Kevin Wren has decades of experience working with some of the biggest names in the bike industry, and a few years ago he decided to put his own name on a slew of mountain bike components including forks, stems, handlebars, and mini pumps. I caught up with Wren at the Interbike Outdoor Demo where he filled me in on he line, including the latest products.
Inverted forks have an advantage over traditional forks because they make it much harder for dirt and contaminants to enter the stanchions since gunk is constantly being pushed down and out. This is especially welcome news for fat biking where conditions can be nasty.
The Wren Inverted Fat Bike fork is also notable for offering up to 150mm of travel, and is adjustable down to 120mm. (A separate 110mm version is adjustable down to 80mm.)
The 36mm stanchions are keyed to ensure torsional stiffness and the brass keys are said to be easily replaced if the fork develops any slop.
Pricing for the Wren Inverted Fat Bike Fork is not cheap, with the price set at $899.
I spent a little time looking for a lighter weight mountain bike stem than Wren’s “Crazy Lightweight Aluminum Stem,” but I came up blank. Even pricey carbon stems (which don’t save any weight, BTW) generally weigh 50% more than equivalent length Wren stems.
Wren stems are 3D forged from aluminum alloy, and feature regular old chromoly bolts, not even titanium. Various sizes and shapes are available, ranging from 40mm all the way up to 120mm. Even the 120mm stem weighs right at 101g, while the 40mm stem is said to weigh just 71g.
So, you want wide bars? Check out Wren’s 840mm-wide bars. These carbon babies are offered in a traditional 31.8mm clamp diameter, or a 35mm version. Wren has various upsweep and rise options that are priced from $149.99 – $179.99. The bars are cuttable for those who want a slightly shorter bar.
Wren’s 310- and 330-series carbon bars are more XC-oriented at 750mm wide.
Mini bike pumps can be kinda sexy, and the aluminum Wren High Volume gets me excited. The knurled handle feels great and won’t slip, while the head is easily adaptable from Presta to Schrader and back again. The extendable 8-inch hose helps prevent busted valve stems, while the $24.99 price is unbelievably low.
