With and FSR/VPP, you may be able to achieve a slightly better brake jack and axle path, but this comes at the cost of more complexity, bearings (maintenance), flexibility and weight.

With clever design, and modern shock technology the compromises for a single pivot are less than they use to be. With good design or a shock yoke, the shock curve can be progressive. Modern shocks can work well with a linear curve anyway. Chain forces, anti-squat/rise can all be optimised with a single pivot.

Personally, I think the main reason single pivots are considered defunct is that companies were forced to have a differentiator in order to sell their bikes. A new suspension design is a selling point.

Some of you who like the latest and greatest and will always want pivots and acronyms. I want the best bike, regardless of how many pivots it has. And personally I favour simplicity over complexity.

Loads of linkage bike are single pivot anyway. Gwin didn’t do too bad on a single pivot Trek Session!

Yes totally. The optimisation programs result in very organic shapes. The issues comes with trying to turn this into a CAD file that the 3D printer can use. Also the interfaces, bolted regions etc, tend to need to follow standard design guidleines.

When I was working on AM for a wingbox rib demonstrator, the optimisation software gave some beautiful (in a HR Geiger type way) structures. But turning them into something that could be drawn in CAD and subsequently manufactured with sensible interfaces (that needed to be machined for tolerance issues), meant we moved away from this. Although it did look more organic than a normal design.

With bikes there the additional issue of it being organic and aesthetic. If you don’t like Geiger, you may not like the look of it. The Robot bike just uses the AM to allow differnet lugs to be used. No structural optimisation, in the computer generated sense, has been used.

Ten years working for suppliers for Airbus, mostly in composite research. More on the stress analysis, and concept development side rather than materials and manufacturing.

I just need to time to get the development going for my frames.

I agree. Buying a second had shock is a bit of a minefield. personally I’d rather buy a low end shock for £50, then get it serviced and custom tuned. Rather than a high end shock, but potentially the wrong set up or in need of a service.

Why not send your suggestion to TF or Mojo. Or maybe one of the smaller firms might be more receptive.

Hullo, Joe from Starling Cycles. I am indeed thinking about using additive manufacturing (AM) for some swingarm parts.

I have some experience from a previous research job I had, particularly into structural optimisation. I’m particularly interested in reducing weight and part count for my yoke region. The idea is to first produce the optimised structure, then I’ll get some plastic prototypes made to see how it works with a real swingarm manufacture.

Then I’ll look into cost of production. It may be it has to sit on the shelf until the cost of 3D printing comes down, but then I’ll be ready to go quickly. Being built in a shed, doesn’t mean it can’t be high tech! The opportunities offered by AM are pretty good.

Personally I’ve spent ten years working in composites, and I think AM has a better future ahead of it.

Ta,

I’ll see what my mate thinks. I love a bit of mud but not sure he’s so keen!

Have you checked your derailleur?

The clutches tend to loosen off resulting in dropped chains. If it’s a Shimano, you can tighten the clutch up a little.

Get something truly special…

http://www.starlingcycles.com

Rubber blanking grommet. Soften it in boiling water.

My problem is the other way, I need a thinner mount. I’ve never had issues with Shimano mounts, but the current one I’m using (brand unknown) is a bit thicker.

Thanks peeps.

I like narrow tyres for historic reasons. And confidence makes you go fast!

I think I’ll try some Spesh. Butchers/Purgatory. I’ve had their tyres in the past and have been impressed. Perhaps a grid up front, DH on the back.

I like riding my skinny tyred bike over rocks and roots. Sketchy as hell but keeps the skills sharp and a good dose of adrenaline.

Nobody?

Is the factory grease not just to stop rust?

AM lugs and Carbon tubes is quite a good manufacturing idea. As long as the bonds are strong and the double lap joints seems a sensible idea to stop peel.

I think the only technology they’ve missed a trick with is some topology optimisation. I’m sure they could have come up with some really funky looking organic shapes with a properly optimised solution. This would have added to the aesthetic that I feel this bike is missing a little. To me it looks like all the parts are drawn in CAD from the start.

But I suppose the topology optimisation wouldn’t lend itself to customised geometry, a lot of processing for each frame. Although it could have been used for some ‘generic’ starting blocks.

Good luck to them. I’m sure the design and processes will refine as time goes on.

Send me the headset cup and a stamped addressed envelope (and maybe a fiver) and I’ll turn it down on my lathe for you.

joe<AT>starlingcycles<DOTCOM>

Or you could have a custom geometry steel bike that looks great and rides fantastically for 1/3 price…

http://www.starlingcycles.com

Blue is good if you like pedalling round a paved track!

Great natural stuff away from the centre, but I won’t tell you where it is…

But plenty near the centre to keep you busy for a day.

Modern shocks solve a lot of the problem, I had an RP23 on my first prototype, and unless riding purely downhill, I always had the ProPedal full on.

But it’s only short travel, 90mm, so it behaves like a hardtail other than a little bit more grip and a bit of cush on big hits.

It was the most fun bike ever…

I’m currently building a 275 full suspension singlespeed prototype. see Starling Cyles[/url].

I hoping to offer some more prototypes to customers in the new year. If you can wait, this will be unbeatable. Custom geometry to suit your build and requirements.

Try

http://www.RyanBuildsWheels.com

He has a spoke cutting machine and will probably correct them for you for a small fee…

Spend the cash on a super set of wheels, this will offset any frame/component weight issues at a low budget.

Custom wheelsets at reasonable prices available with all my builds.

Starling Cycles..

http://www.starlingcycles.com and see my Facebook page.

I’m doing a small batch of prototype 29ers at the moment for reduced price. A full build will be closer to £2.5k, but you’ll get something very special and just as you want it.

Stopped raving in my late 20’s.
Stopped riding DH in my mid 30’s.
But still trying my hardest in my late 30’s.

I suppose the only thing that changes is the time available to ride meaning you become crap. And a little bit more sense of preservation.

Progression, in this sense, refers to an increasing of stiffness as you go through the stroke. The thinking being that it stops a harsh bottom our gradually increasing stiffness at the end of the stroke.

The real rate is a function of both suspension design and shock stiffness behaviour. Personally I believe a linear frame ratio, with a progressive air shock is the best answer. Simple, and easy to adjust the shock to get the behaviour you want.

Linear suspension is good for suspension tuners. It makes it easy for them to work out what shims to use. High speed compression damping can then be used to control bottom out to an extent.

But it is mostly marketing. Why did we all want large volume air cans a few years back for more progressive rates. But now were all sticking reducing rings in our shocks!

Plus it all going to be redundant soon when the Oleo strut shock takes off. I’m getting a Nitro Shox prototype for my Starling Swoop soon. If it delivers what it promises, it is has auto adjusting damping!

I had a stand at Bespoked this year, http://www.starlingcycles.com.

Except for a few quiet patches early and late in the day, I didn’t stop talking for three days. With just me on the stand I barely had time to pee, let alone eat my lunch.

But, keeping a cheery disposition for the whole time is pretty important. Even when someone is asking you why your bike has a spring in the middle, whilst you can see someone queuing up who is really keen to ask some real questions about the bike.

My biggest issue with the show was fancy paintjobs over framebuilding content. If only I’d known this I would have splashed £1k on a paintjob and one all of the awards!

As for catering for all customer requirements, it really up to the framebuilder. But in my experience even what seems like the simplest change can often cause a whole deal of pain. And the customer may not necessarily be happy. There was a lot of talk among the builders about reducing options on their frames.

I used to ride up at Patchway when I had a job at Aztec West. It all ended in me getting overexcited and trying to clear a big double followed by a face plant to tarmac without a full face!

Perhaps I’ll take my kids up there one evening for some practice to see if they like it. They’re quite little, 7 and 5, but it’d be good fun.

ianpv where do you go in Bristol?

Lots of comments on the length of the Cotic, my blue test bike has the same reach but doesn’t look like a gate.

See my website for some pictures. And also some reviews from Dirt and Enduro Mtb

Fantastic rims, although a little bit tricky to get set up tubeless. But massively strong and light. They took some brutal impacts on rockgarden in Grizedale where I pinch flatted they tyre, but rim was OK!

I did some lab testing of them on behalf of Superstar and they way outperformed Stans Flow Ex.

However, budget to send them to your local wheel builder after the first couple of rides. Superstar wheelbuilding machines can be a bit inconsistent.

I do have a fan base, but it’s just small at the moment. It won’t grow without getting exposure. I’m sure Cotic can take it all in it’s stride…

Just pointing out that my bike is prettier than the Cotic!

Not as pretty as my Starling.

Which is custom geometry, so can also be slack, long and low. Or not, whatever you want!

Swoop, Hover all good names for a bird related bike company!

Lots in the pipeline for Starling Cycles, see the website for a summary of my hopes.

Also, I’m planning on taking advantage of my aerospace research connections to come up with some truly interesting stuff…

Thanks to everyone who turned up to support me and have a look at the bikes. I got lots of great feedback and met lots of interesting people. Hopefully, it got the brand a bit more exposure and nudged a few sales.

Also, Starling Cycles was awarded a Singletrack award for best MTB; I’m well chuffed.

There’s a large proportion (statistic not validated) of people who have posted here have a singlespeed which is deliberately set-up with old tech; 26″, 1 1/8″ etc.

Personally I want my singlespeed as capable as my geared bike. Good fork, lightweight wheels, good tyres…..just no gears.

It’s understandable that the lack of gears is seen as a retro experience and this is embraced fully. But singlespeed can still be at the cutting edge.

My full sus singlespeed and DH bikes with all the best kit on were the most fun, and often fastest bikes I have owned. I can’t wait to get the time to build a new singlespeed trail bike, but with contemporary geometry and wheel size.

I’m an OEM customer with X-Fusion. I understand the Revel forks are finishing manufacture as we speak, but with a limited number. These will find their way to the press first. Then the eager public and others will have to wait until the second batch.

I can’t wait to get my hand on a pair of these!

Gawton is super steep.

Super Tavi is great, but steep.

Eqypt is pretty mental. I’ve ridden there a few times in the past in the wet and there’s a section in the middle I had to push down! It’s really pretty difficult.

I’ve ridden Revolution just once, but on a trail bike, not a DH bike. I suppose it’s similar to Gawton, just not as steep.

You may have gathered, Gawton is steep.

Bizare bit of trivia here. As I understand, the Gawton woodland (steep) is owned by the Marquis of Tavistock, who also owns the land where Woburn trails are located.

Another full-susser, sounds interesting! Any sneak peeks to be had?

I run mine just as you want yours.

You need a derailleur hanger. Mine is a Cotic branded one which sits in the sliding dropout slots. I think DMR make them as well.

For a single ring up front you may want some kind of chain device. I have a bash ring which does the job OK. Or a clutch mech will do the job.