[MMcG]

Carver Bikes - aka the bikes from Bikeman.com ( a real shop btw) up in Maine, will be releasing a new full suspension platform.

Looks like there will be a few different options with it too.

1. Full on 29er FS frame
2. 96er FS Frame
3. and I think they will also sell rear swingarms so someone could go back and forth between 29 or 26" rear wheels.

Priced well too - right around a grand or so for frame with Fox shock. Nice. Tons of color options too.

 

[Guitar Ted]

MMcG: Yes, you are right about the switching back and forth thing. I saw this at Interbike. they called it a "99er"!

I wish that Carver would rethink the hardtail to also allow for switching back and forth from 26 to 29 inch wheels. I think they'd sell a few more!

Just an FYI: The upcoming Origin 8 single/geary frame will be 26/29"er switchable.

 

[MMcG]

I would think that a hardtail with dropouts like some of the evil bikes dropouts would be really great.

So you'd have multiple chainstay lenghts and therefore you could in theory run a 26" wheel in one and install a 29er rear wheel in another dropout that created a slightly longer chainstay to accommodate the 29er wheel.

Remember the guy with the Evil Sovereign that almost accommodated a 29er rear wheel.

Imagine a frame like that with closely similar geometry, but with multiple dropout/chainstay options. I think that'd be a kick butt frame don't you?

 

[mainemud]

We're still working on updating our website (www.carverbikes.com ), so here's some tech stuff in the meantime......

These will be available in a 96er or a full 29" version. We'll also offer separate swingarms for those of you who can't make up their mind!!!!

Single pivot design with an oversize 12 mm. sealed bearing pivot assembly that can be serviced with a 5 mm allen wrench in minutes (seconds if you're fast!).

2.4" tire clearance, and designed around a 100 mm travel Reba 29.

Designed for use with a stable platform 165mm. eye to eye 1.5" travel shock.

Frame weight with shock is 5 pounds 14 ounces with a Fox RP23 in the 17" (medium) size.

Disc-only, handmade with 7000 series heat treated aluminum, and available in BallBurnished Silver, Black, Forest Green, Blue, Blood Red, Anodized Purple, Anodized Gold, Anodized Turqoise, Anodized Black, and Anodized Matte Red.

15", 17", 19". 21" and 23" sizes.

27.2 seatpost sizing, 68 mm. BB shell, 1 1/8" machined headtube. 1 1/4" seat tube.

$999.95 in painted finish, and $1049.95 in Anodized or BallBurnished finish.



Best,

Davis Carver
davis@bikeman.com

PS. Steel is real...we're working on it....

 

[MMcG]

Welcome to the Monkey Davis!

E- type front derailleurs on the FS frames?

Will you also be offering complete bike packages for the 29er frames?

How about a FS Mini for the kids out there?

Cheers,

Mark

 

[Guitar Ted]

Full 29"er FS in anodized purple? Mmmm.......!

 

[MMcG]

Full 29"er FS in anodized purple? Mmmm.......!

Pair it up with some old school grafton, ringle, Kooka, etc. etc. stuff and you'll be straight up pimpin!

 

[Soupboy]

I hate the 96er concept but I appreciate Carver pushing the envelope.

I really like the well thought out cable routing on the FS 99er. Very clean. Nicely done.

Between the big wheels and long stays I fear that the lack of any additional support/linkage will result in a flexy rear end. That's a lot of leverage and sideloading on the one pivot and damper without a spotter.

I hope to be proven wrong (again).

 

[Guitar Ted]

I hate the 96er concept but I appreciate Carver pushing the envelope.

I really like the well thought out cable routing on the FS 99er. Very clean. Nicely done.

Between the big wheels and long stays I fear that the lack of any additional support/linkage will result in a flexy rear end. That's a lot of leverage and sideloading on the one pivot and damper without a spotter.

I hope to be proven wrong (again).

Yes, I agree. The Super Caliber and Astrix Monk all have a similar type of horizontally laid out seatstay/chainstay arrangement and all have the huge potential for lateral flexiness.

I will say that the Astrix seems to be the best thought out design in this genre. They have an internally ribbed swingarm, and the Moto Link separates the shock from frame support duties and also drives the shock in a direct way instead of loading the shock in an uneven manner that causes stiction and early seal failures.

Of course, all of this comes at a price, but I don't think it's all that much more than the Carver. It certainly weighs more, I'm sure of that.

 

[mainemud]

...Always more of an issue with 29ers. Very perceptive, Soupboy. This is our third permutation. The final version will be using larger cross section chainstays and seatstays as well as a little higher attachment point on the seatstay... We already beefed up the pivot to 12 mm. and reinforced the pivot point. Dave's probably getting tired of the makeovers, but I want it to be right...

Best,

Davis

 

[MMcG]

Davis - can you tell us more about Dave - seems like he's the guy who, along with you, is behind the carver designs. Does he supervise all the production etc. etc. of the frames? I know he's located overseas, but Carver bikes are not churned out by some foreign bike plant or anything like that correct?

 

[moff_quigley]

Very promising. Might be just the thing for me. I'll keep an eye on this one...

 

[MMcG]

Just curious, but could you get away with one swingarm if you used what I'd call (multiple chainstay length dropouts) for lack of a better term?

Sorta like what they use on the Evil Imperial?

See what I'm getting at?

 

[nalax]

Working on a steel Carver? Very tempting.

 

[MMcG]

I'm looking forward to seeing the steel Carver too, when it is ready for unveiling.

 

[mainemud]

Sure thing!!!

Dave grew up in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, the next town over from us. He welded at Klein in Chehalis, Washington for years. Then he married his Chinese girlfriend, and moved to Guangdong in China. He welds all of our frames himself...here's a picture...

http://www.carverbikes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=5&Itemid=6

....along with his Chinese crew of 6 guys that do the polishing, finishing, painting, packing, etc.

Really knows his stuff....and where to find good tubing, dropouts, etc. That is one of the hardest things about doing business in China. We actually source our tubing from Taiwan!

We're lucky to have him!

Best,

Davis

Davis - can you tell us more about Dave - seems like he's the guy who, along with you, is behind the carver designs. Does he supervise all the production etc. etc. of the frames? I know he's located overseas, but Carver bikes are not churned out by some foreign bike plant or anything like that correct?

 

[MMcG]

Sure thing!!!

Dave grew up in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, the next town over from us. He welded at Klein in Chehalis, Washington for years. Then he married his Chinese girlfriend, and moved to Guangdong in China. He welds all of our frames himself...here's a picture...

http://www.carverbikes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=5&Itemid=6

....along with his Chinese crew of 6 guys that do the polishing, finishing, painting, packing, etc.

Really knows his stuff....and where to find good tubing, dropouts, etc. That is one of the hardest things about doing business in China. We actually source our tubing from Taiwan!

We're lucky to have him!

Best,

Davis

Thanks Davis,

this is good information to have on hand.

Does he just weld, or does he have a hand in frame design, geometry numbers etc?

Oh and a few more questions - your site shows a new Titanium Frame and it says made in the Good Ol' USA - what's the scoop on that frame? who's doing the welding on those in the states?