[Weinerts]

I loved mine!

I think Richard Cunningham was possibly the first with the bikes he designed for Nishiki who I worked for at the time. Unfortunately the quality control on those bikes was not always up to Richard's design standards. Nishiki's motto for the Cunningham design bikes was "Engineering That Really Works". My inside joke was "Engineering That Rarely Works". Needless to say I did not work for them forever!

These designs later trickled down to the Haro line of bikes which were also being built by West Coast Cycle (later Raleigh) that owned Nishiki & Haro at the time.

I loved the purple beast! I went through a red one (original) green one and a blue one before all the tubes were aligned. at last it worked great!

Here it is in is glory days on a summer trip to England.

An yokota showed up again on craigslist in San Diego today.

 

[patineto]

I made this in 1988, maybe 1989

 

[deusexaethera]

I know someone already mentioned this, but elevated chainstays are still used in some full-suspension designs. This is probably because rear suspension requires more robust tubing, and since the weight penalty has already been imposed, it's also possible to use the e-stay design without the extreme level of optimization Gecko Cycles was trying to achieve. I have a Pro-Flex 756 and a Pro-Flex 857 that used an e-stay design in 1996-97 (respectively), and the Santa Cruz Superlight uses an e-stay design to this day. I figure when my 756 frame finally dies, I'll probably replace it with a Superlight...or maybe a Blur, I dunno.

Gratuitous pic follows:

 

[syklystt]

nice proflex...I rode an 856 for years, best climbing bike i've ever had...Im going to geta k2 4000 frame tonight I hope.
Proflex was a pioneer in FS bikes and patented the true "sweet spot" for pivots on a mountainb ike...IMO.

 

[cog223]

I have a 1989 Titan 1/2Trac with e-stays. It's a terrific bike and built like a tank. It's from the pre-suspension days, but it is a good all-day off road rig.

 

[Eric Malcolm]

Hi.

I have an interpretation of the E-stay that I built 2 yrs ago. I live in a part of the world where these bikes really did not make an appearance and came across a picture of one while looking for bike components. The bike was a Mzarek with a Brooks Professional saddle. That image stuck in my mind for a long time and I eventually studied these bikes on the Inter-net. I learned all the failings, the joys and the adventures that the early bikes gave. I drew up my bike as a concept, sketched it as a 3-D drawing, imagined where the forces acted on the frame and looked at tubing specifications that seemed to me to fit the unique requirements from off the shelf manufacturer/suppliers. The BB and seat tube are the key area's I concluded. KB's original design data confirm my thoughts, though I knew nothing of this info when I put my frame together.

I have an interest in older designs and consider how they might look if updated into a modern context, making them look both contemporary and futuristic. I spoke with my riding buddies of my project and was asked if I had ever ridden one, to which I said 'No, I will find out once this Bike is done'. Well, I can say that I never regreted doing this ride. I kept faithful to the original look and wheel size. My ride needs were for a Sunday morning road ride, a weekly commute to work with a long way home ride on single track/gravel. The frame is as stiff as anything out there. Climbs very well, handles as though on rails and is remarkably soft on the saddle in ride terms. I love the fact that when it comes time to clean it down, just how easy it is to get your fingers around everything (no oily chainstays). The wheels swap over real easy and having one bike for everything means I am intimate with all its handling characteristics. The overall bike weighs in at 22lbs, light for single track, heavy for road. My only change to the bike has been to the forks, a lighter more nimble fork has been fitted.

Eric

 

[Fillet-brazed]

Hi.

I have an interpretation of the E-stay that I built 2 yrs ago. I live in a part of the world where these bikes really did not make an appearance and came across a picture of one while looking for bike components. The bike was a Mzarek with a Brooks Professional saddle. That image stuck in my mind for a long time and I eventually studied these bikes on the Inter-net. I learned all the failings, the joys and the adventures that the early bikes gave. I drew up my bike as a concept, sketched it as a 3-D drawing, imagined where the forces acted on the frame and looked at tubing specifications that seemed to me to fit the unique requirements from off the shelf manufacturer/suppliers. The BB and seat tube are the key area's I concluded. KB's original design data confirm my thoughts, though I knew nothing of this info when I put my frame together.

I have an interest in older designs and consider how they might look if updated into a modern context, making them look both contemporary and futuristic. I spoke with my riding buddies of my project and was asked if I had ever ridden one, to which I said 'No, I will find out once this Bike is done'. Well, I can say that I never regreted doing this ride. I kept faithful to the original look and wheel size. My ride needs were for a Sunday morning road ride, a weekly commute to work with a long way home ride on single track/gravel. The frame is as stiff as anything out there. Climbs very well, handles as though on rails and is remarkably soft on the saddle in ride terms. I love the fact that when it comes time to clean it down, just how easy it is to get your fingers around everything (no oily chainstays). The wheels swap over real easy and having one bike for everything means I am intimate with all its handling characteristics. The overall bike weighs in at 22lbs, light for single track, heavy for road. My only change to the bike has been to the forks, a lighter more nimble fork has been fitted.

Eric

Good looking bike. What is that on the back of the seat tube?

 

[Eric Malcolm]

The seat tube feature that I think you refer to is my seat stem clamp. I use a carbon seat stem and wanted to have a 'soft' clamping effect on it rather than squeeze it to death. Split twin bolt arrangement that is symmetrical. I use 2 x 5mm bolts at low torque and it has never moved. I got frustrated with seat stem slippage, and unwittingly having leg cramps that this resulted in as the stem slipped incrementally down over a period of time....

 

[Fillet-brazed]

The seat tube feature that I think you refer to is my seat stem clamp. I use a carbon seat stem and wanted to have a 'soft' clamping effect on it rather than squeeze it to death. Split twin bolt arrangement that is symmetrical. I use 2 x 5mm bolts at low torque and it has never moved. I got frustrated with seat stem slippage, and unwittingly having leg cramps that this resulted in as the stem slipped incrementally down over a period of time....

Ya, would love to see a pic or two.

 

[Eric Malcolm]

[

Try this.

The clamps are folded plate steel, 1.8mm, they are double thickness where the bolts go through.

 

[paddyofurniture]

Mrazek- not Cinelli

That "Cinelli" looks exactly like the Mrazek...who built what? Does anyone know the story?"

Bo Mrazek builds frames in the Vrbno, Czech Republic. The photo noted is of a Mrazek, not a Cinelli. Having never seen the Cinlelli, I would be hard presssed to say if Mrazek built it for Cinelli. I do know that my Mrazek and all the rest were built Boh Mrazek Sr.

Here are some details.
mrazek

 

[singletrackmack]

A few early FS e-stay bikes

1990 Offroad Pro-flex FS with e-stays.


1995 Dual Suspension Bike of the Year from Mountain Biking Mag. I have an 856 (same bike, but a 1996) under my house somewhere, but no pic handy.


My 555. This bike climbs like a billy goat and is a blast on tight twisty forest trails.

 

[fjyang]

I'll share my elevated bike, Its made by Top Image that I got off ebay a while back and I like it cause its use of oversize aluminum tubing that reminds me of my Cannondal's from the 80's which makes it look apart from other skinny tube elevated frames. Put it together with spare parts I have around, Noleen CrossLink forks, Magura Hydraulic rim brake and Cane Creek seat buster. Not vintage or correct for the die hards but I like it.

 

[ameybrook]

At least you're consistent

 

[even]

Mrazek never built for Cinelli simply because Cinelli used to have their own welders. Their ec bike was the "next machine": Fisher design, Columbus Max, Campy gruppo, circa 1991... see the google search page

https://www.google.com/search?q=cin...XK0QXO5YCwAg&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=923

 

[Babe Ruthless]

I'm digging this thread out to mention Caloi in Brazil has a whole line of "cruiser" or "city" bikes based on the same 26"-wheel elevated chainstay frame. Here's a sample.

People convert these to XC bikes sometimes and beat them up until the stays break spectacularly - they all eventually do. :eekster:

BTW I found this thread while looking for info on Mrazek frames and whether they have that same weakness - is that an "el" problem?

 

[rismtb]

In 1989 for some reason the image of the Mantis XCR in the pages of MountianBike Action sticks in my brain like crazy glue. I remember not wanting to leave the throne enthralled with the glowing review of the "revolutionary" chain stay design. I wasn't loaded but had just enough to spend a whopping amount to order a 19 inch blue and chrome fork XCR. It came in the mail a month later and built it up with the latest greatest Syncros stuff and headed out to local trails. The second ride I bent the straight blade Tange fork. After another 2 rides and putting another fork on the rear bolt on stays came apart at the seat tube and stripped the hole. What a #$%^@ nightmare! I never believe bike reviews anymore. I did enjoy not having to break my chain to take it off. That was the only feature

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

What a #$%^@ nightmare! I never believe bike reviews anymore. I did enjoy not having to break my chain to take it off. That was the only feature

That's some tough luck right there. Masde worse by the fact that you saved to build your dream bike which fell apart after a few months.

The magazine review thing though, they only test how the bike rides and never get to test whether the thing falls apart after their 2 week test period. Which is a shame, because we all like to keep our bikes for more than 3 months.

I always thought about the chain breaking thing, by the time you got the derailleur apart to take the chain out, it would be just as easy to break the chain, wouldn't it? Or am I missing something (as usual)?

Grumps

 

[rismtb]

With the elevated stays the chain doesn't run thru the frame. just undo 1 jockey wheel and the chain comes right off in one piece ya that part was sweet for cleaning the links

 

[jeff]

You still have to fish it out of the front derailleur.