Strange new 'bent from France

[mzjo]

This was posted on the velorizontal forum (french bent  forum). Those reading french can follow the thread which is a bit critical in some places. Others can simply look at the pictures and work it out. The aesthetics make me think a bit of the Kirk magnesium bike of the late 80's although there isn't really much similarity. There was also a motorbike frame in single cylinder racing in the 80's that was made out of sheets of aluminium but welded, can't remember the name.
There is also an upwrong made by the same firm which fails to convince me, mainly because I am unconvinced by a nylon bb shell that appears to be pressfit. A threaded shell bolted in the same way would have been better.

Before anyone says it, someone on the french forum has already pointed out that Aerocycle is an existing make of bent so he could have property rights issues with that - doesn't seem to have convinced the builder to change and just use his family name though!

http://velorizontal.1fr1.net/t25613-nouveau-fabricant-de-velos-couches-a-lyon

https://www.boulhol.fr/

Since there is an upwrong version mods think appropriate move the topic to the general freewheel section (but I first saw it as a bent!)

[ElyDave]

840 euros for a framset is incredibly cheap!

I'd want a spare BB shell in that price though. Looking at, although its incredibly light, I wonder how aero it will be with all those cut outs increasing the generation of eddies and turbulence. Not exactly sleek

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Previous similarly constructed ‘flatpack’ bikes have lacked torsional stiffness and had fatigue failures at stress raisers. A cursory glance doesn’t suggest to me that these issues have been fully addressed. The proof of the pudding is in the eating though.

Cling film or heatshrink film would fill in all those holes with minimal weight gain.

[Von Broad]

Beautifully made.
Triangles baby!

[mrcharly-YHT]

Previous similarly constructed ‘flatpack’ bikes have lacked torsional stiffness and had fatigue failures at stress raisers. A cursory glance doesn’t suggest to me that these issues have not been fully addressed. The proof of the pudding is in the eating though.

Cling film or heatshrink film would fill in all those holes with minimal weight gain.

I had a similar thought.

They claim that the screwed construction keeps weight down. I call nonsense on that idea. SS screws and the tabs they pass through will be heavier than TIG fillets.

Being able to replace cracked frame parts has merit though.

[JonBuoy]

Not cracking in the first place has even more merit.

[Mr Larrington]

Cling film or heatshrink film would fill in all those holes with minimal weight gain.

I remember some Continental homebrewed machine built from myriad tiny tubes inna-spaceframe-Moulton-stylee, whose owner had done precisely this.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Previous similarly constructed ‘flatpack’ bikes have lacked torsional stiffness and had fatigue failures at stress raisers. A cursory glance doesn’t suggest to me that these issues have not been fully addressed. The proof of the pudding is in the eating though.

Cling film or heatshrink film would fill in all those holes with minimal weight gain.

I had a similar thought.

They claim that the screwed construction keeps weight down. I call nonsense on that idea. SS screws and the tabs they pass through will be heavier than TIG fillets.

Being able to replace cracked frame parts has merit though.

The delights of writing drafts with a phone and a fuzzy brain. My apologies for unintended double negatives.

[Lightning Phil]

If it can be bolted / unbolted may make flying / travelling with it easier.

The website claims from 8.5kg , and website configurator comes up with 10.01kg for sport version. So pretty light for a recumbent. My Lightning P38 clothed for audax is 12kg and can be built down to under 10kg, if you’re not bothered about dynamos, lights, mudguards, wheels that won’t break if you sneeze etc.

With that assembly, standard parts will probably need custom bits to mount standard stuff. Even looks like rear light has a specialised bit for attachment.

[ElyDave]

Lets put it this way, if I come across a spare 1000 euros, for sheer frivolous spending, it could go this way just for fun

[mzjo]

I would be very tempted if he would sell it as a flatpack that I could bolt up myself and reduce the price accordingly. Most of the expense of the frame must be in the labour of bolting it up (although if he could make the nylon bits by injection moulding rather than 3D printing that would help - but the moulds would cost a bit and he would need to be selling in hundreds even if the nylon blocks were all the same)

However it is a high racer which he wants to sell to debutants and his main logic for making a high racer is that his target market will feel at home with 622 wheels because it's what they know (when the usual logic is that you start on something you can ride easily, which is not a HR) He quotes head height at about 1m20 which means looking at the photo that the feet must be about 1m off the ground when they're on the pedals! I'm not sure I can kick a foot up that high to start off in traffic!