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NEW DH BIKE 26"

Peregrinebikes

Peregrinebikes

Monkey
Dec 9, 2015
113
114
Hey everyone. I am an old new member. (Between here, pinchbeck, mtbr.com, i could not remember passwords) I have not been on here for a number of years because i have had my head in this. I have been building my own line of bikes. I initially started going after a sweet gearbox design with a high pivot. But when it came down to machining prices and stuff, it was going to be way too expensive to do on my own. So I changed gears and decided to build these frames and from selling these hopefully can use the money to get to the gearbox setup.

The frames are a true temper steel and some 4130 steel. I personally love the ride characteristics steel has. It was immediately noticeable when i first switched over from an aluminum frame. It is hard to describe but i would say the bike feels very strong and stiff but soft at the same time. It is something you have to feel. The fatigue characteristics of steel, to me, make it very desirable for this application. These frames will probably out last your riding careers. Also, if in a rare event, you dent a tube, it is most likely easily repairable at a cheap price.

Carbon has since taken over the scene during the testing of these frames. I have not ridden a full carbon DH rig, but the price just for a frame set for me is a turn off. To see $6000-$7000 DH mtn bikes, boggles my mind. I am not a cheapskate, but that is a hell of a lot of money when one crash set you back a few grand.

The medium frame weight without a shock is 9.6lbs. Fairly easy to get to a 38lb build. I personally do not prefer too much lighter for DH. I am looking at where i can still get this down to 8.7-9lbs. And the frames seem bullet proof. I spent 2 1/2 years on the first prototype. Pivot and linkage bearing are still real smooth moving.

They are 26" wheels! I am not into the larger tire movement. I personally believe the whole 650b thing was started inside the industry to stimulate sales. I believe you actually want to use the smallest wheel necessary. Yes there are rollover benefits, and the touted traction benefits, but there are also the negative traits that i feel outweigh the positive. And then where do we stop, because 32" tires rollover things better than a 29'er.

I am not too tech savvy with running links and stuff yet. Here are some photos.
IMG_6196.jpg
IMG_4354.jpg
IMG_6197.jpg


Here is the link to a video we put together with more to follow. Enjoy!

www.pinkbike.com/video/430700/
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,103
6,041
borcester rhymes
I'm approving this because there's cool bike shit somewhere in there. Not sure if you're just spamming trying to sell your old frames, but please feel free to flood our forum with your neat design work and goals for whatever comes next.

Also, please continue to talk about wheel size, because people love that.
 
Peregrinebikes

Peregrinebikes

Monkey
Dec 9, 2015
113
114
These are for real. A few years ago, I was sick of riding the same designs. Basically, every major bike brand employs a vertical wheel path which suck at absorbing bumps. Have you ever wondered why your front end seems to absorb hits better than your rear wheel? You get harsh feed back and hung up on square edge hits. Look at how your front wheel strikes an impact. On a DH bike with the fork slacked out, the wheel moves up and BACK. Your rear wheel should do the same. Obviously not a new concept, but back when I started, there weren't an high pivots to be had.
So I decided I am not going to be a slave to the industry, I gonna make my own. Some of these new steels are perfect for using for DH applications. I pounded the snot out of my first prototype (the bike in the stand) for 2 1/2 years with out issue. That may be up for grabs for whomever wants to give it a whirl. It would be cool to pass it around. I would assume 98% of people have not experienced a high pivot bike yet.

We have 4 mediums frames and a large frame just about ready to ship. We have 6 more half way done.

I will post up the measurements and stuff in the next day or 2.
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,103
6,041
borcester rhymes
Peregrinebikes said:
Have you ever wondered why your front end seems to absorb hits better than your rear wheel? You get harsh feed back and hung up on square edge hits. Look at how your front wheel strikes an impact. On a DH bike with the fork slacked out, the wheel moves up and BACK. Your rear wheel should do the same.
Click to expand...
ooh!
 
no skid marks

no skid marks

Monkey
Jan 15, 2006
2,511
29
ACT Australia
Nice.
Does look flexy with only two stays forming the swing arm.
Well done though.

I find 27" wheel benefits outweigh the fun factor of 26", even on a rearward axle path bike that arguably benefits least.
I just converted my 26" Zerode to 27" and it's easier to ride. There is sweet FA in it though. I'd happily buy a 26" bike if I liked it.
 
Peregrinebikes

Peregrinebikes

Monkey
Dec 9, 2015
113
114
The moto style swing arm is not flexy. Think about a motorcross bike. The linkage stabilizes the flex that would occur at the BB without them. If there is more flex than other bikes, it is not enough that you notice.

Out of curiosity, what makes 27.5" wheels easier to ride?
 
TrumbullHucker

TrumbullHucker

trumbullruxer
Aug 29, 2005
2,284
719
shimzbury, ct
i like it.. i love all "garage" built frames. and i like the high pivot idea

the first thing that came to mind is yes, the rear looks flexy. who knows what your wall thickness is of the swing-arm though..
but then again brooklyn machine works made the same concept linkage and people loved them ( i think )

then again they were 50lbs+ dh/anti apocalypse bikes.

and please, as a welder, please explain the weld in post #9; the seat tube gusset....why...


no hate, mate :cheers:
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,103
6,041
borcester rhymes
All the brooklyns were very flexy in the back end and many of them broke right there on the underside of the brace. Triangulate it if you can!
 
Peregrinebikes

Peregrinebikes

Monkey
Dec 9, 2015
113
114
On seat tube picture with the flaw in that weld, I blew a small hole in the seat tube brace. The tube is less than 1mm thick. It was my frame and in a non critical area so no biggy.

Moto style swing arms are heavier, but a medium frame weight is 9.6lbs. Getting a 38lb is easily doable. My build is 40lbs, but i run a heavier wheelset and still run DH tubes.

The flex, is really not something I notice as a detriment. Another rider on them has not mentioned that either.

Not sure how BMW did there bracing and there specs. We have had 3 bikes out now, without issue.
 
Peregrinebikes

Peregrinebikes

Monkey
Dec 9, 2015
113
114
Tomorrow we are going to be laying out the design for a 160mm travel bike. 26" version for sure. We may do a 27.5" also, for all the wagon wheelers out there now.
 
no skid marks

no skid marks

Monkey
Jan 15, 2006
2,511
29
ACT Australia
Peregrinebikes said:
Tomorrow we are going to be laying out the design for a 160mm travel bike. 26" version for sure. We may do a 27.5" also, for all the wagon wheelers out there now.
Click to expand...
If you want to sell frames, make 27". If you want to be more niche and cover a tiny market clinging to nostalgia or that understand 26" is a tincy wincy bit more dynamic, stick with 26".
I'm not sad most of my bikes are 27" now. And the funnest bike I recall having was a 24" wheeled ATX1 DH, but that was years ago and my rose colored glasses are pretty scratched now.
27" is here to stay, work with it I say.
Few people have the balls to buy a new bike on their own beliefs 26" is better, most will conform no matter what they believe. Maybe just because most don't have the time or energy to think shit out. Life gets in the way for most. and the differences really aren't massive. It's only 1" for most arguments..
I will applaud you if you ignore the hype and stick with 26" none the less, but you'll shoot your business in the foot.
More importantly, If going high pivot, I'd encourage you to just copy the tried and true format of Sunn(old), Gt(RTS), Lahar, Zerode, Katipo etc and add a chain stay linkage to help combat swing arm twist/flex.
 
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Peregrinebikes

Peregrinebikes

Monkey
Dec 9, 2015
113
114
Thank for the input. I appreciate the feed back. We will layout a 27.5" version with the 6" travel bike. Like you stated, most people just go with where the market is going. We actually started this morning. We also spoke to a couple of guys on the trail Monday morning, and one guy said he would go for a 27.5".

Our rear end does not feel flexy. Sandwich has stated BMW bikes were flexy. (I personally would not know) If you actually look closely between our frames and their old ones, there are some key differences. Our linkage keeps the flex that would occur(in relationship to the BB and the swingarm) to relatively nothing. It is the same principal of how 4 bar linkage works.

One of our customers posted up a review of his on pinkbike in our thread over there in the downhill forum. He was not asked to. I was actually surprised to see it. He does not feel the rear to be flexy.

If I personally felt that this was a problem I would have never kept with the design. I would not want to ride a bike that felt flexy. It really is a non-issue.
 
no skid marks

no skid marks

Monkey
Jan 15, 2006
2,511
29
ACT Australia
It's not side to side flex, it's torsional flex.
Try pushing the top of the rear wheel to the side, while holding bike firmly, compare with another brand bike.
 
Peregrinebikes

Peregrinebikes

Monkey
Dec 9, 2015
113
114
Your wheel will give before you will induce much if any torsional flex on the swing arm. The thing is plenty stiff.

Of more concern with high pivots, is addressing the bottom bracket to swing arm flex the would occur.

But these are great concerns and questions to ask. All I can do is speak from what we and some others who have ridden the bike have experienced.

And hopefully, more will be able to atest to that in the near future.
 
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