[GMUGNIER]

I recently got back into riding only to discover that Intense is not making any more handmade aluminum frames. All made overseas and all carbon - what gives?

 

[mik_git]

Because "progress".
Nobody wants aluminium frames (as in, a very small % do, but that is not enough numbers to supplant carbon at the price point)
So to get carbon, while possible to get made not in asia, again the practicalities arn't there.
Don't get me wrong, I love metal bikes and am quite happy with both my alu, my ti and have just ordered a steel bike (all made in USA).
But my Carbon made in Taiwan Sniper is pretty damn awesome.

 

[motard5]

It’s more a matter of margins. Like anything, as a volumes increase and product history lengthens, manufacturing costs decrease. It won’t be long until only “cheap” bikes are aluminum.

 

[mik_git]

Yeah, I rememebr when Steel was all, cheap, midrange and exotic. Aluminium was high end and Ti and Carbon were exotic.
The steel was cheap or exotic, Alu was midrange to high end and carbon was high end to exotic adn Ti was still exotic
Now Steel is still cheap, alu is cheap to midrange, carbon is midrange-ish to exotic and Ti is and nice steel is niche rather than exotic.

 

[motard5]

Ha, you forgot Beryllium! I still remember the magazine article. Beryllium hardtail for 25-30K. Craziness.

Giant is the best, and I’ve heard can produce 800+ carbon frames per day. Once rapid 3D carbon fiber printing is scaled though, it will be a game changer. GG is on the right track, but places like Taiwan are simply on such a different level of professionalism and scale that any new technology they are likely to “integrate” quickly. I hope small manufacturers like Intense will be able to bring it back in-house in the future!

 

[mik_git]

oh yeah but beryillium never really made it to the market, American only made 5 frames and was it rotech or something made a few...
Dont forget magnesium...
My second alu frame is scandium (well partly), that was a thing for a minute

 

[The_Bob]

If you are looking for a handmade alloy bike, look no further:

PYGA USA

 

[milehi]

Ventana. Not the most popular and probably unheard of in the last two generations, but put the media hype aside and order up what what you want. Tell the lady your needs. She knows more than you'll ever know. Frame stiffness is second to none. Get a custom frame in two weeks. Or go plastic and no customer service. You ever ride with the guy who built your frame?

 

[GMUGNIER]

Is any US company doing a carbon/aluminum hybrid frame tube, (ala: Easton style?) I am quite happy with what i have but was considering a new frame for a eBike - I like the Intense as i am brand loyal, but NO way am i buying Taiwanese crap. (Especially considering how many failures and crushed bb's i have been reading about) Intense does NOT stand behind their new "foreign" products. Screw that on a 9k or more bike!

 

[mik_git]

You relaise Easton tubing was actually an aluminium tube wrapped in Carbon?...And apart from their Reflex brand they didn actually make bikes?
And that 95% of bikes made in the last30...40years came out of Taiwan...they generally arnt crappy.
Generally if you want metal/carbon, then it'll be custom like Seven, Dean, Firefly etc. But you're not getting FS for that. Not USA, but I had a big want for Robot Bike Co, they looked awesome, i think they are Atherton bikes now and all DH-y
Otherewise look at something like Guerrilla Gravity...

 

[GMUGNIER]

@mik_git - I agree with you in many regards as it relates to the 90% comes from China. That may be sufficient for most people - I am not in that group. Also i have seen the carbon on the outside and the carbon on the inside, some with epoxy liners, others with one piece extrusion. Just sucks that the majority had succumbed to big box production - as opposed to "keeping it in the house"

Thanks for the info on the Robot Bike company - Atherton or Altair seems to be the company that did the finite element analysis to help design the bike. The Robot Bike company is indeed still in business, I'm checking them out now. 👍

 

[mik_git]

Atherton is a race team, well a family of racers (Rachel, Gee and Dan, a bunch of world DH championships between them) they took over/bought Robot Bikes a few years ago, which wa a bunch of material engineery types in the UK that worked with Dave Weagle for the suspension design. So for whatever reason (prbably becasue the bikes were super expensive) they got taken over by the Athertons who wanted to be a bike amnufacturer (and UK based), and now they race them on the world cup DH cuircuit. But details are sketchy.
I'm a big fan of Ti lugs and Carbon tubes, so I would have liked a Robot parked in the garage next to a Seven 622 SLX (well if I had the cash)

 

[TylerVernon]

Probably because of enthusiasts like myself who will only consider carbon, and because of the Ritz Effect, which I just made up. This is the psychological effect that occurs when something is so expensive there's little disincentive to not pay a little more and get the better product/material. If the aluminum bike is $4000, might as well get the $5000 carbon version.

 

[FrankS29]

Probably because of enthusiasts like myself who will only consider carbon, and because of the Ritz Effect, which I just made up. This is the psychological effect that occurs when something is so expensive there's little disincentive to not pay a little more and get the better product/material. If the aluminum bike is $4000, might as well get the $5000 carbon version.

It's like you're in my head...

 

[slapheadmofo]

Devinci still hand-builds their aluminum frames in Canada.

 

[unerlaubt]

Devinci still hand-builds their aluminum frames in Canada.

If he won't a bike from Taiwan, It would be crazy to buy one built by people who consider poutine and maple syrup distinct and major food groups.

 

[JackOfDiamonds]

See I knew aluminum would never catch on. Same goes for carbon.

Steel is real.

 

[Zacdos]

Ventana. Not the most popular and probably unheard of in the last two generations, but put the media hype aside and order up what what you want. Tell the lady your needs. She knows more than you'll ever know. Frame stiffness is second to none. Get a custom frame in two weeks. Or go plastic and no customer service. You ever ride with the guy who built your frame?

Truth!! I used to ride Ventana (2003-2011)

 

[FrankS29]

There is not a single frame material out there that does not have its drawbacks, and each one of them have crappy examples and high quality examples that express those drawbacks differently.

Pick a frame material, be a dick about it...

 

[DIRTJUNKIE]

Steel is real.

You do know this term is so played out it's as old as dinosaur sh*t.
Every material has its place and special properties, let's keep it real.