Karate Monkey

That’s an easy one: Karate Monkey can be configured with a 140mm-travel suspension fork or rigid fork; it can be set up with gears or single speed; and it can roll on 29″ or 27.5+ wheels and tires. If all those possibilities have your head spinning, we’ve done our job.

Both. Karate Monkey was originally designed as a 29er — in fact it helped popularize the wheel size way back in the early 2000s. But today’s Karate Monkey rides just as well on 27.5+ wheels and tires, so you can truly pick what feels best without feeling like you’re missing out.

Both are worthy steel trail rigs with our Gnot-Boost rear spacing, single speedability, and loads of cargo mounts. Where the trail diverges is mainly tire size: Karate Monkey comes stock with 27.5 x 3.0″ tires and clears up to 29 x 2.5″. Krampus goes big, rolling stock on 29 x 2.6″ tires but clearing up to 29 x 3.0″. This gives Krampus a tendency to roll over everything and feel extra-planted, while Karate Monkey feels more nimble.

Choose Sorceress for rowdy, rugged, and steep trails. Karate Monkey is better-suited to multi-purpose mountain riding and bikepacking.

Karate Monkey is an excellent bikepacking rig, whether you’re covering doubletrack or technical singletrack. Cargo configuration and tire choice are key to unlocking the magic, though. Make sure you choose the right bag setup and tread for the route you have in mind.