Thok bikes has now got a Norwegian distributor, or should I say agent. They will offer local support for the direct sales Thok brand. And they’ve got demo bikes, so we finally get to ride a Thok.
(This is a transcript of the video review found at the bottom of this article.)
Components
I guess many of you have heard about Thok bikes before, the old Thok Mig got a bit of attention. And the Mig lives on, but we are here to have a look at the new TK01. It looks so normal and nice, much more conventional than the Mig. The biggest deal about this bike would have to be the price. It’s 4.160 euros for a 170 mill travel emtb with the big 630 watthours Shimano battery and the new EP8 motor. And it’s got the Rockshocx Yari fork, not the cheaper 35 Gold RL that is usually found at this price point. In Norway at least, the price is good. And as far as I understand, this is among the first bikes that can be delivered with the Shimano EP8 motor.
With 170 millimetres of suspension travel, we expect this to be a burly bike. The generous wheelbase of 1265 mill, and the 64.5* head angle confirms this. The bottombracket sits relatively high, at 355 millimetres. The TK01 is a mullet bike, with a 29er wheel up front and 27.5 at the back. Both running Maxxis Assegai 2,6 inches wide tyres. Rubber is Maxxterra 3c exo+. Even though it’s got a smaller rear wheel, the chainstay length of 453 mm isn’t that short. And that’s okay for a gravity-oriented bike.
On the trails
We started our test ride climbing a gravel road, and the Thok felt like any other emtb of course. And as we hit the wet and rocky trails, it still climbed as well as any bike. We see this every time. If you’ve got a bit of ground clearance, and the chain stays aren’t super short. Pretty much every emtb with a good motor will climb with ease. We were hitting short, almost vertical ledges at some speed, and the bikes were almost flying up and over them. And we were climbing some steep and slippery rocks.
The flat and winding trails can be more of a challenge for a burly long travel bike. But the TK01 felt all right on such trails. It wasn’t too much job turning from side to side. It felt like the regular 150 to 160 mm travel emtbs. We’ve got no complaints when riding less aggressively at lower speeds.
But for the burly TK01, it is of course the descents that is the most interesting part. Let’s start with a couple of negatives. A slack, long travel emtb will perhaps need a better shock. Don’t get me wrong, the Rockshox Deluxe R is a decent shock. But we would prefer the Super Deluxe – with the piggyback chamber – for riding hard on prolonged descents. We didn’t have any issues with it during the test ride though. So, this might not be an issue for you. And we’re asking a lot, considering the price. The Deluxe shock will take quite a bit of speed before it gets overwhelmed. And then there’s the brakes. Judging by the specs, it seems Thok want to stick with Sram components. It’s running an Sram Eagle SX/NX drivetrain. So, I guess the dual caliper Sram Guide T is the obvious choice. But they were holding us back a bit. We struggled with arm pump towards the end of the final descent. Thok should consider something like the Shimano MT520 brakes instead.
And that’s all the negative we’ve got to say about the TK01. It was a great descender. And although it was a fairly lively bike on the flat trails, it stepped it up quite a bit going down. We were gliding comfortably over the rocky surfaces, and the bike handled easily through the turns.
Conclusion
The Thok TK01 sure is a pleasant bike in the challenging terrain, regardless of the angle. And in our market, it’s a serious contender with a highly competitive price tag.
Specs
Price: €4.160
Weight 24,7 Kg Size M without pedals
Frame Alloy frame 6061 T4 T6 with 170mm rear travel, headtube tapered 1.8 and integrated battery.
Sizes S – M – L – XL
Power supply SHIMANO EP8 – 85 Nm (250W) – integrated battery 630 Wh
Display and shifter Cyclo Computer EM800 with 1,6″ coloured LCD screen – ergonomic EM800 controller (Eco, Trail, Boost e Power-Walk)
Fork ROCK SHOX – 170mm YARI Motion control RC 29″ Boost, MXL Ultimate DebonAir for E-MTB, 44mm OFFSET, 1.8 Tapered.
Rear shock ROCK SHOX – DELUXE Select R , THOK Custom tuned
Brakes SRAM – Guide T, 4 pistons calipter, 200mm Centerline rotor
Rear derailleur SRAM – NX, 12s
Shifter SRAM – SX Eagle Trigger, 12s
Cassette SRAM – Eagle 12s (11-50)
Chain SRAM – Eagle 12s
Crank FSA 165mm – chainring 34T
Wheels THOK DRIFTER with Mavic rim E-XM430: 29″x30mm front, 27.5″x35mm rear
Stem THOK forged, 35mm front clamp oversize, 37mm length
Handlebar THOK 35mm, rise 20mm, 780mm width
Grips THOK – Lock-On grip, regular size
Tires MAXXIS – Assegai 29×2.6 front & 27.5×2.6 rear. 3C / EXO+ / TR
Seatpost THOK telescopic dropper post
(125mm size S – 150mm size M – 170mm sizes L and XL)
Saddle THOK Fit in Chromo