If you've got $12K burning a hole in your britches, it can be yours!The frame is obviously the unique feature; it's built of "lattice tubes" using what the builders call an IsoTruss design, of carbon fiber and Kevlar. (Click the photo for a larger size; a couple additional photos are available at the linked article, below.)
It's beautiful, but I'm not convinced it's very practical.
- How do you keep water from collecting in the ends of the tubes? (Not that the tubes would rust, but water would add unwanted weight, and would also potentially rust components - like bottom brackets and such.)
- Is it aerodynamic? The article claims the lattice "reduces drag and cross wind resistance." I'm not convinced. (The article also claims that the fully-assembled bike weighs 2.7 pounds and I know that's not true. The fork alone weighs more than 2.7 pounds!)
Currently it's built by hand; the geeks who build 'em (at Advanced Composite Solutions) hope to automate the process for cost savings within a couple years.
More info can be found by clicking here (Deseret News article).
5 comments:
"A fully assembled Arantix bike tips the scale at a mere 2.7 pounds..."
I'm with you there -- BS. Several comments on the story repeat the sentiment.
It's a good-looking bike, to be sure.
I personally think that's about the ugliest bike I've ever seen. An engineering marvel, perhaps, but it looks so busy. Impressive, but I'll pass.
The story's been edited, because this morning the story says:
"The frame for the Arantix bike tips the scale at a mere 2.7 pounds...."
So they're not including fork, components, wheels, etc.
It's very possible that the reporter, not being a cyclist, didn't understand the reps when they said that the frame weighed 2.7 lbs. Just sayin'....
Must be the newest rage to have "hollow" bikes. Here is a bmx frame called the Grim Reaper
http://www.easternbikes.com/a/products/frames/GrimReaper/GrimReaper.html
http://www.easternbikes.com/a/products/frames
GrimReaper/GrimReaper.html
Or try this
http://tinyurl.com/38gdys
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