ETNA, Calif. (BRAIN) — Steve Potts, a co-founder of WTB and a member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, is developing a new line of components that will be produced in Japan and Taiwan by factories including Nitto, Panaracer, Tange-Seiki, Suzue and Tange Tubing.
Potts' first new products are a rigid fork for adventure, gravel and road bikes and a set of hubs. Potts continues to build custom titanium frames; he also sells titanium seatposts, stems and handlebars.
Potts plans to expand the imported product line to include handlebars, tires, saddles, wheels, and more. He concedes that the current supply chain challenges from Asia make it difficult to source all the new products he'd like to.
"It has been slow going since the factories that I want to work with are so overbooked," he said.
The new Type II-R rigid forks follow the signature Type II design by Charlie Cunningham that Potts has been custom making for about 40 years. These will be made by Tange, the tubing and fork maker.
"I really thought demand for my rigid fork would have disappeared when suspension came on the scene, but customers kept on asking for it," Potts said.
He will continue to make custom forks for those who need them, but said he hopes that offering a stock option will free up more of his time for frame-building and new product development. The Tange-made fork retails for $500 and comes in road and mountain bike versions.
The new Alpina gravel/all road hubs are co-produced and co-branded with hub maker Suzue. They will retail for $180 (front) and $300 (rear) in 32-hole with Shimano, XDR, or Campagnolo freehub options and various axle endcap options.
Potts said he has plans to launch additional products in 2021 and 2022 as time and resources allow. Handlebars by Nitto are already in production, Potts said.
The forks and hubs are already available from Merry Sales, BTI, and directly from Steve Potts Bicycles. Potts offers OE pricing for small frame builders.
