Bike porn

For aluminium cranks, you need to get out of the business completely if you're not offering some objective benefit over the competing Shimano HT2 offering.

I think subjective benefits can sometimes balance the pure practicalities of the HT2.
So in terms of strength to weight, it would go CNCed, cold forged, HT2, Carbon?

Isn't the aluminium billet 'forged' - or at least heat treated - so that it's as stiff as fkc anyhow?

The main issue with the stupid crank up there is that they aren't CNCing anything useful - it has the same mass as an equivalent forged crank - it just took longer and cost more to make. Quite why they didn't go the whole hog and integrate the pedal spindles too.

See the Hollowgram crank for an example of CNC alu machining with (OK, somewhat tenuous) objective benefit.

Well, strength is seldom an issue, once you've made a crank stiff enough it's nearly always strong enough (tubular Ti Moratis excepted). After that, fatigue is a problem, mostly in aluminium cranks, which is where forging wins not only because it inherently strengthens the material but because it forces the designer to avoid sharp re-entrants, which are simultaneously a bugger to forge and the enemy of smooth stress distribution.

Milling stuff out of billets isn't inherently wrong (well, economically it usually is as long as your volumes are worthwhile), but on a component with high cyclic stress, you need to design carefully and quite possibly apply some post-mill surface treatment to eliminate stress raisers.

Billets are indeed forged, but the direction of flow of the material when forging a billet isn't necessarily the right direction for the finished article; imagine making a wooden plank with the grain running across its width.

Fuck, just realised we're about to be assaulted by the annual NAHBS-wank apocalypse. Maybe I should unsubscribe for a month :-)

oh no please stay. we need you here.

Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit :-)

No, emoticons are.

Nobody put the gaston's clerc? :-(

http://www.the5thfloor.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/max-600x400.jpg

http://www.the5thfloor.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/level3.jpg

http://www.the5thfloor.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/las3.jpg

http://www.the5thfloor.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/cam1.jpg

http://www.pedalroom.com/p/de-rosa-professional-slx-5256_1.jpg

http://www.pedalroom.com/p/makino-galaxy-njs-10071_17.jpg

http://www.campafreak.com/GDR_cycling_bike/GDR_national_team/track/NJS_keirin_sprint/files/dscn1616.jpg

http://www.pedalroom.com/p/basso-pista-6892_1.jpg

Nobody put the gaston's clerc? :-(

blue cog...

Apologies for the less than dazzling photo quality

Apologies for the matchy-matchy tape/saddle/cables, the rear brake cabling, the position of the brake levers and the rotation of the bars.
ftfy

Posting Readers' Wives is rarely a good idea, but first thing on a Sunday morning is just plain daft. :)

And the less than dazzling bike?

Wonky brake pads too, if we're playing that game.

Good catch.

Front brake inner has been trimmed too short.

I wouldn't be surprised if the the rear was short as well...

Objections duly noted, my foray into the porn business has proven more flaccid than John Bobbitt's Frankenpenis

#toughcrowd

Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit :-)

i considered that... but i have to admit i'm surprised you pointed it out.

Apologies for the less than dazzling photo quality
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww275/yakuza_renegade/photo2_zpsd330d5f9.jpg

i have that saddle kicking around. fairly uncommon saddle.

it does turn jeans red, bloody red.

'NAHBS wank' but so nice

Only the cockpit looks a bit fishy

Love that frame's paint job!

Cockpit is a droopy.

'NAHBS wank' but so nice

Only the cockpit looks a bit fishy

bar tape. but, wow. single ring. youve pulled, love, come the fuck here.

and the red seatpin stripe. thats just gonna look like a big cock really.

Cockpit is a classic.

Fixed.