STEVENS Sledge is perfectly tuned to live up to its name – to make riding downhill fast and fun. The new top model in STEVENS’ downhill range has got everything to get you downhill fast and smooth even on the trickiest of trails, such as:

The Fox 36 Float Factory suspension fork with Kashima-coated stanchions and 170mm of travel, the Fox Float Factory rear shock or the choice of tires with Schwalbe Hans Dampf at the rear and Magic Mary at the front or the extra-wide Syntace Vector handlebar.

The frame geometry now features an even slacker steering angle than the earlier STEVENS Sledge models for an even faster and smoother downhill. Chain stays are kept quite short to provide more agility to the 27.5" DT Swiss E 1700 Spline Two Disc wheels. Like its little brothers, Sledge ES and Sledge, the Sledge Max has a steep seat tube for a centered, well-balanced seating position that promotes direct power transfer to the pedals.

Like all Sledge models the Sledge Max features a compact frame front triangle which results in proven high lateral stiffness. Wheels have also become stiffer due to the four-link rear triangle having been widened to accommodate 148mm axles. The Sledge Max comes standard with a 1x11-speed drivetrain including Race Face cranks with 32T chainring.

If you wish, you can retrofit it with a double chain ring crank since the socket for the new Shimano XT Side Swing front derailleur is already integrated into the frame. Yet, the 1x11-speed drivetrain and, despite the cranks, full Shimano XT M8000 componentry are fully dialed for downhill. On your way up to the next descent, the 11-speed cassette with 11 to 42 teeth offers enough low gears for relaxed uphill pedaling.

But STEVENS has also prepared the aluminium frame in ”Raw Alloy” look for personalized transmission set-ups. In addition to the front derailleur socket there is a cable exit at the down tube next to the where the front derailleur is to be attached. The exit is sealed by a cap, which in case a derailleur is mounted and a cable is required to protrude from this exit, can be switched for a covering cap with an integrated cable stop.

The new Sledge frame has lost some weight over his 2015 predecessor. Thanks to smaller but solid forgings at the bottom bracket and dropouts the triple butted, hydroformed, smooth-welded, anodized frame is now almost 400 grams lighter. The STEVENS Sledge in ”Raw Alloy” is available in sizes 16, 18, 20 and 22 inch.