It's a top-end ATB, with carbon-fibre frame, disk brakes, and a weight of just 11.5kg. So why is it in the 'portables' section? Because this is a folding bike, and a very fine one. With clever design and cutting-edge materials, ' tm-design' have made their CMK exotic, visually stunning, yet above all eminently practical. With full-sized 26" (559) mountain-bike size wheels, there's no compromise on performance: depending on your choice of tyres and components, it's equally happy in the city, on a 100-mile road ride, or on the roughest mountain-bike racecourse.
The CMK is built around a carbon fibre monocoque frame, with a single-bladed front fork and a single-sided rear triangle. There's no need to remove a wheel for puncture repair. The specially-designed rear axle takes standard transmission components: top-end parts from Shimano or Sachs are usually fitted.
The folding mechanism at the centre of the frame is patented: in just 15 seconds and without any tools, the bike folds into a package measuring around 995 x 680 x 440mm (39" x 26" x 17"). The carbon construction and tri-spoke wheels are all wipe-clean surfaces - important for a folder which may travel with other luggage.
For more comfort, especially off-road, ' tm-design' have developed a one-sided 'Roto-C' suspension fork, also in carbon fibre, with 50-110mm of travel, and weighing just 1250g. Available to retro-fit or as original equipment on the CMK, there is also a version available to fit other mountain-bikes - both versions are designed for use with disk brakes. While the CMK wheels are design-specific, similar tri-spoke 'Shreddair' 26" wheels to fit standard MTB dropouts and rim brakes are also available separately.
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