I n December of 2021, Eminent Cycles launched its Drive eMTB while simultaneously debuting the high-pivot iteration of their Active Float System (AFS) suspension design. The new layout marked a significant departure from Eminent's inaugural AFS layout and, subjectively speaking, was a huge improvement aesthetically. We tested the Drive last Spring, and it checked all the boxes for a hard-charging, 160mm eMTB: bottom-less suspension feel with excellent support, stability at speed, and a plow-anything mentality to weather the gnarliest trails. The Drive gave Eminent some much-needed momentum as...
With every bike brand launching an eMTB over the past few years, manufacturers are taking a few angles when developing their electric machines. Some modify existing models to accommodate a motor, while others start from scratch with a completely new design. Some are going for the ‘more is better’ approach and jamming the biggest battery they can fit into their bike, while others are going for the ‘rides like a mountain bike’ approach and shooting for the lowest weight possible. Eminent Cycles, the small, boutique mountain bike company out of Southern California, has always chosen to take their...
S mall builders have a tough time breaking into today’s modern carbon frame market. Bike creation requires engineering know-how, manufacturing expertise, and typically an interest in fabricating in Asia, where nearly all carbon frames are made. The next challenge is selling your newest creation in an increasingly competitive US market and doing battle with some really big, established brands. One such company that is proving itself as a small boutique bike builder is Eminent. In its second year of production, Eminent has just released its second model—a 29-inch-wheeled all-mountain machine...
A fter years in the cycling industry, Jeff Soncrant and Kevin Sigismondo put their heads together to create a ground up mountain bike brand of their own. It wasn’t that they hadn’t been working with great folks, but they wanted the opportunity to create products without restraints and in their own image. With a "clean slate" approach to design, Eminent Cycles has set the bar high with the Haste, which they claim to be the ultimate enduro bike. We spoke with Soncrant who elaborated on their priorities: "We feel that we must create product that improves the current market standard and try not to...