Video: Actofive's Steel & Aluminum High Pivot Trail Bike

May 13, 2020
by FiaskoRacing  
Actofive P Train

Press Release: Actofive Cycles / Fiasko Racing


bigquotesThe story began in 2017 with some rough sketches of an enduro/trail bike giving my ideas and dreams the first frame. Since then, I am in the constant process of developing and building the P-TRAIN. I focus on creating the ultimate riding experience on a enduro- / trailbike. That means constantly engineering, manufacturing, assemblying and testing.Simon Metzner


Actofive Cycles is based in Dresden, Germany, founded by the mechanical engineer Simon Metzner.

With a passion for technology and his vast experience in engineering, Simon´s dream of an own bike frame came true, tailored toward individual preferences: the highest possible pedaling efficiency with an ultra-sensitive suspension. The result is the `P-TRAIN`, named after Helsinki´s airport shuttle train, which combines a steel frame with recently emerging trends like high pivot suspension and CNC-machining.


ACTOFIVE P-Train Steel Pic Martin Dinse
The very first prototype / Pic: Martin Dinse

Actofive P Train
The earlier stage prototype of the CNC-machined swing arm


The welding is done by local partners and experts for tailored-made steel frames. The heat-treated 853 Reynolds tube set, together with the CNC-machined ZS44/ZS56 Headtube give the aesthetic finish. The front triangle, with its elegant, skinny steel tubes, segues into a CNC-machined, high-tech rear end, which delivers 130 mm of travel.


Actofive P Train

Actofive belongs to Metzner Engineering Ltd., which is a engineering office, focusing on one-hand-engineering- and production services from conception to the finished product. This allows Actofive to manufacture all parts in-house on a CNC milling machine. Special attention is paid to the rear swingarm. Each side of the rear triangle is made from one piece of 7075 aluminum and bolted together with titanium bolts. This guarantees a unique look, as well as high strength and precision.

bigquotesIt takes numerous revisions and an enormous persistence to get something right that’s not the status quo. Creating this bike is challenging because you´re always juggling between function, stiffness, weight, aesthetic design, and production effort.Simon Metzner

CNC

Actofive P Train

Actofive P Train

Actofive P Train

bigquotesI consider high pivot as the solution for solving the well-known conflict between pedaling efficiency and response behavior of the MTB suspension. High pivot balances between a high anti-squat value and a minimal pedal kickback. This means if you push hard the bike feels like a hardtail. On the fly, on the other hand, the suspension shoots off. Additionally, high pivot helps you to control your bike on hard landings or heavy braking situations.Simon Metzner

Photographer Robert Kr gel
Busy times in the Actofive workshop / Pic: Robert Kruegel

ACTOFIVE P-TRAIN

Beast Stem
Side view
Silence
Its about the details: chainstay protection, gusset with lasercut logo, CNC-machined ZS44/ZS56 Headtube, bolted cable mounts / Pics: Christian Marks


Actofive P-TRAIN Details
• 29" wheels
• Reynolds 853 front triangle
• CNC-machined 7075 alloy swing arm
• 130 / 140 mm rear travel
• 140 / 150 mm rear travel
• High progression rear suspension ratio
• High anti-squat through idler pulley
• 480 mm reach in size medium
• 66 deg head angle
• 77 deg seat angle
• 425 mm chainstay length (434 mm at SAG)
• Contact: Actofive Cycles




What´s next?

With the third iteration of the CNC-machined swingarm, work is underway to fulfill the requirements in terms of stiffness, design and performance. This means that the P-TRAIN will be available in a small batch and three sizes (small, medium, large) soon. In addition, a completely CNC-milled aluminum front triangle in a two-piece construction is in the works.

Actofive P Train
Actofive P Train
The third iteration of the swingarm is more edgy, more lightweight and compatible to the completely CNC-machined equivalent

Actofive P Train
Blocks for the completely CNC-machined aluminum front triangle are await shaping



Words & Edit by Fiasko Racing

Author Info:
FiaskoRacing avatar

Member since May 27, 2016
3 articles

138 Comments
  • 183 2
 This is a super sick and spunky looking bike. I'd try it in a heart beat.
@mikelevy please do a review of this and more niche bikes. Theses small brands need the exposure PB can give them, and we all love to ogle exotica.
  • 6 0
 Most definitely
  • 10 2
 All I see is T-PAIN
  • 12 1
 100%. Everyone knows of brands like Kona, Specialized, Giant, Trek, SC, etc but without these articles from PB, no one would know of the majority of these smaller companies coming out of the UK, Europe, etc. Even RSD was new to me until somewhat recently, and I'm from Ontario haha.
  • 53 0
 @kiwikonadude. At first glance I read your user name as kwik-on-a-dude! :-)
  • 11 0
 @EckNZ: Arrggh! Many downvotes for you!
  • 4 0
 Totally agree! Seems like the biking community around me only knows 3 brands exist.. Santa Cruz, Specialized, and Trek. Oh sure, sometimes guys show up with a Yeti, but they're a "special" kind of rider.... Smile
  • 2 0
 I agree this is a super cool bike and it certainly inspires new ideas and innovation, but where would I get one. There are lots of super cool garage brands like this in Europe. If I could even get one here in North America, it would be expensive to import and even more to complete the build with components. Even then, I'd likely not have the opportunity to test ride it before buying. If I had imported boutique frame cash to spend, it would still be way more practical to head over to my LBS and test then purchase an S-Works (or equivalent) of my choice.

Don't get me wrong. That bike (and others like it) is what dreams are made of. I just don't see the cost/performance ratio making any sense. For value, complete bikes at any level are the way to go. If it's more about the art of it to you, then that's an entirely different matter altogether.
  • 1 0
 That video is straight porn for those of us that loved the CNC era of mountain bikes in the late 90’s/ early 2000’s. Beautiful blend of steel and AL. I’d love to ride it, but it’s a beauty for sure.
  • 2 0
 First person to use term ‘spunky’ outside of pornhub since 1994.
  • 1 0
 @zacjob: compare the geo with other brands. You should be able to work out of this is right for you. Follow your dreams and support innovative entrepreneurs.
  • 1 0
 @zacjob: soon as you put E-wings on a bike: cost/performance ratios go out the window.
  • 1 0
 @zacjob: It may be the best value to purchase new, but for those that can afford it supporting smaller enterprises like this is the way to go in my opinion. I'm not wealthy, but I do what I can...eating out at local restaurants instead of chains, buying glass and other materials from local providers instead of box stores, servicing my car when I can't do it myself at local mechanic's shops. I feel better knowing my money stays in my community and makes it stronger. Same thing with smaller, local bike shops...if I'm in the position to support one I will. I'm not there yet (still riding used creations acquired piece by piece) but maybe one day.
  • 1 0
 @Chrisgus: Bro, that was my childhood cats name! He was a real feisty fugger back in the day, hence the name (at least thats what i told my mom)... the reality was that i picked the name because he had a huge sack when he was a kitten.
Little guys still around,He'll be 21 this year, Maybe ill finally come clean to my mom about his name... or not.
  • 64 2
 All bikes should be purple.
  • 4 0
 Dat purp !!
  • 1 0
 Any bike can be purple if you try hard enough.
  • 4 0
 @alexsin: any body part can be purple if you bike enough
  • 29 0
 If you guys want any more photos of the construction/Build of the"P-Train" ActoFive Bike,
you can have a look at my Photoalbum here:
www.flickr.com/photos/hagbard/albums/72157713983398521
  • 1 0
 Absolutely beautiful craftsmanship! Keep it up.
  • 1 0
 When will this bike release?
  • 1 0
 @Stravaganxa: The bike could be preordered, write an email at the homepage, or instagram.
  • 1 0
 Congratulations on creating one of the best-looking bikes I've ever seen. If the welded one is 3500EUR this one is going to be way beyond my budget, but should I win the lottery, you will be my first phone call Smile
  • 19 0
 Purple...Reynolds steel...E-Wings...CNC machining...oh god, I'm feeling faint...I need to lay down!
  • 15 0
 Thats spectacular......raw frame with ano red rear end please! BTW - link doesn't work....
  • 19 5
 Super cool design idea- want! Just hope the manufacturing is more reliable than a certain Finnish brand...
  • 5 0
 and have some sort of customer service dept instead of constant excuses
  • 12 1
 Looks look a bike from 1993, but in a good way.
  • 4 0
 I had a bike that looked like this in '97, are you saying I was being the trend?
  • 3 0
 @RonSauce: That would have been the one who had a bike that looked like that in 1992.
  • 10 0
 Didn’t realize I’d see my next bike today
  • 7 0
 WTB High Pivot bike in 27.5.
  • 1 0
 @MattInNZ: The ENR looks interesting and has some solid reviews out there.
I think they need to combine the rear end of this with the front end of Structure's SCW1....
m.pinkbike.com/news/review-six-months-on-structures-wild-looking-cycleworks-scw-1.html
  • 4 0
 Absolutely! The rearward path of the back wheel lends itself to the smaller wheel nicely. The "angle of attack" that everyone likes with the 29 isn't as big a factor when the back end moves away from the obstacle on impact. Why not combine it with the "quicker" feel of the 27.5? I'd love to see the Deviate Highlander or especially this P-Train in a full 27.5 arrangement. I'm not sold on mullets setups.
  • 1 0
 @MattInNZ: NICE! Wonder if they ship to the US?
  • 1 0
 @learningcycles: they will. Check out their website and I'm sure they will be happy to help
  • 3 0
 @MattInNZ: That's great but I was looking for something with more pivots.
  • 1 0
 @alexsin: sounds like you have too much time on your hands for maintenance!
  • 8 0
 Alu-Mullet-ium
  • 6 0
 That bike earned its eeWings! seriously, it looks really good. The video was great too.
  • 3 0
 @FiaskoRacing : What a piece of art!!! It`s morning here but you`ve already made my day. My eyes are full of butterflies...
Congratulations! What a beautiful and intelligent work. I`m unfortunately not wealthy enough to buy one, but you sold me a dream and that`s already a lot Smile
All the best for after.
Prost!
  • 2 0
 Beautiful! Those intricately designed niche products are always the most interesting and fun to watch and read about. More of that please! Colors are fabulous and it looks like Simon really nailed the geometry for intended purpose.
  • 3 1
 Spent a lot of time on the swing arm shape/looks but zero on the seat tube brace. To me, the angled piece of tube for a seat tube brace always looks like an afterthought. I know it’s cheaper and easier but the brace like the Norco Torrent steel ht Frame really looks much nicer, IMO.
  • 3 0
 "...recently emerging trends like high pivot suspension and CNC-machining".

Come on guys, CNCing has been a fixture of mountain biking since the 1990s!
  • 1 0
 Very cool bike. Something special about steel and aluminum rigs. Also, it looks like those are replaceable shock mounting tabs so in theory a longer stroke shock could work inside this frame?
  • 5 1
 Like an inverse Xprezo! Beautiful
  • 4 0
 Looks sick! love all the new bikes from small brands, real special stuff
  • 2 0
 Reminds me of the motoish small rear swingarms of the early 2000's. I like it. It's like an old Turner dh bike turned trail bike...or something. It looks good...
  • 2 0
 Not seeing pricing or availability info on their website. Maybe I overlooked it?

Seems fair to assume though that it's not going to be cheap.
  • 2 0
 You can sign up for the Newsletter, Simon will inform you, when more information are available. It won't be cheap but worth its price. Made in Germany, and Simon does a great job. I love the bike and his assistance with any questions.
  • 3 0
 it doesnt have any bottle cage holes...
  • 2 1
 aw man, i thought it was gonna be a decent bike. turns out to be another outdated design
  • 1 0
 It has bottle cage holes ;-)
  • 2 0
 Best frame building video ever, Great editing, music, quick snappy and well timed shots. Sweet bike too !
  • 1 1
 Hi Simon
Could you tell me the brand of the chainring mount in your sram cranck ? the teeth look bigger than original ones?
Do you make this chainring choice because of a minimal number of teeth for the traction ?
thanks
  • 2 0
 Not gonna lie, would absolutely try riding one. Something tells me it's so sick.
  • 2 0
 Looks really great. Except, think about cleaning the mud out of those chainstays and seatstays.
  • 1 0
 Yep thought the same, that's a lots of difficult holes to clean out from winter mud
  • 1 0
 I didn't give this much attention when it popped up on the Formula instagram over a month ago. Feels kind of bad that I give it a proper look when PB covers it.
  • 2 0
 Wow, fantastic, congratulations! It's like the best parts of Forbidden and Stanton had a love-child.
  • 1 0
 I own the FS Stanton and a hardtail, and have ridden the druid. I'd love to ride this.
  • 1 0
 What is that small-ish VW cargo van that can hold a 29'er wheels-on? Can we get these in North America? I'd ditch the SUV in a heartbeat for one of those.
  • 4 0
 Volkswagen Caddy. Awesome little Vans
  • 3 0
 VW likes to troll North Americans with forbidden fruit. They rarely bring any of the good models over here. Pretty sure that is a VW Caddy.
  • 4 0
 Vw Caddy. They come in long and short wheelbase, car spec and van spec. Really common here. Utility companies use them. Most euro manufacturers make similar vans.
  • 2 0
 I Iove articles about hand made bikes and small manufacturers and this one looks sweet. Great vidi too.
  • 2 0
 When does it start/stop being hand made? Who do you think does all the layup and welding? And cnc certainly isn't 'hand' lol
  • 2 0
 @bmxslinger: it starts being hand made at the beginning and stops at the end ha ha. I get what you are saying and you probably get what I'm saying. I should have said I like small batch production.
  • 2 0
 Full geek out bike check and outdoor sunlight pics of that purple one! Please!!!
  • 2 0
 Please make an XL with a reach of 515-ish and water bottle mounts inside the front triangle.
  • 1 0
 Honestly, its amazing just how much of this bike can be German designed. I'd love to be able to build a bike that was this much Canadian !
  • 2 0
 Take my money.... That looks awesome
  • 1 0
 I don't care how many monies it is, all of them if necessary, I must have one!
  • 1 0
 Nice work! Id be ok with the new swingarm on the steel mainframe. Gussets and all
  • 2 0
 Drool... I'm all about this!
  • 2 0
 I’m not sure how I feel about suspension that “shoots off”.
  • 2 0
 Very interesting build and concept, the rear swing arm is sexy.
  • 1 0
 Mesmerizing bike (though I would like longer CS and slacker HA). The best looking head tube among cromoly crowd out there.
  • 2 0
 That swingarm is dead sexy!
  • 1 0
 Wow, it looks that Germans have decided to make a bunch of artisanal bikes, maybe other coutries should get inspired !
  • 2 0
 I'd be interested in the weight...
  • 1 0
 Please make a 180mm travel version!
  • 2 2
 Had me at steel front triangle....lost me at cnc-machined two pieced aluminum front triangle.
  • 1 0
 Awesome guys, just awesome! Hope its not tooooooo expensive!
  • 1 0
 What type of welder/welding is that?
  • 1 0
 That’s a steel bike I would ride.
  • 1 0
 Damn , that,s a killer looking ride!!!
  • 1 1
 Balfa BB7 updated for enduro, Opposite material use though, BB7 was alloy front, cromo rear. looks sharp
  • 2 0
 Bloody gorgeous!
  • 1 0
 Looks awesome but expensive
  • 2 0
 want . Now .
  • 1 0
 I took the P-train once. Smelled horrible.
  • 1 0
 Looks nice, I especially like swing arm Wink
  • 1 0
 I'd rag that as a mini mullet
  • 1 1
 Super nice! Love the look, material combo (Reynolds 853 rules) and geometry.

Chainstay length at sag?
  • 1 1
 Found it at their website: 434mm.
www.actofive.com
  • 1 0
 I'm in love, this is a dream bike
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy Canfield One.2 and Balance Write/Ups please.
  • 1 0
 Holy shit she's beautiful. I would ride that thing in a heart beat.
  • 1 0
 Straight to the top of my dream bike list.
  • 1 0
 The most German part of this was the home made star fangled nut puller Smile
  • 1 0
 Wow, looks cool!
  • 1 0
 would ride.
  • 2 2
 this BB is so low that the pivot is not even that high
  • 1 0
 Make a steel one next!
  • 1 0
 The very first prototype was steel front and steel rear end. But to be honest, the aluminium version is stiffer, in a good way. I was struggling with both options and am very happy with the alloy rear end choice.
  • 2 0
 The first prototype had a steel rear end. Or at least the chain and seat stays. They were still held together by aluminium parts.
  • 1 0
 Geiles Gerät!
  • 1 2
 last year the trend was long and slack. This year it's high pivots. What will they think of next?
  • 1 0
 Beautiful work!
  • 1 0
 A work of art
  • 1 0
 Looks PFS fair play!
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