Selwyns The Trail Bike is a new 140mm MTB with a coil shock, designed for a 160mm fork. This puts it in a strange category; it has less travel than an enduro bike and a focus on ride performance rather than low weight.The Trail Bike's geometry looks bang-on and the craftsmanship is evident in every line of the steel tubing.Selwyn Bicycles is run by one man, who builds the frames in a shed in the French Alps. Each bike is handmade and unique, with features such as brazed-on 3D-printed lugs. So, if youre looking for a robust trail bike that will stand out from the carbon crowd, The Trail Bike could be for you.There's a catch If you want a bike from Selwyn, you'll need to collect it from the company's Alpine workshop. Selwyn bikes There is a catch, though. Alex Plaisted, who owns the brand, is adamant Selwyn Bicycles does not offer delivery. Each bike sold must be collected in person from the workshop in Samons, where the owner will accompany you on the first ride.Plaisteds philosophy is his bikes should be suitable for the kind of riding the Alps is known for. When we started the design process, the intention was to make a true mountain bike for the mountains; not just for lift laps in the summer, he says.So, if you want one, youre going to have to buy a plane ticket as well as a bike, and get ready for some Alpine riding.Form follows function The Trail Bike is steel except for the rocker link, which is CNC machined from aluminium. Selwyn bikes The frame is built from Reynolds 853, 631 and 931 steel tubing. The dropouts, chainstay yoke and seatstay pivots are 3D printed from stainless steel. The rocker and hardware are designed in-house and machined in Asia from 7075 aluminium.The rear suspension uses a tried and tested four-bar design with steel seatstays and chainstays, and an aluminium rocker link actuating the FAST Fenix coil shock. Keeping the travel to 140mm means that the bike stays precise and agile, says Plaisted.The straight head tube is non-negotiable according to Plaisted, and The Trail Bike is 29er only with no mixed wheel-size option.The bike is designed to be rugged and straightforward with no frippery or concessions to fashion.Its made with 148x12mm Boost axle spacing, a 73mm BB shell and a Universal Derailleur Hanger.Frame geometry The default colours are Blue Pearl and British Racing Green, but other finishes are available. Selwyn bikes There are four sizes, ranging from 425mm reach for the S up to 505mm for the XL. There is also an attempt to provide proportional geometry, with 440mm chainstays on the S and M, and 445mm on the L and XL.The bottom bracket (BB) height is a low 335mm and is paired with a relaxed 64.5-degree head angle. The seat angle is an aggressive 69.5 degrees for traction when climbing seated.Builds House Special builds include a RockShox Lyrik Ultimate fork and Hope components, but custom builds are available. Selwyn bikes The Trail Bike is available as a frame only for 4,650 (shock included), as a 'House Special' build for 8,850 or as a custom build starting at 9,000.Each frame is fitted with a 1,045 coil-sprung FAST Fenix 2.0 shock tuned for each rider's weight.Our House Special full build has big brakes and solid parts because the Alps is hard on bikes and I dont like replacing parts, says Plaisted. However, customers can choose any component they like to adapt the bike to their preferred type of riding with one of Selwyns custom builds.House Special builds come with a RockShox Lyrik Ultimate fork, Hope wheels, brakes and cockpit, and SRAM Eagle 90 mechanical Transmission. The Hope components can be supplied in your chosen colour of anodising.The frame is painted in Metallic British Racing Green with yellow logos, or in Pearl Blue with silver logos. Custom colours are available on request.