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Criggie
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Steel Cables aka Tensegrity or Tensional Integrity

This is not a unique frame build material because wires or cables only work under tension. So this bike requires at least two beams of some other non-compressible material, in the form of a main beam and a seat post.

Earlier: enter image description here

More modern construction with only one wire: enter image description here

Advantages

  • Less frontal area, lower wind resistance and therefore more aero.

  • Theoretically lighter than tubes.

Disadvantages

  • Not actually lighter than tubes, because the main beam has to be beefier, and steel cable is not light in the first place.

  • Cheesecutter - In the event of an accident, the topwire/toptube would do significantly more focused damage based on its smaller size. Like those taunt wires used to cut fancy cheese. cringe

  • Flex - these bikes were excessively compliant in the horizontal direction.

Future

Some development has been done with kevlar cables and carbon fibre main beams.

Criggie
  • 130.7k
  • 15
  • 194
  • 452