A Refreshingly Simple Trail Bike That Focuses on What Actually Matters

Allied Cycleworks has been a recognizable name in bespoke road and gravel bikes for a while now. Recently, Allied has been quietly merging carbon expertise and bike design with a shared love of mountain biking. The brand first entered the world of mountain bikes in 2022 with the BC40, a wicked-fast, super-lightweight XC bike, and this foray (un)paved the way for the FITZ. This 140mm trail bike with obvious cross-country influence, but in a way that doesn’t bleed into downcountry territory; instead, it very much leans into what we all love about this category of mountain bike: Versatility, capability, and maneuverability.

With very few gimmicks, a dedicated vision, and a well-rounded package, the FITZ looks like a pretty intriguing option for riders looking for a bike that they can just get on and ride without worrying where the trail might lead.

Allied FITZ Details

• 140mm front / 140mm rear travel as stock, with compatibility for 150mm front, 150mm rear
• 29” wheels with clearance for up to 2.6” tires
• Mechanical & electronic drivetrain compatible
• Long reach and a slack 64.5° head tube angle
• 200mm + dropper post compatibility
• In-frame storage
• 64.5-degree HTA, 76.6 STA, 440mm chainstays on all sizes
• Two stock colors and an optional custom paint program to make your dreams come true.

Why Make a Trail Bike?

The trail bike category has always been one of the most versatile genres of mountain bike, but as many modern trail bikes have aimed to be as capable as possible, they’ve kind of lost some of that sparkle; they have gotten heavier, less efficient, with slacker angles and longer travel. This trend of longer, slacker, and taller has slightly tainted the trail bike ethos, and Allied Cycleworks has taken their love for nimble, efficient trail bikes and made something special. 

Named after the Fitzgerald trail system in Arkansas, known for its very diverse trail offerings, it seems only fitting to name the bike after this eclectic web of trails. The Allied FITZ is a lightweight, supremely versatile 140mm trail bike designed for riders who truly want a do-it-all MTB. Something that fits the bill for riders who want to do a little bit of it all.

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When Allied say this bike is lightweight, they mean it. With a weight starting as low as 26lbs for a top-tier XX SL complete build, that’s pretty impressive, especially when you consider that this rig can also accommodate a 150mm travel setup with a longer shock - no flip chip required. 

Suspension: Old Faithful

The FITZ is built on a four-bar Horst Link suspension, a design that has proven to be one of the most well-rounded linkage designs in the industry for its pedaling efficiency and downhill performance. The FITZ starts at $3,900 USD for a frame, shock, and headset, which isn’t a terrible deal. Builds top out at $11,400 USD for a full SRAM XX SL Eagle Transmission. It ain’t cheap, but it’s also not too bad considering the reputation of the Allied brand and the intentions of this bicycle. Pretty cool.

All the builds feature a FOX Factory Float shock (no piggyback), but Allied says that the frame has been tested to work with pretty much every shock on the market, and for riders looking to run a piggyback, or a coil, that there shouldn’t be any issues, although some piggyback shocks might see the reservoir tap the magnetic door of the in-frame storage at full bottom-out. For those wanting a little more travel, you can spec this with a 150mm fork and a 210x55 shock for 150mm rear-wheel travel, but 140mm is a pretty sweet range for a trail bike, if you ask me. 

Pricing & Builds

• SRAM XX SL Eagle Transmission: $11,400 USD
• SRAM XO Eagle Transmission: $9,000 USD
• SRAM GX Eagle Transmission: $6,900 USD
• Frameset: $3,900
  (includes FOX Factory FLOAT 210x50 shock and Wolf Tooth IS41/52 headset)

Geometry

Although the FITZ isn't rocking size-specific chainstays, it has a pretty average rear-center with 440mm sticks of carbon pivoting the lower bar, and no, you can't mullet it. The head tube angle is a goldilocks 64.5 degrees, but would be closer to 64 degrees with a longer fork. The seat tube angle is also a pretty standard 76.6 degrees