Bike Check: Isak Leivsson's Homemade Steel Downhill Bike

May 3, 2020
by James Smurthwaite  
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Photos: Logan Mulally

As the test pilot for the wild Pole downhill bike a couple of years ago, Isak Leivsson is no stranger to out-there geometries. In the two years since then, he's been eager to put some of his own experiments to the test and has now decided the best way to do that was to build his own downhill bike. The result is this steel sled that looks like it would be at home on Fury Road as much as it would on a downhill World Cup track.

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The bike was built as a geometry experiment as Isak noticed that the trend for longer front end bikes has led to more stability in a straight line, but he found them much more difficult to corner. Isak believes that the ratio of front center to rear center is skewed too heavily forwards on these bikes, so he's tried to bring it back in line and create a bike that shares the same stability as modern bikes but that can also corner easier.

He has used two main methods of achieving this. Firstly, he has much longer chainstays - they measure 490mm on this bike, dwarfing the 27.5" wheel in the rear end, restoring that ratio to something a bit more balanced. He admits that the numbers are a bit of a guess on this first go, but he has based them on the ratio from Sam Hill's bikes from his golden era and transposed that onto the bigger bikes we all ride today.


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The 490mm chainstays really jump out on the geometry sheet, but the wheelbase is a not-too-radical 1319mm. This makes it just 4mm longer than, for example, an XL Santa Cruz V10, but it's more than 40mm shorter than the Pole downhill bike he has ridden in the past.

Secondly is a short cockpit, built around a 10mm stem, which allows him to have a big range of movement around the bike and keeps him in a central position while still having the wheels far away from him. Isak mentioned he could have slackened the head angle to achieve the same thing, but feels that it doesn't work as well as his current method. The short stem is combined with a 470mm reach as Leivsson says he was looking for a feeling that was similar to his trail bike that has a 430mm reach and 50mm stem.

Full geometry
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As this is mainly a geometry experiment, Isak hasn't spent too much time worrying about suspension kinematics. He went with a single pivot design loosely based on the Kona bike he was already riding as an ambassador because it was simpler to get right and allowed him to get the bike rolling without too much faff. Isak built the bike from straight gauge 4130 Chromoly steel - 0.035”(0.9mm) for downtube, top tube and rear end, and 0.049” (1.2mm) for seat tube and tubes surrounding link.

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A closer look at Isak's handiwork. Steel was the material of choice purely for practical reasons. Isak was fabricating the bike himself and didn't have access to the facilities to build a bike in any other material.

So has the experiment worked? Early indications from Isak are good. He says that he likes how the front wheel is constantly weighted without him ever having to consciously think about it, making the bike much easier to ride.

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These kinks allow room for the shock piggyback and front wheel. It may look like a weak point, but considering Isak has already tested this bike on the biggest jumps at Windrock and hucked the bike off his roof, it seems to be holding up ok so far. He hopes to replace this with a properly curved downtube on the next iteration of the bike.

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The linkage designed is inspired by a Kona Operator as Isak is an ambassador for them. He wanted to keep it simple so he could focus on the geometry changes instead.

This is version one of the bike and Isak is already working on a second version that will take on board some lessons from this bike. Isak inadvertently welded the BB the wrong way round on this version, which he admits means he has to bodge the cups, so that will be the first change. The V2 will also have a properly bent downtube and some improvements like ISCG mounts, better cable routing and a lighter weight. Isak will be riding that bike until something goes wrong, although he is also interested in trying a different wheelsize in the future. Isak is now hoping to earn a spot at Worlds at Leogang this year and will be bringing his steel bike with him if it goes ahead.





Author Info:
jamessmurthwaite avatar

Member since Nov 14, 2018
1,770 articles

216 Comments
  • 396 3
 There are some things i don't like on that bike but that actually doesn't matter, he built the bike like he wants it and i have huge respect for everybody who made their own diy frame
  • 67 22
 Exactly.
  • 14 0
 If the numbers line up, then the Bold new Graphics dont matter
  • 12 1
 Simple and Raw, loving this build
  • 1 0
 Kazwei -
  • 57 0
 I think the final weight is pretty impressive, considering the materials, great job man!!!!!
  • 15 3
 4130 isn't that heavy.
  • 15 0
 @makripper: It's funny that people don't understand this... I'd wager that with some refinement, butted tubing, and a different parts spec could get this down around or below 34lbs.
  • 13 3
 @millsr4: easily. 4130 is an amazing material for bikes. It's just the benefits vs cost can't with with aluminum when dealing with full suspension. Maybe now that's different because we are asking so much more from our bikes. I wonder what a chromoly Enduro bike would be like. Good damping and you could design the right amount of lateral flex. Could probably compete with carbon
  • 15 5
 @makripper: Compete weight wise? Not a chance. Even the lightest of steel road bikes with ultralight tubing don't get within 200g of an ultralight XC hardtail.

Steel is real, love it to bits, but it isn't for weight.
  • 3 0
 @sherbet: XC isn't the correct application... when you talk about enduro and DH bikes the weight savings of carbon can be negligible depending on frame design and component build. Also weight isn't as important in those disciplines as durability, strength and stiffness so the argument can be made that steel or aluminum is a more properly suited material.
  • 14 0
 @sherbet: Carbon has a much bigger weight advantage in road bikes because they don’t have to be as crash-proof as MTBs, especially gnarlier ones. That 160mm 29” Cotic enduro bike’s steel frame is lighter than the frame on a carbon Megatower. Generally carbon is lighter but there’s not much in it with longer travel bikes.
  • 11 13
 @threehats: I didn't quote a carbon road bike. I compared a carbon XC frame to a steel ROAD frame.

Megatower isn't a competitively light frame. Go look at Scott's weight and prepare to drop something.
  • 3 3
 @sherbet: I'm talking enduro bikes specifically.
  • 5 0
 Don't forget the Starling Murmur!
  • 5 0
 @makripper: Cotic is roughly 8 pounds without shock; the Scott Gamber DH frame (carbon) weighs just under 6 pounds without shock...
  • 3 0
 @makripper: ttps://www.starlingcycles.com/2020-starling-cycles-murmur-29/
  • 2 1
 @sherbet:
the lightest steel road bike I know of is a Rodriguez Outlaw and at 14 pounds it is a very light weight bike. Not sure what the frame weight is, but I would guess that it is under 1.5 lbs based on the weight of my road bike and how much less the components on the outlaw weigh.
  • 2 0
 @threehats: In the Geek section of the Cotic website, Cy already went in dept about how for heavier used bikes (enduro and beyond), steel trumps aluminium.
  • 1 0
 @millsr4: Mmm, carbon is significantly lighter, or stronger. Higher strength to weight ratio than either aluminum or steel. Chromo and aluminum are much closer though. Consider how European steel motocross and super sport bikes with steel frame vs Japanese with aluminum. From what I've seen the carbon fiber version of a trail or enduro frame is usually about a pound lighter.
  • 9 0
 We all have to remember that carbon design and manufacturing for bikes is still in its infancy. By laying up the carbon differently and by using different shapes/sizes, carbon can be made to perform the same as compliant steel or stiff aluminum, and if done correctly will give a higher strength to weight ratio than any other practical material.

Its just effing expensive to do, effing hard to have good consistency and quality control from frame to frame, and the cycling industry still doesn't fully utilize FEA or generative design yet.
  • 3 1
 @the-burd: You may be looking at when the forces are perfectly in line with the fibers. Ideally they are, but in practice the loads are more complex and vary. And as they do, fibers are laid up in different directions to cover the range of within which the internal stresses will work. It will obviously still make for a strong composite, it will be a good bit further from that ideal number. Because metals are more amorphous (more, not 100% due to their grain structure), the same mechanical properties apply in many more directions.

And that's only when looking at a straight tube/beam. Full suspension frame structures are quite complex with all their mounts etc. This is why Robotbike/Atherton works with titanium in those areas and only uses the carbon tubes in the straight connections between those nodes. In my mind this still seems like the best application of the material though obviously it isn't necessarily a cheap way to go. And I'll forgive the guy for not going down this route, considering this is a homemade bike meant to experiment with geometries.
  • 1 0
 @threehats: The Cotic steel dually frame is lighter then a carbon Megatower? That blows my mind. Since neither company lists frame weights could you share the respective frame weights and where you got the numbers? I’m super curious Thanks!
  • 1 0
 @lukazy: Cy from Cotic mentioned it in the comments below the Pinkbike news article on the new RocketMAX (that was posted this week).
  • 3 1
 @the-burd: lighter? Yes. Potential stiffer? Sure. But there is more to the equation like @vinay pointed out and now that bikes are regularly in the 30-34lb range I'd argue a +/- 1lb difference wouldn't matter to the average rider. Carbon fiber certainly has its place, even within mountain biking, but not for Enduro and DH frames IMO. My biggest concern comes down to durability for long term use but I have a list of reasons for my opinion. Also for what it's worth, I work as a project engineer for an aerospace tooling and carbon fiber manufacturer.
  • 4 1
 @sherbet: 200g sounds pretty close to me!
  • 1 0
 @makripper: Heavy for Levy and Kazmire's reviews...
  • 1 1
 @curendero: the reviews have no bearing on what I get. I'm all about numbers. Excel is my friend
  • 1 0
 @lukazy: i saw that comment as well, and if I recall I think they were comparing complete bike weights, which is pointless.
  • 4 0
 @Dangerous-Dan: there is no f*cking way that a rideable steel frame is less than 1.5 lbs
  • 1 0
 @hamncheez: They're only weighing complete bikes. I'm not seeing a frame only weight anywhere. They also claim "world's lightest road bike", which is complete bullshit.

Fwiw, I know steel frames don't have to be heavy. I'd much rather own a quality steel hardtail or road frame than aluminum or carbon. All I said was sub 1.5 lbs seems unreasonable, and I'll stand behind that.
  • 4 1
 @thegoodflow: lightweight steel bikes (like a 4lb XC hardtail) have super thin tubes that dent extremely easily. One crash and they are done, much less durable than a 2.5lb carbon hardtail. Durable, usable steel hardtails tend to be more like 6-8lbs, which is the same weight range as most carbon fs enduro bikes including an airshock. I don't know about steel fs bikes, because honestly I've never seen one in person, but with hardtails steel is significantly heavier to achieve something with decent durability.
  • 2 0
 @dthomp325: Sorry but this is not true at all. Cotic have been making their Soul hardtail in various forms since 2003. It’s not an XC bike, it’s a proper trail hardtail. The frame weighs 4.5lbs. There’s thousands of these out there and I’m struggling to think if I’ve heard of one breaking.

I rode a 26” one (which weighed 4.4lbs) for thousands of miles, had it for four years, did uplift days on it, 140mm fork, dropper post, big tyres, got crashed plenty. After all that I only lost £200 in depreciation when I sold the frame!
  • 1 0
 @makripper: In 2006, I desined a low long and slack bike with a 24"TT made from Prestige. It had a little too much lateral give but a couple gussets fixed that and it was a ton of fun to lead into turns.
  • 1 0
 @milehi: man that's awesome!
  • 1 0
 @threehats: 4.5lbs is your typical weight for a decent quality bmx frame and they can take an absolute beating year after year.
  • 1 0
 It's too heavy! No, it's actually quite light! Who cares as it's a freaking podium worthy ride!
  • 21 1
 This. Is. Awesome.

Love the chainstay experiment. Makes perfect sense to me: front-centers have been steadily increasing, but rear-centers have remained almost as short as possible, which is just weird. Just look at Minnaar's custom dropout extenders for more evidence that it's a good thing. Plus a handful of manufacturers are finally starting to increase chainstay length on larger frame sizes. Makes sense.
  • 2 2
 That's because brands are optimizing for medium and large frames and everyone else can just make do with whatever is most convenient and practical from a production standpoint. I have a rule to not buy bikes from companies that don't vary chainstay length or seat tube angle by size - that's a company more focused on its own convenience than perfect fit.
  • 19 1
 "It's ugly... I could weld better than that... it'd break from the weight of my giant engineering brain", Jesus, what's wrong with people? The guy has built a bike with his bare hands! I can't can't even bring myself to finish painting the kitchen... Nuff respect lad!
  • 4 1
 ....The guy has built a bike with his bare hands! I can't can't even bring myself to finish painting the kitchen... That is funny and sad in the same sentence, bro.
  • 2 0
 Unfortunately most people tend to be more negative and point out flaws. Not just with bikes, but with everything. I even find myself doing it as well... While this bike isn't something I'd prefer, the craftsmanship is excellent and homie built it himself. You gotta admire that!
  • 21 2
 The lad can weld! those are nice welds. Cool bike and nice to see these projects!
  • 1 0
 Absolutely! Was just about to say the same. Very nice welds. I miss seeing these kinds of welds here in the MTB industry. So beautiful!
  • 20 1
 Looks legit. I’d be nervous about the welded downtube.
  • 4 0
 YES But if are any good at welding should not me any problem,
Would build some thing like this, if my welding did not look like it was spat on?
  • 14 0
 @aljoburr: I’m a very good welder but putting a butt welded tube like that in a high stress area would be my concern. The weld might not break but the tube next to it may.
  • 4 1
 @scotttherider: I would agree, the HAZ is the culprit. Though for a test sled it will probably hold up until he moves on. Heat treat would help but it's clear that's not in the budget.
  • 4 2
 You could get a Harbor Freight tube bender for like $150.
Weird.
  • 4 1
 @scary1: which would probably only work on really thick tubing without buckling the tubes. Like too thick for a practical frame. It would nice if things were that easy...
  • 2 0
 @scotttherider: the tube can opener effect. The weld is plenty strong, HAZ next to it not so much
  • 3 0
 @scary1: Harbor Freight bender will _not_ correctly bend a thinwall tube. You'll get a crimp at best.
ie: cdn.instructables.com/FEU/QCKW/J1WEQTVI/FEUQCKWJ1WEQTVI.LARGE.jpg
  • 1 0
 @scotttherider: It is not that easy to brake steel, but would not be a bad idea to give it some heat treatment, but Have never broke a steel frame, manage to crack a few, you can usually tell by the noise it makes when that has happened!
  • 2 1
 Propably a good and easy way to go would be to cut out triangles (until ~2/3 of tube diameter) on the inner side of the bend and then close the triangles by bending. Next step is welding the gap. I hope you can get it without a picture.
  • 4 0
 @aljoburr: I’m a welder and weld inspector. I have a bit of knowledge on the topic. Was just making mention that those down tube junctions could be a weak point. The likelihood might be slim that he breaks the frame. If he did break it I’d bet it breaks at one of those welds first.
  • 1 0
 @MartinKS: I’ve done slits to neck down a 2” aluminum pipe ID down to match up to 40mm throttle bodies. Wasn’t pretty but worked.

m.pinkbike.com/photo/5815923
  • 2 1
 @takeiteasyridehard: you do know that you are supposed to pack the tubes with sand before bending it. The only tubes you have to worry about buckling are square tubes. The flat spots buckle almost every time if the radius is too sharp.
  • 1 1
 @MartinKS: no don't do that.
Mandrel bends only.
  • 2 0
 @Happypanda1337: Sometimes even sand doesn't work Try freezing water inside and bend while it's solid.
  • 1 0
 @MartinKS: That is not a strong bend, and you stretch the material where you didn''t cut it. This is not a good manufacturing technique.
  • 1 0
 @Notmeatall: no matter what you do with a pipe bender you stretch the metal on top to achieve the bend. Kinks are only part of the issue. This is not an option for tubing. this is for pipe. there is a difference.
  • 6 0
 @aljoburr:

21 year old me. BMX is life.
Tuck no-hander out of the big hip. Landing deep. Landing really deep.
Bike returns to earth with meteoric impact. No suspension. 20" wheels. Ear shattering crack resounds.
Ride away clean.
Dudes asking if I'm okay.
I was fine. Teeth kinda hurt, headache coming on and my arms are going numb but I'm 21 so that's not gonna slow me down.
Pushing bike up roll in when some little punk is like, "Your bike is broken."
f*ck off kid, it is not. I look where he's pointing.
Top tube and down tube both cracked the entire way around just behind the weld. Frame had a gusset on both tubes and that's all that held the headtube to the bike. Kid noticed a bit of light flickering through the frame as I went up the ramp.

Thank you gussets and random 10 year old loitering at the jumps. Saved me from financing some dentists 3rd Yeti.
  • 1 0
 @fruitsd79: it is probably not the best way to do it, but still way better then just welding two tubes togheter and easy to do (if you can weld at all)...
  • 1 0
 @Lylat: Nice story you should have known by the sound, it made?
  • 3 0
 @aljoburr: thanks. "Should have known" seems to be the ongoing theme of my life.
  • 16 1
 Dunno whether it’s the frame shape or the raw steel or maybe both, but it kinda reminds me of an old cafe racer. It’s growing on me the more I look at it!
  • 14 0
 He would look cool riding that thing in a leather helmet and some old fashioned goggles.
  • 6 0
 @DJ-24: and a bomber jacket
  • 15 0
 @DJ-24:
Well the denim destroyer and the leather lunatic would make one hell of a team
  • 8 0
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5R60JHJbxI

Anyone remember this video? Steve from Vorsprung basically recommended the same ratio and Leo from Pole disagreed in the comments. Now a former test rider of his is running the Vorsprung ratios and loving them.
  • 10 1
 The steam punk. Gotta give him credit. Its likely more then any of us did last few weeks.
  • 9 0
 Just remember from prior posts, one day we’ll all figure out what Sam Hill already knows.
  • 7 2
 Don't get this long chainstays thing. When I moved from a 26" bike to a 29" one with 450mm chainstays, there were two main things that I had to get used to, and both were related to it. 1: The feeling of the bb moving sideways when cornering, due to the greater distance from the center of the rear wheel (the greater the distance, the more movement there is along this radius for the same angle of rotation). 2. Less traction at the rear, harder to lift the front (that must be hell on this bike). It would be interesting to draw my own conclusions with this one though!
  • 5 1
 If you move from 26 to 29, your bound to be biased by the gyro effect of the wheel itself while cornering...a bike is a complex sum of many things as you already know
  • 1 0
 @threehats: cs length makes a huge difference. When giant glory went from the old design to new design from 26 to 275 they shortened the rear end by 6mm. Made a huge difference with cornering. It improved even with the larger wheel size
  • 5 0
 The 2nd Gen magic link Kona Coilair had like 460mm chainstays, no joke. 9 years ago I set a PR on a 3 min section of a local DH trail on that bike. It had crappy tires and crappy suspension (Fox float, no piggyback and a 180mm domain fork). Granted, I'm older now and have kids/career, but I can't come close to touching that time on my "modern" enduro 29er bike. Even back then my times were slightly slower on my DH bike than the coilair, and I attribute a lot of it to the long chainstays. That section had an average speed of like 26 mph, with no twists, and a few flat-out sections over off camber. Long chainstays are faster, hands down (but not necessarily as fun).
  • 2 0
 Took me about 3 months to fugure out how to ride my G1 correctly. Suspension settings are critical. I changed the way my bike is setup ALOT from what i was used to, but now i dont even think about it, its just so smooth and fast
  • 2 0
 Sounds to me like your handlebar or front end is too low in this case. A higher bar will make it easier to manual and increase the weight on the rear wheel and traction.
  • 1 0
 @paulaston: It might be. I've been trying a higher handlebar now, and I'm getting on with it. Transitioning from 26", a lower position of the hands felt better at first. But even before that, I had already gotten used to the balance of the bike, although that was with 440mm chainstays, not 450. I still think that in theory at least, shorter chainstays will offer more grip at the rear, but I'm not concerned with that anymore.
  • 5 0
 I like how they mentioned the bb being welded backwards. I did the same thing on one of my first bikes. Easy to do in the "heat" of things. Cool build tho. Experimentation is fun.
  • 2 0
 There's a period of mountain biking where everyone was trying to really suss out the best designs for full suspension frames. Some of it worked well, some of it didn't. But it was an interesting time, that produced fascinating designs. These days 90% of the bikes all look the same. It's really awesome to see that same pioneering spirit here.
  • 5 0
 Looks like a sick bike to session
  • 3 0
 Get all stinky after riding it on a hot dY
  • 1 0
 Looks like you could Operate down some dank trails on that thing
  • 1 0
 Sweet build, that thing looks wicked. Cannondale and others fixed that kink in the DT by passing the downtube through to the HT and then coping a tube or using a stamped sheet to gusset the lower section of the HT. It doesn't account for the lower bend to give shock clearance, but maybe his current design is fine with some additional gusseting.
  • 2 1
 Go, Geoducks go,
Through the mud and the sand,
let’s go.
Siphon high, squirt it out,
swivel all about,
let it all hang out.

Go, Geoducks go,
Stretch your necks when the tide
is low
Siphon high, squirt it out,
swivel all about,
let it all hang out.
  • 4 0
 This guy looks pretty big (even in front of the DHbike) and he rides a trailbike with a 430 reach????????
  • 1 0
 This has exactly the same ratio of chainstay to wheelbase as my 150mm 29” full-sus: 455mm chainstays, 1230mm wheelbase. I’ve never ridden another bike which is so balanced in the turns, and so good at two wheel drifts when it’s loose or wet.
  • 1 0
 What is the bike?
  • 4 1
 The article mentions it's a single pivot, but isn't it a 4-bar? There's a bearing near the axle. I'm genuinely curious so anyone who knows please comment.
  • 7 0
 A good question and a frequent source of confusion. It's a single pivot with linkage-driven shock because the wheel is on the element that's connected to the main triangle. Horst Link bikes place the wheel on a different element.
  • 1 0
 @R-M-R: Great answer!
  • 1 0
 I agree wholeheartedly about use of longer rear end than is standard, nowadays. My own frame is set with 485mm chainstays. But, people get leery eyed about such measurements, so I make my frames to be set std at 440. With the ability to go far longer with different drop outs. What I am wondering is are there shocks I'm not familiar with that have the reservoir so long / so far forward of the center line of the eye, that the cut and welded down tube was really needed? A straight downtube would have accommodated that shock pictured, and Fox, Zoke, Cane Creek, Ohlins, and most others I have experience with. Maybe Push and what are they, EXTs(?) might need it. As for the front wheel, it would come nowhere near a straight downtube at full compression, even with a 29". Still, a good effort, and the young bloke is making what He wants.
  • 4 0
 It looks like a kids bike or something. It seems so Small next to him
  • 5 0
 Run what you Brung.
  • 12 4
 Never understood this saying. What else are you going to run? Can't run something you didn't bring...
  • 8 1
 @just6979: why did you poop at party?
  • 3 0
 @just6979: it means no excuses dude...
  • 2 1
 @just6979: And it's a terrible example of verb conjugation
  • 5 0
 @just6979: not true, you can run something sombody else..brung'd
  • 4 0
 Mike Levy should talk to him on the Grim Donut project.
  • 6 1
 gussets needed
  • 1 0
 Linkage plates
  • 5 2
 Still better looking than any Ellsworth I've seen. Just my opinion. Can't wait to see the revision!
  • 1 1
 I know it’s only a prototype but he should at least paint that rocker link. That’s a lot of steel in contact with aluminum. That shit will eat it a way due to Galvanic Corrosion. This only happens when it’s the bare to bare contact. Plenty of photos and YouTube videos of you don’t believe this effect is real.
  • 1 0
 Interesting using numbers from Sam hills old bike then applying them to the bigger frame. Worth noting there was more weight bias to the rear on old bikes with the tiny frames and riders being further off the back
  • 1 1
 Not necessarily. Just because the rider was further over the rear axle doesn't mean there's more weight on the rear tire. The best riders will always put their weight where it needs to be to get the right weight balance between wheels. The reason you saw riders on smaller bikes farther back is so they don't have too much weight on the front tire, which would be easy to do. On newer, longer bikes, riders have to lean forward to pressure the front tire. Different body positions to overcome different bike geometry, yielding similar results.
  • 1 0
 @TEAM-ROBOT: By that rationale there is absolutely no point in having long stays, the whole idea is so you can drive the bike thru the bb and dont have to put weight on the front end to get it to turn. The reason people used to ride off the back is because you would need trex arms to stay central on those tiny frames. It was the accepted riding style and front/rear centre ratios were made to suit. Now people are riding longer front ends and we are working it out over again.
  • 1 1
 @zyoungson: I get what you're saying about driving through the BB, and I understand that your feet are the main location on the bike where a rider transfers bodyweight to the wheels. But riding isn't so simple as transferring mass through a fixed point at the BB. Here's a thought experiment to illustrate my point: picture Greg Minnaar off the back on an old, short wheelbase bike and new Greg Minnaar centered on a new long-wheelbase bike. Which Greg's center of mass is farther behind the front contact patch?

Neither. They're both going to end up with their center of mass in roughly the same place relative to the front contact patch because they both want to resist going over the bars and they both want to be in a centered/neutral position with their weight balanced between both contact patches.

The benefit of the longer wheelbase is that, even though both riders have an even weight distribution between front and rear wheels, the rider on the longer wheel base is more stable. Bumps, compressions, and impacts shift his COM less relative to the two contact patches.
  • 3 0
 Those butt welds on the DT scare me.
  • 1 0
 Nice job Isak! Would be a fun project for any enthusiast. Miss you crushing the Pro GRT circuit. You're a hell of a shredder good luck in the future!
  • 3 0
 Looks like a session on hunger strike.
  • 1 0
 This is something that I think I could do but would fault in epic style after the opening the tool box. Props to you. Mad skillz!
  • 2 0
 How expensive was it to build
  • 2 0
 Looking good! Yes you can go too long, for example Grimm Donut?
  • 14 11
 Isaaks idea is perfectly marketable. Just build a story around extra long chainstays, say everyone’s a sheep, then Pole and Geometron don’t have balls to go all the way. You’ll find some rational people who’ll spend tons of money on it and say they never looked back.
  • 1 0
 The Grim Donut is too long in what way? Wheelbase maybe, but not chainstays nor reach!
  • 3 4
 @WAKIdesigns: FFS. Enough.
  • 7 6
 @scary1:
Out of reach, so far
I never had your heart
Out of reach
Couldn't see
We were never
Meant to be
  • 4 0
 @WAKIdesigns:
Du
Du hast
Du hast mich
Du hast mich gefraght
  • 12 2
 @scary1:
Mama, just killed a man
Called his Yeti shyte from shed
Jumped from clinics roof, now he’s dead
Mamaaa, trolling has just begun
But now it’s time to send it sidewaaaaays
Mammaaa didn’t mean to make him die
But if I’m not back on Pinkbike for 5 hours in a row
Carry ooon, carry ooon, cause wheelbase doesn’t matter
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: Lol.
What sucks, is i bet we'd be good friends in real life. I feel like I could talk shit to you(if you ever stopped talking) tell you how wrong you are,and you wouldnt get butt-hurt.
Then, youd ride my bike and have a spiritual awakening and would have to humbly repent and grovel to aaaallll of Pinkbike .
That would be fun to watch
  • 3 0
 @scary1: I rarely take offense and never took it from you. But I seriously doubt I would get an awakening since I feel as if my bike was a bit too big... as tall as you and 450 reach... I wouldn’t mind 440 and 420 stays. Whenever I borrow a bike and it is a bit too small I am happy as a kid who just got Xbox. Like that 2018 Medium E29 I just loved it from the moment I touched the grips
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: I guess i get that. I just like being faster
  • 1 0
 ok, if it held up at windrock. That place eats bikes, especially on wet days
  • 2 0
 and this is why learning to weld is invaluable
  • 1 0
 Awesome project finished. Way cool stuff. I’d like to read a PB review on it.
  • 1 0
 Fragile looking, not sure I’d trust my own build for a DH bike.

Fun to do it yourself, no doubt, I love welding Smile
  • 2 0
 Mel Gibson just called on a land line and asked for his bike back...
  • 1 1
 It's fascinating that he's so fixated on a time we generally look back on when bike ride/designs weren't all that great. But hey, he built what he wants ride!
  • 1 0
 A gen 1.2 machined steel rocker, super slender and svelte to match the steel frame, would look extraordinary on there I bet!
  • 1 0
 Modern geo bike made outta lead, would still be faster than ye ole short wheelbase tall clunkers we all used to love.
  • 2 0
 Looks like a Grim Biscuit.
  • 1 0
 Respect for his job, you gotta be really confident about your creation and welding for bring to leogang
  • 1 0
 Very nice. Stab Dee Lux esque almost. Great work.
  • 1 0
 This is Bonkers Level: Endboss
  • 2 0
 Dream Build
  • 1 0
 So he is a kona brand ambassador . But hes building his own bike !!
  • 1 2
 @threehats: And rode a pole
  • 2 0
 #steelisreal
  • 2 0
 Looks like mx geo.
  • 1 0
 Ok Im doing one in Fiber Fix
  • 1 0
 Interesting and great effort, but I'd rather buy one.
  • 3 2
 Fair play to the chap and all. But my god it looks horrific!!
  • 1 0
 Cool, but looks like it will break if ridden hard.
  • 1 0
 I need more Fury Road bikes in my life.
  • 1 0
 Guy probably rips cigs on the way down with that bike.
  • 1 0
 It looks funky but the ride is probably funkay,
  • 1 0
 “...and hucked the bike off his roof” Brilliant!
  • 1 0
 WOW...thats an ugly bike !! Beats easily an Orange or Knolly !
  • 1 0
 Brilliant ! that guy has skills ,very cool bike !
  • 2 0
 No Bottle Cage.
  • 1 0
 The rear will bend in no time
  • 1 0
 Steel looks awesome. I really like how raw and industrial it looks.
  • 1 0
 As of today, looks like it worked!
  • 1 0
 Que bicicleta mas fea
  • 3 3
 Why would he not just bend the tubes? Shame.
  • 1 1
 It takes extensive tooling to bed tubes
  • 1 1
 @robway: yeah...like a tube bender for 50 bucks Big Grin
  • 1 1
 @themountain: it is thin wall chromo tube..
  • 2 1
 @themountain: No dude. It doesn't work that way with thin steel tubing. You need a mandrel bender to get it done right. Else it just kinks.
  • 1 1
 @sirknumskullgt: Thanks for that remark ...I thought he uses water pipe ...duh. Even here in Mallorca I would have access to a company who could do me the bends ...costs like a Paella and a bottle of wine.
  • 4 1
 @themountain: $50 tube bender, good luck. If your local fab shop can do two ultra precise bends (on the same plane) On thin wall to tubing that’s awesome for you! I don’t no why you would say anything negative about a project that somebody spent tons of time and money building? What have you built?
  • 2 0
 @themountain:
I know because of the fab I've done. I have a hydraulic pipe bender and a tubing roller, but they just don't cut it with the thin stuff. I'm still glad I have the tools for other applications tho. I utilized the technique this guy did for my bikes because I had no other way. I would love to have friends at a company that has that equipment. Booze bribes and donuts go a long way.
  • 1 0
 @robway: well...I build a lot of things in my life but thats not the point is it ? When I was a student even the garage I was working parttime had a tube bender for stainless exhausts ...a lot of companies actually had them . I dont know why that is now such a rare thing??
  • 1 0
 @themountain: the point is you are NEGATIVELY commenting on something, and your point is incorrect. I asked what you have built because if you had built a few things you would appreciate the work this guy put in by making his own Frame. This is a stupid argument but you sucked me in. My point is stop s!&?ing on others accomplishments.
  • 1 0
 Ellsworth is back!
  • 1 0
 Give that man a B-tec
  • 1 0
 Looks like a stinky
  • 1 1
 Is this news? "Drunk man buys welder and ruins several chromoly tubes..."
  • 1 0
 Looks like a Kona Stinky
  • 2 2
 Just... wow.
  • 1 3
 Quite surprised with 750mm bars! This guys seems tall.
  • 3 2
 He certainly looks tall next to the bike, but he doesn't have enormously wide shoulders, and that's really what should be determining bar width. Also, maybe he likes to ride on the very outer edge of the grips (I do, Jordi Cortez does, many people do), which means the effective width is a bit more that the numbers imply.
  • 1 1
 @just6979: You`re completely right!
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