2013 Kona Range.

[coomber]

For complex shapes, of course. But a bike is 7 tubes, and hydroforming doesnt save any material, so fail to see any advantages other than on the downtube headtube meeting which negates the needs for gussets.

Most of it has to be for aesthetics in relation to mountain bikes.

Yes a CAD machine makes it all possible and yes Kona know more than me or anyone on here I am sure, but I remain sceptical shall we say.

 

[unkleGsif]

I make it 11 (hardtail at least.. most swing arms cant relly be counted as tubes as such anyway)

1 Headtube
2 Toptube
3 Downtube
4 Seattube
5 BB Shell
6 Left Chain Stay
7 Right Chain Stay
8 Left Steat Stay
9 Right Seat Stay
10 Chainstay Bridge
11 Seat Stay Bridge


Jeez its a slow day at work today... I even drew that out on paper :roll:


G

 

[coomber]

If its a yeti then you can take it down to 9, all in one curved (hydroformed? ) seat and chainstay in one.

 

[Mindmap3]

I still don't know why it's caused such a stir them putting bendy tubes on bikes as they've done it before with older stabs and stinky's. The out of bounds range has had shaped tubes for ages and ages now, which I assume was mainly to increase the surface area to do away with gussets like the old chute used yo have.

There's got to be a reason why they do it, it can't just be for looks.