[dirtdigger]

Hello all,

Well after a break from build frames for a while I'm back and getting set back up to start building frames again with this updated version, also working on a single pivot trail bike and may do a single pivot downhiller for those that are not fussed on linkages, idlers and stuff.

Special thanks to all the customers of the first frames with some clocking up a huge amount of riding and still going strong!
And apologies to all those that wanted frames that I was not able to come through for, but this time round working on building full time.

Thanks
Scott

 

[EVRAC]

Awesome work.

 

[GoodbyePorkPie]

Sick bikes, ride really well when setup right, very silent compared to many big brands out theyre and fast n smooth rigs on the DH track.

Whats the GEO numbers Scott? Prices etc
Cheers.

 

[no skid marks]

Welcome Back.

 

[dirtdigger]

Hey thanks skids!

Good to hear you like how they ride Goodbyeporkpie, yeah the bikes do run real freakishly silent!
The standard (large) Geo is
HA 63.5
BB hight 14"
Wheel base 46"
Chain stays 16 3/4"

Still have to determine pricing but will start at around $1600 nzd with out shock.

Scott

 

[no skid marks]

My second one, the raw one, just did a 6 month riding tour of Australia, then the USA, Canada and New Zealund with my mate that bought it. Still going strong. He didn't do as well as the bike and broke a leg and arm on it.
The clear coat sorta 1/3rd came off, but the chromo only lightly surface rusts, it's still the best looking bike IMO, looks full Mad Max now. I'll try get him to post a pic, he needs a new idler or something so he'll probably get in contact with you. Said he felt like a celebrity with so many people asking about his Katipo on his travels.

 

[Downhillbiker23]

Cool looking. Like a cross between a demo and Canfield look. Spot on. Good luck

 

[scottishmark]

Reminds me a lot of the prototypes that a mate on mine knocked up a few years ago. Sadly life got in the way and he never got to production, believe the bikes are still going strong though:

http://www.descent-world.co.uk/2009/09/19/mcgrath-bikes-innerleithen-iron/

 

[demo 9]

so a zerode had sex with a canfield...

looks sweet, what does it weigh?

 

[Tomasis]

more pictures please! on the whole frame!

 

[no skid marks]

so a zerode had sex with a canfield...

looks sweet, what does it weigh?

My old one was not much over 17kg with Boxxers(coil). Nearly the same design weight wise.

 

[rosenamedpoop]

Love these...

Scott, adjustable travel/geo as before? Maybe 1.5" or tapered HT to allow for single crown?

 

[UiUiUiUi]

so what's the reach and stack of the large and how tall are you?

shipping to europe?

 

[ocelot]

Will you be doing any demo days?

 

[Sandwich]

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/f19/katipo-collection-216640/

Here's the other thread.

Interesting bike. I love the idea and it's quite pretty too. I'd love to see an integrated headset of some kind. Just a suggestion, but make sure to respond to inquiries this time around. Nothing says dodgy quite like radio silence. Even if you aren't currently making frames, a quick response is better than nothing....although this is the bike industry, so apparently you can get away with that here.

 

[curtmuss]

sick looking !

 

[UiUiUiUi]

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/f19/katipo-collection-216640/

Here's the other thread.

Interesting bike. I love the idea and it's quite pretty too. I'd love to see an integrated headset of some kind. Just a suggestion, but make sure to respond to inquiries this time around. Nothing says dodgy quite like radio silence. Even if you aren't currently making frames, a quick response is better than nothing....although this is the bike industry, so apparently you can get away with that here.

what he said!

i suggest using a BMX integrated Headtube since this is a steel frame, except if you want to add adjustability.

those headsets are cheap, easy to obtain and even easier to replace bearings

 

[dirtdigger]

My second one, the raw one, just did a 6 month riding tour of Australia, then the USA, Canada and New Zealund with my mate that bought it. Still going strong. He didn't do as well as the bike and broke a leg and arm on it.
The clear coat sorta 1/3rd came off, but the chromo only lightly surface rusts, it's still the best looking bike IMO, looks full Mad Max now. I'll try get him to post a pic, he needs a new idler or something so he'll probably get in contact with you. Said he felt like a celebrity with so many people asking about his Katipo on his travels.

Man always cool to hear about people enjoying riding on the frames!
weight is 9lbs with out shock or axle.

@rosenamedpoop, For now staying with 1 1/8" head tube, frame wise there's no real advantage going to 1 1/5" head tube for steel frames, this time going for one shock size at 240 mm with 8.2" travel, mind you the proto has 7.5" travel at the moment and it's working pretty sweet.

@UiUiUiUi, Reach 15.35" stack 23.6" most of the frames have been this size with 46" wheel base, I'm 5'9''
I'll get back to you on shipping but should be around $150 nzd
Maybe later on I'll look in to go to integrated Headsets? plus lots of other things!


@Sandwich, Yeah sorry for my less than excellent responses, I'm a bit funny like that, something for me to work on

 

[HardtailHack]

Hmmm, could you do a 12x135mm rear end on a frame?

Not looking at buying right now but I need to replace my Corsair in a little while and I'd like to try running four or five gears on something like a Stans 3.30 SS hub, it would still be bolt through dropouts.

 

[Sandwich]

@Sandwich, Yeah sorry for my less than excellent responses, I'm a bit funny like that, something for me to work on

It's cool, I just contacted you some time ago but never heard back. As a small organization, customer service is extra important, in my opinion.

Superco does a drop-in campy style headset. Super clean with a low stack height. I know that the physical properties of cromo don't really allow for thin tubes to join neatly with fat tubes, but maybe there's a way to integrate a small adjuster for angles, like a sinister splinter/lawwill style trunion, or a second bolt hole, just so people can get a bit slacker/lower or steeper/higher. IMO it's a better way to adjust geometry than headset cups, as those are a bitch to remove/install.

Have you ever set one up without the idler? I've probably asked before, but I've always wanted to experiment with a high pivot bike without an idler. Theoretically, if you're traveling fast, you shouldn't have much pedal feedback as drivetrain lash will make up for it, OR, it could actually be used to propel you forward, if not. Since most pedaling is a sprint, I'm not sure that lots of "antisquat" would be a bad thing.

 

[no skid marks]

It's cool, I just contacted you some time ago but never heard back. As a small organization, customer service is extra important, in my opinion.

Superco does a drop-in campy style headset. Super clean with a low stack height. I know that the physical properties of cromo don't really allow for thin tubes to join neatly with fat tubes, but maybe there's a way to integrate a small adjuster for angles, like a sinister splinter/lawwill style trunion, or a second bolt hole, just so people can get a bit slacker/lower or steeper/higher. IMO it's a better way to adjust geometry than headset cups, as those are a bitch to remove/install.

Have you ever set one up without the idler? I've probably asked before, but I've always wanted to experiment with a high pivot bike without an idler. Theoretically, if you're traveling fast, you shouldn't have much pedal feedback as drivetrain lash will make up for it, OR, it could actually be used to propel you forward, if not. Since most pedaling is a sprint, I'm not sure that lots of "antisquat" would be a bad thing.

Ride an Orange 222. Steve P dominated on it, shook the sh!t out of everyone else in the rough.

 

[sikocycles]

Can you do a 29er?

 

[dirtdigger]

It's cool, I just contacted you some time ago but never heard back. As a small organization, customer service is extra important, in my opinion.

Superco does a drop-in campy style headset. Super clean with a low stack height. I know that the physical properties of cromo don't really allow for thin tubes to join neatly with fat tubes, but maybe there's a way to integrate a small adjuster for angles, like a sinister splinter/lawwill style trunion, or a second bolt hole, just so people can get a bit slacker/lower or steeper/higher. IMO it's a better way to adjust geometry than headset cups, as those are a bitch to remove/install.

Have you ever set one up without the idler? I've probably asked before, but I've always wanted to experiment with a high pivot bike without an idler. Theoretically, if you're traveling fast, you shouldn't have much pedal feedback as drivetrain lash will make up for it, OR, it could actually be used to propel you forward, if not. Since most pedaling is a sprint, I'm not sure that lots of "antisquat" would be a bad thing.

Pedaling with out the idler would be like riding on a kangaroo! I have ridden a Kona stab and that was bad enough.

really you dont want any "antisquat" IMO but because bike suspension has chain toque as the dominant force there will always be issues with acceleration forces, using one force like chain torque or "antisquat" to counter acceleration squat will always end up as a compromise, things like a lower BB hight and smaller front chain ring dont help(you can add 29ers to that as well) even changing gears on the rear cassette effects chain torque.

 

[dirtdigger]

Can you do a 29er?

Not at the moment, I'm not sold on 29ers but maybe 26 rear/29er front might work out ok?

 

[no skid marks]

27" for the win.

 

[sikocycles]

Not at the moment, I'm not sold on 29ers but maybe 26 rear/29er front might work out ok?

I am sold on it. Dont have a 26" wheels anymore.

 

[RD3]

I could go for a 29" downhill bike too. I definitely think there is a market for them.

Beautiful frames, good to see you are making them again.

 

[Sonic Reducer]

a few questions, sort of building oriented...
looks like you did a butt joint miter on the down tube to get the bend. may I ask why, over bending the tube? lack of a bender or too thin a wall?
what materials and wall thicknesses are you working with on the prototype, and what kind of rod are you using?
do you ream your pivot housings etc. post weld or are you using some kind of heat sink slugs, or?
what software, if any, do you design with?

 

[sikocycles]

Maxxis will have a tire out very soon 29er DH tire.
Do it!

 

[dirtdigger]

Well just finished the 6" travel trail proto, still need some finishing touches but had to take it out for a ride!
frame weight should come under 6.5 lbs with out the rear shock.
now all the hard work test riding begins

 

[BmxConvert]

I suppose it's time to provide a little feedback on the Katipo V2 that I had Scott build for me.

For those of you that aren't into reading I'll summarize by saying that the Katipo V2 is EXACTLY as the doctor ordered and about as perfect as a downhill bike can get in ride quality.

For a more in-depth report I'll start from the beginning.
Scott posted up that he had made a prototype 2nd generation frame. I was intrigued. I've been wanting to try a high pivot/rearward wheel path bike again(previously had a Session10) after riding 2 race-bred bikes. I was originally on a 2007 Sunday, then bought a 2010 Demo 8 II which I loved the geometry and hated the suspension platform. I went back to the Sunday but threw a -1.5 angleset cup on the bottom and a -1.0 cup up top. The mix of the cups kicked the Sunday to a 13.625" BB, 61.5 degree headangle and a pretty stable wheelbase. The suspension was exactly what I wanted from a trail bike, skip over the small stuff, absorb the big hits but my hand weren't having it anymore. I have horrible tendonitis and hanging on to stiff suspension is getting tough.
The Sunday was good for a year until I lost interest in riding downhill; then along came Scott from Katipo.
Scott put up with a ton of my questions and requests and I got a new frame. I wanted a more slack headangle and longer top tube length than he had planned for the production frames. Scott gave me the choice of link color via anodizing. I was also asked how I wanted it painted. After some emails with Commencal I had sourced the paint code for their light, poppy blue the DH frames were being painted and we had some paint.

The frame arrived and it went together really easy. I went ahead and chased and faced the bottom bracket, reamed and faced the headtube out of habit(I have to get my money out of those tools anyway). I did have a little trouble with chainguide setup but that was mostly just my guide being overly simple and complicated at the same time.

The first ride out on the frame was a bit discouraging. My local DH track is super fun on a trail bike; it's got some rooty sections, drops, doubles, road gaps and steep chutes but my Pivot Mach5.7c was handling it no problem. Switching to the Katipo with fresh new tires, slack headangle and a spring in the fork that was too firm made it feel like I was never getting proper traction. I kept and opened mind and gave it a go on another true DH track and the bike started to shine.
Chain growth and pedal feedback are non-existant. Obviously the benefit of the design is that the chainstay length grows to allow for square-edge compliance.. however, it certainly doesn't feel like a plow bike like a Session 10 or V10 that is just wildly plush and absorbent. What you feel is that lack of the bike hanging up on hits, rocks and roots. It feels as though I carry speed better through rough rocky/rooty situations but more than anything, it's flat out fun!
The harder I pushed through rocks and roots the more I noticed that I wasn't losing speed at the end of rock gardens like I used to with my Sunday/Foes/Demo. We did some pretty good sized creek-gaps and even with the minimum pressure in the RC4 I never felt a harsh bottom out. My old Session10 had a high-pivot but sucked trying to get it air born. The Katipo is both poppy for jumps and line changes and planted.
I'm excited to be back on a downhill bike, especially one that is exactly what I wanted.

Total build came out a 38.7lbs with ti coils front and rear, real DH tires, mid-weight tubes, full Spank Spike downhill build kit(including 35mm wide rims) and E13 DH cranks. I could drop a ton of weight on the build if I wanted to but I'm not going to bother.

Thank you Scott for putting up with my pestering and impatience and for making a great frame!

 

[HardtailHack]

Cool looking bike, I was wondering what had happened to the Katipo V2 frame, I think I might have to get saving.

 

[no skid marks]

Looks awesome. Loved my Katipos. Just heard my old one(must be 5 years old) fell of a chairlift and got destroyed The owner is real bummed. Hopefully he'll get another as I think the resort is covering it.