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It's my 50th in a few (3) years, and I am thinking of treating myself to a UK built hardtail with a Pinion. Gives me time to save up 😉
Anyway, I thought 18 Bikes did them, but having looked on their website they've stopped doing custom jobs.
Having looked on the Pinion site they don't list any UK companies.
So I'm drawing a blank. I'd rather it was steel (could be stainless!) and UK built.
Any suggestions?
Do Starling still do custom work?
Shand?
Dawley Bikes do custom work, but I’m not sure he’d go as far as a pinion. Worth an ask though.
Clandestine? Dunno if he’d do custom work.
Carbon wasp could do something in carbon.
Starling do the effigear bike. Saw a video where the boss man said he preferred that over pinion as it has the indirect drive thing which allows the pivot to be centred on the drive chainring.
18 bikes were talking about doing a custom run of pinion bikes a month or so ago on instagram. I'd give them a call and see where that is up to.
I have seen a Shand pinion but I don't think they do them often.
Shand prefer the rohloff
18 bikes were talking about doing a custom run of pinion bikes a month or so ago on instagram. I’d give them a call and see where that is up to.
Not enough interest apparently, so not happening 😟
I'll email Shand.
Smokestone (ti) and Ted James (custom steel or ti) are two local (to me) brands that do....
You may want to order the gearbox now though as I was told it was at least 12 month wait for one at the start of 2021....
Sonder and Smokestone both made in the same factory in China
If you want a UK-built frame it would almost certainly be in steel
Olsen Bikes in the Southeast, has built pinion hardtails
Shouldn't be too long before they combine pinion gearing technology with electrical motor technology
Ebike with gearbox, sounds the perfect combo 🙂
Yeah for a steel frame you'll probably need to get a custom frame made by one of the UK builders. With steel it's going to be a heavy bugger though, unless it's built as an xc build. My Nordest Ti pinion build with fox 36's and carbon wheels is around 14.5g
The titanium frames can have custom geo done but they're all built in the same factories in the far East.
Shouldn’t be too long before they combine pinion gearing technology with electrical motor technology
Ebike with gearbox, sounds the perfect combo
There's already a few pre production ones which have been at shows, gives it a year or 2 and they'll be on the market. They won't be for lightweight ebikes though.
Now would be quite timely to speak with Ted James Designs as I know he's currently accumulating all the parts to build his own Pinion hardtail. Not sure if he's sorted his website after a glitch so try IG if no luck via email.
Curtis. I have a pinion belt drive steel 29er in the Q. Frame build should start end Jan or thereabouts.
This might wet the appetite, tho maybe with the sound turned down.
It takes six months from the first conversations we have with you to getting your Signal Ti Pinion for your first ride. In this time we'll talk exactly about what you need and where you're going so that we can design and build your perfect tandem.
🙂
GMBN did a piece on the starling gearbox bike. Might be worth a look. If you need someone to look at something there they are only round the corner from me, would love an excuse to pop in.
If you want a UK-built frame it would almost certainly be in steel
Ted builds in titanium, his bike will be in Ti, built in Nympsfield, Gloucestershire, UK.
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/danson-gearbox-now-with-added-weirdness.374292/
Dan Chambers has done a few little jobs for me and is a top bloke.
Ted builds in titanium, his bike will be in Ti, built in Nympsfield, Gloucestershire, UK
Pretty sure he does steel too. I saw a sus-forked BMX he'd done recently.
I'll add him to the list anyway.
Curtis too. He taught me to braze (I was one of the Kickstarter supporters of the Bicycle Academy) though a Pinion frame is a bit beyond my skill-set!
We'll that's a no from Starling. Apparently they don't do custom frames only custom sizing on their frame models.
I'd suggest they change this blurb on their website then...cos it's a bit misleading.
We offer all of our frames in several stock sizes but, our roots are in full custom builds.
We hand build one-of-a-kind, bespoke frames that exactly match the demands of our customers and their trails.
If you’ve never quite found that perfect bike or you’re a connoisseur with your dream bike in mind, this is where you stop looking.
They did used to do one offs, early in their existence, guess they haven’t the time now. Still needs changing mind.
There’s already a few pre production ones which have been at shows, gives it a year or 2 and they’ll be on the market. They won’t be for lightweight ebikes though.
The Intra-Drive Gearbox/Motor product will be available to custom framebuilders and limited bigger brands before Summer 2022.
I have seen a Shand pinion but I don’t think they do them often.
Shand prefer the rohloff
Efigear's new 9 speed Mimic gearbox makes use of the Pinion mounting plate.
Was thinking about one, but big jumps between gears, though the Mimic does not have set percentage changes like the Pinion and is meant to 'mimic' and wide range 9 speed cassette.
oh and Starling is listed as 'dealer' but speaking to Starling think is more a case of them being a customer of Effigear and not sure that they are too keen to retail just gearboxes on their own.
Still waiting to hear back Effigear in their planned delivery times
Frustratingly, I've pretty much given up on this.
Negatives from a couple of builders, no answer from a few more.
Don't think people are keen on building em 😟
Curtis not tempting you? I’m counting the weeks for mine now.
Not a UK frame buider, but I'm sure I've seen Pinion frames on the Singlebe website. Pretty much builds steel frames, waiting for my frame to arrive @ Feb, non gearbox though.
What about a curveball of not-UK and most definitely not steel? They can custom design any of their frames.
https://en.nicolai-bicycles.com/frames/argon-gx-pinion/
EDIT: Oops, that's a gravel thing
What was wrong with the Starling? https://www.starlingcycles.com/bikes/spur/
Or does it have to be Pinion?
Frustratingly, I’ve pretty much given up on this.
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">Negatives from a couple of builders, no answer from a few more</span><span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">.</span>
The negative feedback I'd heard on the fatbike pinion put me off - stories of cranks consistently loosening, rather than problems with the box itself, but still enough of me to go down the AXS route and save some cash.
Although most negative comments I've heard have been over hassles with supply and dealing with pinion rather than design faults.
What was wrong with the Starling?
I want a hardtail. Not interested in a full sus. I asked them, but they don't do custom (even though their website reads otherwise).
Doesn't need to be Pinion though...other gearboxes are available 😋
What about a curveball of not-UK and most definitely not steel? They can custom design any of their frames.
I dig Nicolai, and I'd seen that, but not what I'm after.
Curtis
No response after a couple of emails.
I like Curtis (though afaik it's not Brian building frames anymore) in fact he taught me to braze.
If you’re going to use Ted (and I would if I was going custom) I suggest going through his website if you can, his Instagram seems to have been taken over by a Crypto guru scammer.
Phone best for Curtis, emails not usually quick responses.
Frustratingly, I’ve pretty much given up on this.
The Alpkit HT ticks almost all your boxes, what don't you like?
I have a friend building bikes in Spain, SUBA cycles, Ben works with Effigear, so if nothing else he knows what going on with them.
I've been thinking about this too...
good luck!
Steve.
Just wanted to open this up again as I'm curious, too:
What are the confirmed UK options?
Sonder
Olsen
...and?
I asked 18 Bikes and they are a no for now
I've not contacted Shand or Curtis as I think that'll be getting too much cash for me
I'm actually wanting a monstercross/gravel frame, and these seem even harder to find
The most suitable I've found for a reasonable price is the Tout Terrain Scrambler (i.e. with a frame closer to £1000 than £2000, not including the gearbox)
I believe that the biggest problem at the moment is availability of the pinon box - it was a 12-18month wait last year, no idea if it's dropped. Lots of manufacturers/ builders won't start on the project unless you have a pinion box already or are willing to wait for one to arrive and provide significant deposits etc.
I believe that the biggest problem at the moment is availability of the pinon box – it was a 12-18month wait last year, no idea if it’s dropped. Lots of manufacturers/ builders won’t start on the project unless you have a pinion box already or are willing to wait for one to arrive and provide significant deposits etc.
Well, assuming that is due to high demand that could be a good thing
The lead times on gearboxes was one of the reasons we stopped offering Pinion builds because we couldn't keep a stock of gearboxes in on the offchance someone ordered the correct combination of speed/colour etc. The attempt at getting a batch done mentioned earlier in the thread was to try to overcome this - get everyone to decide what they want, order it and build the frames in time for when the gearboxes arrive. Unfortunately we only had one person willing to put a deposit down so it was shelved in favour of other projects. If 5-10 of you are interested in a frame then I'm willing to do a batch but it would be 12-18 months before we would have the gearboxes.
We are still dealing with Pinion for spares and the delivery timeframes for parts is considerably less so if you need anything please check out the website or email me directly (matt@18bikes.co.uk) if you need something we don't currently have listed or it's showing as not in stock
I believe Olsen has stock of gearboxes and loves a bit of monstercross / gravel.
Drop him a line, he'll happily talk to you online instead of talking to me over a pint (joking / not joking), I've seen him answering questions at 10pm.
@18BikesMatt thanks for adding that. I should probably have done a better job of passing on the message you gave me
Sharing purely as it's bike porn, but may be of interest to see what a chap local to me did with his Empire (as feat. on GMBN a while back)
https://revoroute.co.uk/gallery
Yer speak to Gary at Curtis.
He built me a custom adventure bike last year - lovely to deal with, I did mull a pinion for my build.
Phoned better than email for Gary.
I got a pinion Curtis MTB late summer last year. At that point Gary said probably his last one. Lead times as above and the hassle of importing and dealing with an overseas supplier in Pinion were factors.
Interesting, that’s proper bespoke then. Mine is founded on their base Am9 with tweaks. Didn’t realise did proper custom, looks good.
Shouldn’t be too long before they combine pinion gearing technology with electrical motor technology
Ebike with gearbox, sounds the perfect combo
Apparently that’s on its way, along with a 7-speed automatic transmission!
Once I know how my finances stand, I might contact Curtis to see if it’s possible to adapt an existing frame to take a Pinion ‘box - I have an Inbred 567 hooligan hardtail that’s seriously overbuilt and is unpainted, just a quick coat of clear lacquer, so wouldn’t need a re-paint. It would need sliding rear dropouts and the extra insert for fitting a Gates belt, and I’ve seen someone who ditched the Pinion fitting and fabricated a new one to simply things.
I haven’t ridden it for ages, but being able to ride in sand without trashing the chain after twenty minutes, and generally having almost zero maintenance is hugely appealing!
I’ve also got an Inbred 853 singlespeed that would look good with a Pinion, but that’s more involved, so I probably wouldn’t bother.