Prototype Trek YSL200 build only one in the world

[Clannagh]

After many many months I've just completed my unique one off Trek YSL200 build.
A major criticism of this model has been the rear suspension or lack of it due to the original URT frame. Great when seated but stand up and it becomes all but in effective due to the riders weight acting down on the unsprung URT frame. So I've redesigned it by changing the entire rear end, relocating the pivot point and including the bottom bracket within the front frame section. This has also increased travel. At the front I have re-angled the headtube from 72° down to a 69° more in keeping with today's MTB's, in fact I made the entire headtube to allow fitting of 150mm travel tapered head forks

 

[spacehopper]

Re:

woah! hello! looks decent!

got any close up pictures of the bottom bracket / pivot area?

 

[latman]

Yes, pics too please , so it was a carbon Y22 ? (I actually have a road Y-foil )

 

[Clannagh]

Re:

Hi Yes
i'll up load some pics asap, I have a full photographic build, its been sooooo much work!
In the meantime here are a few snippets.
1: Original tired looking carbon Trek YSL 200, not much remains of it now just the centre section, all three ends, BB, Stem and seat post were chopped off.
2: New internal stem sleeve
3: New BB section

 

[latman]

ps I am in the carbon fibre game paddle business here in Australia and do frame repairs on the side . my initial impression is wow, and why did you use that PI the A carbon/kevlar hybrid weave ?

 

[Clannagh]

Internal cables too ;-)

 

[Clannagh]

Re:

That's a nice Foil love that Tri spoke, have I seen it on Y Foil group maybe?
I've a friend in US with one and I've literally just bought one. Havnt seen it yet as it's still in the USA. And I'm in UK so working out a means of getting it over here.
I went for Uni-direction carbon in keeping with Treks original frame and I think weight for weight makes for a stronger joint that regular weave. The Kevlar weave underneath is really just a finish layer as Kevlar from what I've read offers more impact resistance than carbon (I'm no expert) I liked the look of it too

 

[latman]

yes I am in a Y foil facebook group and I sent them a pic when I first joined up , the carbon / kevlar is a bit more impact resistant but its a pain to sand as the kevlar fluffs up , how did you do the alignment of your HT , BB , seat tube and pivot point ? are your alloy inserts anodised or have you got a layer of glass wrapped around them 1st ?

 

[Clannagh]

Yeh the Kevlar was a pain to work with had a couple of attempts with it.
As this is just a one off build a made a jig out of wood to keep things aligned, proper Heath Robinson looking affair but it worked. Plus I measured measured and measured again.
I wrapped the carbon by hand in stages rather than using a mould. I used application cloth and wrapped it tight to squeeze out excess resin, a very long winded process. Doing it again id make a mould and go the vacuum bagging route or even better pre-pregnated carbon. I could reduce the weight slightly by doing it that way. All in all though the frame is actually a few grammes lighter now than original as the old rear URT was 200+gms heavier than the current rear frame. That alloy headtube insert was custom made by a local engineer 63gms in weight. I could have reduced weight by just having separate top and bottom inserts but then I would have had to make a precision head alignment jig so that both inserts lined up. A single head insert guaranteed that both sets of head bearings would line up perfectly.
Yep I applied resin to the alloy inserts so no carbon actually touches bare alloy. Ive had some previous experience working with fibre glass and carbon but this is the first time I've built up a bike frame in such a way. So far so good it seems strong enough for what I will ever use it for
http://youtu.be/FXqcL8Er1EU
http://youtu.be/BkDbt3EkOO8

 

[Clannagh]

How do you upload bigger pics on here? I get a size limit of 512kb your Foil pic is over 2meg!
How does that workout :roll: