Hope has unveiled an early prototype of its second ever bike, the HB.130, at Core Bike 2019. Following on from the HB.160, the HB.130 is being designed and developed from carbon in-house at their factory in Barnoldswick, Great Britain.



The bike is the second carbon prototype of the HB.130, and there's a third carbon mould that's being made to accommodate a few geometry tweaks. Hope's unique manufacturing capabilities allow them to do multiple carbon prototypes. In contrast, most other brands do their prototyping in alloy with "test mules" before pressing the carbon button, crossing their fingers, and then making any other changes with only mould modifications.

Hope HB130 Details

• 29" wheels

• 130mm rear travel

• Contemporary geometry

• Flip-chip

• 100% manufactured in Barnoldswick

• Carbon front triangle

• Aluminum machined and bonded rear triangle with post brake mount

• Bottle cage mounts

• Adjustments: rebound, low speed compression

• hopetech.com

• 29" wheels• 130mm rear travel• Contemporary geometry• Flip-chip• 100% manufactured in Barnoldswick• Carbon front triangle• Aluminum machined and bonded rear triangle with post brake mount• Bottle cage mounts• Adjustments: rebound, low speed compression

The next prototype of the bike will accommodate a metric shock to futureproof the frame.

For now the stays are CNC's aluminium, as they were on the HB.160. However, the bridge between the two seat stays have been added because Hope want to have the option of going full carbon in future.

While the production bike is likely to be covered in Hope bits as this show bike was, some bits on here were simply what Hope could get their hands on at this time.

PRESS RELEASE: Hope



At Hope we’ve always made products to fulfil our own needs, to enable us to experience maximum enjoyment from our favourite trails. Right from our first mechanical disc brake thirty years ago we’ve never lost this passion for riding bikes.



The new HB.130 continues this ideology. It’s a bike for ourselves. Some might call it selfish, but if you had the opportunity to create your own bike to suit how you ride who wouldn’t jump at the chance.



We’re still trying a few final tweaks on the frame geometry and since we’re actually producing the frame in our own factory in Barnoldswick, we can keep testing alternative ideas. The final piece in the jigsaw is the rear shock. The early designs didn’t allow for a metric shock, but to futureproof the frame a little we’re currently working on a design to allow this to happen.



The HB.130 has been designed with UK trails at its heart, whether we’re riding our local Gisburn Forest trails or travelling a little further afield to the mystical riding in Torridon, the HB.130 is a willing companion. We’ve created a bike that will give you confidence on the descents, yet still make you feel like you’re an XC champ on the climbs.



The current longer, lower, slacker mantra has been followed, but not so far as to compromise the bike's handling on tighter trails and climbs.



We plan to have the finished bikes available from our HB dealer network in early summer 2019.

The big distinction from the HB.160 are the HB.130's 29 inch wheels, but apparently the geometry will also be a departure from the philosophy of the former bike. While the HB.160 was best described as conservative, Hope suggest a more on trend approach with this bike. In fact, the last minute change was to steepen up the seat tube, chasing modern consumer (editor?) tastes.That said, don't expect it to be too radical, Hope have still called this a bike for themselves, to ride on the trails near to them and have promised the geometry, "won't compromise the bike's handling on tighter trails and climbs." Final numbers are yet to be finalised but with the bike due to drop in June, it shouldn't be long before they're released.From Hope: