“No wukkas” is Aussie slang for no worries. In classic Aussie entomological style, it comes from the spoonerism “no wukken furries.” When I was in Cairns racing the original Mistress at masters downhill worlds, I loved the people and their attitude so much I had to name this frame after them.
I know this has been said about other bike frames, but the NoWukkas is truly that do-all hardtail we all dream of. The Warm Embrace geometry balances you very close to the middle of the wheelbase, so the front tire tracks in corners and the rear end doesn’t kick up in bumps. Each frame is designed to prevent the most common crashes (over the bars and washing out in turns), and be comfortable and easy to ride. This gives you a sense of confidence you’ve never felt on a mountain bike. From there you can rally pump tracks, boost dirt jumps, slay trails or chase the ice cream man.
On my first NoWukkas ride at the bike park I hit all the big jumps. On the second ride I PRed our local black jumpy descent, most likely in the corners. The traditional seat tube angle gives you a nice, relaxed pedaling position while opening up the seated cockpit. The low seat tube allows massive dropper posts. That Reynolds steel has a sweet, twangy ride. Slap a 120mm fork on your NoWukkas and get after it!
Key stats:
- Head angle is 68 degrees with a 120mm fork.
- Seat tube angle is 74 degrees.
- Front end is RAD neutral (custom for you) with a 60-degree RAD angle.
- Chainstays are nice and juicy to balance you between the wheels.
- Your choice of wheel size. This bike is wonderful in both 29 and 27.5 (my fave).
- Head tube is 44mm for maximum compatibility.
- Bottom bracket is 73mm threaded for ease of use.
- Cables are externally routed for simplicity (internal is available but why?).
- Dropouts are SRAM UDH so they’re future proof. Until they make a new standard.
- Hand made in Peru with premium Reynolds 853 tubing.
Warm Embrace Geometry
The Mistress is the only trail bike on the market that’s designed specifically to prevent the most common injury crashes:
- Over the handlebars. The relatively short reaches and tall stacks provide a RAD neutral fit with a high RAD angle. This gives you great comfort in the saddle, plus optimal range of motion for cornering, braking, descending, pumping, dropping, hopping, jumping and all the fun stuff. You forget the bike is there, and you simply enjoy the ride.
- Washing out in turns. The Mistress balances your weight very close to the middle of the bike. Compared with mainstream trail bikes, The Mistress puts 10-20 percent more weight on the front tire. This makes cornering insanely easy and confidence inspiring — the front tire just doesn’t want to wash out like on a regular bike.
RAD fit. Rider Area Distance (RAD) is the imaginary line from your bike’s bottom bracket to the centerpoint of the grips. You use this lever to maintain balance on your feet and to make the bike do cool things like turn, hop and jump. Mistress RADs are designed to fit your body size and proportions. They create comfy seated pedaling, chain-snapping peak power and flowy shredding.
Namastays. The Mistress doesn’t have chainstays. Naw, these are too long and too sweet. We call ’em Namastays. Namastays increase front tire traction and make the bike feel quieter in bumps.
Slack in Back. Mistress seat angles are traditionally slack at 74 degrees. Most bikes that are designed to be pedaled well share this seat angle. The slacker seat angle relieves knee pain, access more booty power and gives you a more open, roomy cockpit when you’re pedaling in the saddle.
Sizing and geometry
The Mistress is designed to perfectly fit riders from 4’10” to 6’8″.
Below is our stock geometry and sizing. This creates bike that’s comfortable in the saddle and handles great out of the saddle. At this point we’re making these bikes one at a time, so your bike will vary based on your unique needs.
Are you between sizes? If you want to optimize comfort and handling everywhere, choose the smaller size. If you prefer a longer seated pedaling position or you want to blast non-technical trails in a straight line, choose the longer size. Not sure? Get the smaller size. But keep in mind, this is a custom build so you’ll get exactly what you need.
| M1 | M2 | M3 | M4 | M5 | |
| Rider height cm | 147-157 | 157-170 | 170-180 | 180-190 | 190+ |
| Rider height inches | 4’10” to 5’2″ | 5’2″ to 5’7″ | 5’7″ to 5’11” | 5’11” to 6’3″ | 6’3″+ |
| Reach | 360 | 385 | 410 | 435 | 460 |
| Stack* | 598 | 616 | 641 | 663 | 677 |
| Head angle | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 |
| Wheel size | 27.5 | 27.5 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
| Namastay aka chainstay | 465 | 475 | 485 | 495 | 505 |
| Wheelbase | 1113 | 1157 | 1209 | 1254 | 1295 |
| Seat angle effective | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 |
| Seat tube length | 340 | 360 | 380 | 400 | 420 |
*All specifications are subject to refining and fine-tuning. For example, stack varies with wheel size and choice of fork.
Do you have special needs? Extra small or tall? Unusual proportions? Do you have other ideas about bike geometry? We can make you a fully custom bike. Email leelikesbikes@gmail.com.
Pricing
NoWukkas hardtail custom geometry and choice of color: $2,000
Mistress dual suspension frame with custom geometry and choice of color: $3,000
Warranty
Our fabricator provides a 2-year warranty against manufacturing defects. It does not cover rust, so take care of that finish.
How to order
Each Mistress is made specifically for you. Here’s the process.
If you have questions before you place your order, please email me at leelikesbikes@gmail.com.
- Order. Your $500 deposit will begin the design process. It will be applied to the price of your frame. If you want to cancel this order before I start design, I’ll send you a refund.
- Design. After I receive your order, I will reach out. We will communicate about what you need, then I’ll craft your perfect geometry and send a proposal. When you approve my plan, I’ll send it to the fabricator. He will send a detailed CAD rendering. You approve that, pay the balance, and fabrication begins.
- Build. The fabricator’s stated build time for these custom frames is 8-10 weeks. It’s smart to be patient with handmade bespoke frames. They take as long as they take. When the frame is ready I will invoice you for its remaining cost.
- Deliver. We can send the frame directly to you, your shop or one of our preferred shops. We will work out those details together.
Are you ready? Let’s make your Mistress:
Christian is 6 feet tall and loves to ride from his house in Boulder, CO up the canyons to explore local trails. His NoWukkas is a size M4 with 29-inch wheels and premium Reynolds 853 tubing. This green is gorgeous in person.
I am 5’8″ inches (173cm) tall and ride a size M3 NoWukkas with 27.5 wheels and 2.6″ tires. These parts came from the S-Works Fuse I’ve been riding since 2017, so I can compare just the frame. Compared with the carbon fiber Specialized, this frame is of course heavier, but I never feel that when riding. The bike has a very smooth, easy-to-ride feel on natural trails — and it absolutely slays pump tracks, dirt jumps and flow trails. I am so stoked.
Here’s the NoWukkas on a rather technical pump track. Watch how it flows through the linked corners — a true test of agility. The rider isn’t bad either. 🙂
No worries, mate. This bike was inspired by my May 2024 trip to Australia for masters worlds DH.
Not only does the NoWukkas rally the dirt jumps, the DJ bros think it’s cool.