Frameworks' Bonded Alloy Prototype Made by Faction Bike Studio
In a recent Instagram post made by Faction Bike Studio, they’ve announced that they’ve built a prototype for Frameworks, Neko Mulally’s bike company. The prototype aluminum front triangle uses “tube and lug” construction for their downhill team to test.
The new front triangle design is built in two parts; round aluminum tubes are pressed and bonded into the CNC'd lugs, similar to the recently released aluminum frames from Atherton Bikes.
This construction method drastically increases the strength-to-weight ratio, saving 373g. Since there are no welded frame members, no zones are affected by heat and retain precise alignment, leading to faster prototyping turnarounds.
The project is supported by Faction Bike Studio, a bicycle engineering company based in Granby, Canada, which specializes in the prototype construction method. Loctite North American also lent a helping hand with recommendations on the bonding process and the adhesives themselves.
Neko says that this is still a prototype, but the frame uses all of the same pivot locations as the production version. When speaking to confidence in strength, Faction Bike Studio put the prototype through testing using forces recorded by the Frameworks team at the last two World Cups.
The 2024 Frameworks Team (left to right): Asa Vermette, Neko Mulally, and Angel Suarez. The current production version of the Frameworks Downhill Bike uses traditional aluminum tubes and machined components (on the front triangle) that are welded by Frank The Welder.
Dario had the chance to swing a leg over the current Frameworks enduro bike at Whistler Crankworx this past summer, and has held onto it as his personal daily driver. Increasing the strength-to-weight ratio using the lug and tube construction would be highly beneficial to their enduro bike prototype almost more so than the DH frame, since you'll be climbing uphill on this one.
Update: When asked further regarding whether or not Faction Bike Studio would be producing Frameworks' bikes, or their own for that matter, Adam Robbins, their product manager, explained that this was a prototype for a client, and wouldn't reveal exactly where it was made.
 | "We have no plans on creating any production frames. Neko had the idea of creating a bonded bike and we thought it was a great opportunity to support him and show off a portion of our prototyping services. Having our engineers work closely with Frameworks Racing allows us to implement world cup level data values into these prototype frames and also into future bikes you will probably end up riding. (Check out how we gathered these values here). All the lugs on the Frameworks bike were designed by our design team and were CNC'd from a billet. We won't share where as it's an aspect to our service that ensures top notch quality and a super quick turn around. |
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As it is, he's got a great, but very conventional frame - this at least is different. Please note : I am in NO Way knocking Neko or his frames - I've followed his frame adventure from the start - he's done well.
Though I wish he'd do some 'making' himself. Making things, as in cutting / machining / welding, or, in this case, Bonding, Yourself, is one of the greatest joys!
The cost of the 'lugs', may well be offset against the cost of a skilled welder, and any post weld heat treatment and alignment. and machining.
Though, there's few things easier for geometry and construction changes than doing a different mitre angle and welding things together.
Bonding has been around for decades - well, hundreds of years, in many different forms.
Bikes like Suzuki's DR250 and 350 had a bonded swingarm - the 'arms' bonded to the front pivot section. As a precaution, Suzuki did have bolts in place as an added bit of security. Suzuki themselves said the bolts were not really 'that' necessary, but caution won out . I've seen some adventurous ( or unknowing, or risk taking ) individuals run the swingarms without the bolts. . Usually, when the swingarms were being used on 'Specials', like a Street Tracker.
This will be interesting - Go Neko!
Alan and Vitus (the French brand, not the current English Vitus) did it loooooong ago, and after that brands like SR Sakae, Giant (with their Cadex frames), Koga Miyata and others had bonded frames with aluminium lugs and aluminium and/or carbon tubes. Many of them still going strong, and I don't know of any of those brands having big problems with the technology.
The big difference is 40+ years of material science developing new and better epoxies and bonding agents. I wouldn’t worry too much about longevity, removing the welding from the process allows you to buy tubes and billets that were heat treated and come with ASTM documentation. If you’re just cutting and shaping those materials you won’t mess with the factory temper.
Still one of the coolest bikes ever, by the way.
www.theproscloset.com/cdn/shop/articles/Greg_Herbold_Miyata_Ridge_Runner.jpg?v=1692317934&width=2000
He’s making a bike to be competitive for himself and his team and isn’t necessarily focused on high volume sales so it works. Would be quite different if he needed to sell 10,000+ units.
I think it’s awesome how open he is about his development and the lengths he’s going to make the fastest bike he possibly can. There’s a lot of insight to gain from it.
But I do see your point, luckly the people who are sacking up to buy one of his frames are also the kinda people who won’t be so bothered by this imo.
And you also need to see if it increase performance or is it to allow for easier changes to geometry and potentially a future of in-house assembly like the athertons do?
This production method could open the door to more in-house small brands while at reasonable prices - it’s cool to see.
Not everyone lives a life full of regret. I'd like to think those folks bought the frame because they wanted one and with no concern of what Neko might do next.
Once you have things proved out you a 5 axis with some automation could keep these lugs running almost 24 hrs a day entirely absent of human input, 5Dev have lots of machines capable of this.
Making a welded frame at this qty is hugely labour intensive in comparison and labour is super expensive.
Is the pole frame more expensive than the welded frameworks?
source: Im a process engineer at a CNC machine shop lol
Yea fairly difficult parts but for production once they are dialled that becomes irrelevant (tolerances won’t be mental) and as I said above a 5 axis machine with automation (5Dev have what appears to be a whole factory full of such machines) removes any need for operator babying.
Programming isn’t the dark art it used to be, plenty of people out there would probably love the job of programmer / operator working on this kind of project.
Look up frameworks - the guy solo makes frames from cnc lugs and carbon tubes, parametric modelling means he can change the model and barely alter cam, does them all with 4 axis too, he’s a super smart guy.
CNC is becoming cheap compared to labour - I can buy a multi pallet 5 axis machine for the same monthly cost as a machine operator (not programmer) per month - like I say look at Pole, the whole things machined and the price is in the ballpark of welded boutique frames.
If I was rich there's something I would invest in.......
The insert might have been 14 or 16mm OD diameter.
I broke all screw extractors trying to get that out of there.. I mean two feet on the bike, cheater bar on the tool!
It never budged..
If they can get metal to bond to carbon like that (thank you Formula One) then I bet those massive frame tubes will be just fine.
Wonder if they’re going after geo options with custom lugs like Atherton?
I cant wait for these new frame types to be like my dads old Hetchins and Trike on the lugs.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hetchins
Just did it it came out at 4.67meters
YES it framework road bikes which is not Neko's mtb company. and different in that they use nickel plating of the lugs and glass beads in the adhesive to negate corrosion for their carbon tubes .
Lugs are machined from billet aluminium.
Once programming is dialled and using the correct, not all that expensive machine this could be a really good way for Frameworks to grow their business, no need for huge inventory, different geometry and sizes more easily possible, no need for heat treat, possibility do do all in-house with much less investement.
Interesting to see where this goes.
Pivot prototype department ( sub contracted )