Neko Mulally, Frameworks and FEA Testing with Faction Bike Studio 3

Any diehard #USDH fan has been keeping track of Neko Mulally and his Frameworks brand over the last year. The scrappy downhiller who does everything from racing World Cups to running his own Downhill Southeast race series thought what better challenge than to make his own downhill race bike. He kicked off the project with the legendary Frank the Welder and kept everyone informed of his progress through transparent vlogs and video posts. Sometimes he'd fail, sometimes he'd succeed, but regardless, he kept pushing forward. Now he has riders like Asa Vermette aboard his bike and has gone from a full alloy build to a combo of alloy front triangle and carbon rear end. Continuing the progression, Neko partnered with Adam Robbins and Faction Bike Studio, a design and engineering firm out of Granby, Quebec, for FEA testing to ensure his downhill bikes are as strong and light as possible.

photos and interview by Jack Rice

The process works by comparing the computer-generated FEA data to the on-track data captured by sensors mounted to the bike during test runs. They can isolate "hot spots" and work with those to make the frame stronger where it needs to be and lighter where it allows.

The Frameworks team spent time in Quebec doing initial testing and took the program to the U.S. Open where more data was gathered. They'll continue the process at the upcoming World Cups, too.