Current Projects chat and miscellany

my mate had a bike with exactly the same forks and the same tubing, it didn't have the gussets/webbing but was a unique design. it was made by pendle but i don't think he ever found out too much about them...but not sure how hard if at all he tried.

At the time the Columbus MAX tubeset was introduced, there were almost no compatible fittings available.
To be more precise: nothing at all.
Lugless building was something for rear niche makers.
And when lugs/BB-shells/crows were available, it was only one set.
It turned out that, with or without lugs, most MAX frames were looking pretty much the same. Many frame builders made a prototype or one year "production".
Yes, MAX tubes had advantages, but also disadvantages.
E.g.: you had to build lugless or were restricted to one set of lugs / supplier.
For builder and rider the frames were also not so practicle, because of the coke can effect. First, the frames were that stiff, that it was very hard to cold set the frames (necessary during the build to align the frame). Sometimes, folds appeared in the tubes during alignment and the frame could be thrown away.
For the rider: one accident and the frame could be ruined.
I think the success came a couple of years later, when most frame builders had forgotten the MAX set.
Technique of TIG welding became more common and the tubing was modified a bit (?). Wasn't there also a tubeset MAX-light (less oversized, increased wall thickness)?