The Patriot is for the mega-pinner, the rider needing something different to hit the trails. If you find a downhill bike a bit on the ‘big’ side, but six inches not capable enough? The Patriot provides the midpoint.

The new frame uses a monocoque top and down tube to maximise strength and stiffness but keep weight low. The 1.5” headtube houses a tapered fork, the perfect solution for fitting angle-adjust headsets and future proofing design. The low profile swingarm features the Maxle as standard with the maintenance-free pivot assembly keeping things tight. The single pivot setup is lowered for a more active suspension feel, plush but controlled, efficient on the pedals and light enough to flick quick turns. Optimised for 180mm travel front and rear, the Patriot is a slack-angled big mountain ripper. For 2013, we’ve dropped the fork upgrade option and decided to spec the best 180mm single crown fork on the market as standard. The Fox Vanilla RC2 will see your front wheel right no matter what.

Shimano’s new Shadow Plus rear derailleur allows you to concentrate on the trail ahead by eliminating noise coming from the drivetrain. A friction clutch inside the mech working concentrically with the cage pivot reduces slack in the chain between the rear derailleur and the chainring. The end result is a far smoother shifting action and a spookily quiet bike when negotiating the rough stuff.

The Patriot is where it all began, from the Animal Orange days through to Global Racing, the bike that influenced a whole generation of riders. See it as a UK downhill bike, a lightweight freeride bike or something to pedal around the Alps. The Patriot is bred tough, the only limits are your nerves…