[Spitfired]

About two years in the making, I finally finished the second revision of the bike I built a couple years ago - Perhaps you'd remember a black jack-shaft style DH bike prototype I posted up a while back.


Build Up:

Frame:
4130 Chromoly + Carbon Fiber lugged top tube and seat stays
7.75" Rear travel

Cockpit:
2010 Boxxer Team
Chris King Pretty and Strong nothreadset
Easton Monkeylite DH carbon bars
Avid Juicy 5 brakes
Shimano Saint shorty shifter
Cannondale lock-on grips
Thomson Elite 50mm Stem
Thomson Elite seat post
Thomson seat post clamp
FUNN seat

Wheels:
DT Swiss E530 rims
DT Swiss Champion butted spokes/alloy nips
Chris King Pretty and Strong hubs, (12mmR/20mmF)
Michelin Grip'R Tires (2.25R, 2.4F)

Drivetrain:
Truvativ Stylo GXP + Tioga MXPro pedals
Chris King Pretty and Strong bottom bracket
Bushnell eccentric BB shell
24t shimano ring to custom stainless 12t/17t jack gear
SRAM PC990 Cassette (pink spider)
Shimano XT Derailleur
SRAM Chains

Oh yeah - It's 35lb 11oz.

 

[mattmatt86]

Looks great!

Any close ups of the lugs? Romic?

 

[Pslide]

You my friend are a very talented individual with exceedingly good taste.

 

[bullcrew]

Very nice work, I like the one offs that people take initiative to do... Very nice....

I was going to give you crap for fun but , man just props!

 

[thom9719]

Very little critisism to give on that! The only thing i'd do is run the cables down the downtube and across the chainstays to clean it up a bit.

Then you just need a better shock on it and it will be dialed!

-KT

 

[BigHitComp04]

Nice! I always wondered what happened to the Draco bikes. Remember seeing some a few years back and then nothing till now. Looking good!

 

[Krzr3000]

I remember seeing draco stuff on pinkbike around 2003/2005 and actually was thinking about it a week or so ago. Looks great man!

 

[shelteringsky]

so clean

 

[no skid marks]

Very nice.
Why the big idler/Jackshaft? Doesn't it make it squat in the high gears when pedaling? as apposed to anti squat without the idler?
Is better ground clearance the main bennefit?
Without the jackshaft, wouldn't the pivot be at the chainline, and therfore close to fully active when pedalling?
I think I might be missing something.
Still, good work.
Nice lines, at sag the top tube and seat stays will roughly line up, tidy.
35lbs, sick.

 

[MrPlow]

Very nice.
Why the big idler/Jackshaft? Doesn't it make it squat in the high gears when pedaling? as apposed to anti squat without the idler?
Is better ground clearance the main bennefit?
Without the jackshaft, wouldn't the pivot be at the chainline, and therfore close to fully active when pedalling?
I think I might be missing something.
Still, good work.
Nice lines, at sag the top tube and seat stays will roughly line up, tidy.
35lbs, sick.

NSM I doubt you would even notice the difference.
Really nice work mate. Looks nice and clean. Hard to appreciate the amount of work it takes to design and build a bike until you have done it yourself.

 

[HAB]

Sweet.

My current DH bike. Look familiar?

 

[jonKranked]

haha I hadn't heard from Greg in ages, then last night he txt's me out of nowhere and sends me this picture. Astounding! I love that they're still working with lugged carbon fiber tubing.

 

[IH8Rice]

meh..

 

[Spitfired]

Sweet.

My current DH bike. Look familiar?

Nice! When did it become black? It was red, then white, then... rootbeer?

We're going to be revising those frames this winter. One of the Draco boys kinda sorta ran over the other's.

IH8Rice - Whats with the meh?! Explain yourself!


I'm planning on plattekill this weekend, come check it out if anyone's there.

 

[jonKranked]

Nice! When did it become black? It was red, then white, then... rootbeer?

We're going to be revising those frames this winter. One of the Draco boys kinda sorta ran over the other's.

IH8Rice - Whats with the meh?! Explain yourself!


I'm planning on plattekill this weekend, come check it out if anyone's there.

Greg, if you can, wait till the 21st/22nd. It's a race weekend and there will be MANY more people there. (more exposure yea?)

also ih8rice is a friend of mine. he's a known hater. he hates all bikes that aren't FOES

 

[IH8Rice]

its awesome that you are back to building bikes again or that you actually build bikes, but its just not my cup of tea aesthetically.

is it similar geometry to kranked's old bike?

also ih8rice is a friend of mine. he's a known hater. he hates all bikes that aren't FOES

i have many other bikes besides them and purchasing another bike that isnt one

 

[jonKranked]

its awesome that you are back to building bikes again or that you actually build bikes, but its just not my cup of tea aesthetically.

is it similar geometry to kranked's old bike?



i have many other bikes besides them and purchasing another bike that isnt one

steve i'm just busting your chops!

and i know they only reason you're buying a non-foes bike now is because the new foes isn't available yet


bb on the new bike def looks higher than on my old one

 

[IH8Rice]

steve i'm just busting your chops!

and i know they only reason you're buying a non-foes bike now is because the new foes isn't available yet

yeah i figured as much..thanks buddy


itll be available before the M9 will, which is what im waiting for.

 

[HAB]

Nice! When did it become black? It was red, then white, then... rootbeer?

We're going to be revising those frames this winter. One of the Draco boys kinda sorta ran over the other's.

It went Red -> White -> Black. Got it from Jon in April (?) and it became black then.

I heard about that, John's actually supposed to be sending me the dropouts from his that got backed over so I've got spares. Can't wait to see how the revisions go, I dig the way it rides, but honestly, the BB is kind of too low. A bit higher version would rip. I was thinking about making myself some new dropouts to bring things up just a hair, and then jacking the fork up in the crowns to compensate, but I'm probably too lazy.

 

[MrPlow]

Where is this carbon lugged bike you speak of?

 

[jonKranked]

Where is this carbon lugged bike you speak of?

hard to see in the pics, but you can see the step downs where the lugs are if you view the image full size

 

[Spitfired]

Close up of the lug seam (masked off a portion to prove it, heh)

IH8Rice - I don't mean to sound like an ass or anything, I love criticism and would be more than happy to hear any thoughts. Aesthetics are very important, but I try to let structure define it. I believe that a simple and effective structure will result in a structure that looks proper aswell.


Jon and HAB (Didn't catch your name, I'm Greg) - What are your thoughts on the Vigilante? I'm starting the new drawings and I want to know where to make changes. The geometry was inspired by world cup racer setups, hence the super low super slack build. We did find that the BB seemed to low (especially at Plattekill) so I'll integrate the same shock mount that's on my new frame to give some options. Anything else you can think of. Maybe PM me, actually.

 

[HAB]

Close up of the lug seam (masked off a portion to prove it, heh)

IH8Rice - I don't mean to sound like an ass or anything, I love criticism and would be more than happy to hear any thoughts. Aesthetics are very important, but I try to let structure define it. I believe that a simple and effective structure will result in a structure that looks proper aswell.


Jon and HAB (Didn't catch your name, I'm Greg) - What are your thoughts on the Vigilante? I'm starting the new drawings and I want to know where to make changes. The geometry was inspired by world cup racer setups, hence the super low super slack build. We did find that the BB seemed to low (especially at Plattekill) so I'll integrate the same shock mount that's on my new frame to give some options. Anything else you can think of. Maybe PM me, actually.

PM sent. Lemme know if you've got any questions or comments on my thoughts.

 

[soul-skier]

I'm planning on plattekill this weekend, come check it out if anyone's there.

I too am planning on platty this weekend. Bruised ribs have me shying away from racing Killington. Nice looking ride, by the way. I would love to get a closer look. I also like your thinking about frame design that dictates asthetics...low and slack, sounds familiar.

 

[MrPlow]

So they are of the shelf carbon tubes, chromo lugs at the junctions? I need more info, that's interesting. If I am right what are you bonding with?

 

[MrPlow]

Or is it the other way around? Chromo frame with the joints wrapped in carbon?

 

[Pslide]

...I love criticism and would be more than happy to hear any thoughts. Aesthetics are very important, but I try to let structure define it. I believe that a simple and effective structure will result in a structure that looks proper aswell.

I think you've done an amazing job, and I normally wouldn't comment on what someone has designed for themself, but since you seem to be open minded...

The seat tube brace is the first thing I would change. It just looks a bit of an afterthought on an otherwise refined frame.

-Aaron

 

[Spitfired]

So they are of the shelf carbon tubes, chromo lugs at the junctions? I need more info, that's interesting. If I am right what are you bonding with?

The frame is chromo - when I jig/weld it, I have a solid aluminum bar that holds each end of the top tube/seat stays (the lugs) in place to be welded just like a tube. Certain points are tacked and later broken to split the frame, and insert a carbon tube. The tubes are prefabricated such that the outer diameter (after being sanded) match up to standard tubing internal diameters. I get them from the aptly named "carbonfibertubeshop". They are bonded with West Systems epoxies mixed with steel and carbon grit to increase the bond's strength. So, yes, your first thought it the correct thought.

The seat tube brace is the first thing I would change. It just looks a bit of an afterthought on an otherwise refined frame.

-Aaron

These never come out looking quite as well as I hope, but essentially I take a cut-off scrap of 1" tubing and split it down the middle. I make approximate mitres at each end and form it to the profiles of the adjacent tube. Maybe it's just the angle of the photographs, but I am quite fond of it overall. I wish I had a spindle sander at my disposal (I mean seriously, I'm a cabinet maker - what the hell?) so I can put a bit of an arc into it - I think that would really tie the room together.

 

[William42]

draco is rapidly becoming one of my favorite bike companies.

ast long as it keeps tying the room together

 

[Spitfired]

"Eight year olds, Dude. Eight year olds."

 

[Polandspring88]

The only part of the frame that looks "off" in my eye is the shock glory hole supports. If they were in line with the seat tube it would be much more appealing. Don't know if the design supports that idea though, looks like it could clank the rear triangle.

 

[lanceamatic]

Holy regressive shock rate batman!

 

[Spitfired]

Holy regressive shock rate batman!

False.