Bombtrack had plenty of bikes on display at 2016 Interbike. We featured the sweet Bombtrack Hook EXT a little earlier, but the company also had two other bikes geared towards gravel, the Hook 1 and Hook 2.
“The Hook 1 is the starting point for anyone looking to dabble in some CX racing, gravel rides or generally just looking for a very versatile bike to explore some new places. At the heart of the Hook is its cromoly steel frame, a material which is ideally suited to a multi purpose lifestyle, being strong and durable to take a few knocks, naturally low resonating for a more comfortable ride yet stiff where it counts to efficiently get you where you’re going, quickly.”
The Hook 1 routes all of its cables externally – in the case of the rear brake and rear derailleur, on top of the top the tube. That is handy if you dabble in cyclocross or need to shoulder the bike, but a slight hindrance if you ride with a top tube mounted bag. A small compromise and mostly a first world problem.
The Hook 1’s frame is constructed from 4130 double butted cromoly steel tubing.
The no taper headtube hides a 1 1/8″ to 1 1/2″ tapered fork.
The Hook 1 fork is a mix of carbon legs / alloy steerer tube.
The fork includes mounting options and support for 9mm quick releases. On most new gravel bikes, this venerable standard is rapidly going the way of the Dodo bird.
Fender and rack mounts adorn the Bombtrack Hook 1.
Bombtrack kit out the Hook 1 with SRAM’s Apex 10-speed group. However, potential customers would be wise to switch to a smaller big chainring if you prefer turning smaller gears on gravel roads.
In stock form, the Hook 1 ships with a SRAM 1o-speed 11-32 cassette. Combined with a 34 tooth small front chainring, a 34 x 32 gear yields a low gear of 28.9 inches assuming 700c x 35mm tyres and 172.5mm cranks. It won’t tackle the steepest of grades, but is good enough for most climbs.
Post-mount TRP “Spyre C” brakes with 6-bolt 160mm rotors. These brakes are easy to setup and maintain although they are susceptible to infiltration by mud and grit when the going really gets dirty.
Tyre clearance is good with plenty of room between the stays and the Clement X’Plor MSO 700c x 36mm tyres fitted to the Bombtrack Hook 1.
SRAM Press Fit BB30 bottom bracket with rear brake cabling neatly routed along the downtube and across the top of the non-drive side rear chanstay.
Bombtrack design the Hook 1’s geometry to be “comfortable, stable and yet very fast and responsive”.
The Hook 1 is available in four sizes – Small to X-Large – with top tubes beginning at 52.6mm on the small and ending at 57.9mm on the X-Large. Handlebar sizing is 420mm for the size Small and Medium frames, and increases to 440mm for the Large and X-Large frames.
MSRP on the Bombtrack Hook 1 is $US $1,899.99 as spec’d above. Weight is approximately 10.8kg (23.8lbs) on the size Medium.
Bombtrack Hook 2
“The Hook 2 is a CX and gravel bike, designed to keep on going even when the going gets tough. Built on the foundations of the original Hook, which had proven itself to be beyond capable having tackled the Transalp (endurance) mountain bike race and coming out totally unfazed. If you’re sights are set a little lower, its no problem, you can rest assured the capabilities are there, and in the meantime enjoy the ride.”
Columbus Cromor double butted tubing is at the heart of the Hook 2. This tubing is built from cold-drawn, cromoly tubing designed for the most demanding of riders who favor versatility in a reasonably lightweight frame.
The Hook 2 features a SRAM Rival single chainring 11-speed drivetrain with 40 tooth SRAM “X-Sync” chainring up front and an 11-32 11-speed SRAM cassette for the Rival 1 rear derailleur.
SRAM Rival 1 shifters / brake levers.
Just like the Hook 1, the Hook 2 model disguises the nature of its tapered fork with a non-tapered headtube – FSA’s Orbit ITA headset keep everything together. Barring the fork, rear brake and derailleur cables are routed externally.
The Hook 2’s fork features hybrid construction – alloy 1 1/8″ to 1 1/2″ steerer and carbon fiber legs.
There is plenty of clearance beneath the 12mm compatible thru-axle fork for Clement’s X’Plor MSO 700c x 36mm tyres.
TRP flat-mount “Spyre C” disc brake up front with centerlock 160mm disc brake rotor.
Bombtrack stick with a flat-mount TRP “Spyre C” mechanical disc brake on the rear but downsize the centerlock rotor to 140mm. The DT Swiss thru-bolts are top notch spec.
The Hook 2 frame does support a double chainring configuration if you decide to switch things up later on.
This photo doesn’t display tyre clearance well, but there is plenty of room either side of those Clement X’Plor MSO 700c x 36mm tyres. The SRAM Rival 1 crankset rolls on a SRAM Pressfit BB 30 bottom bracket.
Handlebar sizing is 420mm for the size Small and Medium frames, and increases to 440mm for the Large and X-Large frames.
The Hook 2 is available in four sizes – Small to X-Large – with top tubes beginning at 52.6mm on the small and ending at 57.9mm on the X-Large.
MSRP on the Bombtrack Hook 2 is $US $2,139.99 as spec’d above. Weight is approximately 10.2kg (22.5lbs) on the size Medium.
Contact North America Cycles for information relating to USA dealers and availability.