A Fairly Unreasonable Amount of Bike

Some bikes lend themselves to a subtle, sensible build. This probably wasn’t ever going to be one of them.

For this staff bike check, we’re taking a closer look at our Head Mechanic Connan’s UNNO MITH Race in S3. With an Avinox M2S motor, RockShox Ultimate suspension and a healthy contribution from Hope and Burgtec, there’s quite a lot going on.

The MITH frame is hardly understated to begin with. Its shape makes it stand out before you’ve changed a single component, which arguably makes spending time choosing all the finishing kit unnecessary, and off the shelf these aren’t exactly badly spec’ed bikes!

Naturally, that hasn’t stopped Connan.

Ultimate RockShox Front and Rear

Up front is a RockShox Zeb Ultimate, paired with a Vivid Ultimate shock at the rear. A fairly clear indication that this build hasn’t been put together for gentle trips down the canal.

There’s plenty of adjustment available at both ends, allowing the suspension to be set up around the rider and terrain. Having that adjustment is useful; resisting the temptation to change three things at once and then wonder what made the difference is another matter.

The suspension is also part of a wider theme with this bike. There are very few places where saving a handful of grams has taken priority over building something substantial.

The wheel and tyre setup makes that particularly clear.

Built With Intent

The wheels use DT Swiss 571 rims, Competition spokes and Pro Lock nipples, built around Hope Pro 5 hubs. It’s a mullet setup, with a 29-inch front and 27.5-inch rear.

The larger front wheel helps carry momentum through rough ground, while the smaller rear keeps things a little more manoeuvrable. On a build this substantial, a bit of playfulness is welcome.

Hope hubs also mean another component from just down the road in Barnoldswick. There’s a lot to like about having local manufacturing and service support behind parts you intend to keep using.

You may notice that supporting Hope has become something of a recurring theme here.

Shop hope here

Tyres are Maxxis DHX in a 2.5-inch width with downhill casings, with a Vittoria Air-Liner fitted in the rear. It’s a substantial combination, with the rear insert adding another layer of support and rim protection.

Lightweight? No, but walking home carrying an e-bike isn’t particularly appealing.

More Hope, Obviously

Stopping duties are handled by Hope GR4 brakes, paired with Hope floating rotors measuring 220mm up front and 200mm at the rear.

With this much bike underneath you, brakes deserve a decent share of the attention. The large rotors suit the build’s gravity intentions, and the GR4s bring plenty of adjustment to get the lever position and feel dialled in.

There’s also the practical appeal of Hope’s serviceable approach. Being able to maintain components and replace individual parts matters when you’re building a bike to use properly.

Admittedly, they also look very good. That helps.

Getting Back Up Again

At the centre of the bike is the Avinox M2S motor. The rest of the build makes its descending intentions fairly obvious, but assistance on the way back up gives you the opportunity to do it all again.

And again, depending on how much time you’ve told everyone you’re going out for.

The drivetrain pairs a SRAM S1000 AXS mech with an XS-1275 cassette. Wireless shifting keeps the cockpit a little cleaner, which is useful when there’s already quite enough equipment attached to the bike.

The cranks are Hope’s e-bike models in a short 155mm length. That gives a little more pedal clearance when working through awkward terrain, although it would be optimistic to suggest that shorter cranks can eliminate every badly timed pedal stroke.

Burgtec Penthouse MK5 pedals finish things off. Between those and the rest of the build, Hope and Burgtec have done reasonably well out of this project.

The Details Add Up

The cockpit combines a Burgtec Enduro MK3 stem in a 35mm length with Burgtec Ride High bars with 38mm of rise. ODI Longneck grips complete the setup.

Bar height, reach and grip choice might attract less attention than a motor or suspension swap, but they’re the parts that determine how comfortable you feel every time you get on the bike. They deserve more thought than simply choosing whatever matches.

Although matching is still allowed.

A OneUp dropper provides 210mm of travel, operated by a Hope lever, with a Fizik Aidon saddle on top. Plenty of room to move when the saddle is dropped, and a finishing touch that completes a fairly comprehensive build.

The Finished Bike

The finished MITH is a fairly clear statement of priorities: substantial suspension, sturdy wheels, downhill tyres and serious brakes, with more than enough motor assistance to get back up for another run.

There are lighter ways to build an e-bike. There are certainly cheaper ones, but a staff bike check would be a fairly short article if we all left everything standard.