As far as bike design goes, it doesn’t get much more unique than the Katana, Lal Bike’s debut bike. And, with just one bike in existence so far, the Katana is truly unique. It’s also the only bike currently using Lal’s innovative Supre Drive design.
When Lal released the Katana, it created quite a stir. So, when the chance arose to ride this made-in-B.C. rig, we were more than stoked. Cedric Eveleigh, the founder of Lal, we were eager to see how this wild idea works out in the real world.
Lal Bikes Katana: What is it?
Lal Bikes’ founder is the creator of SupreDrive and the Katana. But this isn’t the first bike to use the alternative drivetrain design. It first appeared on a Nicolai. While that partnership didn’t pan out, and we talk to Cedric a bit more about that in our interview with him, the idea is still building momentum. With the Katana, Lal gets to control every bit of frame design to present SupreDrive with its best foot forward.
The result is far from ordinary. The Katana uses a high pivot design, which is becoming less niche now that brands like Norco and Trek have committed to high pivot trail bikes. Lal’s put a ton of effort into making the high pivot design work without as significant a cost to pedalling efficiency, using a massive upper pulley wheel. The Katana also uses a mix of steel and carbon fibre for the frame, both made in house by Lal on the Sunshine Coast. What isn’t made by Lal is made by North Shore Billet, in an effort to keep things local.
That combination of materials and alternative design makes for a bike that turns heads. Literally turns heads. On our ride with Cedric, we were stopped repeatedly as other riders did double takes as we rolled by and wanted to find out more abou the bike. Whether they had heard of Lal or were just curious about the wild design, its a bike that gets noticed, and gets people excited.
We talked a lot about the bike on its release. But, to rehash some basic stats, the Katana’s running 130mm of high pivot rear suspension and a 150mm fork. The bike we rode was a size large, which is on the smaller side for me. But this is designed to be a trail bike, not some enduro sled. It’s geometry is progressive, but not extreme.
Riding the Katana: Trail ninja
The main reason for riding the Katana was to test out the Supre Drive, at least at first. I like distinctive bikes and a like metal frames, though, so I was also interested in seeing what this curious Canadian bike could…
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