FO - Fork offset | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 |
| WB - Wheelbase | 1169.1 | 1191.2 | 1220.2 | 1244.3 |
| SO - Stand over | 749.7 | 768.4 | 782.6 | 796.6 |
| RE - Reach | 420 | 440 | 465 | 485 |
| SK - Stack | 601.7 | 606.3 | 615.4 | 624.6 |
Frame Spec
| Weight: S: TBCkg; M: TBCkg; L: TBCkg; XL: TBCkg (plus shock 0.4kg) |
|---|
| Hydroformed and custom butted alloy frame tubing |
| Internal cable routing |
| Rear Shock: 210x50mm metric shock – Custom tuned for the frame |
| Horst link suspension layout |
| 135mm rear travel; 140mm fork travel |
| Frame clearance for up to 29 x 2.4" wide tyres |
| BSA BB with ISCG-05 chain guide tabs |
| UDH Boost 148 x 12mm rear thru-axle |
| 31.6mm seat tube, 34.9mm clamp |
| Headset: ZS44/28.6 top, ZS56/40 bottom |
Standard delivery to UK addresses is free over £30.
Next Day deliveries will be shipped same day if you place your order before 2pm Monday - Friday.
If you are not happy or have changed your mind, you can return your unused product within 123 days of placing the order for a refund.
Simply return it to us, free of charge, with all the original packaging.