Eighteen Bicycles
In the shallow end was Matt Downs, showing a single pivot driven by the high links. This steel prototype was welded together in their workshop in Sheffield. The frame material for the final production bikes has yet to be decided, but Matt is looking at a number of options including aluminum and bonded carbon.
Rear wheel travel is 150mm, and the frame is designed to work with a 160mm travel fork. This gives a head tube angle of 65° and a seat tube angle of 77°. This link provides a rearward majority axle path, although it tracks forward in the bottom-out direction. Rear wheelbase length when unloaded is 440mm, rising to a maximum length of 455mm at 120mm of travel before shortening again. The achievement numbers will match the achievement numbers of 18 Bikes hard tails such as No9 Hardtail – so there will be 450mm, 475mm and 500mm reach options to choose from.
At the moment, 18 Bikes are experimenting with using a floating brake arm to allow them to understand how changing the anti-lift can affect the bike’s behavior under braking. You can see on the non-drive side they have three possible mounting locations on the front triangle – Matt tells us these give anti-surge values of 100%, 75% and 50%.
BTR fabrications
Paul Burford (aka Burf) made the journey from Frome to Somerset with his latest creation; BTR Gasser. Heavy babies turn your eyes away now; the frame that Burf built in 2020 weighed about 6 kg. He hasn’t exactly weighed that in yet. Needless to say, he couldn’t care less about it, placing much more value on strength and durability. After all, this is a downhill bike with 190mm of rear wheel travel (travel is 250mm x 75mm) and a 200mm travel EXT Vaia fork. This summer, Burf will fulfill his childhood dream of riding in Schladming on a self-made DH bike. Very sick, I say.
The inherent bending in the steel tube and support profile required reinforcements. While it may seem like overkill to many, Paul leaves nothing to chance with a keen understanding of the need for that brace between the top tube and down tube. Mounting the front shock assembly to the down tube in this manner can put too much stress on a point in the cut steel tube where the walls are at their thinnest, so adding this extra element and extending it to the seat tube provides more reinforcement for Burf’s peace of mind.
Burf says he chose a single link-driven rotation for stiffness purposes. The main shaft sees a solid 20mm bar attached through the frame. Around it is a shell over the top that connects to the seat tube and bottom bracket area, again for reinforcement. Burf has CNC machined a number of the frame parts; linkages, release points, main pivot box and seat clamp. Burf also made the crash stops, with bosses on the frame to mount them securely.
Burf will launch a YouTube series on July 5 documenting in detail the fabrication of this Gasser. Follow his story here.
Artisanal bicycles
After all, Craft Bikes was showing off their first titanium mountain bike. Until now, all their hardtails have been fabricated in steel. That said, it’s not their first time working with the notoriously tricky titan; a number of their road and gravel models are also Ti. Co-owner Jim tells us he likes the challenges it presents. He and Chloe Griggs are responsible for the fabrication and delivery of all the artisan bikes, out of the workshop they’ve cobbled together in the old garage at the back of the house.
The bike is home to a number of 3D printed parts manufactured in New Zealand by RAM3D – the largest metal 3D printing service provider in the southern hemisphere. Abandonment is a great example of one of those pieces. it’s designed around the UDH standard, and the rear has Boost clearance to give a 55mm chainline for transmission gear.
Craft Bikes build custom bikes with a custom geometry specified by the customer and a build kit advised by Craft Bikes. This one has 29″ wheels with 435mm chainstays, a 75° seat tube angle and a 65° head tube angle. As shown, this build retails for £10,700. Craftsman currently doesn’t offer frame only as they like to have some certain ownership over the final ride quality of the bike – ie, they spec it with parts that are appropriate for how they intend to ride the frame.
The Dawley bicycle
In a neighboring bathroom was Thom Dawley, with 115mm travel Dawley T16. This Nottingham-made steel frame offers the movement of its rear wheels through a flexible pivot. However, the deviation is quite minimal. Thom says the rear only flexes about 4mm over the entire travel, and most of that happens at the thinnest part of the chainstay near the dropout.
Thom is selling the T16 as a frame only, for £1,800 plus VAT, with a three-year warranty.
The bike is designed around a 120-140mm fork – as seen here, it’s built with a 130mm fork. As such, it has a 65° head angle and a 77° seat tube angle. The one you see here is a small size with a 438mm reach. From there, the reach figures increase in increments of ~12mm, so the longest will be around 510mm. Across that size range, chain length is consistent at 440mm.
Always
The most unusual frame construction on display ended up at the CDuro stand. Humphrey Carter, Head of Business Development at parent company CompoTech, was on hand to tell us a little more about it.
This carbon fiber frame is made using a unique process developed by CompoTech called Integrated Loop Technology (ILT). It allows joining the composite structural component, i.e. the tubes, with a carbon fiber joint that is integral to the structure. These knots are most clearly seen in the head tube as they roll around it, and again at the top tube-seat tube interface as well. Humphrey tells us that the process uses materials very efficiently, with reduced overall production and required labor time. However, one of the main benefits is that the ILT method results in stronger joints, especially in areas that are subject to high tension and stress.
The frame, without shocks, weighs a claimed 2.2kg.
The bike is called Epona. It runs a single-roll suspension platform and is available in sizes S-XL. Rear wheel travel depends on stroke length; as a full 29er with a 230mm x 60mm stroke, rear wheel travel is 150mm. The frame is designed to take a 160-170mm fork. As seen in the photo, the Epona has a 64° head angle and a 78° seat tube angle. Reach spans a range of 450mm-535mm across sizes S-XL, with chainstay length remaining at 450mm.
CDuro is taking orders for Epona now. The frame alone will set you back €3,860.
Atherton Bikes
Atherton Bikes made the journey from Machynlleth on the S.170 and A.170. Both have a Dave Weagle suspension design; the tube-equipped aluminum S.170 delivers its rear-wheel travel through a DW4 twin-link, while the original titanium-tubed carbon-tubed A.170 delivers its rear-wheel travel through the DW6 platform.
The S.170 is available in only twelve sizes, compared to the A.170 which is available in 22 sizes. The starting price is $5,119 USD.
About S.170, Mike Kazimer said the following:
“Smashy” is a good way to sum up how the S170 feels – it’s the kind of bike that encourages you to ditch the brakes and plow through anything that gets in your way. That 180mm Zeb up front is there to absorb the initial shock and then the SuperDeluxe coil takes care of the rest. The weight that slows it down on the climbs translates into a firm, planted feel for the descents – the term mini-DH really fits here. Although crushing everything feels like its primary modus operandi, hitting jumps and natural doubles doesn’t feel like a chore – the overall wheelbase is long without being awkward and the suspension design provides a good platform to ‘turned away from every part of the Journey’.
Sour bikes
Jorgen from Sour Bicycles made the trip from Dresden. The Pasta Party you see here is fabricated in Dresden, although many of the parts are cast or machined in Taiwan. This is a steel frame in a large size, and weighs a little less than 2400 grams.
The Pasta Party is a strong XC tail, designed to be efficient, light and durable. It can take a 110mm travel fork, although it is shown with a 100mm travel fork. It can also be set up as a fully rigid affair with a Sour’s steel fork, or their lighter carbon option. The BB is odd allowing 8mm of adjustment; which also allows the bike to be set up as a single speed.
With a 506mm axle-to-crown axle, the Pasta Party has a 68° head tube angle as well as a 75° seat tube angle. It is available in four sizes; S-XL, spanning a range of 410-489m, with 435mm stays across the board. The powder-coated frame retails for €1,099, and the lead time is currently 75 days. The warranty is three years.