With its crisp guitar riff, impeccable percussion, and driving base line, "Sultans of Swing" is arguably Dire Straits finest work, found on their self-titled debut album. Anchored by Mark Knopfler's resonant, dark vocals, the classic song takes us on a journey through rock, blues and folk in a tight, flashless package.

The Turner Sultan was an equally strong debut -- the frame was the first 29er for Turner, and it blew away the expectations of both Turner and the 29er community, selling out for the better part of 2007. Turner took a conservative, yet obsessive, approach to designing the 4" travel Sultan, assimilating data of hundreds of actual 29er builds, logging countless hours riding dozens of models, and ultimately tweaking geometry to balance the advantages of a larger wheel and the nimble, versatile nature of the Flux. The result -- the Sultan of Singletrack, ready to take on most any trail.

The Turner Sultan was designed around the Fox Float RP23 rear shock and will gladly accept any 80-130mm travel 29er front fork. Engineered with Turner's TNT suspension design which maintains a near-vertical wheel path, it uses bushings with zerk fittings at the pivots, not bearings. Turner enthusiastically touts the benefits of bushings over bearings, citing the incredibly tight tolerances, low and easy maintenance, long life, all of which translate into a torsionally stiff rear swingarm. Evocative of its brethren, the Flux, the Sultan can deliver either a firm pedaling platform or a plush, responsive trail riding machine, depending on how you choose to tune it. The Sultan has adaptability for virtually any situation you throw it in, as the larger wheels allow you to: 1) maintain greater speed because of the larger rotational mass, 2) attain better traction and drive over obstacles with ease because of the larger contact patch of the tire, and 3) larger riders may sit between the wheels instead of above them, providing a more stable center of gravity.

The Sultan features all the critical details that set Turner apart: the grease ports at each of the pivots, its flawless welds, the sleek, CNC-machined lines of the swingarm, the boxy rear stays to accentuate stiffness and strength, the reinforcement yoke at the juncture of the seat and top tubes, and an incredibly simple, well thought-out approach to the bike’s design. On top of that, the Sultan has loads of the trademark Turner tire clearance, giving you room to run any 29er tire on the market, including the new WTB Weirwolf LT 29 x 2.55.

The disc-specific Turner Sultan is available in Bronze or Candy Blue powdercoats in Medium, Large, XL, and for those of you 6’5” +, the XXL size for an additional $200 (which includes your choice of any custom color.) Each of which is finished with the Turner stainless steel headbadge. It requires a 27.2 mm seatpost and a 34.9mm Traditional Top Pull Front Derailleur. It has a replaceable derailleur hanger. Optional powder coat colors of Bright Yellow, Fire Engine Red, Granny Smith Green, Sparkle Blue, Gold Dust Orange, Gloss White, Semi Gloss Black, Iron Glimmer, Sparkle Silver, Robin's Egg Blue, Charcoal Metallic Blue and Luscious Pink are available for a $100 upcharge and a willingness to wait the 4-6 week expected turnaround. Or for the weight weenies, with a short wait and no upcharge, you can get it raw -- that's right, no finish whatsoever.

2008 Turner Sultan Pricing
	Frame	XTR 970	SRAM X.O	XT 770	SRAM X-9
Sultan	$2049	5216	4305	4320	4130

2008 Turner Sultan Geometry

Size	Seat Tube	Effective Top Tube	Stand Over	BB Height	Head Tube Angle	Seat Tube Angle	Head Tube	Chainstay
M/17	17	23.5	31.5	13.6	71	73	3.5	18.2
L/19	19	24.5	32.5	13.6	71	73	4.5	18.2
XL/21	21	25.5	33.5	13.6	71	73	5.5	18.2
XXL/23	23	26.5	34.5	13.6	71	73	6.5	18.2
All lengths are measured in inches.