YouTube video: https://youtu.be/6VCx8DaGz3g?si=pDbjzEEuhRQc5PNb
“Perfection on two wheels. The trust I have in this bike has grown my confidence beyond all expectations.”
“WARNING… Your skill level and confidence WILL increase!”
“Owning an Atherton AM170 is so much more than just the bike itself.”
I could go on! So, I will…
I started my search for a bike that would tick all my boxes;
To climb hills comfortably and efficiently whether it’s a long drawn out climb or a steep technical climb.
To go down hills, fast, safe, confidently, precisely & securely, with stability, agility, comfort & grip.
I wanted overall comfort, because, as I’m getting older, I need the comfort to allow me to ride for longer and harder with minimal fatigue.
I tested lots of amazing bikes over a couple years, narrowing my search down to x2 Evil’s, the Insurgent and the Wreckoning, both of which were mind blowing in so many ways and both were in the category and style of bike that suited my type of riding.
After testing both bikes at Dyfi Bike Park on my 50th birthday in April 2023, I got chatting to Rachel about the latest Atherton AM170 that was due to be released that same month, she was so buzzed up about it and it got me thinking…
So, I contacted Atherton Bike’s and arranged a demo day at Dyfi Bike Park and after the first run down Super Swooper, I knew I’d found it – THE ONE!
I was absolutely blown away, I’ve never felt so instantly at one with any bike, it felt like I’d been riding it for years! The AM.170M is so incredibly precise with its steering, it’s so balanced & controlled with more grip than a mountain goat in Fiveten’s! It’s the ultimate bike that allows you to smash down anything you can throw at it with such poise and precision then calmly and comfortably it climbs back up to repeat it time and time again, all the while feeling like the bike is coaching you to improve and challenge yourself without feeling out of control in any way!
For me, the AM.170M has exceeded all my expectations and has blown the Evils that I’ve tested out of the water, of which I’m still finding it hard to comprehend. It is quite simply off the charts in a monumental way!
Let me explain…
The AM.170M is one very serious bike. Right from the off, on the trail, it instantly made me feel reassuringly confident straight away, like I’ve been riding for years. Its incredible stability really opens up line choices that I wouldn’t have previously considered, as it is so reassuring, precise and confident on any and all trails and is pushing my limits in ways I wasn’t expecting. I was able to manoeuvre around the bike with incredible ease, largely due to the short seat tube and low stand over height, this in turn allows for a big dropper post to be fitted which gets the saddle out of the way for full manoeuvrability and coupled with it’s utter silent smoothness, it gives the bike an almost invisible feel, I have to keep checking it’s actually still there!
Because of the instant bond I had with the first leg thrown over the saddle, I threw myself into Dyfi Bike Parks, Super Swooper and very quickly accelerated to a speed I’d never experienced at the park but what surprised me the most was just how unbelievably in control I was! The Kryptotal’s were gripping like hot toffee to a blanket, with a combination of the incredible tyre compounds and the mind blowing efficiency of the DW6 suspension kinematics keeping the tyres glued to the trail.
I was having such an awesome time, the speed of this unbelievable machine had crept up on me so quickly, that the time for me to start braking for berms & other features was suddenly on me! I needn’t have worried, the Hayes Dominion brakes with the Galfer rotors/pads upgrade had such power and incredible levels of control that I’ve never felt before. With the combination of the braking power, tyre grip, geometry and suspension, I could not only comfortably leave the braking till the last minute but confidently know that they have my back 100%. I’ve been an avid fan of SRAM CODE R's for years and the Dominion’s have blown them out of the park! Dependable power and reliable consistency in every situation, exceptional performance and quality that allow me to progress way beyond my expectations.
The other thing that really impressed me was the sheer silence of the bike. The frame sound dampening was incredible and achieved bye very well designed in PTFE tubes that were specifically bonded into the titanium lugs with specially developed bonding agent that Atherton bikes worked closely with Loctite to achieve. This coupled with the rear cable routing and external frame sound dampening really worked well to achieve a beautifully silenced DH trail weapon.
AM.170M encourages & urges you to push your limits way beyond any other bike I’ve ridden. To be able to ride like this you absolutely need to be 150% certain of the bike beneath you.
Finding exactly the right bike and narrowing it down to the “one” has been a long and complicated (but fun) task, so it’s not only great to have found the actual machine but also to have the reassurance, confidence and all the backing from the company and what it stands for is quite a bonus.
This bike continues to enhance the incredible mental health benefits mountain biking offers and amplifies all the good/great times.
This is why I chose the Atherton AM.170M.
My AM.170M.3 spec:
Size: 11 - 480 Reg
Lugs: Black main frame + raw ti rear triangle. (1 of 1 unique bike)
Tubes: Raw carbon + Invisiframe.
Forks: Rockshox ZEB ultimate 180mm
SHOCK: Rockshox Super deluxe ultimate Coil 170mm (Coil - 500lbs)
Wheels: Stans Flow EX3 + Stans M pulse hubs.
Tyres: Continental Kryptotal - rear DH soft 2.4 + front DH supersoft 2.4.
Brakes: Hayes dominion + Galfer Shark rotors (223 & 203) + pads upgrade.
Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle
How to order your Atherton bike:
Atherton bikes believe that a perfect fit can transform your ride experience, and to be honest, i was sceptical until i test ride to AM.170M. They offer more sizes than any other manufacturers, starting from 410mm reach to 530mm and even custom sizing options are available.
Go to our website (www.athertonbikes.com)
Select your bike
Select your Frame Colour (black or raw)
Select 'Simple' as your graphic choice
Insert your height (in mm)
Insert the measurements of the inside of your leg (in mm)
Insert the measurements of your arm span (in mm)
Add to bag
Each one of the AM bikes is hand-built by a small team in Machynlleth, Wales.
It takes the @renishawengineering AM machine 16 hours to make a lug set for one bike, laying down around 3500 layers of titanium powder that's melted by four lasers. The lugs are formed on a single plate, which is then heat treated. Then, each lug is CNC machined for bearing, headset and bottom bracket fittings.
Strength is one of Atherton Bikes key motivations, they hate seeing all the warranty claims at Dyfi - so all their bikes are EFBE tested to both Cat 4 (Enduro) and Cat 5 (Bike park standards). The Titanium has an exceptional strength to weight ratio, so where forces are acting in opposing directions, titanium is by far the best material.
It was interesting talking about the future of the business, I asked about whether they would buy another renishaw machine so they could print more lugs but apparently, if they did that they would need to double the size of the business, the lugs take 16 hours to print a full set. The full build time is 18 weeks, which consists of the waiting list at 6 weeks and 12 weeks which is how long it actually takes to build a single bike. So basically if there was no waiting list and you ordered a bike, you would still have a 12 week wait.
My AM.170M Build schedule:
Order date: 5th July.
24th September my Titanium lugs had been 3D printed in the Renishaw's quad laser additive manufacturing system.
4th October: Titanium lugs prepped, cleaned and ready for tube bonding.
25th October: Carbon tubes are then bonded to the Titanium lugs and remain in the jig for 24hrs, curing for a further four days before heading to the workshop for cable routing.
7th November: The frame is then moved on to paint (a term covering both black finishes and clear lacquer options for raw lugs) returning to await its assembly slot.
5th December: Full assembly and build completion. Week 18.
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