Smith & Wesson, the "world's foremost handgun manufacturer," is branching out into the realm beyond mechanical objects that go "click, boom." This year witnesses the release of a Smith & Wesson mountain bike called the Custom FS, a fully suspended bike apt to steal the nickname of "police special" once it hits the streets. S&W, in all actuality, has been designing and building all-American, human-powered patrol units for some time, selling them to law enforcement and public safety agencies. Now they are making the fruits of their labors available to John and Jane Q. Civilian.
The aluminum frame, available in 16-, 18-, 20- or 22-inch frame sizes, looks conspicuously like the four-bar linkage design you'd find on an Ellsworth Truth, but given S&W's relationship with law enforcement, I'm sure any and all patents have been...um...taken care of. Built tough from the ground up with Rhyno Lite wheels and high-end Shimano or SRAM componentry depending on the customer's preference, this bad boy is topped with a riser bar and rear axle-mounted kickstand.
Other goodies include a RockShox Psylo XC up front and a Fox Float RC to regulate the up to four inches of travel in the back. Combine this with a mechanical front disc brake, a Night Rider system with red and blue lens shades and flashing feature; plus the topper, a Shimano silent roller-clutch rear hub for stealthy coasting, and you'll be able to silently stalk and, well, neutralize any and all local trail poachers who get in your way.
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The approximate weight of the unit is as yet unavailable, as is the grade of aluminum tubing the mainframe was hewn from, but at a sale price of $1,400 this bike is a pure bargain. Plus, if you're in the market for a handgun, or maybe a pair of handcuffs, you probably won't have to pay extra for shipping.
-Justin Brunjes
Reader Comments
Posted Fri Apr 3, 2009, 12:56 AM — By JCT
I work for a small police department and ride a Smith & Wesson mountain bike when I decide to take the bike out on patrol. It's a pretty basic bike, and it doesn't have a lot of the 'bells and whistles' you'll find elsewhere. However, for the money, this is the best bike I've ever ridden. It takes serious abuse from me and the other guys on shift for up to 12 hours at a time. It's great for catching bad guys, and it's probably just as good for a moderate-level, high quality bicycle. I would recommend this bike to anyone looking to save money and have a high quality, american-made bicycle that'll go anywhere!
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