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We can't really compare it to carbon frames, it's the titanium lugs that are the detail and the main cost here, they just buy in batches of straight carbon tubes, cut to size and glue them in, they aren't making carbon, they could just as easily use something else for the tubes.
But I hope they get that glue at a good price, most of it gets wiped off with a rag 😀
We can’t really compare it to carbon frames, it’s the titanium lugs that are the detail and the main cost here
Fair comment.
There's definitely a "something a bit different" premium attached to them, and that's totally fine if that's what people want.
It's good that they're planning some cheaper products as well though, as I still don't anticipate much demand for these.
Think they've had a fair few orders - build completion dates now showing as end of April.
tomhoward
Full Member
Unless they ordered years ago.
Yup, was thinking that when i wrote my comment. From Ethic/Bird discussions there are issues ordering ahead iirc though?
There was also mention on the pb comments that there might be a ‘cheaper’ Atherton branded bike incoming. Aluminium and far east manufactured at a more affordable price point.
They’ve taken the effort to prefix the frame names with AM (they’re called the AM.150 and AM.200). Presumably AM = additive manufactured (3D printed).
I would imagine that this is to allow them to add another prefix for conventionally manufactured bikes. Perhaps AL for aluminium or similar. Which obviously aligns with the comment on Pinkbike.
I really like these bikes, but I’m a bit biased because I have made additive manufactured (3D printed) titanium cranks…
I am a bit put off by the 18 bearings in each frame though, sounds like a maintenance nightmare.
We can’t really compare it to carbon frames, it’s the titanium lugs that are the detail and the main cost here, they just buy in batches of straight carbon tubes, cut to size and glue them in, they aren’t making carbon, they could just as easily use something else for the tubes.
Why not? They are two different ways of making a frame. If one is more expensive it needs to offer an advantage to be able to command a higher price.
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dirkpitt74
Full MemberThink they’ve had a fair few orders – build completion dates now showing as end of April
Wouldn’t be a surprise if 3 months was the lead time if you were ordering the very first frame, or any frame thereafter
Wrong type of bike for me and at the very wrong end of cost for me - but I really like the idea of them. Bit disappointed to hear if they are going to be making 'cheaper' bikes in the Far East - that kind of removes the appeal and distinctiveness from them for me.
Saying all that, way too expensive for me so not something I'm every going to be buying.
Found that video very relaxing. Bit of a shame to cover all the interesting Ti bits in black paint, keen to see the raw finish. Some really nice touches with the frame design. Still not sure it looks a £4K frame though, maybe partly because its basically the same bike everyone saw six years ago and hasn't really changed since.
The original Robot Bikes had raw finish titanium lugs into the carbon tubes; it looked like drainpipes held together with duct tape. The all black looks much better.
They could oil slick anodise the lugs…
Yeah, I'm not sure how you'd make them look different. The construction very much defines the look. Can machine or refinish the lugs but the straight carbon tubes are what tthy are.
I really like what they are doing and hope they do well. Always nice to see top end manufacturing in the UK.
It's a very tough sell though IMO.
I put in the numbers on the site and it seems I'd be limited to a 125 dropper. Erm, no thank you sir. I've got kinda used to my 175 and have no wish to downsize. My 125 reverb is great on my gravel bike, but not on an enduro bike.
That seems a major oversight to me.
Then there's the price. It's a lot. I'd probably stretch to it if it offered something truly unique in ride quality, but the money is possibly better spent elsewhere.
Weight.
Folk obsess over frame weight.
I don't really, hence currently enjoying my slightly chunky Starling Murmur in all its steely glory. Frame weight is about 8lbs I believe.
Frame weight of the AM150 is 3.65KG according to the Athertons on the PB question session earlier today.
About the same then...
Suspect that'll be a big turnoff for some.
Looks.
Important at this price. I reckon the bike looks fine really, but plenty others look much nicer.
My own Starling for one, but also the current crop of Transition bikes and Mondrakers.
The DW6 pedalled really nicely when I had a demo of the Robot bike many moons ago, but **** looking after all those bearings 🙂
Single pivot and a good shock for me please.
I enjoyed that build video. Also helped get my head around the DW6 set up. Way more bike than I need and way too expensive for me, but a lovely looking thing
Looks awesome, love to see co and projects like this in the UK. Far too many smart people and engineers working for advertising / data collection startups. IMO they should be encouraged, on the end of government grants like a politicians drinking pal selling ppe last year and helped to scale.
Value is relative but I’d put money on them just breaking even / making a loss on each sale right now. They will need the mass production frames in the Far East to pay for the R&D for additive manufacturing in the UK. Again, totally fine with this. Fine line to balance with brand, I hope they are able to pull it off.
At the top of my list right now for next bike to last me to retirement from gnar.
Good luck to them. £6700 for the base bike is 2x outside what I would ever spend on a bike.
Yea, same here. A Spesh S-Works ebike tops out at £13700 though so we are clearly not these manufacturers target market.
Great input from the Atherton team on PinkBike:
https://m.pinkbike.com/news/ask-us-anything-atherton-bikes-on-launching-direct-to-consumer-sales.html
That's really interesting to read through it all qwerty yeah...
I don't ever forsee my buying one due to riding ability and costs.. but i love the theory.
Frame weight of the AM150 is 3.65KG according to the Athertons
That has to be with the shock & hardware, doesn't it?
but **** looking after all those bearings
I guess if you're paying that much for a frame, you're also paying someone else to change the bearings.
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flag Will-AthertonBikes (15 hours ago)
While each bike is different based upon the amount of titanium/carbon, but it is approx 3.65kg without a shock.
Bedmaker - oh dear. I had a hefty Nukeproof Mega alu frame a few years ago that was 3.8kg without shock.
So the fancy titanium lugged construction is basically adding weight over cheaper full-carbon rivals?
It's all those (18!!) bearings that increase the weight lol
How does that weight compare to other DH frames (been a while since I’ve been in that game)? Is it that they’ve just taken the DH frame and tweaked the geo to turn it into a 150mm trail bike?
They look great, would be interested if I had the £
So it's a little over 9lbs for the am150 with shock, is that why they've gone with a superdeluxe to save weight over a fox, lifetime warranty though so it's overbuilt.
lifetime warranty though so it’s overbuilt.
Gee Atherton riding it so it's overbuilt.
Gee Atherton riding it so it’s overbuilt.
Yeah, bombproof appears to be priority. Breaking one seems highly unlikely. I can't be bothered digging back into the PB comments, but someone asked about strength.
They sent one bike over for testing, and used the same bike for all seven (iirc) tests, after it had been hammered by Dan for months.
Apparently some manufacturers send a frame for each of the seven tests as it's assumed they will break.
Fair play to them for putting up the weight figure when questioned, knowing it's probably not really what many people would have expected.
Much prefer this vid
Can’t help but think that they are too much bike for the type of person who can afford them
They need to do a shorter travel trail bike
They're lovely bikes, and the amount of engineering going into those frames is really good to see, from the above video it looks like they're making a few, and selling them, so should be a few around the places!
It's good to hear the plans for the future as well, can see a 130mm being on the site soon, as it's an easy market to break into and sell too, but that additive manufacturing process for the Ti parts will be a real issue going into larger production numbers, they are a god send for our industries for rapid prototyping, but way too complex and expensive for mass manufacturing!
Can’t help but think that they are too much bike for the type of person who can afford them
eh?
Think it’s a ‘all the gear, no idea’ comment, personally I don’t care who rides what, in this instance it’s letting a uk company try and expand, so good to see.
Can’t help but think that they are too much bike for the type of person who can afford them
eh?
I think he means that if you're rich enough to blow 8 grand on a bike you'll be spending all your time at work and if you ever find the time to visit a DH track you'll get smoked by teenagers on old Spesh Big Hit's.
oddly, the more i look at them, the more i like them..... it could be a genuine 'bike for life'.
Frame only price isnt as bad as it first seems, when comparing to some other options. But equally, i know that carbon tubes cost bobbins, so its the rest of the process you need to really buy into to achieve any sort of 'value'.
I think he means that if you’re rich enough to blow 8 grand on a bike you’ll be spending all your time at work and if you ever find the time to visit a DH track you’ll get smoked by teenagers on old Spesh Big Hit’s.
That's the poor state of the MTB industry right now, summarised beautifully.
I think he means that if you’re rich enough to blow 8 grand on a bike you’ll be spending all your time at work and if you ever find the time to visit a DH track you’ll get smoked by teenagers on old Spesh Big Hit’s.
That’s the poor state of the MTB industry right now, summarised beautifully.
Hmmm, I think the original comment was uninformed bollocks. Like anyone's going to struggle to use a 150mm full-sus bike effectively.
Kids on cheap bikes going faster than middle-aged blokes has always been the case.
Like anyone’s going to struggle to use a 150mm full-sus bike effectively.
Really? Loads of people on this very forum still refer to them as 'skills compensators'.
Like anyone’s going to struggle to use a 150mm full-sus bike effectively.
Really? Loads of people on this very forum still refer to them as ‘skills compensators’.
Those forumites probably not in this thread though. the only Atherton they have heard of is Michael.
If I have ever used the term it was a) only a joke and b) only in reference to my own bike.
I wonder if we'll ever see a hardtail - Robot bike co had one designed and produced just before the Atherton's bought them.
Really? Loads of people on this very forum still refer to them as ‘skills compensators’.
OK, like the majority of semi-competent hobby MTBers are going to struggle to make use of a 150mm bike.
Used to have one (150mm travel bike) but found it too much travel as I just wasn't riding it hard enough...on a 130mm rear now and find it much better...however, I'm a terrible biker so suspect I'm ticking the boxes due to genuine lack of ability and not due to buying the biggest travel I could get my hands on as it was a bigger number so gonna be better.
I guess when it boils down to it, the main aim of the initial prototypes which have evolved into the models offered was to afford a platform to Atherton Racing so
a) They actually had bikes to race on
and
b) They could prove the concept with race results and death defying doolallyness
If that is indeed the case, then it'd make sense for the initial focus to be a DH bike, followed by a hard hitting all rounder that could lend itself to Enduro races if necessary.
Obviously, now they have a production facility and are beginning to find their feet, there is now scope to diversify and show the true potential of this exciting technology across a range of models for all abilities and riding styles...
That said, my lusting for a schweet 26er 100mm 4x bike might be some way off yet!
Out of curiosity I looked up some old articles on robot bikes and their 27.5" R160 was around 7lb with rockshox monarch shock and that also had a lifetime warranty.
I see people are still dragging out the old Specialized Epic and saying that the Atherton is made in the same way. Ironically the Specialized has as much in common with a bike from 1910.