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Replying to @AvgMTBEnjoyer re: Would CNC lugs bonded to drawn tubes be the best compromise between the two? Typically no. Bonded overlap joints require a double thickness of material, so they're heavier than a welded joint. The edges of lap joints can suffer stress risers where the overall thickness transitions abruptly from one layer to two. Being thicker, the lug and lapped areas are typically much stiffer than the tube, that localized stiffening can increase the stress/strain on the tube spans. Also, CNC parts are typically structurally inferior to forged parts (including drawn tubes). Machining is most suitable when production...

A while back I proposed some magazine editors do a test to compare an aluminum-frame-with-carbon-wheels vs a carbon-frame-with-aluminum-wheels. I think they made some progress but changed jobs before concluding/writing/publishing.

great read, thanks. also, 69% (Nice)

Great work Ryan, Keep the good stuff coming! I’m all in for bracing coming on bikes, it would saving me from taking angle grinders and cutting my frames 😇. There’s no way the frame should be the same stiffness for a pro racer, 190lb novice and 140lb kid.

I messed with seat stay stiffness on a merida one sixty Carbon Recently(it has bolt holes for a mud guard) A guy at work made me several different inserts from 6 series, 7 series and a steel one, all of different thickness. it 100% makes a difference in feel, For testing i ran a ARC30 rim laced to a Vault hub with Very high spoke tension that was destressed. I dont have the ability or time to Convert findings to actual technical wording but side loading from pushing into small features or on flat leaned over corners The rear of...

Was there a pedal kickback/ochain dedicated thread? Or should I spam all my thoughts here?

another awesome frame stiffness topic with @Ryan Burney https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/can-you-fine-tune-frame-stiffness-j…

I've learned that I prefer a narrower rear rim than the standard 30mm. I started playing around with rim width after running 32mm internal rims that felt harsh and unforgiving. Depending on type of MTB somewhere between 25-28mm feels best at my 195-ish lbs, with the standard 30mm up front. My guess was always that my preference for narrower rear rim was because I like rounder tire profiles. After reading your excellent articles, I'm now thinking these narrower rear rims add beneficial lateral compliance for the tech riding I love and the tire profile wasn't the primary benefit. Good stuff...

I think stiffness-tuning makes sense on MTBs but I think for some companies it would come down to the question of what the purpose of these are. For an aluminum-only company like Commencal it makes sense: your competitors are essentially offering tuning via carbon models, and with removable bridges you can do that as easily (or easier) than the flip chips everyone is using. This would also work very well for small brands and custom builders as they get to offer more tuning/compatibility for the customer. For a larger company like Giant/Specialized/Trek, you are probably offering the aluminum model as...

Kirk McDowall bike check at pb last year

If you bend any part of the frame, are you sure nothing else got bent? Overstressed? How sure you are you can only replace one part and don't need to replace the whole frame?

I imagine those stays are mud magnets though...