Bike Check | Jeremy ‘Kickstand’ Hottinger’s Custom Ferrum

Rampage rider Jeremy ‘Kickstand’ Hottinger reveals his new custom Ferrum Bikes frame and build, and gets sendy.

A couple of weeks back we caught up with freerider and Red Bull Rampage competitor Jeremy Hottinger just as he’d taken delivery of his new American made steel full suspension frame, by Ferrum Bikes. He’s now got it built up, and he’s shared some pictures with us so we can get a better look. Just try not to be too distracted by the scenery.

• 

• 

• 

This Ferrum 4130 cromoly frame has 455mm reach: “The frame itself is a custom white paint job for me and is a prototype, basically the same as what you can buy off the website just trying different amounts of travel.”

What you can buy on the website is a Ferrum NV 170 29/27.5+, which will currently cost you $1,499 for the frame only – they’re usually $1,699.

Jeremy Hottinger’s Custom Kickstand Ferrum Build Kit:

• Marzocchi Z1 bomber 170mm Fork
• Currently using DVO shock that comes stock with frame, but am switching over to EXT Storia
• Deity bar, grip and 60mm stem combo
• Deity TMAC pedals
• WTB rims laced up to Hope hubs
• Bontrager SE5 tyres 27.5×2.3 front and rear (I still run tubes)
• Bontrager saddle
• Shimano Saint brakes
• KS Lev dropper post with XTR thumb trigger
• Cane Creek headset
• And a SRAM 11spd drivetrain, just what I had laying around
• I’d say it’s 33lbs or so. I haven’t put it on a scale but feels about right.. 

As well as Ferrum Bikes as a frame sponsor, Jeremy has support from Marzocchi and Suspension Syndicate (the US distributors of EXT), plus some clothing and eyewear brands – but no parts sponsor. So, the build kit is perhaps closer to what some of us might have at home as a product of practicality and price. For those of you who’ve spent hours agonising over the perfect choice of components, poring over spreadsheets while trying to pick your dream build, perhaps there’s a lesson here in just building it and getting out to ride?

Jeremy says:

Nothing super fancy but it rips and has everything you’d need to ride trail all the way down to some wild freeride lines. Definitely keen on spending more time on this bike and looking forward to mixing the wheel size. Mullet here we come! I wouldn’t say to do anything too different other than super stiff suspension, basically max it out and pretty slow rebound for the hard hits. Bikes are pretty sick now days being able to run big gears and less travel but still being able to absolutely destroy any terrain with the current geo this bike has.

We had to ask: tubes? Why is he still running them?

I run tubes cus I can’t say I ever flat and I have plenty of traction.. I see all my friends and people at trail heads messing with their tubeless set ups and seems a lot of people ding rims and flat… so I keep it old school and don’t have any problems.  Most Rampage fellas run tubes.

Huge hucks and hits, all the rocks and spikes of the desert, and he doesn’t get flats? We’re a little mind blown. Thanks to Jeremy for sharing his build with us. Check out our interview with Matt from Ferrum Bikes for more information on the brand.

---