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Road to NAHBS 2015: Stijl Cycles and LocoMachine

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STIJL NAHBS 2015 breakaway 3

Since LocoMachine and Stijl Cycles will be bunking together at NAHBS this year, it made sense to group them together here.  Hinmaton Hisler talks about emerging trends in the small builder industry, going deep with titanium, and branching out after the jump.

Hinmaton Hisler:  I think this year is really the dawn of a new type of builder. Frame builders that are diversifying into other product genres: Tooling, Components, other modes of transportation. (IE: Groovy and what Rody is bringing with his frame jig and his other components.)

I am not saying that this is a new thing, many of these builders and the builders that came before have meddled in these same genres, but it seems as if this behavior is becoming more mainstream and generally accepted within the field. The lines have been blurred and now they are coming back into focus with this new type of builder.

BIKERUMOR: What are your main building materials?

Stijl Cycles: Right now, Stainless and Ti are where I want to put my focus.

LOCO MACHINE NAHBS 2015 thru-axle dropout 2

LocoMachine: Titanium makes up the largest group, but everything I offer in Ti, I offer in Steel and Stainless.

BIKERUMOR: What’s new with your company since NAHBS last year?

Stijl Cycles: Breaking into Stainless and Titanium materials has been the largest change for Stijl.

LOCO MACHINE NAHBS 2015 Thru-axle dropouts

LocoMachine: Last Year, I had made my first step into the world of machining Titanium, and now I have really hit my stride.

STIJL NAHBS 2015 breakaway 1

BIKERUMOR: Any killer custom bike builds in that time?

Stijl Cycles: The XCr “breakaway” frame still stands out as the biggest leap for Stijl Cycles.

LocoMachine: I broke into coping fixtures recently upon the request of a client, and I really liked the results. Expect more to come.

BIKERUMOR: What were some of your newer inspirations for recent bikes?

Stijl Cycles: I typically work with my clients to arrive at a final design and allow the process to be the spark for the inspiration, but recently I have been enjoying a synthesis of design happening between Loco and Stijl, each one feeding the other.

LOCO MACHINE NAHBS 2015 QR Dropouts 2

LocoMachine: it’s been great to have an in-house design sounding board as well as being aware of and responding to the market.

BIKERUMOR: What are you building this year that’ll draw a crowd?

Both: I think some of the R56 style dropouts are going to be crowd pleaser this year, I’m hoping to complete a prototype frame using them for the show.

STIJL NAHBS 2015 breakaway 4

BIKERUMOR: If you had to build a bike for a Kentucky Derby style race (think short, all out effort on deep, loose dirt), what would you build and why?

Stijl Cycles: I would build a thru-axle Ti 29+ hardtail frame with drop bars, a huge track style chainring up front and a Nuvinci 360 hub in the rear, belt drive. Because it’s a horse of a bike.

STIJL NAHBS 2015 breakaway 2

BIKERUMOR: Bourbon or beer?

Me: I prefer Whiskey

Loco-Machine.com

StijlCycles.com

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13 Comments
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m
m
9 years ago

nice looking bike
whats up with that barrel adjuster on the rear brake in the first pic? You think since its a show bike it would be wound all the way in.

M

bobons
bobons
9 years ago

Perhaps it’s for anti-theft usage…

open source editor
open source editor
9 years ago

(deleted)

Kovas
9 years ago

+1 open source editor. Thank you.

Just curious: How does the breakaway style compare to more common S&S couplings. Anyone have any experience? Does it make for a lighter frame? As robust as S&S?

mudrock
mudrock
9 years ago

m – Instead of using Ritchey’s quick-disconnect cable attachments, Stijl just loosens the cable at the barrel adjuster so he can pop the housing out of the braze-on stop.

mudrock
mudrock
9 years ago

m – Instead of using Ritchey’s quick-disconnect cable attachments, Stijl just loosens the cable at the barrel adjuster so he can pop the housing out of the braze-on stop.

Kovas – SS is more robust, but Ritchey is way lighter, and users feel no extra lack of stiffness.

pdxfixed
pdxfixed
9 years ago

@mudrock, that’s kind of silly, if the bike is being taken apart it probably has the wheels off, which means you could just squeeze the caliper together to pop the housing out.

NotAMachinist
NotAMachinist
9 years ago

Kovas,

I have a Ritchey Breakaway and the coupler works well. Doesn’t creak, has never loosened up on it’s own and you can’t tell it’s a coupled bike when riding. It rides like a light steel bike. So pretty much great.

The Stijl looks really nice. I’m not a fan of Wright style dropouts, but that’s a pretty small nit to pick.

carbonfodder
carbonfodder
9 years ago

I have both a steel and a Ti ‘cross breakaway, and have never noticed anything “odd” about them. I did have a Ti S+S bike a bunch of years back and it too felt normal. Breakaway is definitely lighter and requires less diligence (S+S require specific grease and have a proprietary tool, Breakaway require whatever grease you like and 1×4 + 1x5mm Allen keys).

Full disclosure – I am 135lb, so I couldn’t stress wet cardboard.

King Country
King Country
9 years ago

I also have a Ritchey breakway. No problems at all. Feels like a regular bike. I didn’t use the cable couplers, either.

IJWS
IJWS
9 years ago

the rear brake quick-release on the breakaway XCR is open and it’s ruining the picture 🙁

Phil
Phil
9 years ago

The barrel adjuster being screwed out. I’d put my money on it was done to stop the bike rolling during the photo shoot.

Lemond Rider
Lemond Rider
9 years ago

Kids, stop being to picky over what wrong in the photo. Barrel adjusters and quick releases? Really ?????????? Oh, WAIT…..the chain is NOT in the LARGE CHAINRING…….Blasphemy

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