Brutal case at MSA...dude is a little bit strong! I'd love to play this game: 1. Be a good dude 2. Be f'ing rapid on a bike 3. Get sponsors 4. Play with CAD and machines 5. Go racing ...what's not to like!?
I've felt for Neko so much this year. He's doing something so cool but keeps getting terrible luck. He's also shown a lot of vulnerability in these videos about his challenges, which shows amazing character. Hopefully this year he was just working out the kinks so next year he can really crush it, or better yet do some damage at world champs!
Can give enough props to Neko and what is 1. doing for himself/this reflective series on the 'process' 2. Reminding the world what a hot rod, mad scientist bad ass FTW is and 3. doing what he does for our sport, especially here in the US. Keep on keeping on Neko and hopefully you have worn out the 'bad luck' monster this year and next season is the shit! We know you have it in you!
I wonder how many they would sell... An aluminum dh race bike is pretty niche. But also awesome, I'd rather have one of these than a Trek. Maybe by upscaling the operation they could justify a custom-drawn seat tube (or just cncing a part).
@blackpudding: I wouldn't say it's that nice. When I look around, Commencal seems one of the most popular brands for DH bikes and they are all aluminum.
@hardtailpunter: what I meant was - I'd design an enduro or all-mountain frame if I wanted to sell at volume. I'd bet the supreme isn't a big seller, relatively speaking, it's there to garner brand awareness
I feel like Neko/Frameworks and Raaw are going in very similar directions. I know in previous episodes they have talked and I wonder if that collaboration will continue as they each develop their bikes.
Aluminium (sorry aluminum) is one of the worse materials to make a bike frame with. Watch Paul Aston’s ranting about the state of bike frames versus cracks! Notoriously difficult to weld due to extreme brittle areas forming next to the welds and the material is always work hardening through use (getting weaker). I wonder if Frank pre-heats the frame before welding and part anneals the frame afterwards?
I'm not an expert but don't all aluminium frames need to be heat treated? Not all aluminium frames are notorious for cracking, I assumed the main reason for cracking frames was bad heat treating. (Like the supreme where it cracks below a weld instead of on the weld like most frames)
Aluminium is without doubt the most-cracked frame material, but is the the most-cracked by volume? I suspect titanium might take that honour. Do carbon frames hold up better in the same applications (i.e. DH bikes)? I don't know and I believe Aston has only been testing alu and steel bikes? It'd be nice if there was more data out there but my suspicion is that there are frames which commonly crack (e.g. Commencal obviously) but there are also riders who commonly crack frames (e.g. Aston, most pros but they don't talk about it). While most of us are OK on most frames. Unless they crack, obvs
@neimbc: I cracked my supreme after 4 months of riding (2 months only riding it about once a week) Although I haven't seen many problems with their bikes other than the supreme cracking I can't be sure if the Meta has the same problem
@chakaping: I’ve cracked every aluminium bike frame I’ve ever owned. If you look, you will find cracks on an ally bike over a couple of years old (unless you just ride to the shops on your bike)
I'd love to play this game:
1. Be a good dude
2. Be f'ing rapid on a bike
3. Get sponsors
4. Play with CAD and machines
5. Go racing
...what's not to like!?
How can anyone be THAT laid back / nice while everything's going wrong?
I wish I could!
Do carbon frames hold up better in the same applications (i.e. DH bikes)? I don't know and I believe Aston has only been testing alu and steel bikes?
It'd be nice if there was more data out there but my suspicion is that there are frames which commonly crack (e.g. Commencal obviously) but there are also riders who commonly crack frames (e.g. Aston, most pros but they don't talk about it). While most of us are OK on most frames.
Unless they crack, obvs