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Video: Neko Mulally Shares the Details on his Race Bike

Feb 12, 2022 at 4:08
by Ed Spratt  

bigquotesThis is a very basic video series where I will go in depth on why I did what I did, how I managed to get there and what the results were. Follow along if you want to learn all of the details!— Neko Mulally


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Member since Mar 16, 2017
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72 Comments
  • 131 2
 Been watching WC DH for years. Nekos always been one to watch, but now, thanks to this project, he is one of my favourites. And not just because the bike is cool. The bike IS cool, but his attitude and approach to the whole thing is even cooler. I'm really looking forward to seeing him ride it at the races.
  • 26 0
 +1 Neko this is great content! Humble, honest and interesting and a joy to watch. It’s nothing new for pros to be influencing bike design but getting to see the nitty gritty details and thought process, both human and scientific and the things learned during the experimentation. It really brings about a sense of inclusion in the project. It’s got me super excited for this season. Great stuff Neko and everyone involved.
  • 30 1
 He should do a vid with Steve from Vorsprung, should be the most down to earth thing ever.
  • 14 0
 This is definitely one of the most exciting story lines for the 22 race season!
  • 3 0
 I am loving the simple but effective approach to the design concept .
  • 1 0
 Well said
  • 4 1
 @optimumnotmaximum: add Dave Weagle, Colin Bailey, and team of Expendables starts to form.
  • 2 0
 @calmWAKI: This sounds more like the most passive aggressive conversation about suspension to ever happen. lol
  • 3 0
 @TheBearDen: no worries they will fight Leo Kokkonen and Italians at EXT
  • 2 0
 Stoked on @CascadeComponents helping him out with links.
  • 40 0
 I love this video. No fancy screen shares, just a white paper held up for the camera. So honest and basic, yet brilliant. Love the fact that he recognized issues with the rocker link and then reached out to Cascade for assistance. That's pretty cool real-world problem solving.

Including some 20 +year old tubing meant for a Spooky is awesome.
  • 31 0
 It's so refreshing listening to somebody talk about his creation in such a genuinely sincere way. No marketing bullshit, no buzzwords thrown around, no attempts to sell it as something it isn't. Just an honest performance review.
  • 3 1
 Yeah, but is it food grade stainless steel? That's what we all really want to know.
  • 2 0
 @Waldon83: *wipes bike down with Clorox disinfecting wipes* sure is bud!
  • 17 1
 Nice that he called out how most companies run the same rear center length for all sizes and how shit that is.
  • 6 1
 Including SPECIALIZED, who arguably have more resources than any other brand yet still persist with one chainstay length so they can make a bit more coin at the expense of short / tall riders.
  • 3 1
 @Blownoutrides: stump jumper gets diff length stays. Jumps 10mm from s4 to s5
  • 12 1
 Session look a like or not. Neko wins 2022 riding his own bikes with ftw …….
  • 7 0
 Neko is so humble that in every podcast/interview he says that the true OG is Isaak Leivsson, who designed , welded and raced his own bike, into top 40 places.. Anyways, Neko is so much more media friendly, but true to his beliefs. I really like this guy!, and yes, he already won 2022
  • 12 3
 I look forward to the PB comparison with a shopping trolley. Can't believe how good PB is getting after Outside stepped in to assist.
  • 3 0
 Min/maxing a shopping cart would make great clickbait. First upgrade should always be poly wheels with abec 9’s
  • 11 2
 This frame looks oddly familiar
  • 3 5
 Session?
  • 3 0
 Maiden, which I endorse
  • 8 0
 Wish him the best this season. Neko’s casual and down to earth videos are always refreshing to watch.
  • 2 53
flag Durtwrx (Feb 12, 2022 at 7:43) (Below Threshold)
 Boring Been there done that next!
  • 13 1
 @Durtwrx: says the man building Orange bikes in Florida lol
  • 4 0
 @iiman: Takes a lot of balls to call a super cool pro, who is building his own bikes, boring, when you rep the ugliest bikes in the biz...
  • 4 2
 Florida & Orange in one sentence… Man, I wonder who their mascot is down there… The ex. President orange toddler…?!?
  • 4 0
 About bent bolts: when using those bolts with partial threaded section is always optimum to buy the bolt with the maximum round length allowable since the thread acts as a predetermined fracture point since it is locally weaker. Having the thread at the middle of the bolt isn't certainly a good thing... Take the bolt with the longer round section allowable and cut the thread in excess, it wil be way stronger.
  • 2 0
 Neko, great info on the new bike, all the very best for the 2022 season.
Your design approach is obviously focused on racing at WC level, do you feel other DH race bikes have a more compromised approach with one eye on elite level racers and another in regular riders? Are there aspects of your bike that wouldn’t work for slower and less skilled riders?
  • 4 0
 This is a youtube vid/channel I could get into, no frills and dropping experience to make things better, experiment and innovate. Bravo Neko.
  • 3 0
 Huge huge respect to Neko, for having the guts and balls to go it alone and design a wicked pure bred WC dh bike with FTW. So unbelievably cool. Good luck for the coming race season mate
  • 2 0
 So stoked you guys did this! Super interesting to hear more about what went wrong and what you learned in depth, and to hear more about the linkage design. Keep em coming dudes!
  • 1 0
 "The top tube started to sag during heat treat". Not sure I would have ridden it after hearing that but I suppose it's not intended to be a long term frame. Seat tube seems short, even for a DH frame. Great honest content into frame design, more of this.
  • 2 0
 These bikes look really cool. I like the idea of simple but still riding sweet bikes. I am waiting for new Neko Mulally enduro bike Smile
  • 1 1
 Amazing how similar to the 2nd Generation Intense M1 with horst link that is. Obviously, the geometry has been updated but it is almost like going back to the basics from 20 years ago. Cool video series, fun getting to know what Neko likes in a bike.
  • 4 0
 Is it really though? The gen 2 M1 had a much further forward and lower Horst pivot, and the main pivot was lower and rearward of this FTW frame. It’s basically nothing alike other than using a Horst link,
  • 3 0
 What a boss. Designed & built his own bike and he’s not even a dick about it.
  • 1 0
 My rugby league background isn’t helping me to understand this at all…
Just hoping they don’t stick the next episode he might do behind the paywall because of all the positive comments.
  • 4 0
 He has a YouTube channel. Support the man by subscribing to his channel!
  • 4 0
 Neko and Cathro are the best content in MTB
  • 1 0
 so many riders at WC level would like to have the nod to work this close with frame development. the reality is that very few can actually take a bite out of R&D,.. major rerspect to Neko and his crew in this venture.
  • 3 0
 Great content! Enjoying seeing the progression.
  • 4 0
 Banana Bolts LOL!
  • 3 0
 Outstanding. The most enjoyable PB video in ages. More please.
  • 2 0
 Great stuff, totally enjoy this type of tech talk. Good luck between the tape.
  • 2 0
 Best series yet and Neko is genuinely sharing his knowledge when most pros are so tight lipped on everything.
  • 1 2
 Fascinating. Got to be extremely difficult to just design and build a new frame. I wonder how much it cost him to design and build. Wonder if he was motivated by the Grim Donut.
  • 1 0
 Wonder if youtube hits will pay for build costs?
Also wonder which frame Neko will end up using?
  • 1 0
 This is great stuff from Neko. Going to be following this narrative closely over the season and I wish him the best of luck.
  • 1 0
 Love following this. Great content
  • 1 0
 This is awesome. Looking forward to the next video.
  • 1 0
 Good Pinkbike. More like this.
  • 1 0
 will be using this... bent bolts = banana bolts lmao!
  • 1 0
 I really like that he 0-indexed his array of bikes.
  • 1 0
 Great, thanks!
  • 1 1
 Surprised how much they're winging it. Would like to help out...
  • 1 0
 Love it!!
  • 12 14
 Engineer here - thanks for the information and honesty for your bike.
  • 60 3
 How do you tell if someone is an engineer...
  • 5 9
flag cougar797 (Feb 12, 2022 at 5:21) (Below Threshold)
 @bashhard: You don’t. It’s just a title. Someone who is detail and technical oriented will find this topic super fascinating though.
  • 32 1
 @bashhard: same as a vegan
  • 21 2
 @bashhard: they probably will hve a bmx background
  • 5 1
 @bashhard: They wear a plaid shirt and button it all the way up
  • 12 1
 @ltharris: What would a Engineer-Vegan-Cross-fitter label themselves first as?
  • 6 1
 @lawnmowerepairman: No, those are LA gang members.
  • 3 6
 @Elkulp: don't forget Atheist. : D
  • 5 5
 @Iridebicicletas: It is heart warming for me to see the current domination of BMX background over moto background here. My time off has been good for Pinkbike.

Late boomers, early millenials who owned 3+ motorcycles used to keep my facts straight, especially when it came to suspension.
  • 4 1
 @calmWAKI: "Late boomers, early millennials" have they erased my generation X?
  • 2 3
 @ichabodchain: damn was supposed to say Xers not boomers
  • 2 0
 @DBone95: no gangmembers only button top two or three and leave the rest unbuttomed for that classic gansta lean







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