The head tube
The development of a frame is highly complex. Each area is a separate development project. In the end, it must result in a perfect whole. You have to imagine it like a band. The singer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist and drummer may all be virtuosos in their own right. But it only becomes a hit when everything comes together to form a symbiotic unit. To stay with this metaphor, a gravel frame is not a band. It is an orchestra. Down tube. Bottom bracket. Head tube. Seat stays. Dropouts. And, and, and. If just one detail is not optimal, it can ruin the riding character of the whole bike.
There are still a few details to be clarified with you. The surveys are ongoing. The geometry is also still open. But the area of use is already clear. THE SUPERFAST will be a race gravel bike.
For our engineer Tim, this decision was the start of the development of the frame. Initial sketches on the computer give a feeling of what the frame could look like later. What shape will it have? Will it be an aero frame with a front that cuts through the wind like a scalpel? Or should it be a classic look with round tubes? It's a process until the design gradually crystallizes. Our engineer Tim has already been hard at work. And so we have already made an initial decision.
“The frame should have a rather slim look,” says Tim.
The design language is one reason. But there are also technical reasons. Small tube diameters mean less weight.
Tim has printed an initial preliminary design for the head tube as a 3D model. The final shape still depends on the type of cable routing. But it is already clear that the head tube will be round at the bottom. The upper step should optimally integrate the stem and keep the effective head tube length short. For a sporty riding position.
To achieve a slim shape in combination with wide bearings, Tim has resorted to a trick.
“The head tube is a bit trumpet-shaped. This gives the bearings room and it still doesn't look so bulky,” explains Tim.
Which fits perfectly with the music metaphor described at the beginning. A trumpet has already made many songs a hit. “All you need is love” by the Beatles, for example.
What do you think of the head tube? Do you like it?
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