Slack Randoms: Chromed Carbon Frames, a Hydrogen Powered Bike and Dancing Death Bots

Jan 8, 2021
by James Smurthwaite  
We use Slack as our workplace communication tool at Pinkbike and we have a #randoms channel which we use to share an assortment of videos and stories from all corners of the cycling world and beyond... We thought a couple of the moments from the past week were too good not to share with a wider audience, so here are some of the highlights.

Fully Chromed Carbon Frames

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Photos: Tom Griffith Facebook.

Two entrepreneurs from Wisconsin claim to have created the ‘world’s first chrome carbon bicycle frame,' Cycling Weekly reports. Tom Griffith and Gary Elmer have apparently spent $90,000 of their own money and put 2,000 man-hours into creating a chroming method that can be replicated on a production-level scale.

Chroming has previously only been available on metal frames and the spray chrome technology that the friends adapted has traditionally only been possible on smaller, simpler objects than bike frames, the CW article dives into exactly what is new about the method.

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Griffith said, "We’re using 0.999 silver, which measures just 4/10,000ths of an inch thick. The paint on most bicycles is 20 times thicker than the silver we’re using, so in every case, the bike we’ve chromed has been lighter than if it would be painted in the traditional way". The coating is apparently weatherproof and scratch-resistant. While the pair believe they could chrome a frame for around $100, they are looking to sell the technology to a bicycle manufacturer or an international racing team. Interested parties can get in touch, here.

A Hydrogen-Powered Concept Bike


Think that electrically assisted cargo bikes are boring? Well, think again because this Lavo bike from Studio MOM promises to be the future of assisted riding. It's a pedelec bike as you may expect but rather than using a lithium-ion battery, this one is powered by hydrogen.

Working with the University of New South Wales, Lavo already produces hydrogen batteries for homes. These batteries are capable of storing up to 40kWh of energy generated from solar panels for a claimed emission-free way to power a home or business. Lavo claims it uses, "patented hydride to store hydrogen in metal alloy to enable the world’s first, long term capture, hydrogen battery within a secure vessel."

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This technology has now been adapted to bikes and the result is the Lavo bike that has been commissioned by the Providence group and in collaboration with the University of New South Wales Sydney, Elian steering, and Hyperkid. This is just a concept bike so details and specs are non-existent but Studio MOM claims the technology "makes it possible to carry 3 times as much energy per unit of weight" meaning it would increase the range or the loading capacity of the bike all while being emission free.

At the moment this is still just a concept but it paints an interesting picture for what could be in store for electrically assisted riding.

Boston Dynamics' Dancing Robots

As a New Year's 'treat' Boston Dynamics posted this video of its robots dancing to 'Do You Love Me'. As amazing as it is...


...This remix video posted shortly after reflects how a lot of us in the channel really felt about the video:


Hitting the Trails on an Electric Unicycle

Mike Leahy hits the trails around Seattle on his Flux Mvmnt electric unicycle.



A Novel Way to Straighten a Wheel


A Mile an Hour: Running a Different Kind of Marathon


bigquotesA different kind of marathon; running one lap an hour, for 24hrs, around my perfectly mile-long block. The rest of the time I do as much as possible; making things, odd jobs, fixing stuff. It's about running, doing, and thinking.Beau Miles


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Member since Nov 14, 2018
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117 Comments
  • 119 0
 Whatever manufacturer goes for the spray chrome carbon frame... They MUST call it the T-1000.
  • 7 0
 Odyssey (BMX brand) made rims in the 90's/early 00's called the 'T-1000'. An up-to-date MTB version would be perfect for it!
  • 10 0
 Pretty sure Revel bikes has a frame painted a color called T-1000 Silver.
  • 1 0
 @seraph: yes, I have one and only the bottom half of the bike is glossy lol
  • 11 0
 Also, if it breaks, it re-bonds itself
  • 4 5
 Except you can't "spray" chrome...
  • 6 0
 @bman33: i really, really wish I could get a 27.5 hazzard lite or 7KA rim.
  • 2 0
 Theres a powder coaters in my town that has a paint called 'high polish' I guarantee you will not tell the difference between that an polished raw Ally
  • 7 3
 They spent so long seeing if they could, they forgot to ask if they should.
  • 1 0
 @ADGproductions: I think that's exactly what these people did. lol. so you're comment would be correct right up until this post was dropped.
  • 63 6
 Those guys spent $90,000 and 2,000 man hours and still don't know that silver and chrome are two different things?
  • 36 1
 No shit... at least silver is ductile enough to withstand a lawsuit from Specialized
  • 10 1
 Haha that was my thought exactly! So many people say "chrome" like it's a color.
  • 4 0
 didn't read it completely but it can't be silver, silver oxidizes to black. it's probably a base layer for chrome.
  • 47 12
 So Pinkbike is promoting some dude riding an electric vehicle on legal urban MTB trails? So is Pinkbike cool if I go ride those trails on my electric Moto? Please dont promote these people.
  • 30 1
 For those not in the know, Duthie Hill is in King County which explicitly bans all electrically powered vehicles except on trails where the landowner has opted in, and Duthie has not opted in.
  • 14 33
flag DoubleCrownAddict (Jan 8, 2021 at 23:08) (Below Threshold)
 ⬆️The e bike police won't let anything get by.
Give your biking law & order a rest. In a couple years they'll be legal on most trails.
  • 11 0
 @DoubleCrownAddict: If I've cited the statute incorrectly please link it with my apologies! I've been going by this:

wabikes.org/2018/06/06/heres-need-know-washingtons-new-e-bike-law
  • 19 0
 If PB had to delete any-bike video shot on somehow illegal location, there actually wouldn't be much left to watch.
  • 18 0
 Don't worry, he's not wearing a helmet. Natural selection got this under control.
  • 3 0
 Way cooler than the OneWheelers who clog up our trails
  • 4 8
flag andrewbikeguide (Jan 9, 2021 at 9:34) (Below Threshold)
 Let alone promoting riding potentially hazardous stunts without wearing a helmet. Great example for the kiddies Pinkbike
  • 22 0
 No comments so far on the 24 hour marathon? I like that idea! I don't know if I really want to go 24 hours or longer without sleep, but I think I could do a marathon that way. Looks kinda fun in a sick, demented sort of way! Nice work Beau! Thanks for the inspiration!
  • 3 0
 I think this could pick up as the next "Everesting" thing to do. COVID's not going away overnight. There's still time to innovate while we all have spare time!
  • 4 0
 Beua is a unique bloke for sure. Very...errrr.... eccentric.
  • 4 0
 @Waldon83: makes good videos tho
  • 2 0
 Gotta love his creativity.
  • 3 0
 Oh yeah, his content is great for sure.
Great bloke too, but yeah, his brain is always going at 110%
  • 3 0
 @Waldon83: "What you up to for the next video Beau? Running the length of some amazing trail? Building an office space out of junk wood as a metaphor for the unnecessary wastage in modern society?"

"Nah mate, eating my weight in beans."
  • 19 1
 "Unless your hunting for food or making a baby, there's not much point to anything" - Beau Miles
  • 18 0
 I bet Boston Dynamics' Robots can ride faster than me
  • 24 10
 That unicycle guy doesn't have a helmet on in some of those. Bad judgement and bad example.
  • 50 1
 He is setting a terrible example for the masses of electric unicycle-riding children out there! All 3 of them!
  • 5 14
flag platnum (Jan 8, 2021 at 17:58) (Below Threshold)
 Can’t believe Pink Bike would condone riding without a helmet. Shame on you. Should be taken down.
  • 13 6
 Bike helmet police cracking down on skaters?
Stay in your lane, nerds.
  • 5 1
 There's a ton of Movies for Monday videos of skaters and boxers without helmets. Who cares... It's their dome.
  • 11 0
 Beau's channel on YouTube ist golden (no, not chrome!). I really like that guy and the approach he has on his sport. He seems to be such peaceful and humble mind.
  • 12 0
 The robots...Cool and terrifying all at once.
  • 2 0
 I've heard serious concerns about them. Implications....
  • 2 0
 @BenPea: see T-1000 comment above
  • 2 2
 @BenPea: wahahaha, with the state of the world right now, that’s really a worry for you?

Get your head out of science fiction and back to reality.

Effing people, oh my gawd ????
  • 3 0
 @nurseben: No, it's not a worry for me, it's a long way down the queue. Unless the wrong types of government get a proper foothold.
  • 9 0
 That guy better get a hot sauce sponsorship because he is crushing those tacos!
  • 12 4
 "Wins"consin.... lets be real.... No one from "Wisconsin" really wins. I should know, I grew up there.
  • 1 0
 Maybe the best fatbike grooming award?
  • 4 1
 @kfccoleslaw: Maybe.... Im surprised they didn't try deep frying.
  • 11 0
 Brandy old fashioneds, ice fishing, cheese curds, Packers, the driftless region, Paczki, Friday fish fry, PBR, Supper Clubs, lake life... we try to focus on the positives!
  • 2 0
 @kfccoleslaw: nope Vermont gets that one
  • 4 0
 Sorry you feel that way about WI. After living in the heart of WI most of my life, I have no regrets and there are plenty of WI native winners that I know. Pros and cons to any place you live, some find those pros, some don't.
  • 2 0
 @jfleming10: Id kill for a proper fish fry. Ill give you that.
  • 2 0
 @porkchopsandwich: now you're talking, and with a cold Spotted Cow. I need to eat something, stat.
  • 4 0
 With the silhouette of the Hydrogen Powered bike, I though you'd either sit on the saddle or stand on the other end of the "bike" and start jacking it the handlebars up and down like you would with one of those railroad trolly! Big Grin
  • 6 0
 The guy fixing the wheel for is the most impressive.... is the basics of know how to fix that wheel after that terrible crash. Lol
  • 2 0
 Really cheap rims with side warp will bounce back into place like that. That ain't gonna work on flat spots without a concussion.
  • 4 0
 A bike mechanic who really knows how to use his head.
  • 6 0
 When those robots come walking over a mountain of human skulls playing that song though... #skynet
  • 6 0
 I'd like a carbon fiber wrapped steel bike
  • 4 1
 Is it chroming if it doesn't use chrome? The frames aren't plated with chromium, they're plated with silver... so they're silvered or silver-plated. Doesn't that sound even f*cking cooler than chromed?
  • 3 0
 "on his Flux Mvmnt electric unicycle"

Flux Mvmnt doesn't make electric anything. They primarily sponsor OneWheel riders, which explains why that guy tags @onewheel in a post which contains zero OneWheel riding.
  • 6 1
 Chrome Carbon... all I can say is. FUCK YEAH
  • 3 0
 Think i want this so i can tell people im on an aluminum bike for dirt cred
  • 2 0
 @Grosey: "just shredding a weldless aluminum" lol
  • 4 0
 That chrome frame looks awesome, I wonder how it would look after a year or two of hard riding...
  • 1 0
 I would love to have access to that Slack #random channel. You guys do know that you can invite others to your Slack channels? @jamessmurthwaite slack.com/intl/en-ie/help/articles/360035092414-Invite-external-organizations-to-share-a-channel PS: I'm a Slack power user since its inception Wink
  • 1 0
 spectra chrome, chromed out the grave digger monster truck and a f1 indy car ... what do you mean you can only chrom small things? or did they mean mass production vs one offs?
  • 4 0
 I'll take my aluminum bike anodized...
  • 3 1
 Single wheel anything is bonkers...

And does that guy use his teeth to re-tension spokes to go along with his truing stand skull & arms?
  • 3 0
 He uses his teeth as a chain pin driver. No wimpy quick links for that guy!
  • 2 2
 Chrome looks beautiful. What about metal laminates over carbon fiber. ? The friction causes static electricity. Which cause galvanic corrosion. Any one read about aluminum nipples corroding in carbon fiber rims? Metal and carbon laminates bad mix.
  • 4 0
 this is incorrect on a few levels. some metals and carbon do corrode, but it's due to galvanic potential, not static electricity. aluminum and carbon is indeed a bad combo, but can be mitigated through paints and other protective layers. silver, however, is not a bad combo with carbon, with similar galvanic index to titanium or passivated stainless steel, metals that don't have corrosion issues with carbon. I would expect this to be fine.
  • 1 0
 @orion86: Yes I looked it up Silver does not react with carbon fiber. Galvanic potential is electric potential . Static electricity is the source. Look it up .
  • 3 0
 Very interesting to read this as I just had an issue with aluminum nipples corroding on my 4yo Reynolds carbon wheels. Sending back to Reynolds for a rebuild with brass nipples. Rusty nipples are no fun but the question is are rusty nuts worse???
  • 1 0
 I specifically asked WeAreOne about this prior to a wheel build from them. They were insistent that alloy was not only OK, but a superior choice. I trusted them. I’ve had no issues thus far.
  • 1 0
 @erikkellison: maybe read the comment above yours. It's a combination of salt water from salting roads. This is the electrolyte. Galvanic corrosion is most certainly an electric process. I am a huge fan of We are One rims! But any professional wheel builder will say no to aluminum nipples. Just say no!
Also if you have carbon with a non conductive material then metal. You now have a capacitor which stores electricity. Carbon cranks fail constantly . Guess where ? The metal insert .
  • 1 0
 @Sshredder: I’m not sure what makes you think I didn’t. Just because that was said does not make it a simple, universal truth. There are more variables. Kind of like how prior to this article, many would have said that such a thing was not possible. Clearly not impossible, it’s just that non-experts could not envision the possibility. Get a smaller paintbrush. Or just take a beat from painting altogether.
  • 1 0
 That's not a unicycle. It's a One Wheel facing the other way. Unicycles have solid axle to pedals so speed like that would be out of the question, same with the jumps. Nice thought though
  • 1 0
 Erm about 10 years back the taiwanese were trying to push those chrome finishes on frames and no one wanted them , i wonder if they researched and found everyone wanted chrome
  • 3 0
 its not healthy to stay awake for long periods of time Beau
  • 4 2
 First we had e-bikes. Next come hydrogen bikes. Coming soon, plutonium bikes. And you all thought 2020 was over.
  • 3 0
 The RobotMix Terminator video for some reason terrified me
  • 2 0
 Those bots have better moves than I do. I knew this day would come, and I guess I should have expected it in 2020.
  • 2 0
 Dude with the 24h marathon, I want whatever that guy drinks/eats/swallows. More machine than Boston dynamics
  • 1 0
 Spoiler alert: it's beans. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYsTlfhDSDY
  • 1 0
 the robots seems to be 3D computer graphics. dont leave the footprint on the ground. nice the effect mirroring into the tranparent flat panel fences.
  • 1 0
 Now I can finally have a frame to ride to the gates of Valhalla, all shiny and chrome Smile
  • 1 0
 solar cells to hydrogen storage via metal hydride is the Ellsworth of solar powered anything.
  • 5 3
 4/10,000ths Of an inch...common man nobody has a clue what that is
  • 2 1
 About the thickness of a sheet of notebook paper.
  • 2 0
 @RonSauce: way less. a sheet of paper is like 4 thousandths, this is 1/10th that.
  • 1 0
 @orion86: you're correct, I just misread it as thous out of habit.
  • 2 1
 Scratch resistant silver? I have a new Rocky worth $12,000, this is exactly what it needs!
  • 2 0
 Those robots can actually dance better than most people!
  • 2 0
 Even f*cking robots dance better than me now. Awesome...
  • 1 0
 After watching the video for the Lavo, I feel like it ought to come with square wheels too.
  • 1 0
 What kind of suspension design is this mono-wheel-something?
  • 1 0
 Legs baby, all naturale
  • 9 10
 Please stop it. Don't make a carbon frame look like a peice of metal. Carbon is carbon, metal is metal. Stop blurring the lines!
  • 2 1
 Too late. Its Wisconsin... and that is a Madone frame, an old one albeit, but a TREK nonetheless.
  • 3 1
 Silver is pretty dope. It's not Chrome.
  • 12 2
 Jeez, a little prejudice don't you think? If a carbon frame identifies as a steel frame who are you to say it can't. Now for the tricky part, figuring out what it wants to be called.
  • 1 6
flag MattP76 (Jan 8, 2021 at 14:47) (Below Threshold)
 @robw515: If you want to make a carbon frame look like metal then sack off the bloody cloth and glue and make it out of sodding metal!! I just dont get trying to make something look like it isn't.
  • 1 0
 @MinnesotaFatBiker: looks more like the new Emonda
  • 4 0
 Ride more, angst less.

The frame material determines the ride quality, weight, and durability. The finish is simply aesthetics.

Do you have the same issues wit the color of your car? You do know that cars are typically a composite of aluminum, steel, and plastics..,
  • 1 1
 @nurseben:

Angst as much as I like

Don't make a carbon bike look like a metal one.

Car? Who's that?...never heard of her!
  • 4 5
 0.999 silver will tarnish, especially if you get it wet, touch it, etc.
4/10,000ths of an inch is much much more than 1/20th the thickness of paint
  • 2 2
 What’s with the down votes? This baby Einstein gots it figured. Four 10,000s is like 39,980 more than one 20. basic math
  • 1 0
 Forget using a truing stand, I'm using my head.
  • 1 0
 I could actually take dancing lessons from these robots..
  • 1 0
 Yeah wouldn’t this mar like all silver does?
  • 3 2
 That's not Chrome.
  • 1 3
 No comment on how the "chrome" looks but it has been done for 8 years+ on cars.
  • 7 0
 Which carbon cars have been sprayed chrome?
  • 3 0
 This isn't a Chrome finish. Chome is a surface layer of chromium. This is a silver plating. Completely different. Would look completely different than chrome in person and have completely different characteristics.
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