Prototype, unique and random mountain bikes

sspomer
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sspomer
Edited Date/Time 11/18/2015 10:42am
Over the years, I've been lucky to see some really interesting mountain bikes. Some in brand headquarters that never left the prototype stage, some were unique pro rider bikes and some not-so-unique-but-still-drool-worthy steeds. I figured it was time to put them all in one place. I'll add to this thread over time and hope you do the same with bikes that caught your attention for one reason or another.

This Yeti 303 7 prototype that I featured on littermag back in 2008 is what got me into this forum idea. This bike obviously never went to production, but it sure is interesting. It was created when they were also working out the 303 RDH frame. They wanted to create a race-specific bike for "lighter DH courses" in which they could control the rear wheel's path. The wheel path was "completely rearward." The rail controlled the wheel path and the link in the down tube controlled the leverage ratio. That zone in the downtube is just a slot and nothing touches there, even though it may look like it. It features a 65-degree head angle, just under 17" chainstays and about 13.75" bb height.

These photos were taken in the spring of 2008










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Zuestman
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Zuestman 10/27/2014 3:21pm
10/27/2014 3:21pm
sspomer wrote:
Over the years, I've been lucky to see some really interesting mountain bikes. Some in brand headquarters that never left the prototype stage, some were unique...
Over the years, I've been lucky to see some really interesting mountain bikes. Some in brand headquarters that never left the prototype stage, some were unique pro rider bikes and some not-so-unique-but-still-drool-worthy steeds. I figured it was time to put them all in one place. I'll add to this thread over time and hope you do the same with bikes that caught your attention for one reason or another.

This Yeti 303 7 prototype that I featured on littermag back in 2008 is what got me into this forum idea. This bike obviously never went to production, but it sure is interesting. It was created when they were also working out the 303 RDH frame. They wanted to create a race-specific bike for "lighter DH courses" in which they could control the rear wheel's path. The wheel path was "completely rearward." The rail controlled the wheel path and the link in the down tube controlled the leverage ratio. That zone in the downtube is just a slot and nothing touches there, even though it may look like it. It features a 65-degree head angle, just under 17" chainstays and about 13.75" bb height.

These photos were taken in the spring of 2008










Ha!! that is my toolbox in the corner! if you look closely on the table there is one of the first 303 RDH prototype frames. Likely the one that Leov raced at MSA and Bromont that year!
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mamath7
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mamath7 10/28/2014 1:52am
10/28/2014 1:52am
Brand should always show prototypes behind a new bike, it could help to understand the choices they made. But maybe they can't due to some patent problem.
Anyway, we, bike tech geek, love prototypes.
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krisrayner
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krisrayner 10/28/2014 6:52am
10/28/2014 6:52am Edited Date/Time 10/28/2014 6:53am
As a follow up, here's what the 303rdh ended up as. This is Aaron Gwins 2009 World Champs frame that I recently acquired.




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sspomer
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sspomer 10/28/2014 8:22am
10/28/2014 8:22am
krisrayner wrote:
As a follow up, here's what the 303rdh ended up as. This is Aaron Gwins 2009 World Champs frame that I recently acquired. [img]https://p.vitalmtb.com/photos/forums/2014/10/28/1746/s1200_image.jpg[/img]
As a follow up, here's what the 303rdh ended up as. This is Aaron Gwins 2009 World Champs frame that I recently acquired.




that's rad you got gwin's old frame. the 303 rdh proto was there on that trip to the factory and here's the 303ss that never made it anywhere either. i thought this looked rad. it was a 5" travel frame IIRC.







then gwin w/ this 303 DH in 2009

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Zuestman
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Zuestman 10/28/2014 8:29am
10/28/2014 8:29am
Yeah Spomer, that was about a 5" bike. Zeigman raced it for years as his "4x" bike. That thing got the piss ridden out of it. It had the rear end from a stock Yeti 4x added on to the prototype front end with a rail.... was a fun bike!
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mamath7
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mamath7 10/28/2014 8:44am
10/28/2014 8:44am Edited Date/Time 10/28/2014 8:47am
The SS is HOT !
The same on vital w/ Graves?
link
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sspomer
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sspomer 10/28/2014 8:55am
10/28/2014 8:55am
mamath7 wrote:
The SS is HOT !
The same on vital w/ Graves?
link
yeah looks like it. that graves pic is 2012, too. #mileage haha.
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fabdemaere 10/28/2014 12:45pm
10/28/2014 12:45pm
Hyperpower! wrote:
Did someone say prototype?! [img]http://www.madcatzracing.com/media/velonews_001.jpg[/img]
Did someone say prototype?!

Looks better from this angle:
sspomer
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sspomer 10/30/2014 1:56pm
10/30/2014 1:56pm Edited Date/Time 10/30/2014 2:06pm
2009 World Champs in Canberra was rad because the mellow track brought out some different builds and ideas. (photos by Sven and Gary)

Fabien's Mondraker (crazy setup with his oblong chainring) - original slideshow in flash


Gee's Commencal (remote lock-out on the air shock) - original slideshow in flash


Mick's GT - original slideshow in flash


Rennie's Morewood - original slideshow in flash


Stevie Smith's Evil - original slideshow in flash


Trek's aero option (i don't think they ran the aero bits for racing, but i'm not positive) - original slideshow in flash





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fabdemaere 10/30/2014 2:17pm
10/30/2014 2:17pm
I swear to god I thought that Trek aero bike was something that a PinkBike user had photoshopped.
mamath7
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mamath7 10/30/2014 2:59pm
10/30/2014 2:59pm
fabdemaere wrote:
I swear to god I thought that Trek aero bike was something that a PinkBike user had photoshopped.
the shadow og the wheel could be a clue. I'm not an xpert but seems weird.
sspomer
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sspomer 10/30/2014 3:03pm
10/30/2014 3:03pm
fabdemaere wrote:
I swear to god I thought that Trek aero bike was something that a PinkBike user had photoshopped.
mamath7 wrote:
the shadow og the wheel could be a clue. I'm not an xpert but seems weird.
LOL, the trek is not photoshopped - view the full feature (it's flash though).



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fabdemaere 10/30/2014 3:03pm
10/30/2014 3:03pm
fabdemaere wrote:
I swear to god I thought that Trek aero bike was something that a PinkBike user had photoshopped.
mamath7 wrote:
the shadow og the wheel could be a clue. I'm not an xpert but seems weird.
No, Leov and Moseley were actually using this at worlds in 2009.
This makes me laugh so much
peecee
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peecee 10/30/2014 3:23pm
10/30/2014 3:23pm
The VProcess NV00 bike that never went into production that I feel should of or even in this day and age should be remade Nico should start and team and rebuild this bike with modern material.






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Mr. P
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Mr. P 10/30/2014 3:41pm
10/30/2014 3:41pm
fabdemaere wrote:
I swear to god I thought that Trek aero bike was something that a PinkBike user had photoshopped.
mamath7 wrote:
the shadow og the wheel could be a clue. I'm not an xpert but seems weird.
sspomer wrote:
LOL, the trek is not photoshopped - [url=http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/World-Champs-Trek-World-Racing-Session-88-Aero-Editions,201/Slideshow,1632/sspomer,2]view the full feature[/url] (it's flash though). [img]https://p.vitalmtb.com/photos/forums/2014/10/30/1763/s1200_Screen_Shot_2014_10_30_at_3.02.56_PM.jpg[/img]
LOL, the trek is not photoshopped - view the full feature (it's flash though).



I just read an interview with Bodie Miller where he found research that said switching from rubber goggle straps to plastic straps saves 1/1000th of a second. He won the bronze medal by 1/1000th of a second.

Fashion or finish placement. Which is more important? It's a weird answer in MTB.

P

I love it when they go balls out to engineer an advantage. Sometimes it is kooky, then 5 years later we are all riding it.
mamath7
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mamath7 10/30/2014 4:32pm
10/30/2014 4:32pm Edited Date/Time 10/30/2014 4:35pm
Mr. P wrote:
I just read an interview with Bodie Miller where he found research that said switching from rubber goggle straps to plastic straps saves 1/1000th of a...
I just read an interview with Bodie Miller where he found research that said switching from rubber goggle straps to plastic straps saves 1/1000th of a second. He won the bronze medal by 1/1000th of a second.

Fashion or finish placement. Which is more important? It's a weird answer in MTB.

P

I love it when they go balls out to engineer an advantage. Sometimes it is kooky, then 5 years later we are all riding it.
Probably in many sports, but for downhill, there is, since this year, a word that can answer this kind of question....


NEKO

But, for this particular race (god please, never again) the Neko don't work.
mamath7
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mamath7 10/30/2014 4:39pm
10/30/2014 4:39pm Edited Date/Time 10/30/2014 4:40pm
Hyperpower! wrote:
Sam Hill's modified Sx for Canberra 09 [img]https://lp1.pinkbike.org/p4pb4524043/p4pb4524043.jpg[/img]
Sam Hill's modified Sx for Canberra 09

5 years later...

Balog
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Balog 10/31/2014 5:08am
10/31/2014 5:08am
Brazilian budget frames from 1998-2002 or something like this...

These frames were made from old steel/cr-mo frames with motorcycles sampers.

Troitiño/Colombo DH Cycles





FSR prototype...
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matmattmatthew
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matmattmatthew 10/31/2014 9:25am
10/31/2014 9:25am
Hyperpower! wrote:
Did someone say prototype?! [img]http://www.madcatzracing.com/media/velonews_001.jpg[/img]
Did someone say prototype?!

fabdemaere wrote:
Looks better from this angle: [img]http://cdn3.coresites.mpora.com/dirt_new/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Sam-Hill-Pro-Bike-2-of-11.jpg[/img]
Looks better from this angle:
IH made a couple of those frames, 4-5, one popped up on ebay a couple years ago and I missed out on it by 10 bucks. Probably would have been a killer bike.
Dave_Camp
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Dave_Camp 10/31/2014 9:43am
10/31/2014 9:43am
mamath7 wrote:
the shadow og the wheel could be a clue. I'm not an xpert but seems weird.
sspomer wrote:
LOL, the trek is not photoshopped - [url=http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/World-Champs-Trek-World-Racing-Session-88-Aero-Editions,201/Slideshow,1632/sspomer,2]view the full feature[/url] (it's flash though). [img]https://p.vitalmtb.com/photos/forums/2014/10/30/1763/s1200_Screen_Shot_2014_10_30_at_3.02.56_PM.jpg[/img]
LOL, the trek is not photoshopped - view the full feature (it's flash though).



Mr. P wrote:
I just read an interview with Bodie Miller where he found research that said switching from rubber goggle straps to plastic straps saves 1/1000th of a...
I just read an interview with Bodie Miller where he found research that said switching from rubber goggle straps to plastic straps saves 1/1000th of a second. He won the bronze medal by 1/1000th of a second.

Fashion or finish placement. Which is more important? It's a weird answer in MTB.

P

I love it when they go balls out to engineer an advantage. Sometimes it is kooky, then 5 years later we are all riding it.
One of those is hanging up somewhere in Trek HQ... I heard the fairings and a skinsuit on the rider made a significant difference in the wind tunnel, but added weight and weird looks caused the team not to use it. Interesting for sure.

I'd like to see skinsuits come back...
sspomer
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sspomer 10/31/2014 10:04am
10/31/2014 10:04am
Dave_Camp wrote:
One of those is hanging up somewhere in Trek HQ... I heard the fairings and a skinsuit on the rider made a significant difference in the...
One of those is hanging up somewhere in Trek HQ... I heard the fairings and a skinsuit on the rider made a significant difference in the wind tunnel, but added weight and weird looks caused the team not to use it. Interesting for sure.

I'd like to see skinsuits come back...
it's so interesting how the mental factor of how a rider looks and feels on the bike can be just as important as the tech features of a bike.
fabdemaere 10/31/2014 10:13am
10/31/2014 10:13am
Hyperpower! wrote:
Did someone say prototype?! [img]http://www.madcatzracing.com/media/velonews_001.jpg[/img]
Did someone say prototype?!

fabdemaere wrote:
Looks better from this angle: [img]http://cdn3.coresites.mpora.com/dirt_new/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Sam-Hill-Pro-Bike-2-of-11.jpg[/img]
Looks better from this angle:
matmattmatthew wrote:
IH made a couple of those frames, 4-5, one popped up on ebay a couple years ago and I missed out on it by 10 bucks...
IH made a couple of those frames, 4-5, one popped up on ebay a couple years ago and I missed out on it by 10 bucks. Probably would have been a killer bike.
Definitely, Dave Weagle tweeted about it a few weeks ago, saying that it would still be a killer enduro bike
wydopen
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wydopen 10/31/2014 11:40am
10/31/2014 11:40am
except for the 21.5" tt and 69deg seat tube angle
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