From Dirt Issue 142 – December 2013
Words and Photo by Steve Jones.
Dirt: Tomaso (Ancillotti), been a while, you’ve been busy?Tomaso: Yes it has been a while, I’ve not spoken to you since 2008, that was just before we became World Champions with Brook MacDonald! Yes I’m still busy, I became a father last November with my little child Lorenzo and I am still busy following the races, developing this new bike, making our little production line and helping the consumer.
You still based near Florence?
I moved from Florence to the north, in Valperga, near Torino where I live now with my family, and where I have my new workshop. My father still works in Tuscany where we prepare the frames and shocks.
Enduro has a huge following in Italy, there were 660 riders at final EWS in Finale!Yes, it has. I think this format is a good opportunity to bring new riders to this discipline, especially if the stages are fun and the timing of the liaisons is not too tight.
New enduro bike then, what’s it called, how much travel front and rear?It’s called the Ancillotti FRY 275, 180mm of rear travel and 160 in the front.
Talk us through the angles, weights and measures? Sizing options also?All our frames are custom sizes, but we think a 65º head angle, 1210mm for the wheelbase and 350mm BB height are the right measurements to start the process. We also have three different linkages to customize the progression curve and the link hanger has two hole options to have a slacker or steeper headangle (low and high BB). The new FRY is on 27.5” (650b) wheels, we believe strongly in this format for wheel sizes… also for the downhill bike too.
Your own shock, which you build yourselves?
Yes, the new shock for the FRY is still a coil spring but we have a custom remote adjuster for the pedalling platform. We still prefer spring coils over air because it’s more sensitive with the little shock, with better progression and is constant through its range.
Pull shock right?Yes, from 1980 on our motorcycles and from 1992 on our bicycles, now the most utilized system in the range – we think soon also in the rest of the bike world.
What is the pricing and availability?In the UK market the frame kit, including shock and headset, costs €3,400. The frames are already available, but it takes 40 days for a custom frame.
How are things going with the downhill bikes? You’ve had some high profile riders on those bikes – Brook MacDonald and Wyn Masters.
The downhill bike is still developing and we still follow all the national races. To have a good performance and durable products we still need feedback from the races, and for this reason next year we will follow more enduro events. It is a hard decision. After two awesome seasons with Brook, Wyn and George Brannigan, we had to break with world class races and riders because as a company we are too little. If we do that we don’t have the time to work on our production and meet our customer’s needs.
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