THOK MIG-R first ride review

THOK isn’t a brand we’ve heard of before, but with moto-trials legend Toni Bou and former Italian downhill racer Stefano Migliorini at work behind the scenes, we were interested to see how the company’s first bike would ride.

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THOK MIG-R frame

The alloy frame’s 140mm of rear wheel travel is controlled by a four-bar linkage, with the main pivot sitting just behind the bottom bracket and a chunky rocker link driving the shock.

A 250W Shimano STEPS E8000 motor provides the pedalling assistance, and the 504Wh battery is slung low under the down tube, with support and protection provided by a plastic cover that’s held neatly in place with a rubber strap.

In terms of geometry, the MIG-R is far from revolutionary, with a 74.5-degree seat angle and 66-degree head angle.

The reach is short-ish (450mm on the large), while the chainstays are long at 450mm. There’s fairly neat internal cable routing, and bottle cage mounts are provided on top of the down tube so that you can squeeze a water bottle in under the rear shock.

THOK MIG-R kit

RockShox takes care of suspension duties with its 150mm-travel Lyrik RC fork and Deluxe RL air shock.

Shimano supplies the stop-and-go kit in the form of its XT four-pot brakes and 11-speed drivetrain – although I’d prefer an XT shifter, with its double upshifts and more solid feel, over the SLX downgrade specced here.

The wheels are super-wide (40mm) SUNringlé Durocs, which support 2.8in plus tyres: a Maxxis Minion DHF up front and Rekon+ out back.

THOK MIG-R ride impressions

Despite its conservative geometry, the MIG-R never felt like a handful on loose or rough descents. That’s largely thanks to the weight of the battery and motor being nice and low in the frame, and the long-ish chainstays compensating for the short front centre.

The chunky front tyre also helps here, providing loads of grip and boosting confidence, while the rear suspension coped admirably with everything I threw at it, remaining supple, supportive and progressive.

The Shimano motor continues to impress, with a natural-feeling input of power

Even above motor-assistance speeds I was able to push on the pedals and pump through sections without it falling into a wallowy mess.

To get the most out of the bike in UK conditions I’d like to see a grippier rear tyre because the Rekon’s skinny tread doesn’t offer much grip in greasy conditions, up or down hill.

The Shimano motor continues to impress, with a natural-feeling input of power. This helps the MIG-R on climbs, although a steeper seat angle would be appreciated on more technical ascents.

That said, you’re nicely centred between the wheels thanks to the front-to-rear-centre balance. With a stouter tyre out back and the saddle slammed forwards, the THOK could be even more impressive uphill.

Kit-wise, the 11-speed XT-based drivetrain works well enough and the four-pot brakes are decent, but I’d rather see Shimano’s E7000 switch unit used in place of the shifter-style E8000 because it would allow room for an under-bar dropper lever.