Foundry launches XC race bike, the Firetower

Boost spacing and plus-sized tires burst into our collective consciousness so quickly and so definitively that a bike like the Foundry Firetower looks slightly odd in the current, trend-soaked world of mountain biking. But here it is, a brand-new cross-country race machine that lacks Boost, takes only a 29×2.25 tire and runs a 100 mm fork mated to a 70-degree headtube angle.

The Firetower features a Press Fit 92 shell, a blend of carbon fibers and will come in sizes small through XL at a price of $3,700 for Shimano XT and a RockShox Reba SL (the only build kit offered). While it will ship as a 1x build, the frame will accept a front derailleur. Whether or not you think this rig is already “old-school,” the Firetower certainly stands out in the newly crowded sea of plus-tire bikes.

One of the Foundry guys mentioned that this is an “affordable” race bike the company would like to see under NICA (high school) racers. We’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, but we disagree. That is a lot of coin these days for a bike like the Firetower. You, the consumer, will decide this one when it shows up in local bike shops around September.