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So the lugs are machines? And it's bonded aluminium tubes? My worry over whatever 'lifetime' actually is wouldn't be the aluminium but whatever epoxy is in those joints and how long it's going to last. Still they must have some faith to be launching it in a higher travel bike pitched at bike park riding.
What I do wonder is if they'll end up making a "mid-tier" frame with the machined Al lugs and bonded carbon tubes rather than the stupidly expensive sintered Ti novelty lugs.
Either way it's still a 'meh' for me, interesting as they are, the cost and technical novelty in something you're expecting to lob down rocky hills just doesn't appeal.
S not C.
S for subtractive
A for additive
Bern Kerrs’ bonded frame failed at Rotarua………….
Gee Athertons bonded frame didn’t fail at Rampage despite a massive crash…
So the lugs are machines? And it’s bonded aluminium tubes? My worry over whatever ‘lifetime’ actually is wouldn’t be the aluminium but whatever epoxy is in those joints and how long it’s going to last. Still they must have some faith to be launching it in a higher travel bike pitched at bike park riding.
I don't think people realise how often they've been in something that's assembled using bonded aluminum. Manufacturers of cars, aeroplanes, boats etc have been using the process for quite some time. It's been used in top level motorsports for yonks, but I obviously the service life is pretty short in that use case!Eg Iirc the Elise had been using it since it's first iteration. Merc, BMW and Audi use it on some of their cars AFAIK, and they can't really risk a large court case and the reputational damage of bits of chassis falling off. As to Aston, and as much as everything else breaks all the time on their cars, the chassis are usually one of the things that doesn't fall apart.
Kerr's failure was due to a bit of an iffy design and a cock up, it's an outlier. I'd have no qualms whatsoever about riding a glued together bike.
I would, however, have qualms about riding something this ugly, heavy and expensive:p My Ripmo AF is ugly and heavy, but it cost me less than the frameset for this (at pretty much full RRP) - i appreciate the manufacturing is not comparable, but I can't overlook that for the significant price difference.
I would, however, have qualms about riding something this ugly :p
Don't you ride a Ripmo AF 😀 (I have one too BTW)
Not too sure about the BB area but other than that I think the bike looks great. Going to start saving up now for when they make a 120mm version.
Bernard kerr's pivot failed due to a mistake with the corrosion treatment on the alloy, apparently the glue stayed firmly attached to the carbon tubes but completely came away from the alloy lugs, I've had similar issues with Araldite doing that after a few years 😀, hopefully the Athertons have got it dialled with it being alloy to alloy.
It's lucky for Pivot those bikes are just prototypes, for a future standard carbon-framed bike.
Unless they were planning to bring the lugged carbon frames to production in future?
I'd be very confident in one of Atherton frames, seeing how they've been thrashed by Kolb, Hatton, Dan, Rachel, Gee and others.
"I’d be very confident in one of Atherton frames, seeing how they’ve been thrashed by Kolb, Hatton, Dan, Rachel, Gee and others" absolutely... they get hammered day after day after day by riders like those and plenty more at Dyfi... I'd be completely confident in buying one.
I believe that the shorter travel versions will be released later in the year - much like they did with the 'A' series bikes.
Also agree that may be do the machined lug with carbon tubes.
Bernard kerr’s pivot failed due to a mistake with the corrosion treatment on the alloy, apparently the glue stayed firmly attached to the carbon tubes but completely came away from the alloy lugs
I doubt we’ll ever get the full detail of what’s happened, but abrading the treated metal before bonding is standard practice with equipment we build. Otherwise this happens.
Details of what happened…
https://m.pinkbike.com/news/why-did-bernard-kerrs-prototype-frame-break-at-crankworx-roturua.html
Bernard kerr’s pivot failed due to a mistake with the corrosion treatment on the alloy, apparently the glue stayed firmly attached to the carbon tubes but completely came away from the alloy lug
Funny that he never mentioned about his bike falling apart in his Vlog, cant think why ?
Edit: Sorry thinking of completely difference event !
chiefgrooveguru
This approach means no hydroforming, no welding, no realignment, no heat treatment, no final realignment, no painting. Just cut the tubes to length and glue them into the machined parts, with all the parts anodised before assembly. Even the tube cutting is simpler because you don’t need to shape the ends for how they meet another cylindrical shape.
Wow, so without all the need for that, it must be really cheap.....
oh
Jokes aside, i think it looks ace. I'd seriously consider it, if I didn't already have a G1 that fills the exact same niche
I don't have anything to say about bonding and lugs, but weirdly the S170 reminds me of the old Blur 4X. No inferences or owt, it just does:
