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wow. this is definitely a unique looking bike. cant say i have ever seen one like this before. i havent made up my mind whether i like it or not- its growing on me. how does it ride and handle? how light is this bike?

i read some info about these on eviltom's web site (can't find the link)  he's making these here in the usa.  only a few bikes so far, so i'd say they're still kind of in the prototype phase.  if i remember correctly, they are a little on the heavy side.  hey tom, can you post a link to your site for company/bike info?

I rode this bike at our local indoor track ( Rehbein's, MN ) and it wasn't to bad. It steers quick forsure. It feels like a diamond shape frame if you don't look down and gasp,  and think, "whoa, this is wild".....   Great innovating.

Last edited by Brad Apold (2007-02-09 4:49pm)

Tom:
  Just saw your post, looked up my old post to refresh and can say this:

     Hearing your description about the 2nd gen frame I can say I was wrong that they "wouldn't be much of an improvement".

me Hellmutt wrote:

Disreguarding the price and it's asthetics, at 9.8lbs for and aluminum frame it's screaming to me that even though the bike appears to have been thought out by it's maker, the tubing wasn't sized properly, or if they actually did the strength calculations then they have to ditch their asthetics and go with a design that will allow for a lighter frame with comprable, or higher strength.  Yes I realize this is a PROTOTYPE frame but you don't overbuild a prototype and stick it up for sale. 
   Point I'm trying to make, when building a bike from scratch and actually selling to the public wouldn't you sit down, do the math, size the material, calculate force/stress throughout the members of the frame and go with the lightest and strongest possible setup??  Maybe I'm just trying to act like a know it all (damn you college classes making me learn!) but from this, I don't see thier 2nd gen frames being much of an improvement unless they do decide to follow some simple guidelines on design etc.
   Not trying to bash this guy, just isn't following a logical reasoning to me.
  Website:
    www.evilzbikes.com

But do you really think that a bike with such mixed reactions (other posts) about it's aesthetics and piggish weight is really going to be marketable for the price your asking, especially if you do incorporate the use of CNC machining into the frames construction? 

  Manufacturing and selling a 9.8 lb aluminum frame in a market with the heaviest of low grade steel bike frames still ducking under the 9lb range, just doesn't make any sense to me even for a prototype.  Even if your 2nd gen brings weight down (with the tubing used I still don�t see you in the sub 5lb range unless it starts taking on characteristics from Eastern's Grim Reaper frame), $500 is pushing it considering chromoly race/street/dirt frames now weighing in under 5lbs and at under $400 and aluminum race frames with even better weight savings and just as cost effective...

  Believe me you have my respect for taking on a venture as such and with your contributions to the cycling community in general.  In no way shape or form was I trying to pick on you before or now, just would like to hear your thought process.
         
            Supercrossvet's post here is encouraging.

i still like it :0

Thanks saylor. I love to hear that kind of rajulio hector de la hondo. ~ And thanks again Hellmutt. I would still be interested in any ideas someone has.

Well actually the look of the bike has grown on me Tom and since I haven't said anything about the bike's look yet I might as well now! lol  Personally the only thing I can't get past is the look that the gusset between the top tube and front of the rear triangle, but obviously if done away with the rest of the construction will have to be altered.  But hey that's just me and even I can't agree with changing the Z look of the frame if that's what replacing that gusset means.

  Also was going to ask about incorporating hydroformed or extruded tubing sections instead of going with CNC milling?  I'm not sure how drastically different the costs would be, but would expect less than the milling?

saylor wrote:

I went to southwest high school in like 1987 (?). . . not very long. I lived in Edina for a few months. It's cold up there

I read what you said about the seat tube on your website... what if you totally did away with the seat / seat tube, do you think it would allow favorable geometry changes? or do you think the value of seat / seat tube helps the rider finesse the bike handling more than would be achieved by eliminating it for something different?

I see no reason why this bike couldn't be made with different geometries. I think there is value in the seat being there; to lean on the inside of the leg, for manuevering purposes. I have thought of putting it down the main structure of the Z, hiding it completely. My flatlander in Mo. sure likes having it there to grab. But for racing Maybe just putting the saddle directly on the back end of the Z could work. So many possibilities.  So little time. Keep on keepin on dude.

Evil Tom

Evil Z Bikes

Well other than taking up a decent chunk of time to do the math by hand, why not just model it in Autocad or a similar program and have it do the strength and other calculations for you?
   Likely you probably already knew that though 

emptyshoe wrote:

dude i wanna check this out i live pretty close to rehbins in MN i live in lino i should stop by some time it looks super sweet

I work at Edina Bike & Sport in Edina. I have one there. Come in and take it for a spin.

Last edited by eviltom (2007-10-03 1:00am)

dude this bike is in dave mirras bmx challenge

you have to play it to see it! you can choose it, but the call it like a mystery custom or something like that you can rent it at blockbuster