CROSS-COUNTRY’S
SWEETHEART GONE
ROUGE
From XC hot laps with the buds to big days out high above tree line, the Cowboy Cookie is keen. Shorter travel means more efficiency when hunting PR’s, but also when hunting trails further, and higher in the mountains. We built the bike we’d want to ride all day.
Made in Germany steel frame, aluminum rear triangle
Wheel size: 29-inch
Front travel: 120-130mm
Rear travel: 120mm
Our first full-suspension platform, made right here in Saxony by Sour Bicycles.
Go big, ride home.
Got a big adventure in mind? Or maybe you’re keen to go hunt some PRs on your local trail? The Cowboy Cookie is down.
We built this bike in Saxony, by hand, to be a short-travel ripper, a quiver-killer, a bike for life. The steel frame stays true to Sour’s roots, and the aluminum rear end makes the Cowboy Cookie a speed demon ready to ride up, down, left, right… all of it.
This bike is for all-day rides, short rips, or heading out beyond the horizon. The steel frame, aluminum stays, and external cabling put durability forward, all while looking really, really good.
With 120-130mm travel up front and 120mm as standard rear travel, this bike follows the “less is more” ethos, producing a fast-on-its-feet platform ready to be an only child, or complementary to a wider stable of bikes.
All of this, handmade in Germany!
Efficient and Forgiving
The CC is the perfect bike for long rides, short rips, and everything in between. What started as a full-suspension sibling to our Pasta Party XC hardtail slowly morphed into its own category altogether. We wanted the geometry to be progressive, without sacrificing the all-day nature of a more conservative geometry like the Pasta Party. We love big days out, pedaling up, down, left, and right, and the CC is down for all of it.
We worked together with Actofive in Dresden to co-develop an efficient platform, a steel frame with aluminum stays, that’s efficient enough to set PRs, but capable enough to be a quiver-killer bike for big mountain trails as well.
Take all the gear, or leave it at home.
Sour Racing Development (SRD) is the birthplace of the Cowboy Cookie, and central to that is one of our Sour Athletes, Quinda Verheul. Quinda is an ultra-distance cyclist who has tackled some of the world’s hardest races, including the Atlas Mountain Race and Highland Trail 550, on her prototype Cowboy Cookie.
Using feedback from the field, we developed the Cowboy Cookie into the wide-reaching platform it is today.
Chris is the designer of the CC and the owner of Sour. Chris often has specific characteristics in mind when designing a bike, and this bike was no different. By having Chris on one prototype and Quinda on another, as well as a few friends in between, we were able to mesh the design feedback on the Cowboy Cookie and determine exactly how we wanted the bike to behave.
Horst-Link for all the efficiency, none of the chatter.
The Cowboy Cookie uses a Horst-link (four-bar) suspension design, known for its efficient pedaling and ability to handle technical, chattery trails. This design allowed us to fine-tune the anti-rise and anti-squat characteristics, creating a bike that just wants to ‘go’! Combined with the smoothing characteristics of steel and the stiffness of an aluminum rear end, this bike just gets up and goes when you push on the pedals.
Every aspect of the Cowboy Cookie has been built to enhance performance and rider experience. The geometry strikes a perfect balance between stability and agility, ensuring confidence on descents and nimbleness in tight corners. With robust components and thoughtful design, this bike is built to withstand the rigors of aggressive riding. Whether you’re climbing steep trails or descending rocky paths, the Cowboy Cookie delivers a ride that is both responsive and smooth.
The Devil’s in the Details
The second production run is now in production!
Frameset
Starting at 3499,-€ w/o rear shock
Geometry
Specification
Sour Bicycles 4130 CrMo frame welded by hand in Saxony, featuring heat treated, multi-butted tubing.
Rear end machined in Dresden by Actofive from 7075-T6 aluminum.
The seat clamp is designed in-house and is integrated into the frame. Should it ever fail, the frame can be professionally modified to use a traditional clamp.
The bottom bracket is a custom part designed by Sour and fits a standard 73mm BSA threaded bottom bracket. The headtube is also a Sour-specific design.
The rear triangle is 7075 T6 aluminum and is made by Actofive in Dresden. SRAM UDH derailleur hanger and Transmission-ready
By The Numbers
Headtube: EC44/ZS56 tapered headtube
Bottom bracket: 73mm BSA bottom bracket
Axle: 12mm x 148mm thru axle (Syntace X-12)
Seat post: 31.6mm
Brake standard: PM180 Direct. More info here.
Wheel size: S/M/L/XL 29″*
Tire clearance: up to 2,5″
*Size small available end of 2024
Bonus facts and features:
SRAM UDH derailleur hanger and Transmission-ready
Recommended tire size 2,2″ – 2,4″
External downtube cable routing
One water bottle braze-on, one tool holder braze-on (top tube)
Optional second bottle braze-on and top tube bag braze-on
Low standover height
CNC’d bottom bracket for better power transfer (go fast)
CNC’d and welded rocker for control (don’t crash)
It’s all in the details
We’ve tried to make all the details of the Cowboy Cookie as straight forward as possible so know you what you’re getting into. Still not sure? Just drop us an email!
| Suspension Design | Horst Link |
| Headset/Headtube | EC44/ZS56 |
| Seat Post | 31.6mm |
| Seat Clamp | Integrated |
| Eye to Eye length | 190mm |
| Stroke | 45mm |
| Fork Compatibility | 120-130mm |
| Fork Offset | 44mm |
| Brake Mount | PM 180mm |
| BB Shell | 73mm Threaded |
| Max Tire Size | 2.5″ |
| Max Chainring Size | 34t |
| Water Bottle Mounts | 1 + 1 Tool Box |
| Shock Mounting Bushing Top | 22,2×8 |
| Shock Mounting Bushing Bottom | 21,84×8 |
Below is the sample weight of a size medium Cowboy Cookie. This weight does not include powdercoating, but please keep in mind that your chose powdercoat may be heavier than the average coating we use. Fades, gradients, and metallic colours can weigh more than single solid color. If you are interested the final weight, please get in touch. We apply an inside wax coating before shipping the frame to your door that will add additional weight.
Frames
A Sour Cowboy Cookie frameset weighs 3.18 kg with all its small parts and suspension pivots, bearings, and bolts installed. This weight is excluding powdercoat which will add between 50g and 200g depending on your color choice.
Included with your frame
Included with your Cowboy Cookie frame or frameset are all small parts, cable guides and bolts to build your bike. You get a rear thru-axle of course, and if you’re ordering a frameset, you get a front axle with your fork as well. Headsets are only included if you add one to your order.
We are currently working on more options for the Cowboy Cookie, but currently we offer some amazing options from Fox and Manitou that work perfectly with our suspension design. If you have any questions about tuning or clearance, feel free to drop us an email.
You can add a rear shock and other parts at check out.
Check out the next drop-down for all the suspension characteristics, you kinematics-sniffer!
Flip Chip Settings
Geometry is based on the high position flip chip
Geometry modification by flip chip:
Head Angle -0.3° / Seat Angle -0.47° for LOW
-5mm BB height
