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Surely Pivot are just going to rebadge the Grim donut ll?🙂
Likely a hybrid between current DH bike and the Grim Donut. Chris did say he learned interesting things from riding the Grim Donut after he made it. Possible the boys might be racing on some 60-61deg HA bikes this season. Or maybe in testing this spring.
It's kinda odd that Pivot reportedly makes aluminum proto mules in house to test, but has CNC Al lugged carbon tubed protos being ridden by their athletes.
Arnold Gif:
https://makeagif.com/i/EZ5Enb
Is it that odd though??? Technology changes and so does prototyping. Why would a company not be moving onto new processes if they have developed it?
Not being able to mix and match drivetrain components (cassettes and chains and stuff) is in my opinion less of an issue than not being nicely mix and match drivetrain and brake levers. Drivetrain is a single system, brakes are whole other system.
Good point, specialized did the same recently. Might be easier to source straight carbon tubes than formed/butted Al tubesets. I do wonder if it's more than just a prototype. I mean, dh race bikes sell in relatively small numbers, it wouldn’t be surprising to see companies exploring manufacturing techniques that don’t require expensive carbon molds.
The success of Kolb (and Hatton too) on Atherton bikes and Finn (on the spec proto) brought lugged bike concept back into everyone’s mind at the very least. In the seemingly ever increasing arms race of dh bikes, having the quick turnaround and flexibility of lugged/glued frames does make some sense.
Lugs and straight tubes also don't require welding. And don't require any procedures to straighten the frame as it can be cured at room temperature.
Was supposed to be released in spring 2022. got postponed, then postponed, then...
Saw one at EWS Val di Fassa in summer 2022 in person, and in various videos of wyns sm accounts. Have been told it's delayed due to restructuring process but coming (propably because of the ownership change to pon holdings). At least they said to be patient.
Probably spring 2022, unless they redesign since it looks like the new fuel ex.
Sorry if this is old news, but I was catching up with some older videos from a few months ago and a comment under a youtube video made me notice this:
It looks like a dent.
An alu option would make a ton of sense...
I think in one of the Frameworks videos, Neko mentioned he was testing aluminum Reserve wheels for them.
It's probably easier, yes, and I think it will be the way forward for the Demo. Because Loic Bruni and Finn Iles both ride fully custom frames. Like, not a single tube on any of their bikes matches a single dimension of a stock Demo. Completely custom, one-off frames built to the racers' preferred geometry specs will be a lot more easy to do with the carbon tube and lug method.
Yeah heard from a buddy that works in a Santa Cruz shop that reserve alu wheels are coming this spring. $750 with DT350 or i9 1-1s with heavy duty rims
The screenshot is from one of his videos (testing Reverse wheels). I might have missed him mentioning that.
Neko Mulally has another In Depth video specifically about the carbon rear end of his bike.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X3wxaXqD5E
New product realease from Cube with the Stereo One44 C68 SLX, new Codes on the Top model so maybe we'll see the SRAM realease in march?
Each to their own I guess, but IMO these SRAM levers just get more and more ugly...
Photo taken today of the new pivot, however there were two different (but similar) designs being tested.
Super interesting! Seems to be using Weagles new high pivot drivetrain system! Did the other one use it too?
wow, that‘s already that new dave weagle patent in the flesh being tested, very interesting
Possible reason for bonded carbon tubes instead of welded Alu: maybe it allows them to tune the stiffness of the front triangle easier by using different thickness of carbon?
Is that Pivot actually made with lugs and carbon tubes, or is it just a deceiving paint job? The lower tube seems to be curved near the headtube junction.
Looks like old Sram AXS shifter on the right.
If it is just a deceptive paint job: that is some next level trolling! Pretty smart way to get us all talking about it. Also you can use custom curved carbon tubes with lugs, even if it partly defeats the purpose. I was thinking maybe they're chopping tubes from an existing model and lugging them, but the shape doesn't seem to match anything in their lineup. That top tube looks pretty thin, like it might not be a round cross section.
Thinking about it a bit more, if designed smartly and only one end of a tube is curved, then a single mold for a given tube could be used for all sizes (with the other end cut to length for smaller sizes) And a tube shape also allows for use of automated pre preg tape laying instead of hand laid.
Is that a gearbox on the pivot?
Is it just me or is having a giant "PIVOT" emblazoned on the down tube kind of weird for a stealth test mule? (Unless they're trying to create a stir...)
If they're riding at a popular bike park, they're not trying to be stealth. Probably partly to test and to generate buzz at the same time. And if it didn't say pivot, we'd all be speculating about why pivot racers are trying bikes from atherton (or some other company besides pivot).
As others have said, it's possibly the newly patented Weagle high pivot drivetrain.