One of our own Robin Schaub's Forbidden Dreadnought defies the offseason

To many, the Covid time-dilution has meant a more fluid understanding of riding seasonality but Robin was always ahead of this trend, even with other builds of his. Off-season is merely a construct and Robin's Forbidden Dreadnought is the physical embodiment of this. A versatile gravity-oriented machine, this bike will sweep you off your feet and have you forgetting all about constructs while you dream about sending gaps and railing ruts.

Obviously, the tire choice was important. Knowing the terrain he would piloting his ride down, Robin wanted a gravity tire with a tread equipped to handle any variety of conditions from hard packed dry ground to wet and soggy soil. This meant the Aquila was the standout option. The model is a prototype version and we are not giving away any hints at the moment as to what kind of features this version offers - for now it is up to you to speculate!

Custom speccing a bike from scratch always presents its challenges, but obviously can yield great rewards. Robin has always gone for a high-end setup, but all the while paying careful attention to ensure the appropriate application of the components, avoiding unnecessary expense in favour of utility. This is reflected in all of his bikes, and the Dreadnought is no exception. 

The suspension setup consists of a Fox 38 Performance Elite in the front, with the 38mm stanchions contributing to an extra stable front end along with 170mm of travel to plough through. In the rear a Fox X2 Float Performance Elite assumes the task of smoothening out the rear wheel movement. This paired along with the high-pivot design of the Dreadnought results in a very planted and firm base while travelling at speed over rough terrain. 

The wheel choice needed to guarantee reliability and be robust, while maintaining a good strength-weight ratio. Especially with Robin being an industry insider, the obvious choice was a DT Swiss setup, with 370 hubs laced onto some XM481 hoops. Robin knows how to select wheels appropriate to his tire choice!

For the rest of the spec details, check out the following list Robin provided: