Swarf Contour Prototype

From approx £2,000 (frame & shock)* Forgiving, supple and confidence-inspiring short-travel speed machine

- Alex Evans

The 29er market is hot at the moment and Swarf are right on the money with their 115mm-travel Contour. Don’t let the lack of rear bounce fool you – this bike is ready to take a beating!

The frame

Outstanding attention to detail gives the Contour the feel of a highly-polished product, making it easy to forget that our sample was just a prototype (Swarf hope to have the finished product ready by the new year). The mainframe and swingarm are lovingly crafted from various different types of steel tubing (see spec), and the frame has amazingly clean lines, with a built-in seat clamp and neat and well-thought-out external routing for the rear brake hose and gear cable. We particularly like the way the top tube and seatstays form a single straight line along the length of the bike.