An Enduro Hardtail Made of Titanium? Scrub Is Built for the Bravest or Most Reckless of Us

It's simple; to create something that excels, you need to put in the work. Well, that is precisely the case with Turner Bicycles' Scrub, a juicy hunk of titanium designed to take a beating and keep going. Best of all, it's a hardtail, meaning there's no rear suspension, a specification that extends the bike's abilities far beyond the woods or trails.

Turner isn't the sort of crew known to everyone, but they have been crafting two-wheelers since 1994. That's nearly three decades of experience, and these days, Turner's website is crawling only with titanium-frame bikes. This shift appeared only in recent years. Considering the properties that titanium brings to the cycling game, it's really no wonder we're seeing more and more bikes crafted from the stuff.

All this leads us to the Scrub. Please take a nice long look at this puppy. Notice the tubes, the gussets meant to reinforce points of high stress, those clean and almost inexistent welds, all of it. Did you happen to see the tapered head tube or the massive tire clearance? How about the way that fork is jutting out in front? The relatively upright position of the rider? These features make the Scrub what it is and so much more, so let's dive in.

First of all, this bugger is designed around forks that offer up to 160 mm (6.3 in) of travel and a rather slack head tube angle of 64.5 degrees. This tells you nearly everything you need to know about where you should ride this machine: through "the gnar" at "eye-watering speeds." In short, it's a bicycle designed to take hits from the front, be in control of descents, and smile while taking a beating.

But there is a catch. Because it is a hardtail, the sort of terrain you can tackle is going to be lighter than what you'd typically encounter if you were riding a full-suspension machine. Because no rear suspension is present, any hits taken up by the back wheel will automatically be transferred up into the seat, and the rider, if they are sitting down. Showing up to an enduro event with this one will surely have everyone wondering if you've lost some proverbial marbles throughout your life.

But, there are plenty of features aimed at giving you a chance, if not in keeping up with the full-suspension folks, at least in creating your own line. For example, hits taken up by the front of the Scrub are supported by a tapered head tube and that gusset underneath the down tube. You may have also noticed that the cockpit sits rather high than the seat, an essential feature if you go headfirst into a slope. Regarding those hits you'll be taking up by the rear, a heavily slanted top tube offers more than enough standover and clearance to keep the family jewels intact. Another gusset where the seat tube and top tube meet helps keep that rear down and strengthens this high-stress area once again.

Another area where some attention is required is at the rear triangle. One feature I'd like to point out is how the chan stays are shaped and welded to the BB (Bottom Bracket). Did you notice how they're composed of two separate structures? First, thin and vertically stiff bars are welded to the BB, and another tube is adjoined at the opposite end. Near the dropouts, a titanium pillar underneath the brake mount maintains the triangle's shape when you clamp onto 180 mm (7.1 in) rotors. All that allows the Scrub to be fitted with 29 in tires with a 2.5 in cross-section or 27.5 in tires with a 2.8 in cross-section. What kind of rider are you? Do you like to fly fast over just about anything or technical all the way?

Now, there's something you need to know about how Turner Bikes sells the Scrub. According to their website, you'll be dishing out $2,600 (€2,400 at current exchange rates) on just the frame alone. This means that the complete build you're witnessing here today is going to cost a heck of a lot more. If you're looking to throw on the best gear around onto your future Scrub, you'll be looking at doubling that $2,600 or more. But the result will be a machine that you can pass on to your kids, assuming you don't smash your tubes against anything. This is all due to the inherent properties of titanium and one of the main reasons behind the recent explosion of such bikes. Not to mention that modern production processes allow for easier manipulation of this tough metal.

At the end of the day, if you're looking for a bike that can do a bit more than you're average hardtail, and be there waiting for you day after day, then the Scrub is a beast to consider.