Rock Lobster SS

Paul Sadoff and I have worked together on numerous projects and this one came out great. In the small frame building world, there are only a small number of builders specializing in aluminum and each year we get better. Check out the thread below on MTBR:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=501439

Why aluminum? This question comes up frequently in the forum....yes it is stiffer than steel but with the combination of yokes I've designed, the rear triangle provides a certain level of compliance with the aim of minimizing chatter while maximizing traction. Of course aluminum will never be as silky as steel but it's great for raw power transfer and of course reduced weight. Both of which are key on single speeds!

My signature rear triangle is shown below and my design strategy was influenced by Klein and Manitou for sure. Since aluminum is so light, more material can be used where it's needed to achieve specific design goals. In this case, oversized yokes and rear stays create a stout rear end without a large weight penalty. For many years I've continued to tweak the rear triangle components to further improve ride quality. In addition, these components provide design modularity which can accommodate different wheel sizes. As shown, this concept can be used on 26", 650B and 29" wheel sizes. Damn I love bike design!