The reason given is that hey, Max and Mike both ride for Animal, and Animal makes the wedge post, so why not build a frame specifically designed around said post? (This is sort of like designing an entire car around a specific stereo, or planning an outfit around your socks.) This might make sense if WTP was making custom frames for Max and Mike. Not so much when it's meant for mass consumption. The wedge post is a cool option for some—making it a requirement just seems short-sighted and dictatorial. I'm sure the extra half-inch of seat tube that would have been required to run a seatpost clamp would have been heavy and ugly, but providing options is never a bad thing. Is it?
I will give WTP this: they're one of the first companies to make drilled-out stay caps look cool. In the renderings, at least (nice shadows and reflections, fellas). Dropouts appear to be merging with the stays, which isn't a bad thing—more on that tomorrow. It'll be interesting to see what they look like in real life. Now just extend the seattube, and it might actually be a cool frame.
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Looks like we'll have a correspondent shooting at Interbike this week. Psyched. Thank you, Jacob.
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40 comments:
but dont seatclamps make tailwhips harder ?
You are the wannabe dictator when you claim that frames need seatclamps. Two dudes get a signature, repeat signature frame and they already run setups that make clamps unnecessary. Why should their frame need one?
If a frame comes with enough seattube to run a clamp, you can always cut the extra off, or just run a wedge post regardless. You don't HAVE to have a cut-down seattube. This design just takes away options, it doesn't add any. And for what? An ounce?
Yes, it's a signature frame and they're entitled to have them set up any way they choose. But I still think it's an odd choice.
yeah come on russ, after having a go about nathan williams cutting his signature bars down you're now having a go about these dudes not cutting their signature seattubes?
Nathan Williams... I was looking for the name of the guy who cuts down his sig bars. Thanks Toby!
On another note, I agree, not giving the extra inch of tubing for those who wanna ride regular seats is kinda stupid. Now that's just me, but I'd be more than happy to bring a hacksaw to my bike if I ever rode the wedge seat, I'd just show it off as a mod. What's cooler than a tricked out bike? A self-tricked out bike.
brian castillo!!
It's also sort of weird that you'd design a frame around a somewhat unproven part that's only being produced by one company (OK, two, once Stolen gets their SICs out). I'd understand it more if WTP was actually manufacturing their own wedge posts, I guess.
It's sort of (but not entirely) like when Standard made their frames with a 27.0 seattube, and we all know how wildly popular that idea was.
all of you are missing out on the most important thing: DIO is fucking awesome.
i'm going to use a seatpost clamp as a grip stop on my bars since i stopped running front brakes for the time being.
Wow, it looks like theComeUp fans are making their way onto SPRFLS. All of a sudden angry posters are dropping unnecessary and juvenile f-bombs over someone else's opinion.
And speaking of opinions: to narrow down the options on something you are trying to sell to the mass market seems ridiculous to me. If you're going to sell it at least do a WTP/Animal collab. and include the wedge post.
brian castillo, volume on the clock
alot of u people dont make sense..the last time i checked everybody r shaving the seat tubes down and makin a homemade wedge or using some tipe of glue..i use glue cause takes off about 3 to 4 ounces of cause of the shaved seatpost and no extra wieght on the wedge and long ass bolt for the wedge.. i no your laughing but ive been using gorilla glue for the past year and not once has i came losse or had 2 put more glue on it....so wen this frame comes out i will make sure i will get it and i no a ass load of other people will get it 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
josh, that is actually a very excellent idea.
i don't have as much of a problem with the nathan bars thing, because he at least gives you the option to not cut the bars down. but this...it limits a rider...which seems to be against what freestyle is all about...
NO LIMITS, BRAH.
I guess I just don't understand why seatpost clamps are bad. They're small, light, unobtrusive, inexpensive and replaceable. They are simple to operate and rarely fail. And they even let you add a spot of color if you like. Why the overwhelming desire to eliminate something that works so well?
anon @9.47:
Please Die. I'm firing you from BMX.
Love,
Gob
BUT BUT BUT!
everybody r shaving down dare seat tubes! (according to that guy)
I love this blog and all... but this is one of your most blatant hypocritical posts yet.
Yeah, I disagree with today's post, too. If Brennan and Gaertig like this stupid Animal seatpost, and want their frame built around this stupid seatpost--what's the problem? This is their signature frame. Today's post is like somebody arguing that the Edwin frame's lack of brakemounts limits a rider's options. Wasn't Butcher's frame on Hoffman silly because it came with front and back brakes?
But you're usually on the mark, Russ. Great blog.
Should of made this post about the mega low Preimum(i dont care if its spelt wrong)frame?
i cant wait to read your thoughts on that premium thing.
didnt make mulville ride to this as well???
If I had a signature frame and didn't like the way seat clamps look, there definitely wouldn't be one on my bike and I'll be damn pissed if I had to hack shit off my own signature frame.
BUT I don't have a signature frame.
AND seat-clamp-less frames look like shit.
The only way a seat-clamp-less frame ever looks good is when the seat-post is integrated as well, otherwise there's just an awkward, sudden change in the diameter of tubing in that area and it looks like something's missing.
I defend the right of any Pro that wants to design their signature frame as they see fit (have you seen the Killorado frame, cory Jarman's sig?????). If you want a 4 1/2 inch seattube that is your business and I think that there are a lot of younger riders that will eat them up. If you want a 13 inch chainstay that will loop out everytime you pull back on the bars, fine. Again, I think a lot of younger riders will look at it and believe it will make them manual like Robo and will buy it for that reason. My problem with this specific frame is that even if I were to buy it, I would have to also buy an Animal (or soon Stolen) wedge-post, and then (b/c I ride a railed seat) a pivotal seat as well (or that wierd eclat railed to pivotal mod). So now we're talking about changing half of my bike for the sake of the new frame I want. I just seems excessive and I don't think a whole lot of people are going to go for it. From a sales standpoint it just doesn't make sense.
those drop outs look slick, pretty similar to Fly's new ones too... http://www.flybikesbmx.com/en/news
mmmm.
Dio: the official soundtrack to every Factory Skatepark vert contest!
Also featured on Castillo's section in that Volume video.
Ah, seatpost clamps and DIO.
And to think, I was a little put off when frames started coming with a "shorter" seattube - I had to forego one of my Peregrine seatpost clamps (what?)
The guy that created internet-BMX is so pumped right now...
Also, time for someone to upload Josh Heino's section from Nowhere fast - Hooooolllllllllyyyyyyyyyyy....
I've planned an outfit around my socks before.
its WTP right as a company to make what they want as ultimately they bear the market forces.
but with this choice theyve alienated me, as i definately wont buy it, for the reason i dont buy brakless frames (i think removable brake mounts are great idea, as im always ripping trousers on the lugs), even though im brakless, i dont know i wont want to run brakes sometime in the future. similarly i may want to run a crazy high seat.
shame really, cos it looks real nice, and i like how they are choosing a different length for once. i hate how all the short people are spoilt for choice with frame geometries, as frames run the chromatic scale from 20 to 21 in increment steps but above 21 theres only 3 choices. and it sucks
BTW, Glad to see you back, Russ!
who even runs seats anymore?
Anonymous @ 7:21 PM:
Those of us that don't like getting a seat tube or top tube up the ass.
Time for the 2pc clamps to come back? You can put one below the top tube.
Sorry, running a bit behind today.
It's actually illegal to ride a bike without a seat in Oregon.
I feel like the market will decide if this is successful or not.
Choice is cool and all, and with that it is also cool if we make fun of some of the goofy assed options that we are given.
lets not start picking on people because they cant spell. are you saying that their opinions are not valid because of their spelling? thats nice.
Wedge posts are nothing new. I have a very old German cruiser with one and a 60's Bridgestone Kabuki.
I have to wonder if the switch from 1" threaded to OS threadless headsets pissed you off as much as this does. Or the switch from 7/8" to 1"(oh I mean 25.4mm) seatposts. What about the 4 bottom bracket sizes being used right now?
PRO FRAMES TO HATE ON: garret byrnes T1 built in post, butcher's HB with brake mounts, edwin delarosa's FIT without mounts, or any frame with INTERNAL HEADTUBE, non american BB,
I think a riders pro model frame should be a regular stock to the bones bike available only in 20.5 with a 14" chainstay. regardless of who they are or what they ride.
skidmark, it's more like going from 1 1/8" threadless headsts to 1" threaded. The wedge post is a step BACKWARDS. And let's say they don't sell that well (after all, there's only one company making them) and get discontinued. Then what? You're gonna feel mighty silly having a frame with no alternate options.
The way I see it, if you didn't know anything about bike history at all, and you saw a wedge post on one side, and a regular seatpost and clamp on the other, you'd go with the regular post and clamp. Maybe it's just me, I don't know.
I suppose you could go buy a 1" (not 22.2) quill stem and fabricate something...
I don't know what kind of damage a slammed seatpost is going to get, it's not like it's gonna bend, it might outlast the new lite wait frame it's in. That frame with the pivotal mount on top of it has the right idea, if what you want is a slammed seatpost.
There was just as much SPRFLS stuff BITD. Remember standing platforms, everywhere?
It's cyclical too, it goes colored anodizing, then all-white , and then neon. Then everyone will get sick of puke green, spray paint their frame flat black, and then when they come stock in flat black , they'll get sanded down to bare metal, and then bikes will be raw w/clearcoat... We started off with 25" handlebars, they went out to 28", then cut down to 22", and now back to 28". I used to cut my GT Pros down to 26".
When I found this blog I read the whole thing end to end. It's fuckin' awesome.
this frame is awsome..i like seein new shit on the market..im tired of seein all these new frames come out that r pretty much the same..i no that they could've just had it 2 were u could run aseatclamp but thay didnt soo deal wit it...if u really think this frame is that bad just look at stolen e train or the quamen atl
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