the ECR is our any road escape machine.
it borrows features from many of our other bikes.
Troll/Ogre type dropouts:
29+ Tire and Rim platform from the Krampus
but it's geometry is a bit different from both
the HT angle is the same as the Krampus. this was chosen based off of the performance and handling that we developed during Krampus testing. it is largely driven by the personality of the Knard 29x3" tire. the seat tube and top tube fit measurements are a mash up of Troll and Ogre numbers, as we've had a lot of experience with these bikes and they work well for a variety people and uses.
where things get a bit off the path of commonality is the BB drop. 80mm. none of our other off-road bikes are even close to this much drop. but BB drop is only half the equation. the other piece is axle height. when you look at the diameter of the Knard 29x3; you start to understand a bit of what is going on. here is a chart to lay out some numbers on what I'm talking about.
here I've listed a handful of bike models. the diameter of a tire you might find yourself using on that bike. the BB drop of that bike. and the resulting BB height. as you can see, even though the ECR has a large amount of BB drop [80mm], it is still on the taller end of BB height [on this chart]. at ~ 12.1" it is higher than the Troll or Ogre. I've not heard any feedback of pedal strike on those bikes [or the 1x1/KM; which their geo is based off of]; but just about every internet-arm-chair-engineer is speculating on ground clearance and pedal stike on the ECR. from both a numbers in a chart standpoint, as well as actual ride testing the bike standpoint, this should not be an issue. of course, I’m not riding your bike for you, so results may vary…
now, what if you don't want to use the intended 29x3 Knard tires on your ECR? but you really want an ECR!
I've listed some other common tires sizes on the chart below. with a 700x47 city/roadish tire, the resulting BB height [11”] is right in the same territory as the LHT family. that's pretty good company to be in. and if you were using a 700x47 city/roadish tire on your ECR, I'm guessing you might be using it like a Long Haul Trucker. maybe not. but the BB height is comparable. If you were to outfit your ECR with a 29x2.4" knobby tire; you would be in similar company, [on the low end though at 11.5”] as the Troll and Ogre. again, good company to be in.
the point in all of this is that the geometry of the ECR has been very well thought out and you can rest assured that we did our homework to ensure you have a pleasant riding experience.
another attribute you might notice is the fork length of the ECR is much shorter than it’s Krampus brother. this is specifically to match that lower BB height. you sit lower in an ECR than a Krampus. almost between the wheels. versus on top the wheels with the Krampus. it’s a subtle thing, but it one of the pieces that defines the difference in how these bikes ride.
one final detail: tire pressure is not addressed in any of these calculations, but it plays an important role. that is obvious to me; but may not be for you. so I'm pointing it out. presure is important both in actually bottom bracket height, and in how a bike rides. depending on where and how I’m riding, I tune my tire pressure. I often ride with the least amount of pressure I can get away with, without getting a pinch flat. that is a bit nebulous, but it’s how I think about it.
here is a picture of an ECR and some snow.
