Tech Week 2023: Ministry Cycling Psalm 150 Prototype – Pinkbike

Psalm 150 Frame details

Why not welded tubes or molded carbon fibers? “I’m looking for a manufacturing method that can scale and still allow for customization, flexibility and agility,” Currie replied, before saying it also gives him more control over how he builds his bike, especially compared to tracking his bike. The same route for others eventually leads to “big bike factories”. The Ministry aims to make more frames than most small builders could weld, but the move to carbon fiber creates all sorts of​​​​​​challenges, especially when it comes to schedules and, God forbid, the desire to make a fast mid. production cycle update to design.

All of this led Currie to look into CNC machining, but he explained that it required outside help and a lot of homework: “When your goal is to make more than a handful of frames a year, you have to build a team and systems. I found a great engineer, Jordan Jackson of Certa Design and Engineering from the UK, to design shapes and do FEA, so we were confident we had a solid foundation. Then we researched the best way to glue and different glues and finally found a factory that could machine the frames – at a time when the price of aluminum was at an all time high – it was one heck of a learning experience. I’ve been in the bike business for a long time, but almost nothing has worked out. Making this frame meant tearing up the playbook and looking for new ways.”

I would argue that the end result is one of the most stunning frames around, with angular lines and a machined finish that sets the Psalm 150 apart from almost anything else on the trails.
3VO suspension

The 150mm travel Psalm features a double link setup called 3VO, which is an evolved and modified version of what Jamis has had on a full suspension bike for years. “The new 3VO suspension is simpler and has a flat, progressive leverage ratio,” Currie told me. “It actually goes back to my original, original design from years ago, which only uses two links, but was a little too progressive for the old-school air strikes.” Currie had been using a prototype version of a highly progressive switching system called the Prog Rocker on his personal Jamis Portal for a few years, and the Psalm uses this layout combined with a high volume air shock.

This iteration of the 3VO suspension is also simpler than previous versions, with two links instead of three, and Currie has stressed the importance of pedaling well on his bike. ”Unlike many models that cheat on the center of gravity location or gearing, the 3VO suspension has well over 100% squat prevention, even if you’re on the biggest rear sprocket, and even if you decide to run a 34 engine. -tooth chain ring,” he explained on the ministry’s website. “In climbing, very few systems can match the efficiency of a 3VO bike. When it comes to balancing sensitivity, responsiveness and efficiency, nothing comes close.” ‘

Geometry

The seat angle is 77.7 degrees, and Currie has been pleasantly surprised by the prototype’s uphill performance, especially considering it’s still a few pounds heavier than the final bike: “From the faster, steeper 130mm carbon XC bike to this beefier 150mm: n bike with a 65° head tube angle, I was prepared to lose some climbing ability, but this thing goes up walls. I’m 77.7° on this bike, and it climbs so much better it’s ridiculous.”

What next?

If you want your own Psalm 150, there’s a pre-order link on the Ministry Cycles website to make a deposit, but Currie is limiting the first run to just 20 bikes and admits they’re going to be expensive: “I hope I can get around to it, and eventually I think we can , but right now they’re incredibly expensive to make. We’re working on a revised frame now, and a lot of things can also delay production, so we’re talking a deposit that’s fully refundable at any time.”

“The mission is really to make things for people based on what they want, not to make a bunch of things and then try to convince people that they want them. I have really strong opinions about geometry and how a bike should be ridden, but it really comes back to connecting with people and listening. That’s what I want Ministry Cycles to really be about.”

Want to know more? I sat down with veteran and Ministry Cycles founder Chris Currie to talk about Psalm 150’s revival, public development and lifecycle, design flexibility and more. Chris also founded Speedgoat, one of the earliest online stores back in the 1990s, and has spent over a decade in the Stans marketing trenches, giving him a unique perspective on the cycling industry and its future.