Gunnar History

Gunnar has always seemed new and fresh, because of all the new products and the product evolution. Yet, it’s a brand that’s been around since 1998. So here goes:

1998 – Initial development – CrossHairs was the first product developed. The initial catalog included four models:

CrossHairs – Cyclocross.
TireBiter – Road Race
Street Dog – Fixed gear ‘Cross
Rock Hound – Off-Road

The concept was developed with the help of Chris Dimmick and Diane Lees over dinner. The idea was to introduce a lower cost (than Waterford) to take advantage of the new generation of steel technology – air hardening steels. Reynolds 853 had proved itself in three years of Waterford designs and we wanted to take advantage of its TIG-weldability. Gunnar was a great dog who represented all the qualities we wanted in our new line of bikes. Friendly, smart and tough.

Original Geometries:

CrossHairs
Size –	480	500	520	540	560	580	600	620
Theoretical TT (mm)	523	540	555	565	570	580	590	600
Head Angle (deg)	72	72.5	72.5	73	73	73	73	72
Seat Angle (deg)	75.5	74.5	73.0	73.0	73.0	72.5	72.5	72.5
Rake	50	45	45	42	42	42	42	45
Trail	61	63	63	63	63	63	63	66
Chainstay Length	425	425	430	430	430	430	430	460
Wheelbase	1005	1005	1010	1010	1015	1020	1030	1070
SO Height (mm)	770	780	785	800	820	840	860	865
Key measurements in inches:
Seatmast (actual – in)	19	19.75	20.5	21.25	22	22.75	23.5	24.5
Effective TT (in)	20.5	21.25	21.75	22.25	22.5	22.75	23.25	23.25
Chainstay (in)	16.75	16.75	17	17	17	17	17	18
Wheelbase (in)	39.5	39.5	39.75	39.75	40	40.25	40.5	42
SO Height (Inches)	30.25	30.75	31	31.5	32.25	33	33.75	34

Key specs:
Brakes: Cantilever.
Steerer tube: 1 inch
Seatpost: 27.2mm
Seatpost clamp: 28.6
Bottom bracket width/threading: 68mm wide/English (BSA) threading.
Rear dropout spacing 130mm.

 

Tirebiter / Hot Dog / Early Roadie
Size –	500	520	540	560	580	600	620
Theoretical TT (mm)	515	530	550	560	570	580	590
Head Angle (deg)	73	73.5	73.5	73.5	73.5	73.5	73.5
Seat Angle (deg)	76.0	75.0	74.5	73.5	73.0	73.0	72.5
Rake	45	43	43	43	43	43	43
Trail	56	55	55	55	55	55	55
Head Tube Len:	98	100	120	136	154	174	193
Chainstay Length	410	410	410	410	410	410	415
Wheelbase	970	970	990	990	995	1005	1010
SO Height (mm)	750	760	775	795	810	830	845
Key measurements in inches:
Seatmast (actual – in)	19.75	20.5	21.25	22	22.75	23.5	24.5
Effective TT (in)	20.25	20.75	21.75	22	22.5	22.75	23.25
Chainstay (in)	16.25	16.25	16.25	16.25	16.25	16.25	16.25
Wheelbase (in)	38.25	38.25	39	39	39	39.5	39.75
SO Height (Inches)	29.5	29.75	30.5	31.25	32	32.75	33.25

Key specs:
Brakes: 39-49 Dual Pivot
Steerer tube: 1 inch
Seatpost: 27.2mm
Seatpost clamp: 28.6
Bottom bracket width/threading: 68mm wide/English (BSA) threading.
Rear dropout spacing 130mm.

Rock Hound (all 26 inch wheel)
Size –Size (inches)	15.0	16.0	17.5	19.0	20.5
Theoretical TT (mm)	561	580	600	615	632
Head Angle (deg)	71.5	71.5	71.5	71.5	71.5
Seat Angle (deg)	74.0	74.0	74.0	73.5	73.0
Rake	40	40	40	40	40
Trail	69	69	69	69	69
Head Tube Length	98	98	105	125	145
Chainstay Length	415	415	415	415	415
Wheelbase	1020	1040	1060	1075	1100
SO Height (mm)	720	735	755	785	810
Key measurements in inches:
Seatmast (actual – in)	15	16	17.5	19	20.5
Theoretical TT (in)	22	22.75	23.5	24.25	25
Chainstay (in)	16.25	16.25	16.25	16.25	16.25
Wheelbase (in)	40.25	41	41.75	42.5	43.25
SO Height (In)	28.5	29	29.75	30.75	32

Key specs:
Brakes: Cantilever.
Steerer tube: 1 1/8 inch
Seatpost: 27.0mm
Seatpost clamp: 28.6
Bottom bracket width/threading: 68mm wide/English (BSA) threading.
Rear dropout spacing 135mm.

 

Street Dog (Canty Brake)
Size	480	500	520	540	560	580	600	620
Wheel Size	700c	700c	700c	700c	700c	700c	700c	700c
Theoretical TT(mm)	515	515	530	550	560	570	580	590
Seat Angle	75	75	75	74	73.5	73	73	72.5
Head Angle	71.5	71.5	72.5	73	73	73	73	73
Rake	52	52	45	42	42	42	42	42
Trail	59	59	60	60	60	60	60	60
Head Tube Length	90	93	104	119	137	156	179	197
Chainstay Len (To Front)	411	411	411	411	411	411	411	411
Wheelbase	981	983	983	987	992	998	1008	1012
SO Height (mm)	739	750	768	785	802	820	840	857
Key Measurements in Inches
Seatmast (In.)	18.9	19.7	20.5	21.3	22	22.8	23.6	24.4
Theoretical TT(In.)	20.3	20.3	20.9	21.7	22	22.4	22.8	23.2
Chainstay (In.)	16.2	16.2	16.2	16.2	16.2	16.2	16.2	16.2
Wheelbase (In.)	38.6	38.7	38.7	38.9	39.1	39.3	39.7	39.8
SO Height (In.)	29.1	29.5	30.2	30.9	31.6	32.3	33.1	33.7

Key specs:
Brakes: Cantilever.
Steerer tube: 1 inch
Seatpost: 27.2mm
Seatpost clamp: 28.6
Bottom bracket width/threading: 68mm wide/English (BSA) threading.
Rear dropout spacing 120mm.

 

 

1999 – The Tirebiter’s name was changed to Hot Dog. Not long afterward, a women’s team in Southern California rejected the idea of riding on the Hot Dog (though they loved the ride), so the search was on for a new name. Click here to see an example.

2000 – The Hot Dog was renamed Roadie in 2000. Same model and design – but three names in two years. New graphics with spread out Gunnar name on the downtube introduced. Street Dog went to 57mm reach brakes. The Rock Hound went to a 27.2mm seatpost and a 29.8mm seat clamp.

2001 – The Street Dog goes from cantilever brakes to 57mm reach brakes (October) (geometry otherwise remains the same. Gunnar Ruffian Single Speed mountain bike introduced.

Ruffian – 26 in wheel
Size	13.5	16	17.5	19	20.5
Wheel Size	26″	26″	26″	26″	26″
Theoretical TT(mm)	546	580	600	615	632
Seat Angle	74	74	74	73.5	73
Head Angle	71.5	71.5	71.5	71.5	71.5
Rake	39	39	39	39	39
Trail	70	70	70	70	70
Head Tube Length	90	90	90	94	114
Chainstay Length	415	415	415	415	415
Wheelbase (To Front)	999	1037	1059	1071	1084
SO Height (mm)	711	741	757	777	804
Axle to Top	530	530	530	533	553
Key Measurements in Inches
Seatmast (In.)	13.5	16	17.5	19	20.5
Theoretical TT(In.)	21.5	22.8	23.6	24.2	24.9
Chainstay (In.)	16.3	16.3	16.3	16.3	16.3
Wheelbase (In.)	39.3	40.8	41.7	42.2	42.7
SO Height (In.)	28	29.2	29.8	30.6	31.7

Key specs:
Brakes: Cantilever.
Steerer tube: 1 1/8 inch
Seatpost: 27.2mm
Seatpost clamp: 29.8
Bottom bracket width/threading: 68mm wide/English (BSA) threading.
Rear dropout spacing 135mm.

2002 – Stainless steel rear dropouts added to road bikes. Sport introduced (57mm reach brake)

 

Sport

Size	480	500	520	540	560	580	600	620
Wheel Size	26/650	700c	700c	700c	700c	700c	700c	700c
Top Tube (Theo mm)	500	515	530	550	560	570	580	590
Seat Angle	75	75	75	74	73.5	73	73	72.5
Head Angle	71.5	71	72	72.5	72.5	72.5	72.5	72.5
Rake	45	53	45	45	45	45	45	45
Trail	59	62	60	60	60	60	60	60
Head Tube Length	124	90	102	118	137	155	175	194
Chainstay Length	420	430	430	430	430	435	435	435
Wheelbase	978	1002	1002	1009	1014	1025	1035	1040
SO Height (mm)	724	744	757	775	793	810	829	847
Key Measurements in Inches
Seatmast (In.)	18.9	19.7	20.5	21.3	22.0	22.8	23.6	24.4
Theo TT(In.)	19.7	20.3	20.9	21.7	22.0	22.4	22.8	23.2
Chainstay (In.)	16.5	16.9	16.9	16.9	16.9	17.1	17.1	17.1
Wheelbase (In.)	38.5	39.4	39.4	39.7	39.9	40.4	40.7	40.9
SO Height (In.)	28.5	29.3	29.8	30.5	31.2	31.9	32.6	33.3

Key specs:
Brakes: 47-57mm dual pivot.
Steerer tube: 1 1/8 inch
Seatpost: 27.2mm
Seatpost clamp: 28.6
Bottom bracket width/threading: 68mm wide/English (BSA) threading.
Rear dropout spacing 130mm.

2004- OS2 introduced on the Roadie and CrossHairs. The Crosshairs front-end geometry was modified to shorten the fork at the same time.

 

CrossHairs Geometries – 2004-2009

Size	480	500	520	540	560	580	600	620
Wheel Size	700c	700c	700c	700c	700c	700c	700c	700c
Theoretical TT(mm)	525	540	555	565	570	580	590	600
Seat Angle	75	74.5	73	73	73	72.5	72.5	72.5
Head Angle	72	72.5	72.5	73	73	73	73	73
Rake	50	45	45	42	42	42	42	42
Trail	60	62	62	62	62	62	62	62
Head Tube Length	90	90	99	119	138	157	177	197
Chainstay Length	425	425	430	430	430	430	430	430
Wheelbase	1000	1002	1009	1012	1017	1022	1031	1041
SO Height (mm)	749	760	772	792	811	829	847	866
Axle to Top	488	487	496	516	535	554	574	594
Key Measurements in Inches
Seatmast (In.)	18.9	19.7	20.5	21.3	22	22.8	23.6	24.4
Theor TT(In.)	20.7	21.3	21.9	22.2	22.4	22.8	23.2	23.6
Chainstay (In.)	16.7	16.7	16.9	16.9	16.9	16.9	16.9	16.9
Wheelbase (In.)	39.4	39.4	39.7	39.8	40	40.2	40.6	41
SO Height (In.)	29.5	29.9	30.4	31.2	31.9	32.6	33.3	34.1

 

Key specs:
Brakes: Cantilever.
Steerer tube: 1 1/8 inch
Seatpost: 27.2mm
Seatpost clamp: 28.6
Bottom bracket width/threading: 68mm wide/English (BSA) threading.
Rear dropout spacing 130mm

 

2005 – Street Dog goes to a more road-based design for 49mm caliper brakes. Starting in 2005, Gunnar started tracking specs and geometries by individual bikes.

2006 – 73mm wide BB shells were first introduced on Gunnars. This improved tire clearance over the 68mm shells. It became official in early 2007.

 

2005 – Street Dog goes to a more road-based design for 49mm caliper brakes. Starting in 2005, Gunnar started tracking specs and geometries by individual bikes. If you have a question on your bikes specifications, you can register and get the details. Click here to register.

2006 – 73mm wide BB shells were first introduced on Gunnars. This improved tire clearance over the 68mm shells. It became official in early 2007.

2007 – Major off-road updates:

> Suspension forks changed to put all the fork off-set in the crown, rather than by angling the blades from the steerer tube axis. This keeps the fork blades parallel to the steering axis, reducing sticktion and other handling issues. A gusset was added to support increased fork crown clearance.
> 73mm wide bottom bracket added. Tire clearances increased all the way around.
> Paragon dropouts added for the Ruffian single-speed mountain bike.
> Rock Tour gets new stainless steel chainstay disc mounts.

2008 – Fastlane introduced with stainless chainstay mount disc brakes.

2009 – Grand Tour introduced – taking from the Waterford Adventure Cycle T-14, the Grand Tour standardized the design. Street Dog gets stainless dropouts.

Summer 2009 – Model names move off the top tube so the seatmast – much smaller version.

2010 – Hyper-X introduced. Thanks to a change in the UCI rules, Gunnar could offer a light weight race-able cross design with disc brakes.

2011 – Hyper-X and CrossHairs geometries matched (one being disc brake, the other canty brake).