First Look: Angeles' Spade Prototype Was Designed by a 19-Year-Old

Mar 22, 2023
by Matt Beer  
Angeles Spade

The future looks bright for the youth that take advantage of the technology we have at our finger tips today. Take for example, nineteen year-old Ethan Eggert of Bend, Oregon who is producing his own enduro frame under the brand name Angeles. The 170mm of travel “Spade” prototype a CNC'd frame built for enduro racing and freeriding.

Ethan admits he’s had friends help him bring the prototype to fruition with photography, marketing, and 3D printing test models. However, he did design the frame, linkage, and graphics himself.

Angeles Spade Details
• Wheel size: Dual 29", MX, or dual 27.5"
• Frame material: CNC'd 7075-T6 alloy (and more)
• Travel: 160-170mm, 160-200mm
• 63° head tube angle
• Reach: 475-485mm
• Chainstay length: 440, 450, 460mm
• Sizes: L
• Pricing: TBD
• Weight: TBD
angelesbikes.com

The brand’s name and theme come from Port Angeles, home of the Northwest Cup - one of Ethan’s favorite places to ride. After that, he happened upon a suiting model name when he picked up an ace of spades, Bicycle branded playing card, complete with angels on the back.

bigquotesThe idea started when I was helping a friend fix his bike and I was trying to explain how the linkage on his frame could be better but he just looked at me very confused and just said you should make your own frame and here we are.Ethan Eggert


Angeles Spade
Angeles Spade
Angeles Spade
Angeles Spade

Frame Details

Taking cues from recent manufacturing methods, the Spade is machined from large blocks of billet aluminum to form halves and is then bonded together. Focus will be placed on building the frames sustainably by machining 7075-T6 into shape, but Ethan hints that Angeles bikes won’t be limited to aluminum construction. There's also a strong emphasis on this frame being a prototype and that it is subject to change.

A driving factor in the kinematics for the Spade were a primarily vertical axle path and also a frame that allowed for versatility in the setup, depending on the rider’s style. Basic functions haven’t been left out of the equation either, so the frame can hold two water bottles.

Angeles Bikes weren’t ready to share the kinematics just yet, but the design uses two short links where the upper component is only half visible from the side profile. This upper arm acts as a rocker link to compress the shock from above, similar to Cannodale’s Jekyll.

Angeles Spade
Angeles Spade

Between the interchangeable dropouts, geometry flip-chip, and shock travel spacers, the frame to be set up in eight unique configurations. The base is a full 29er enduro bike with 170mm of travel at either end by using a 205x65mm stroke shock. That can be dropped to 160mm by reducing the stroke to 57.5mm and matched with an equal length fork. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Spade can run multiple dual-crown builds as well; 200/170mm with MX wheels, or 190/170mm with either rear wheel size.

Then, there are the reversible head set cups that give you 5mm of reach adjustment to tune the fit and style of the bike. Ethan claims that the Spade is both, “A race weapon and a freeriders dream.”

Normal standards are also part of the equation with a threaded 73mm BSA BB, 52mm chainline, and UDH-compatible dropout. There are also ISCG tabs and the cables run internally through the front triangle.

Angeles Spade
Angeles Spade
Angeles Spade

Geometry

As it stands, the single prototype is deemed to be a size large frame with a base reach measurement of 480mm (+/- 5mm) and a stack height of 635, which aligns in the middle of most other brands’ offerings.

The seat tube holds a few numbers that jump off the page with a taller 450mm length and 82-degree angle. Then the head tube is also on the attack side being 100mm long and tipped back to a slack 63 degrees.

Thanks to the interchangeable dropouts, the chainstay length can vary between 440, 450, or 460mm. There’s also a vertically offset dropout to compensate for the drop a 27.5” rear wheel would produce. In the full 29er mode, the BB drop is 25mm

All of those numbers add up to a 1289mm wheelbase (in the 450mm chainstay setting) to keep things in check for enduro racing and freeriding alike.

Availability

At this time, Angeles has not yet determined a price but says they will have a small batch of frames ready to sell by the end of the year. To get in touch with Angeles Bikes, you can contact them by email at: Angelesbicycles@gmail.com

Angeles Spade

Photo credit: Tyler Winans




Author Info:
mattbeer avatar

Member since Mar 16, 2001
360 articles

168 Comments
  • 142 5
 Looks like a Cannondale had a baby with a Pole
  • 161 8
 Beautiful! Love it! 19 year old putting his time and talents into making something like this instead of doing lame things with their life... Bravo!!!
  • 9 0
 Santadale
  • 17 0
 I was thinking more YT & Cannondale...and they did it in Ministrys bed.
  • 12 5
 But looks better than both of them.
  • 7 0
 Is boxy like Volvo... I like it like I loved my XC70!
  • 3 0
 Emenentpoledale
  • 1 0
 HA! HA! HA ! IT'S TRUE
  • 2 1
 @ethaneggert42: you killing it man! I tried designing a hardtail in solidworks. Its so hard! Keep up the good work, loving the chain stay design!
  • 7 0
 @theboypanda: That's exactly how it happened
  • 1 0
 A Pole, a Cannondale and a Santa Cruz walked into a bar...
  • 1 0
 @konafarker: xc70 is greatest car ever !! love mine !!
  • 81 1
 When I was 19 I was drinking beer and smoking weed with a glorious high school diploma.
  • 86 3
 You lie. You didn't have a diploma.
  • 3 0
 @cmi85: Equivalency. High school equivalency program graduate
  • 1 0
 You were lucky. I was occupied for years at being told how unbelievably dumb I am. Later it turned out to be true.
  • 42 3
 i'd say the future is bright for ethan for sure. love to see some kids that are still using their brains to make awesome stuff instead of being sucked into tiktok all day.
  • 24 1
 This dude is in Bend. Basically nature's playground along with Park City and Bellingham and Tahoe and the Rockies and Canada/Alaska. You can't live there and not MTB, kayak, hike, snowboard, ski, river raft, and rock climb every single day!
  • 5 1
 @cmi85: Dont forget the beer. Lots of beer options in Bend . . . :-)
  • 1 0
 @noplacelikeloam: well you're not wrong BUT that's not really an outdoor activity relative to nature's playground Wink

Regardless, Bend is super awesome.
  • 3 0
 @cmi85: oh but it is!
  • 4 1
 @cmi85: not as awesome as around Port Angeles. I'm a sea kayaker for a lot more time than I've been riding bikes and all along the Strait Of Juan De Fuca is some of the most amazing coastline.
Bend might be awesome, but not as awesome as the pacific ocean pumping through.

Bend is on my summer vacation/riding plans though. I've been hearing really fun things. Said as someone from the Tacoma area of western Washington, so I've literally got some of the best riding within a decent drive.
  • 1 0
 @BarryWalstead: Have you ventured into the Bellingham area?
  • 1 0
 @riliy: funny enough I haven't made it up there for riding.
It's certainly on the list.
  • 1 0
 @BarryWalstead: just did a three sprit weekend in PA. Not many places where you can ski, bike & surf 20in in each direction. PA has some very good MTB options
  • 1 0
 @DapperCyclist: board surfing at Crescent I'm guessing?
I'm a sea kayak and surf kayak surfer. Used to be a paddleboard surfer but I can't literally 10X the waves in the kayaks.
Ever surfed Hobuck? It's one of my all-time favorites. Not to mention the trip around Cape Flattery. So many sea caves you can paddle into/through and so many little pocket beaches.
  • 24 0
 I need to know how he funded machining one of these.. Designing a bike frame is already difficult, but actually getting something manufactured in this way seems like it would be crazy expensive. Would love to know who does the machining and what it realistically costs for a company to machine a frame?
  • 50 19
 I, too, would love to have grown up wealthy.
  • 25 0
 It's Bend, money isn't hard to find.
  • 8 0
 It's real expensive.
  • 18 0
 I used to work in a mill working shop. There were lots of artsy type guys experimenting with CNC stuff after hours. They’d usually show up with a couple bottles of wine and the guy who owned the shop would hang out and have a few drinks. There was one guy who was doing solid works programming during the day and the owner would let him use the table for his “hobby projects” after hours. One guy was machining 4’x8’x3” foam panels and then painting them to make 3D murals. As long as you know someone with a shop, are willing to pay for your own tooling and are flexible about when it’s getting done it’s reasonable to expect this kid could pull it off. Especially around Bend where the shop owner might be a biker himself and willing to eat some of the cost.
  • 84 1
 @Explodo: I was not as expensive as you would think and no I'm not wealthy I payed for it myself
  • 18 0
 @ethaneggert42: don't listen to these fools. Follow your own path and you'll be fine.
  • 1 15
flag cmi85 (Mar 22, 2023 at 12:10) (Below Threshold)
 @gmiller720: that's a very interesting scenario you describe. Most business owners would say, "oh you guys want to stay here all day and night and not go home or have a life? Then get back to work."
  • 7 0
 It's possible he contacted a local machinists, showed up with an actual design and plan, and someone decided to help him out. Either way, I dig it. Keep doing what you're doing and maybe you'll sell me a bike one day.
  • 3 4
 @ethaneggert42: So how much money have you put into this?
  • 4 0
 @ethaneggert42: @ethaneggert42: Awesome bike. Be sure that headtube has no chance to open itself in two half in any way. I saw some other prototype fail like that and it's not a situation i would want to be in.
  • 2 0
 @ethaneggert42: keep it up dude! I’m 33 and always wanted to do something like that. Love your design.
  • 3 0
 Would also like to know this. I made my own enduro frame from steel tubing with a small amount of machining for the linkage. That was by FAR the most expensive piece and is one of the main hurdles in making another. I am always shocked to see fully machined frames purely from a cost standpoint, although I'd love to hear how it's a better engineering solution too. Props on the frame though! Looks amazing.
  • 1 0
 As a machinist, I belive cnc rate was $120/hr end of last year for the 'small' mills, double for the very large 5-axis machine. If he's designing his own frame and cad modeling, he's done most of the programming already. If he has an in at a shop, after hours or knows the owner, it would likely be totally reasonable considering a new premium brand frame is $4500 (beaver pelts)

@ethaneggert42 absolutely awesome job! That's no small feat. Looks killer, and look forward to seeing one in the wild someday
  • 20 0
 I dig it. Looks ace!
  • 7 3
 underrated punnage here
  • 1 0
 I too really like the angeled look
  • 14 1
 does it have a UDH?

...just kiddin'. Beautiful frame
  • 3 0
 Actually, I think that the new drivetrain would look pretty good with this futuristic-stye frame.
  • 11 0
 Did I miss the part where someone explains how the two halves are bonded?
  • 48 0
 Flex Seal, homie?
  • 27 0
 They hired a priest like a lot of people. I hope this works out better.
  • 12 0
 JB weld
  • 49 1
 Each half has male and female overlap joints, I used aerospace grade epoxy to bond it and then through a bunch of claps on it.
  • 5 0
 @ethaneggert42: would be really cool to see this process of milling and bonding in like a time-lapse or something!
  • 16 0
 @cmi85: I just used some super glue
  • 6 0
 @fakeendurobro: I will keep that in mind
  • 3 1
 @sjma:

JB Weld is the answer for more things than the average bear can grok.
  • 1 0
 JB Weld for the win!
  • 3 6
 @noapathy: Trump Pastor for a Strong American bond that will never be divided.
  • 1 0
 Space docking
  • 5 0
 I'm more interested in someone explaining the kinematics... I imported that cad screenshot into Linkage and it's telling me that we've got anti-squat at about 250-650% depending what gear you're in, and a leverage ratio that starts at about 10 and reduces to about 1 at bottom out.

Now I know it's rough and inaccurate, but those are some batshit insane, unrideable numbers.
  • 2 0
 @AgrAde: that's exactly what I did, too and I thing about it same.
  • 2 0
 @Zoceli-bikes: Glad it's not just me.

Your Naosm frame is beautiful, by the way. I like your work a lot.
  • 1 0
 @AgrAde: on the other side ...the frame looks really great!
  • 2 0
 Follow Ministry Cycles on Insta and TikTok and you'll understand everything that goes into making a bike from CNC 7075.
  • 9 1
 If this rides well, I can imagine a lot of bike designers out there getting nervous. Im rooting for it to be really good. @pinkbike stay on this one.
  • 8 0
 If you are in central Oregon today 3/22 stop by Project Bike to see the frame in person
  • 8 0
 Love how it looks
  • 5 0
 Nice! I can't remember exactly what I was doing at 19 but it sure wasn't designing, building and selling bikes haha. Good man, Ethan.
  • 5 1
 A 19 yo can figure out how to engineer a bike with two water bottles on the inside of the triangle and get the axle path and kinematics they want on their first try... why can't the rest of the bike industry?
  • 26 0
 it wasn't easy
  • 7 0
 More to the point, if a 19 year old and his friends can do this, what exactly are we paying for with the big bike brands?
  • 2 0
 @hangdogr: big brands are staying in their save spot to please their customers
  • 2 0
 @ethaneggert42: What were the axle path and kinematics you were going for? It looks to me like this would have a rearward axle path and need an idler to have reasonable pedaling/suspension independence. Props on the build though, this is a stunner!
  • 12 6
 Model name of the bike should have been Los
  • 5 1
 "The" ..?
  • 2 1
 @L0rdTom: for Los Angeles...
  • 1 1
 Except Los Angeles is 2000 kilometers away.
  • 4 2
 Looks great! Sick work! But, 8 configurations! When, according to the bike media world, major manufacturers sometimes can't even nail one single configuration... I can't help but wonder if any of the configurations is really dialed, especially for what seems to be a novel suspension design.
  • 3 0
 This thing looks badass and has more modern features than most modern bikes! Great work. I'm certain you have a future as a designer or product manager at any bike company you want, with this under your belt!
  • 2 0
 @ethaneggert42 - Could you share what type of bonding agent was used? I've been toying around with the idea of doing this same thing. I've been making CNC'd bike and motorcycle parts for 20 years as a hobby. I assume there were still some bolted connections to aid with strength of joining? Thanks!
  • 1 0
 Great seeing a 19yo jump in and make things, it is quite a project. I am unsure how sustainability comes into this apart from a buzzword. Looking at this I would expect it takes about 165kgs of aluminum, so >95%scrap from CNC, compared to about 18% scrap for welded construction. The market has space for him to make these and earn a nice living. I wish him the best.
  • 5 0
 this thing looks soo good everybody should just hire this guy
  • 9 0
 Right? How are brands with 'designers' churning out bikes that don't look this good.
  • 5 0
 would love to see a video on how the linkage actuates the shock please!
  • 15 0
 more content coming soon
  • 4 0
 I love the shock placement! Nice job Ethan!
  • 4 0
 looks like a jekyll
  • 1 0
 With a Santa Cruz rear triangle Looks sick
  • 3 0
 The pedaling on that bike would be horrendous.
  • 2 0
 It looks like it has an obscene amount of AS. For a bike without an idler, that is a super high pivot.
  • 2 0
 @AgrAde: I don't think the high pivot has too much too do with it. but the instant center is very high and in a weird place.
  • 1 0
 @Shtrek: yes, I was referring to the IC or virtual pivot location.
  • 2 0
 @AgrAde: ah ok. I just saw your other post about putting the design into linkage. I did the same as well after I realized the bad AS. the leverage ratio is pretty crazy and the bike is super progressive, around 280% for 70kg rider and 30% sag. At least the AR isn't bad, depending on what you prefer.
  • 1 0
 @Shtrek: I did look at the AR but can't remember... It was about 100-110% at sag wasn't it?

Makes me think that he completely forgot to consider chain forces when calculating the AS, and only took the geometry-driven AS into account. Whoops.
  • 1 0
 @AgrAde: Something like that. It seems to me like he didn't really look into suspension kinematics. But i gotta admit the frame does look really good. I think paired with a good suspension platform it would be a very sick and cool bike.
  • 1 0
 @AgrAde: Don’t worry I did a lot of work with kinematics and definitely consider chain forces. It’s not perfect yet but so far it’s doing exactly what I want it to do. Might try testing with and O chain
  • 2 0
 @ethaneggert42: right. How are you going to market the frame's suspension behaviour in an honest and clear way, given that "unrideable" is the word most people would use? It's very different to anything on the market, to the point where you should probably have it at the very front of your marketing.
  • 2 0
 @ethaneggert42: I'm wondering how the bike rides? what were you trying to achieve with this suspension system?
  • 3 0
 This is sick! You are awesome!
  • 2 0
 Awesome frame and looks like minimul fkex with the box design what an epic first job well done that 19yo
  • 2 0
 Awesome. Great to see a teenager taking an idea, overcoming obstacles and seeing it through!
  • 1 0
 sweet design.. looks killer. how about welded vs bonded, turned HT , ST and BB shell with the triangle halves helded to them kinda like Orange
  • 3 0
 Big props to the optional dropouts to customize the chain stay lengths.
  • 2 0
 So many awesome boutique bikes these days, I wish I had boutique bike money.
  • 2 2
 @ethaneggert42 have you thought about an adhesive plastic wrap or something to cover the insides of the stays? Would be sick if it was clear so you could see the inside while keeping dirt out.
  • 1 0
 Are you gonna be racing this frame in the upcoming NW Cup round at Dry Hill? I was just out there on Sunday and the trails are so dialed!!! New pro line is steep and raw.
  • 1 0
 we'll see
  • 3 1
 wow it took a 19 year old to design a good bike for once. 27" and threaded BB. die 29"er
  • 1 0
 My great grandad was flying Lancasters at 19yr old, my neighbours son was serving Her Maj for drug dealing at 19, seems you can do anything at 19, nananana nineteen
  • 1 0
 Unreal design, looks so beefy. Would love to hear more about the programs and reference material required to become competent at designing a frame.
  • 2 0
 Here is some basic resources between books and software that are super useful:

Linkage Bike Checker software for suspension design

Bike Cad for designs if its simple (works best for hardtail designs)

If you want to get more complex with 3D shapes and hardware design and such Onshape and Fusion360 are both free and easy to learn. Solidworks also has a maker edition now for a pretty reasonable price.

Good resources for learning about geometry and suspension would be Vorsprungs YouTube channel. Their "tech Tuesday" series is super informative. As well as the following two books have a wealth of knowledge:

"Motorcycle Handling and Chassis Design the art and science" by Tony Foale
"Motorcycle Dynamics" by Vittore Cossalter

"Dialed" by Lee McCormack is a book about bike fit that is useful to ready through, and the "Shut up and build bikes" podcast is very informative about different small builder ideas and thoughts on bike design/manufacturing.
  • 1 0
 @Erk101852: Thanks for the advice, will be looking into that podcast especially, I've done my fair share of tinkering on linkage checker but definitely feels limited in some regards. Again, appreciate the info!
  • 3 0
 good lookin lines
  • 1 0
 I could see some mud buildup happening from where I ride...but yeah, dope ass rig!
  • 2 0
 mud in the rear triangle pockets is not nearly has big as a problem as you would think
  • 2 0
 Looks a lot like the new Ministry bike.
  • 6 0
 The Ministry bike is sick! I talked to Chris a lot throughout the process
  • 3 0
 @ethaneggert42: We're a real similar kind of crazy. Smile Nice work!
  • 2 0
 I want to see it built up
  • 2 0
 follow @angelesbikes on instagram and there will be photos soon
  • 1 0
 2050 " build your full custom susp MTB" will come as a game kit fir kids ..
  • 1 0
 Canfield kinematic vibes with a linkage driven shock placement? This is pretty cool
  • 1 0
 @ethaneggert42..... kudo's, very impressive, im going to be following this with alot of other readers.....
  • 1 0
 I love the amount of custom/boutique bikes that are around these days ! Looks good too!
  • 1 0
 The Logo, funny I don’t recall angels with horns.
  • 2 0
 Looks tremendous
  • 1 0
 Great to see more frames get made in Bend!
  • 2 0
 Well dang, Ethan.
  • 2 0
 This is awesome
  • 2 0
 Nicely done Ethan.
  • 1 0
 Jesse Melamed would look rad on one of these!
  • 4 0
 Yes he would!
  • 2 0
 Bad ass work Ethan!
  • 1 0
 This local boy needs one!! Beautiful work!!
  • 2 0
 Huge respect, well done!
  • 1 0
 Beautiful work and I’d buy one in a minute!
  • 1 0
 This is awesome. Lets see one built!
  • 1 0
 Looks pretty awesome! Nice job.
  • 1 0
 Kudos Ethan - Looks killer
  • 1 0
 Please, Just take away a ruler.
  • 1 0
 Do hope that camera person did not get run over at 47 seconds?
  • 1 0
 Awesome work young fella, keep at it.
  • 1 0
 want 1
  • 1 0
 holy shit
  • 1 0
 Damn that’s hot
  • 2 0
 @zmums loyalty is dead
  • 1 0
 damn
  • 1 1
 I like how angelesbikes.com just goes to Instagram.
  • 9 0
 We are working on a website
  • 2 0
 @ethaneggert42: I like how you care enough to jump on here and answer questions! Cool bike! Thanks for sharing!
  • 1 1
 Great looking prototype. Is it made in Bend?
  • 1 1
 Everybody is an engineer these days
  • 1 0
 Awesome
  • 1 0
 Mint
  • 1 0
 If Tesla made a bike....
  • 1 0
 That thing looks so rad!
  • 1 1
 29 is dead
  • 1 0
 What's next?!?
  • 1 1
 @cmi85: RC rock crawlers. MTB suuucks
  • 2 4
 made me laugh 19 yr. old and knows engineering, odd write up PB.
  • 1 4
 This caliper mount may vibrate like hell but looks stunning anyway
  • 4 0
 it does not
  • 2 2
 Using your in depth knowledge of material strength and your engineering expertise to make that comment no doubt.
  • 1 0
 @ethaneggert42: if you ever need a heavyweight tester I will volunteer. 260 lbs kitted not so fast up but full out on the downs. I am 33 and have been racing/riding mtb since I was 12. This frame looks sick. Back in the day it was all throw something together that looked cool. Most bikes were horrible. This bike looks awesome props to you x1000. No matter what people say it does in some computer program nothing beats riding the thing and finding out for yourself. I am interested for sure can't wait to see it finished. Ethan keep having a mind of your own don't listen to what they say you need or want do you and you will become wleverything you dreamed.







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