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NAHBS 2015: Unbelievable Samurai Cycles segmented titanium disc brake road bike

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Samurai Cycles

Like Cykelmageren, Groovy and Cherubim, Samurai brought out the kind of bike that challenges notions of what a bike could or should be. These builders make things that certainly aren’t for everyone, the looks rarely fall into standard notions of what bikes should be, and the details are often astounding.

Samurai’s titanium road bike checks all those marks by using Ebikan welding, which takes small, fan-shaped segments and welds them together to create curves. The entire frame is made of 3/2.5 titanium and every main component pressed into it is 6/4 ti. Cut past the break for a gallery of pure metal art…

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The design of the bike, combined with the unique construction method, is intended to mimic the beauty and strength of a samurai’s armor and sword. There are no bent tubes here – all of the curves and bends in the frame are made by sections of tube cut at an angle then welded together.

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Only a handful of parts on the bike aren’t titanium. The Alfine shifter and rear hub and Gates Belt Drive cranks are the two biggest.

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The dropouts use a pivot and guide bolt/slot with tension bolt to pull the belt tight. Click to enlarge for a closer look.

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As if it wasn’t obvious from the design, the price proves that these types of bikes are meant for a certain type of rider. Check them out at SamuraiBike.jp. Partners in this build were Futaku Precision Machinery (producer), TiG Co., Ltd. (maker) and Miyake Design (designer).

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23 Comments
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Erik van Bommel
Erik van Bommel
8 years ago

Wow. I have no idea how, but one day I want one.

Max G.
8 years ago

Quite some plumbing there! Nice to see new/weird ideas, and craftsmanship never gets boring.

anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago

The seatstay/chainstay/dropout part of the bike looks like bent tubes to my untrained eye.

Dave B
Dave B
8 years ago

Another great illustration of something that can be done but makes me wonder why it was done.

pdxfixed
pdxfixed
8 years ago

There are plenty of bent tubes on that frame.

Antipodean_G
8 years ago

This is totally nuts. Love it for all that it is.

But I hate reading things like “is intended to mimic the beauty and strength of a samurai’s armor and sword”. It’s NOTHING like a Katana or it’s various incarnations or armour, both of which which represent pure simplicity, where form follows function…

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
8 years ago

This is really terrible execution in terms of the Samurai idea. You sure he didn’t mean Rat Rod? Rat Rod, Samurai…they can easily be confused. Lots of work in the welding and I appreciate that but I couldn’t imagine wanting to ride this for any reason, or have it in my house as a work of art

Dude
Dude
8 years ago

Totally cool to see someone showing off new techniques and all the tricks they can do. Kind of a fun, crazy attention-getter. Probably some neat things that could be applied to other designs. But I’m going to go out there and say it – that’s one ugly bike.

Dr. Sartorious
Dr. Sartorious
8 years ago

That thing couldn’t make it past 3 minutes of CPSC/CEN/BPSA testing.
B

bielas
bielas
8 years ago

What a waste of precious material to make a senseless “bike”. Just for the sake of doing something different without reason…

h
h
8 years ago

“just the tip” seatpost insertion.

AKBen
AKBen
8 years ago

Umm, ok…another entry from the “Did This Really Need To Be Made” department.

Al
Al
8 years ago

How annoying would those dropouts be to adjust. Yeah I get it, show bike n’ all, but what visual harm would another outward facing bolt head be?

And as others have said, plenty of bent tubes to be seen, and that seat post insertion … Lucky it’s a bicycle that is not meant to be ever ridden or enjoyed. Maybe a mast topper would have been a better style/function choice.

fergus
fergus
8 years ago

If Terry Pratchett’s Death character was to build a bike- this would be it.

Ol' Shel'
Ol' Shel'
8 years ago

It’s bike-shaped sculpture, not an actual bike, so take a breath and don’t get too worked up over the engineering flaws.

AlanM
AlanM
8 years ago

People, appreciate it for what it is.

groghunter
groghunter
8 years ago

needs a custom shifter housing, that alfine looks OOOOOOGLY in context with the rest of the bike. Since it’s a show bike that no-one is ever going to buy(especially at that price) seems like an oversight.

Steevo
Steevo
8 years ago

Wow, these guys have an awful lot of time on there hands. As someone who learned how to weld at a young age and engineers structures currently, I’ve always followed the less welds the better philosophy. These guys clearly never read that book. I’m assuming the reason they are calling it a “road bike” is because they are worried it will fall apart if you ever hit a bump.

Gruntled bintrapi profundo
Gruntled bintrapi profundo
8 years ago

So much hate here. Yeah, it’s ugly. Yeah, it probably rides terribly and is completely unsafe. Yeah, there is actually a lot of bent tubing in that frame. But that is still a beautiful but of fabrication. And sometimes, that’s enough.

Not this time, but sometimes.

wallymann
wallymann
8 years ago

that kind of welding is well established in motorsport, for complex exhaust plumbing.

http://world.honda.com/RC-V/RC212V/report-body01/page3/images/p3.jpg

Henry
Henry
8 years ago

I am pretty sure this is the same bike that was at Interbike this past year and if it is it really is a thing to look and marvel at! Totally not my style but that doesn’t keep me from respecting the quality of workmanship….

Brandon
Brandon
8 years ago

So. Much. Back purging.

Lancelot
Lancelot
8 years ago

Are these the same guys from Ogre?

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