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Back in April, Thomson announced the release of a new hardtail mountain bike called The Hooch. The component brand, which is best known for high-quality bicycle parts, offers Hooch kits with stem, handlebars, seat posts and saddle collars from the Thomson brand. Buyers must source the rest of the parts, including the drivetrain, fork, and wheels for a complete bike. I recently received a hooch built for testing, and here’s a preview of the ride.
First, a little background on the Thomson brand. The company started in 1981, although bicycle parts hit the market more than a decade later, in 1996. The head badge pictured above, depicting an airplane flying above the clouds, indicates the origins of the brand. Bike Thomson’s parent company website states, “Since 1981, LH Thomson has been a leader in precision CNC manufacturing of aerospace parts and assemblies. By focusing on superior quality and innovative manufacturing and engineering, Thomson has built a reputation for manufacturing complex parts to the highest standards and specifications from some of the largest companies in the world. â€
The frame
The hooch is made of 3al 2.5v aircraft grade titanium tubes. While the company’s primary operations are in Macon, Georgia, about an hour south of Atlanta, the Hooch frame is handcrafted in Taiwan, which is where the brand’s titanium posts and handlebars are made.
The frame has internal cable inlets on either side of the down tube, and each inlet can accommodate either one or two cables or hoses. The dropper remote cable briefly exits the downtube to jump onto the seat tube, while the rear brake hose and shift cable exit at the bottom of the downtube. Brackets for a single bottle cage are included in the front triangle frame.
According to Thomson, the frame is designed for 27.5-inch tires with a width of up to 2.4 inches. My test bike seems to offer a lot of clearance at 2.4s, and depending on the rider’s willingness to take risks, a slightly wider tire will likely work well. A 140mm fork puts this bike in its sweet spot in terms of geometry and ride feel, though there is likely some wiggle room with the front travel.
Depending on the wheels, drivetrain, fork, and other selected parts, the total weights for the Hooch will vary widely. As a reference point, this particular construction weighs 29.3 pounds with pedals and a bottle cage.
geometry
The bike I’m testing is a size bigger. A 66.5 ° head tube angle tilts the bike towards the hardcore hardtail bearing, although the 455mm (size large) reach is pretty short by most standards. The 27.5-inch wheels and 430 mm chainstays promise a playful trail character, while the 73.5-degree seat angle should make the climbs quite bearable.
| S. | M. | L. | |
| TO REACH | 404mm | 423 mm | 455 mm |
| UPPER PIPE LENGTH | 590 | 609 mm | 640 mm |
| STACK | 626 mm | 626 mm | 626 mm |
| WHEELBASE | 1130 mm | 1149 mm | 1186 mm |
| CHAIN ​​SUPPORT LENGTH | 430 mm | 430 mm | 430 mm |
| FRONT CENTER | 710 mm | 730 mm | 761 mm |
| BB DROP | 53mm | 53 mm | 53 mm |
| SEAT TUBE ANGLE | 73.5 ° | 73.5 ° | 73.5 ° |
| HEAD PIPE ANGLE | 66.5 ° | 66.5 ° | 66.5 ° |
| SEAT TUBE LENGTH | 410 mm | 440 mm | 470 |
| HEAD PIPE LENGTH | 100 mm | 100 mm | 100 mm |
| FORK HOOK | 51mm | 51mm | 51mm |
| FORK ATC | 546 mm | 546 mm | 546 mm |
The structure
I will do my best not to talk about the components on this test bike that are NOT part of the assembly available from Thomson. Basically, all parts supplied with the kit can be classified as cockpit bits and a pipette.
Starting with the handlebar, this construction has a Thomson TR 35C carbon handlebar. Buyers can choose between aluminum, carbon or titanium handlebars and of course there are different costs depending on the selection. The handlebars I’m testing are 800mm wide with a 10mm rise (the 35mm diameter carbon handlebars are also available with a 20mm rise). A 50 mm long Elite X4 stem with a 35 mm diameter grips the handlebars; Stem lengths of 32 mm and 40 mm are also available.
While Thomson makes fixed seat posts for mountain bikes, of course all Hooch mountain bikes come with a hidden telescopic seat post from Thomson. My test bike in size large has a seat post with 150 mm travel, with 100 mm and 125 mm versions also available. It even comes with a Thomson seat collar, along with Thomson headset spacers in silver or black.
One non-Thomson piece of the puzzle that needs to be mentioned on this test bike is the custom wheelset with Nox carbon rims and Factor hubs. The rims are 26 mm wide and the rear hub offers 5 ° engagement. Again, this is not something that Thomson includes in the kit; Buyers must supply their own bikes.
What I hope to learn
On paper, the hooch is a bit of a head scratch. The reach is short, the wheels aren’t 29er and the bottom bracket is high. So what is there? That’s the question I hope will answer the tests. My guess is that the hooch was designed for a specific style of riding, and not necessarily just in the southeast, but certainly in abundance here.
Stay tuned as there is only one way to find out how the hooch is doing. ï¸ðŸ’¨
Frame kits with stem, handlebars, and dropper post start at $ 3,295 and are available on the Thomson website.
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