The concept of the SENDuro itself was developed around 2020 by Matthias Reichmann, who has a strong background in downhill and enduro racing. Since then, the aluminum version was sold in three batches. Matthias started engineering mountain bikes in 2010 and successfully created the outstanding DH race bike named “RIP”. The RIP went through several development stages and has now arrived at its fifth evolutionary stage.
In 2020 Matthias and two colleagues created the company “EMRG”, which now includes the sale of frames, components and the development of a specialized software for the technical documentation of bicycles. For this project, EMRG joined forces with the carbon specialist MEB Carbon.
MEBCarbon GmbH specializes in the development and production of innovative lightweight solutions using fiber-reinforced materials for the mechanical engineering sector. Founder and CEO Sven Brück, a passionate mountain biker for over 24 years, first dreamed of designing his own aluminum-carbon hybrid frame back in 2014.
Today, MEBCarbon combines this expertise with hands-on experience: in addition to developing new designs, the company professionally repairs damaged carbon frames – complete with a warranty that underscores quality and reliability.
With Reichmann Engineering and MEBCarbon joining forces, we’re excited to demonstrate the true potential of the two leading materials in the MTB industry-not just in terms of their exceptional performance, but also their unparalleled aesthetic appeal.
Why carbon and aluminum?
The combination of carbon tubes with precisely machined aluminum components allows for flexible frame production, enabling quick geometry adjustments and eliminating the need for expensive molds for highest accuracy and small tolerances. Additionally, aluminum alloys can be used that do not require welding while still offering high strength.
In the future, rear triangles are also planned to be manufactured using this hybrid construction method. A specially developed adhesive system ensures a highly reliable process by precisely dosing the exact amount of adhesive needed to create a bond free of air pockets.
Looking ahead and in perspective, frames with different stiffness levels are planned to cater to rider weight. Lightweight riders could benefit from increased flexibility, while heavier riders would enjoy higher stiffness for optimal efficiency. Three weight categories could be defined to offer a customized riding experience tailored to individual needs.
Furthermore, a new approach to crash replacements is under development: instead of replacing or patching entire damaged frames, broken carbon tubes could be replaced with new ones. This would extend the frame’s lifespan and conserve resources.
Kinematics and Geometry
The whole suspension system of the SENDuro consists of 7 pivot points and these can be divided into an upper and a lower link. The lower link just has 2 pivots, like on a DW-link or a VPP. The upper link however is a mechanism made up of 3 components, and for those of you who are familiar with e.g. offroad trucks, you might be able to reveal something like a Watt’s link. The Watt’s link, in its original invention, dates back to James Watt who used it as a linear guide on his steam engine. On the SENDuro, it is slightly modified and traces the upper pivot of the swingarm on an S-bent. In the end, the suspension simulates traits that are similar to a DW-link in the lower range of its travel, but in the upper part, it more refers to a VPP. At the same time, the middle link of the SENDuro drives the shock. This configuration is also responsible for this very pronounced S-bent in the ratio curve: You can see a high inclination in the beginning and in the end of the travel – the higher the inclination of the ratio curve, the more progressive it is. However, too much progression especially in the most active part of your suspension can be a real problem, this is why the curve here is less progressive.
Strong ending progression means that it will be hard to bottom out the suspension on maximum hits, stong progression in the beginning leads to a more stable static position, more controlled rebounding and smoother action whilst the more linear behavior in the middle offers superb bump absorption whilst still maintaining good support as the linear part is on a rather low ratio thanks to the strong progression in the beginning.
This kind of characteristic has originally been developed for Reichmann’s DH-frame, the RIP. Reichmann considers this shape of a ratio curve as perfect as it combines both the advantages of a progressive suspension and a linear one.
Looking at the ratio curve chart, you can see that the SENDuro offers 3 different options that mainly differ in the weight of the ending progression.
The geometry of this bike reminds us of a Downhiller (except the seat angle): Slack 62.5° head angle, rather long 450-mm-chainstays and 340 mm BB height at almost 200 mm. This is no coincidence, as the goemtry is based as well on Reichmann’s DH-bike.
More geometry values can be found at www.emrg.bike .
What’s up next?
The team around EMRG and MEBCarbon will test the frame to the limit over the European winter and work out some details. If all goes to plan, the frame will be available via pre-order only at the start of the European bike season.
All news will be published on the Instagram channels of EMRG(emrg.bike) and MEBCarbon(mebcarbon) and via the EMRG newsletter at emrg.bike/newsletter.