[SuboptimusPrime]

No personal connection, but I had joined the waiting list and it's cool to see Neko's frames going up for sale. I've attached the email here. Short version is 3995 USD for a frame. Aluminum front triangle, carbon rear end. 100 frames in the first run.

 

[buckoW]

I got the chance to ride one this summer and it was really predictable and easy to go fast on almost immediately. I liked it a lot!

I rode the steel one mostly.

 

[bullcrew]

I got the chance to ride one this summer and it was really predictable and easy to go fast on almost immediately. I liked it a lot!

I rode the steel one mostly.
View attachment 202594

Bikes good looking man the shot of the town is badass...

 

[ianjenn]

The thing looks pretty sick. @buckoW seems like a shorter shock, rocker, or longer could alter the bike's travel and GEO for not too much money. I assume it would mess with leverage ratios a bit and other negatives?

 

[jonKranked]

good to see the front triangles are being made by FTW. curious who is doing the carbon tho.

 

[buckoW]

good to see the front triangles are being made by FTW. curious who is doing the carbon tho.

They explain a bit about the carbon rear end here.

 

[Redwood Mulch Chucker]

good to see the front triangles are being made by FTW. curious who is doing the carbon tho.

Pretty sure Asia is doing the carbon.

That would have been a killer gig and story if GG (rip) did them. Damn, so close....

 

[Redwood Mulch Chucker]

Not what I expected with pricing.

 

[ebarker9]

Not what I expected with pricing.

Me either, and I have no real opinion on what it "should" cost, but I'm sure they'll easily sell the 100 that are planned. From what Neko has said, frame sales are a necessary part of sustaining this project so I'm sure that this is what they need to charge for it to make sense.

 

[Jm_]

good to see the front triangles are being made by FTW. curious who is doing the carbon tho.

Carol the Carbon Layer?

 

[trib]

Not what I expected with pricing.

Were you thinking higher or lower? Whilst it’s a lot of cash it feels comparable with the rest of the market. Slightly cheaper than a v10, but more than a commencal.

 

[shelteringsky]

Not what I expected with pricing.

Can’t see too many frames being sold outside the US.

 

[djjohnr]

$4k without shock, plus hopes and prayers that there will be a company to deal with any warranty issues or spare parts needs that might arise. That's a tough sell.

 

[Gary]

When a gambler is less WITH a shock (and headset/chainguide)?
Yeah

 

[trib]

$4k without shock, plus hopes and prayers that there will be a company to deal with any warranty issues or spare parts needs that might arise. That's a tough sell.

Ooof. Hadn’t realised it was without shock.

 

[Gary]

commencal is without shock too TBF

 

[kidwoo]

Short version is 3995 USD for a frame.

fuck that I'm buying an ebike

with ochain

 

[bullcrew]

fuck that I'm buying an ebike

with ochain

Hell yeah smartest thing typed by you .that's wooism...

 

[Redwood Mulch Chucker]

Were you thinking higher or lower? Whilst it’s a lot of cash it feels comparable with the rest of the market. Slightly cheaper than a v10, but more than a commencal.

I was thinking waaaay lower.

Transition TR11 $2000
Specialized Demo $3000
Airdrop Slacker $2000

All with shocks included.

 

[kidwoo]

All with shocks included.

 

[kidwoo]

Hell yeah smartest thing typed by you

wait, no, not that.....

 

[bullcrew]

wait, no, not that.....

Lmao...waited "crickets chirping" wondered but alas...there it is...

 

[jstuhlman]

i'll say it. price is way too high. you're getting a good, thought-out frame but paying a premium for paying for the cool factor and for supporting neko. if you want to do that, good on you. i think it's cool he's giving it a shot.

 

[kidwoo]

i'll say it. price is way too high.

I don't think anyone had noticed that. Good eye!

 

[iRider]

Kavenz, who did a similar development process, just w/o a high-profiled rider like Neko, and produce their frames in Germany charge approx. 2950 USD (VAT included) for a frame w/o shock.

 

[sethimus]

Kavenz, who did a similar development process, just w/o a high-profiled rider like Neko, and produce their frames in Germany charge approx. 2950 USD (VAT included) for a frame w/o shock.

production in the us is hard when you outsourced everything

 

[shelteringsky]

Kavenz, who did a similar development process, just w/o a high-profiled rider like Neko, and produce their frames in Germany charge approx. 2950 USD (VAT included) for a frame w/o shock.

Neko isn't even that high a profiled rider anymore. How many times did he qualify in the WC this year? Kinda feel for the guy. Jumped off Intense just when it seems like they got their frame sorted and Dak getting results.

 

[Sandwich]

$4k without shock, plus hopes and prayers that there will be a company to deal with any warranty issues or spare parts needs that might arise. That's a tough sell.

Have you seen what a brooklyn machine works goes for these days? Probably 4-5k for a frame alone, from a company that is long dead, on frames that are known to break in two locations, that aren't really any good to ride.

I'm confident all of these will sell and 50% will end up on a wall without being ridden

 

[canadmos]

Neko isn't even that high a profiled rider anymore. How many times did he qualify in the WC this year? Kinda feel for the guy. Jumped off Intense just when it seems like they got their frame sorted and Dak getting results.

Neko is high profile, you just don't hear from him or about him much.

There's a reason why the riders wanted him to represent their union thing in front of the UCI.

Also don't forget, the guy broke his pelvis at the start of the season, so he sat on the sidelines for a while.

 

[SuspectDevice]

$4k is a fine price. Gives the boys room to continue working with national cat 1 kids at the same price they have been selling bikes at already(a scooch over manufactured cost), and have a retail tier for old men that complain that $4k is too much.

 

[Redwood Mulch Chucker]

I don't know, Neko is rad and he is doing "gods work" for the DH in the UsA, but that seems like a tough sell at this point in time.

Maybe now that Yeti is entering the DH scene again the dentist market will shift from Enduro to DH.

 

[jonKranked]

Neko isn't even that high a profiled rider anymore. How many times did he qualify in the WC this year? Kinda feel for the guy. Jumped off Intense just when it seems like they got their frame sorted and Dak getting results.

Neko has maintained visibility with his video series, which goes into details that few others are putting out right now.

there have been known issues with intense other than just "getting their frame sorted" which have been on going since he left. not having bikes ready with enough time to train on them before race season. let's not forget the rumors that dak is looking to leave intense for '24

 

[jonKranked]

I was thinking waaaay lower.

Transition TR11 $2000
Specialized Demo $3000
Airdrop Slacker $2000

All with shocks included.

all made in ASPAC. all with higher production volumes.

yes, $4k is a lot of money for a frame. this run is only 100 frames, and they are being welded in the US by Frank (at least the front half of the bike is).

 

[canadmos]

Neko has maintained visibility with his video series, which goes into details that few others are putting out right now.

there have been known issues with intense other than just "getting their frame sorted" which have been on going since he left. not having bikes ready with enough time to train on them before race season. let's not forget the rumors that dak is looking to leave intense for '24

Not to pile on or derail the thread, but I listened to a podcast with Jack Moir recently and he said the Intense team had awful components.

 

[jonKranked]

Not to pile on or derail the thread, but I listened to a podcast with Jack Moir recently and he said the Intense team had awful components.

yea, let's not sit here and defend intense over things.

 

[shelteringsky]

Not to pile on or derail the thread, but I listened to a podcast with Jack Moir recently and he said the Intense team had awful components.

I get it. The tires mostly, yeah? Still, didn't seem to be holding him too far back this season.

Neko is undoubtedly a great ambassador for the sport and a nice guy. That'll get you a like and a subscribe on a Youtube channel but $4k for a frame w/o a shock... Put it this way, how many Ironhorses would've sold back in the day if it weren't for a bunch of fast Aussies?

 

[canadmos]

I get it. The tires mostly, yeah? Still, didn't seem to be holding him too far back this season.

Neko is undoubtedly a great ambassador for the sport and a nice guy. That'll get you a like and a subscribe on a Youtube channel but $4k for a frame w/o a shock... Put it this way, how many Ironhorses would've sold back in the day if it weren't for a bunch of fast Aussies?

Don't forget all the ethirteen stuff. John Hall was also interviewed on a podcast and brought up the broken cranks again, saying it was the manufacturers problem.

Moir left that team, after everything changed with it got switched over to the Gwin stuff.

 

[slyfink]

I get it. The tires mostly, yeah? Still, didn't seem to be holding him too far back this season.

could it be because he's not riding Intense bikes anymore?

edit: d'oh! sniped!

Moir left that team, after everything changed with it got switched over to the Gwin stuff.

 

[jonKranked]

Put it this way, how many Ironhorses would've sold back in the day if it weren't for a bunch of fast Aussies?

not an apples to oranges comparison.

 

[SuspectDevice]

not an apples to oranges comparison.

Literally-
Half of the bikes at any East Coast dh race in 2005-6 were Ironhorses(welded in one of two places in Portland Oregon, or in Taiwan). The other half were Sinisters, or 11 year old Richie Rude on a Demo9.

Just like now, afaik, everyone “got a deal”.
DH isn’t a “real” market segment, never has been.
Correct $4000 is a lot of money, but inflationarily speaking, these frames end up being about the same price as when there were way more domestically produced options for people to “bro deal”