Reality Redesigned: The GAUNTLET Ep9: M-Slacker

58 2

Stewartlowe (May 23, 2012 at 14:55)

The best out of them all.

44 1

FastDHR (May 24, 2012 at 0:20)

lots of time and effort was put into this design...simple and clean frame, built with the rider in mind...two thumbs up !!!

7 3

N3Rd5 (May 24, 2012 at 4:46)

Agreed

6 0

rejean (May 24, 2012 at 9:28)

Best attention to detail yet

15 0

mtb24pride (May 24, 2012 at 0:11)

yeah really like this design. nothing super special concerning geometry or new unneeded suspension system, just a nice looking frame with some awesome features that would make life that bit easier for us riders to service the linkage bearings. and the integrated head angle adjuster is awesome too, especially since you don't need to take anything off the bike to adjust, you could even quickly pop the tool out of your bag and change it before dropping in for a downhill track.

13 0

Jerelevation (May 24, 2012 at 1:46)

Great design. A real solution to a real problem. Not a new gizmo to sell but REAL DESIGN so often forgotten these days.. Also the only one so far in this contest that doesn't make me laugh or cry. WINNER!

10 0

Powderface (May 24, 2012 at 0:28)

Just finished overhauling the bearings on my bike... Watching this made so much sense. Clever and cheap = winner.

3 1

WAKIdesigns (May 24, 2012 at 6:14)

I am very impressed by the attention to detail and all the feautres of the design. Awesome CADing! It would be great if the head angle adjustment could be easy to do on the trail.

But 1.Specialized would get on his ass
But 2.Chain clearance over the chainstay, even if chain would go over it, there would be a significant chain slap - should be more in line with BB-drop out, should look a bit more like... Specialized?

2 3

SWITCH04fr (May 24, 2012 at 9:18)

honeslty this looks more like an Ellsworth Moment design then a Specialized......

www.pinkbike.com/photo/7435049

2 0

seraph (May 24, 2012 at 10:27)

Pivot between the main pivot and the rear axle = FSR suspension. Ellsworth used to license the FSR from Specialized.

1 0

SWITCH04fr (May 24, 2012 at 10:40)

agreed, FSR suspension design, Ellsworth mimic with better bearing removal.

2 0

gozerthegozarian (May 24, 2012 at 13:16)

The point is moot, as the Spec paten on FSR runs out in 2012 so any one and there dog will be able to use it. Still Spec does have a 15year head start on all of them.

1 0

Dancobsen (May 24, 2012 at 8:04)

I like this one the best. I really like the removable bearing idea, the only draw back is too much hardware. There are a lot of little screws that can fall out, or if you use loctite, get stripped. Changing the head angle is cool. Over all really good ideas.

1 0

nomad37 (May 25, 2012 at 4:03)

I have to admit this seems a good design but i doubt i'd buy it on the strength of it being easy to get the bearings out , there's way more material used in making it it easier to get the bearings out than using a pinch bolt design which is in there too. I'm sure if there weren't to many headaches involved in doing it a major company would have hit on it as a major selling point. Looks like loads of other bikes out there too with nothing new in the design or geo. As to the adjustability it's not even close to the Scott Gambler to name just one of the current crop, headtube is similar and more complex than scott's design although i do like that he's thought of spacers in the pinch bolts. All in all a brilliant effort compared to the flexy nutcrusher !!!!

1 0

Cackerman (May 24, 2012 at 8:31)

My vote for winning submission goes to this one.

Replacing frame bearings can often be a frustrating process. I think a lot of riders just suffer through pivot bearings that are/have worn/play/grind/creaks, and just replace them during the winter downtime. Being able to service bearings easily (without even having to remove the cranks) means frame pivot could become part of routine servicing to keep your bike tip top.

The headtube angle adjustment adds yet another element. I actually think that either the serviceable bearings or the adjustable angle on their own would have been worthy contender for this competition, but both these features in addition to a very usable looking frame concept makes this a truly great design.

1 0

diesel84 (May 24, 2012 at 11:38)

So let's say this design wins. The contest rules stated that ALL the rights to the design belong to the designer (good thing...) but how can he actually take it to production without infringing on copyrights? Anybody have any insight on this or will Specialized just contract with this dude to absorb the bearing serviceability on bikes like the Status?

1 0

Ploutre (May 24, 2012 at 13:20)

Adjustable head angle isn't innovative ... Commencal has been doing it for years, but since all the riders just put it once on the slackest position and never changed it, they removed it from the last Commencal V2 and V3s ... Appart from that, doesn't sound bad at all !

2 1

neimbc (May 24, 2012 at 6:34)

Bearings that can be easily removed and not pressed in is very cool, but that leaves open the possibility for a little more play in the assembly down the road. I don't think a 1 degree change would be noticeable.

4 1

lowside67 (May 24, 2012 at 6:50)

It's +/- 1 degree. Going from -1 to +1 will certainly make a good difference in the bike's behaviour. I agree on the bearings though.

3 2

Protour (May 24, 2012 at 7:34)

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the bearing idea would create more problems than it solved.

3 1

gozerthegozarian (May 24, 2012 at 13:22)

Plus why are we catering to idiots that can't clean their bikes properly. To all you guys that get pissed when crap starts breaking on your bike because you don't clean it right after every ride, why spend that kind of $$ on a bike if you're not going to take care of it?

1 0

olivermajewski (May 27, 2012 at 14:45)

I'm pretty disappointed with how they didn't really show any detail in how the bearings work. The bearings are actually pressed in and pressed out just like any other frame, the only difference is that I found a way to use the pivot hardware to do the pressing in and pressing out of the bearings just like you'd have on some cranks. Take apart the bearings and pivot hardware on your frame and you'll see that this frame has only 1 extra part that you use to press the bearings back in. Some current frames actually have even more hardware than this one once you count the washers they use behind the bearings. Also, we're catering to idiots that clean their bikes with hoses because everyone does it. Nobody knows how bad cleaning your bike ruins the bearings because nobody keeps a frame around more than 3 seasons and very few people are real mechanics. Regarding stiffness and weight. Because the part that presses the bearings back in gets left in the frame, that means the bearings are sandwiched from both sides, on both inner and outer races, unlike any frame currently on the market. This would make for the stiffest, most wiggle free rear end possible. Nobody realizes it but a lot of frame flex from current designs comes from bearings that are pressed in but only supported from one side of the outer bearing race. I did a weight analysis using my CAD program and this frame came in at 9.75 pounds, which is very light because I payed special attention to all material wall thicknesses on the entire frame.

1 0

mtbtacolover FL (May 24, 2012 at 11:48)

wow this is a sweet frame! i didnt realize all the features it had when i first saw it. i could definitely see myself buying something like this if the build quality was there

3 1

hamncheez (May 24, 2012 at 7:56)

Finally! After all the crap we had to wade through, here is an awesome design!

3 4

wakaba (May 24, 2012 at 8:52)

State of the art, dull, reality not redesigned.

Chainstayslap like Kona?

Big headtube weld - cheap but inferior to proper gusseting.

Commencal Headtube - no need for horizontal retaining bolt. Works without it. While it works fine - why not build the bike with a slack headangle to begin with. 1 degree of variability is not worth the machining nightmare. I set it once on my Commie and never touched it again.

This type of rear end usually flexes wildly, interfering with suspension action.

Norco crashes with Commencal crashes with Kona...

2 3

SWITCH04fr (May 24, 2012 at 9:19)

which equals Ellsworth...

2 1

Raggi-Boy (May 24, 2012 at 13:10)

i thought it looked exactly like a kona

1 0

Elspecialized (May 24, 2012 at 10:37)

I don't want to be a negative nanny but to be honest it looks like just about every other frame out there with a touch of Intense cycles engineering.

1 0

deadatbirth (May 24, 2012 at 13:11)

the only unique thing on this design is the self extracting bearings. nothing else on this bike is different then anything else on the market

2 0

davehayz93 (May 27, 2012 at 6:40)

LOL you'll see in about 6 months Intense using the extraction bearings haha

1 0

BungedUP (May 27, 2012 at 11:31)

Thew correct word is GANTLET, not GAUNTLET. A gauntlet is a type of glove, a gantlet is 2 rows of people with stick that someone runs through.

1 0

coloradoboy (May 24, 2012 at 20:30)

Holy seesaw leg, did anyone see Jeff's leg under that glass table the entire time?

2 0

olivermajewski (May 27, 2012 at 14:52)

I was wondering how a busy guy like Jeff would agree to take time off work to judge this contest. Since this was the last video, I think he realized how much time he was wasting and just wanted to get the hell out of that room and back to work. I think that's why he didn't have the time to understand how the bearings or headtube actually worked.

2 0

PossiblePoser (May 24, 2012 at 0:40)

This design seems kinda cool. I like the self extracting bearings.

2 0

k2dan (May 24, 2012 at 13:56)

really love it ,would try this

4 3

DownhillWillSmith (May 24, 2012 at 0:16)

beefed up specialized pitch?

2 0

evanlachmanec (May 24, 2012 at 0:23)

Sweet bike

2 0

patsis (May 24, 2012 at 5:37)

i think he is the One!

1 0

collinblackmore (May 24, 2012 at 8:44)

hafto admit, this is nice

1 0

ovbmx (May 24, 2012 at 18:49)

what program was used to design the frame?

1 0

olivermajewski (May 27, 2012 at 15:00)

I originally used a program called NX 7 to design this frame. I think that's why Marie Planchard had a hard time analyzing the assembly in Solid Works, since all the material selections and assembly constraints probably got erased once the files got converted.

1 0

cchamp10 (May 26, 2012 at 22:29)

changing caster on the fly with the angle adjuster, i like it.

1 0

stickersmtb (May 27, 2012 at 8:42)

it looks like a kona operator frame WTF? its the same damn thing

1 0

dom69foco (May 24, 2012 at 0:54)

The only one so far that I can't tear to shreds. Good modelling too!

2 1

continuity (May 24, 2012 at 2:23)

Compare this to some of the shit that got through and won. Seriously.

1 0

themountain (May 24, 2012 at 2:58)

Some nice features on it but still a bit dull!

1 0

mtbrider619 (May 24, 2012 at 3:06)

needs only a DW link and it will rock the bomb !!

1 0

Varaxis (May 24, 2012 at 5:17)

RD hanger looks a little fragile.

1 0

olivermajewski (May 27, 2012 at 14:56)

That hanger was a piece of crap and I designed a way better hanger right after the contest deadline. But my big thing was that I think this was the only frame that had a real disc mount, hanger and iscg mount with the real life dimensions and thread pitches you'd need to actually use real components on the thing,. Every other design was basically a CAD version of a napkin drawing with no real bearings, bolts or usable dimensions or tolerances that you'd need to check if the design could actually work.

2 0

bok-CZ FL (May 24, 2012 at 6:50)

winner for me

1 2

IgoTheExtraMile1 (May 24, 2012 at 7:20)

Would never shell out a lot of cash for a frame from a start up company. I'll stick with the guys that have been doing it for decades

1 0

MaxFernandez (May 24, 2012 at 13:34)

specialized demo 8 and giant glory mix?

1 0

zaprowsdower (May 25, 2012 at 22:48)

how do the new bearings get re installed?

1 0

olivermajewski (May 27, 2012 at 14:49)

the bearings get pressed back into the frame using the big 22mm cap you see in the second last picture.

3 4

nouser (May 24, 2012 at 5:27)

This is one of the only good ideas on here, yet... it resembles the KHS DH300 almost exactly

1 0

diebel7 (May 24, 2012 at 21:10)

yeah Guelph!! yeeww l