Wren Sports aims to make your ride the best it can be, and they know that great rides start with great components for your bike. Wren Sports’ background in successful product development means that you know that their components are the best they can be.
Wren Sports’ namesake is co-owner Kevin Wren, who worked in product development for Shimano, Cannondale, Bell Sports and others. Among his successes are iconic components like the CODA Magic Motorcycle cranks and Union Ti-Dye spokes.
Wren’s business partner is Russ Johnson, who hails from New Jersey. The two worked together at Shimano USA in southern California, where Johnson was Director of Communications for 13 years. After leaving Shimano to start Wren Sports, Johnson moved back east to be near his large extended family in New Jersey. Today Kevin Wren handles west coast operations, and Johnson covers the east.
Johnson explains why they chose his partner’s last name to be their brand name. “I wanted Wren from the start because it is unique and describes a small, nimble yet aggressive and tenacious animal. I liked the analogy to the company we hoped to form. Kevin was against it, but I convinced him.”
Johnson’s extensive background in marketing and advertising sealed the deal. “I also liked the short length and had a logo in mind,” he says.
Wren Sports are bringing some buzzworthy products to the Philly Bike Expo. Among them are their Inverted Suspension Forks for mountain and fat bikes. Johnson explains their advantages:
“The Inverted fork design simply works better. By inverting the fork so that the lighter stanchions are on the bottom, we reduce the mass of the moving part of the fork so that it will react quicker and easier to the trail. Inverting also anchors the stanchions into the stronger, larger upper tubes and crown making the overall chassis much stronger and stiffer. It also lowers the fulcrum point where the uppers join the stanchions compared to other fork designs decreasing the leverage factor. Inverting also positions the seals downward so that all kinds of bad stuff doesn’t sit on them and get pulled into your fork on every compression stroke.”
The Wren TwinAir System is designed to fine tune the ride of the fork using only your air pump. No disassembly of the fork is required. The TwinAir system is considered a single positive air chamber and is located at the bottom of the air side stanchion. Wren uses a floating piston to divide the area in half. There are individual air valves for the top and bottom chambers. By dividing the one large volume into two smaller volumes, the forces necessary to move the air are reduced, allowing the fork to begin moving easier and faster.
Johnson explains, “Because the piston floats, air pressure will equalize on either side of the piston as you add or release air, but the volumes of each chamber will change. More air in the top chamber will increase its volume relative to the bottom chamber and the fork will exhibit a more plush ride. If the bottom chamber volume is larger relative to the top, the fork will exhibit a stiffer, more progressive ride.”
Wren Inverted Suspension Forks are available in hub widths 100, 110, 135 or 150 mm. All hub widths available in either 110 or 150 mm of travel.
Wren Sports will also be displaying their Crazy Lightweight Alloy Stems for MTB and Road, which are the lightest stems on the market. They are 3D forged from AL7050 aluminum, superior to AL6061 for strength, hardness and rigidity. 3D forging is superior to CNC, and it strengthens the material and allows for better grain structure. A four bolt clamp distributes clamping force over a wider area. The stems are available in 6 degree or 17 degree versions, 31.8 mm clamp diameter, in a wide variety of lengths.
With a history of successful products and decades of bicycle industry experience, the folks at Wren Sports are dedicated to making all of your rides great ones.