The upper link is made of CNC-machined aluminumJames Huang/BikeRadar
Kent Eriksen Cycles won the NAHBS award last year for “Best Tandem” with this machineJames Huang/BikeRadar
Eriksen built this tandem with a hydraulic rear stoker brake plus a second set of shift buttons for the rear derailleurJames Huang/BikeRadar
Kent Eriksen Cycles debuted a new full-suspension mountain bike frame at this year’s NAHBS. Rear travel is set at 90mm and it’s scalable for 26″, 27.5″/650b, or 29″ wheelsJames Huang/BikeRadar
The rear end of Kent Eriksen’s new full-suspension frame is ultra-stoutJames Huang/BikeRadar
The tops of the seat stays are capped with pivots that are machined from 6/4 titanium billetJames Huang/BikeRadar
Check out the intricately constructed bottom bracket and main pivot area on Kent Eriksen’s new full-suspension mountain bike frameJames Huang/BikeRadar
Rather than mount the shock to two flexy plates, Kent Eriksen instead uses a boxed-in design that’s much, much stifferJames Huang/BikeRadar
Eriksen had this half-finished frame on display to show off the weld and miter qualityJames Huang/BikeRadar
This head tube isn’t quite done but you can see how incredibly small and even the weld beads areJames Huang/BikeRadar
Kent Eriksen Cycles showed off this beautiful disc brake-equipped ‘cross bike at this year’s NAHBSJames Huang/BikeRadar
An Avid BB7 Road SL mechanical disc brake is bolted to Paragon titanium tabsJames Huang/BikeRadar
This smaller-sized full-suspension Kent Eriksen 650b frame supposedly weighs right around 2.27kg (5.0lb)James Huang/BikeRadar
This 650b hardtail was supposedly built with a University of Wyoming theme, complete with a curved top tube and seat staysJames Huang/BikeRadar
Yee haw!James Huang/BikeRadar
Check out the machined titanium headset spacersJames Huang/BikeRadar
This Kent Eriksen frame was left completely as-is post-welding – as in no buffing, polishing, or brushingJames Huang/BikeRadar
Even without post-welding finish work, this Kent Eriksen frame is still gorgeousJames Huang/BikeRadar
Another lovely Kent Eriksen road racer on display at NAHBSJames Huang/BikeRadar
This Kent Eriksen hardtail is built with 650b/27.5″ wheels and features a Cannondale Lefty forkJames Huang/BikeRadar
Rather than use an 1 1/8″ conversion kit, Kent Eriksen instead simply includes a proper Lefty-compatible head tube on this frameJames Huang/BikeRadar
Singlespeed, anyone?James Huang/BikeRadar
This head tube once started out as a much chunkier piece of titaniumJames Huang/BikeRadar
Both of these bits started out life as flat 6/4 titanium sheet before being cut with a water jet and welded together for use on Kent Eriksen’s new full-suspension frameJames Huang/BikeRadar
The titanium frames attracted most of the attention in the Kent Eriksen booth but what about this wooden stand? AmazingJames Huang/BikeRadar
Internal wiring is neatly done on this Kent Eriksen rig. Hey Serotta – yes, it can be doneJames Huang/BikeRadar
This frame was left intentionally raw to show off the build qualityJames Huang/BikeRadar
Kent Eriksen doesn’t just do high-performance machines. This commuter looks like an awfully fun way to get to workJames Huang/BikeRadar
The titanium wizards at Kent Eriksen Cycles debuted a new full-suspension mountain bike design at this year’s North American Handmade Bicycle Show. Though still unnamed, the single-pivot arrangement was designed in Steamboat Springs, Colorado by Eriksen welder and designer Brad Bingham, offering 90mm of travel in a scalable layout that will work for 26in, 27.5in/650b or 29in wheels.
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Unlike the Yeti and Ventana rear ends Eriksen has shown in previous years, this new design uses titanium chain stays and seat stays that are more in keeping with the rest of the frame. The main pivot rotates on double-row sealed cartridge bearings and a 20mm-diameter axle for stiffness and the chain stay yoke is a massive TIG-welded titanium box-section made from sections of 6/4 plate cut with a water jet.
Up top, the shock is driven by a burly CNC-machined aluminum link but the front of shock is mounted with another boxed-in 6/4 welded titanium arrangement that should be much less prone to flex than typical parallel plates. In between Eriksen relies on titanium’s inherent flex to accommodate slight changes in geometry as the rear end moves through its travel.
Eriksen claims the new frame will weigh about 2.4kg (5.3lb) on average with smaller sizes flirting with the 2.25kg (5lb) mark. Somewhat unusually, Eriksen intends its 90mm-travel frame to be paired with a 120mm-travel fork.
Kent eriksen cycles debuted a new full-suspension mountain bike frame at this year’s nahbs. rear travel is set at 90mm and it’s scalable for 26James Huang/BikeRadar
The new, as-of-yet unnamed, full-suspension rig from Eriksen
All of that titanium artistry will cost you, though. Estimated retail price for the frame and rear shock is a whopping $5,400.
Eriksen had heaps of other titanium masterpieces on display, too, including two pieces that highlight the company’s expertise in the finicky material.
One was an Eriksen-sponsored TradeWind Energy team-issue road bike, built with a frame that was left intentionally raw post-welding – as in no finish work, no brushing, no polishing. Some might see it as being incomplete but a closer inspection reveals just how well it’s made and in particular, the evenness of the weld beads.
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Looking even further under the surface, another frame was literally half-finished with some welds completed, some started, other joints merely tacked, and some that weren’t welded at all to show the quality of the mitering. The tightness of the fit is quite impressive.
This head tube isn’t quite done but you can see how incredibly small and even the weld beads are:James Huang/BikeRadar
Eriksen only welded parts of the junctions to show off the tight mitering work
