Saracen unveil their first full suspension 29er, the Traverse

Benjamin Haworth

Looks like another good 'un from the house of Saracen

saracen traverse

The Saracen Traverse is the brand’s first foray into the world of full suspension twenty niners. Think trail ripper rather than enduro slayer.

Saracen Traverse need to know

  • 100mm rear travel via custom tuned Fox Float DPS rear shock
  • 120mm travel Fox 34 suspension fork
  • Alloy front triangle
  • Carbon swingarm with pivot-less ‘FlexStay’ design
  • 142mm rear hub, offset to a Boost chainline
  • SRP £2,999.99

We don’t have that much more info at this point unfortunately. We’ll update this page with more info (geometry, full spec etc) when we get it.

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Saracen Traverse press release

If you thought you’d have a moment to breathe after the launch of the Ariel LT, then you’re sadly mistaken.

The Traverse was designed with two principles in mind: make it fast, and make it playful. Swing a leg over the Traverse and it won’t take you long to figure out that Saracen has nailed both of those.

With 29″ wheels, 100mm travel at the back and 120mm at the front, the Saracen Traverse is a seriously fast trail weapon. The Series 3 custom butted alloy front triangle give the bike a solid platform, and it has been matched to a Toray UD carbon swingarm at the back. That swingarm also uses ‘Flex Stay’ technology, which reduces weight by eliminating a rotational pivot and securing hardware.

You’ll also notice that Saracen has opted for a 142mm rear hub, offset to a boost chainline which means they’ve been able to conceal the rear caliper inside the stays, keeping the bike nice and narrow at the back and offering plenty of heel clearance.

Up front, a Fox 34 fork helps to keep you on an even keel, and it’s complimented perfectly by a custom tuned Fox Float DPS shock at the rear. Drivetrain is Shimano’s 1×11 SLX which will keep your momentum on the way up, and the Maxxis Forekaster tyres will keep you rooted to the dirt on the way down.

Simon Wild, product manager at Saracen, said: “Building great bikes is what we love to do; bikes we want to ride and bikes you’ll love. It was the usual labour of love with these two new beauties [Saracen have also launched the Ariel E e-bike today] from initial design to testing and then finally into production. It’s safe to say all of us at Saracen are super excited to add these new steeds into our stable!”

Both bikes are available now from local Saracen dealers.