Smooth rolling & lightweight Double Butted Chromoly steel frame
Supplied with a chromoly steel adventure fork. Plenty of cargo & accessory mounting options
Big tyre clearances
1x & 2x drivechain compatible
Carbon fork ready tapered headtube
Mounts for mudguards, front & rear carriers, 2x bottles, 3x Anything cage
grime busting forward facing seatpost slot
The Mk2 version of the steel Vulture frameset is here. Like its titanium counterpart it’s a big tyre bike that’s packed with utility and made for long days, weeks or months in saddle, both on and off the road. Some have referred to it as MonsterCrosser and that’s fine but one thing it’s definitely not is retro. It’s a proper modern steel multirole frameset with up to the minute gravel geometry, disc brake mounts and all the fixtures you’ll need for long form adventures. Please read the sections below for detailed spec and thought process behind the design features.
These are a production run of framesets kept in stock here at Fearless. A Vulture MkII frame & fork set costs £865. This includes the frame & fork, front & rear axles, seat collar, hose clips, zip ties and a full accompaniment of round cap stainless steel bolts.
International customers please see the EU and International section for prices without UK taxes applied.
frameset spec & parts compatibility
Frame | Double butted chromoly steel, carbon fork ready tapered headtube, Cable routing for 2x & 1x mechanical drivechains, 2x water bottle mounts, 1x Anything cage mount, grime busting forward facing seat post collar. |
Dropouts | Rear: 142 x 12mm thru axle, fork: 100 x 12mm thru axle |
Tyres | 55-622 or 700x55c (29×2.22″ Continental Race King), 60-584 or 650x60c (27.5 x 2.4″ Continental Trail King) |
Brakes | Flat mount- 140/160mm rotor |
Seatpost | 27.2mm post, 29.8mm clamp |
Headtube | 34/44mm tapered. Use EC34/28.6 top cup and ZS44/30 lower cup for supplied steel fork. Use EC34/28.6 top cup and EC44/40 lower cup for aftermarket carbon forks |
Front mech | 28.6 band on |
BB Shell | 68mm width. BSA/English thread |
Crankset | Max 2x: 48/34T, Max 1x:44T (Shimano GRX) 42T (Sram Wide). Shimano GRX and Sram Wide cranksets are recommended. Not compatible with Shimano Road (105, Ultegra, Dura Ace). Minimum chainline- 45mm with 1x42T. If you’re unsure if your crankset will fit please get in touch. |
Fork | Chromoly steel adventure fork, 52mm offset. A/C: 409mm. 2x sets of cargo mounts, eyelets for mudguards, external routing for dynamo cable. Supplied with 12mm thru axle |
Finish | Available in 2 powder coat colours- Mid Atlantic Green and Warm grey. Both the frame and fork are ED coated for extra corrosion protection |
Included | Frame & fork set includes: front & rear 12mm thru axles, seat collar, under BB cable guide, hose clips and zip ties, a full set of bolts |
Frame Details
The frame is constructed from double butted chromoly steel road tubing and comes with an extremely well equipped steel fork with all the cargo carrying configurations you’ll likely need. For those riders looking to build up a lightweight, less adventure orientated bike, the tapered headtube is compatible with tapered carbon forks that have an axle to crown measurement around the 398mm range.
The frame’s geo is slightly more compact with more top tube slope than Fearless’ previous models but giving better standover clearance to compensate for the taller 700c tyres. The frameset’s stack is also increased with a shorter reach for a more inclusive fit and giving improved long distance comfort and off-road control.
Taking feedback from Warlock owners we’ve prioritised clearance for a wide range of wheel and tyre sizes. More tyre clearance means a wider choice of tread patterns to tailor your bike to your riding style and conditions. As an increasing number of riders are becoming aware, cross-country MTB tyres make for great gravel tyres and the extra clearance make for better mud shedding capabilities makes the Vulture MkII is a true all-year-round riding machine.
The Vulture frameset comes equipped with our custom and designed in house rear dropouts and derailleur hanger. Based on a traditional Wright style hooded dropout design it’s possibly the lightest and most compact steel 12mm thru axle assembly in the industry. The frame also has 2x routing for all-road, touring and more conventional gravel applications and this time around the machined 6061 aluminium alloy derailleur hanger comes in a silver anodised finish. The under BB cable guide is detachable if you intend to fit a 1x drivechain.
As with all Fearless framesets both the frame and fork have ED coating for increased corrosion protection and come in two powder coat finishes. After experimenting with some loud colours with the paint on the prototype which received some mixed reactions we’ve opted for something more subdued; a beautiful muted blue-ish green mix we’re calling Mid-Atlantic and a warm shade of grey. The latter is combined with colourful graphics adding some eye catching colour contrast.
Frame weights (without hardware but including the rear derailleur hanger + bolt):-
S – 2.23 kg |
M – 2.28 kg |
L – 2.32 kg |
XL – 2.42 kg |
Fork without hardware and uncut 310mm steerer:-
1.15 kg |
Fork Details
The frame comes supplied with a versatile chromoly steel front fork which is equipped all the eyelets required for long distance adventure riding, bike packing and touring. With 3 different types of front carrier: mid-blade attachment, long strut ‘Porteur’ style racks that attach at the dropout and also minimalist handlebar bag supports with shorter struts. You can fit pretty much any combination of Anything cage and front rack you like. There’s routing for a dynamo hub on the fork leg which is tucked neatly inboard of the fork blade with 3 P-clips securing the wire to the frame and away from the tyre.
The prototype Vulture MkII had internal routing which was difficult to install a cable unless oversize holes were drilled at points on the fork most susceptible to water and dirt ingress. The p-clips are secured by low profile round cap hex bolts which are unobtrusive if you’re not running a front dynamo light. The system also makes swapping wheelsets and dynamo system installation/removal less tiresome. Just like the Vulture MK1 and the Warlock, the fork and headtube arrangement allows for the fitting of aftermarket tapered steerer carbon forks without affecting the steering geometry.
Just like the Vulture MK1 and the Warlock, the fork and headtube arrangement allows for the fitting of aftermarket tapered steerer carbon forks without affecting the steering geometry.
Tyre Clearances
The largest 700c tyre that will fit into the frame & fork is a 55-622. So that’s a tyre no wider or taller than 55mm from the rim’s bead seat. Some tyre manufacturers express this as 2.15”, others 2.2” (Such as the 29×2.2” Continental Race King which is a 55-622 tyre).
The largest 650B/27.5” tyre that will fit is a 61-584, so that’s a tyre that’s no wider or taller than 61mm from the wheel’s bead seat. Some brands express this as 27×2.4”.
Expect gravel bike tyre clearances so around 5mm either side with the largest compatible tyres fitted. If you’re aiming for greater mud clearance then go a size or two down.
When selecting tyres It’s worth checking their metric ERTRO measurement rather than the quoted imperial measurement as this accurately describes a tyre’s height and width. It’s also worth remembering that rim internal diameter also has an effect on tyre width and height.
700c with Mudguards: Based on an SKS Bluemels 28” 55 mudguard (which is the biggest 700c mudguard that will fit the frame) the largest tyre with mudguards fitted is a 700x47c.
650B/27.5” with Mudguards: Based on an SKS Bluemels 28” 69 mudguard (which is the biggest 650B mudguard that will fit) the largest tyre combined with mudguards is a 61-584 (based on a Continental Trail King 27.5 x 2.4”).
geometry
S (49cm) | M (52cm) | L (56cm) | XL (58cm) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Effective Top Tube | 535 | 550 | 560 | 575 |
2. | Seat Tube | 460 | 500 | 530 | 560 |
3. | Head Angle | 70.5° | 71° | 71° | 71.5° |
4. | Seat Angle | 74° | 73.5° | 73° | 73° |
5. | Stack | 566 | 587 | 615.5 | 636.5 |
6. | Reach | 373 | 376 | 372 | 380 |
7. | Head Tube | 130 | 150 | 180 | 200 |
8. | Chainstay Length | 445 | 445 | 445 | 445 |
9. | Standover 700x50c | 757 | 788 | 816 | 841.5 |
10. | Wheelbase | 1043 | 1048.5 | 1054 | 1064.5 |
11. | Bottom Bracket Drop | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 |
12. | Fork Offset | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 |
Rider Height Range* | 166-172cm | 171-176cm | 177-186cm | 184-193cm |
* Every rider is different so this is a rough guide. If you need confirmation of which size frame is the fit best for you then it’s always worth getting in touch. Let us know your height and barefoot inseam (measured in cm) and also what bike you’re currently riding. Another piece of useful info is the height of your saddle on your current bike, measured from the centre of the BB/crank spindle to the top-centre of the saddle.
2x compatibility
A lot of time goes into designing bikes with maximum component compatibility in mind but we’re restricted by component manufacturer’s specifications. Sram Wide 2x and Shimano GRX 2x still use a chainline that’s relatively close to the tyre and frame despite their equivalent 1x drivechains being further outboard. Tyres around 700x45c are recommended when running 2x. So this isn’t a restriction of the frame but GRX and Sram Wide 2x drivechains. There’s some logic to this as the kind of steep terrain large circumference 29” tyres are designed for isn’t really suited to large front sprockets.
If you want to run wide, low pressure rubber with useable 2x gears then 650B/27.5” is the way to go as the smaller wheel will play nicely with the taller gearing. With GRX 2x then a 55-584 (27.5×2.15” or some brand’s 2.2”) tyre will work. According to Sram their Wide 2x drivechains are restricted to 27.5×2.1”.