



The biggest challenge was that I needed to reinvent the 3D modelling of the frame. I needed to learn several new CAD programs in order to do this. Nobody is making this kind of product so the tools in CAD programs are not very ideal to multi-piece-variable-wall-thickness-tubular-shell design. Now I can control the wall thickness throughout the model and we can create extraordinary structures that are not possible with conventional manufacturing methods. Other than that we are solving more problems with this design than creating them.





7075 T6 aluminum is a fairly coherent material. Compared to carbon fibre it’s much easier to control and design. A high-end mountain bike is a very complex product because it needs to be light, stiff, durable, and it cannot break under impacts. Also, everyone seems to ride it differently. Airplanes are much more simple when it comes to this. There are no computer programs, so you cannot calculate, exact flex or stiffness of a carbon fibre mountain bike. You just need to experiment and find the best solution and still, you might not get the best result.

With aluminum, we just need to add material and adjust the shape to get better stiffness. The 7075 T6 is maybe the best compromise so far when we look at high-end mountain bikes for stiffness, strength, and penetration resistance. We control the wall thickness of the frame and can make internal shapes that are not possible with any other method. We can use some other materials inside the frame as well. Machining removes six phases from the hydro-formed and welded frame's manufacturing process and it's possible to fully automate the manufacturing of the Machine. The bonding is quite a normal process in the aircraft industry so the knowledge is easily accessible for us. The whole process can be done in weeks rather than months and we don't need to guess which size, colour and model people are interested in. We make everything from natural demand.





I often get this question. The same question could be asked about the Huck Norris (Ed: another concept/brand that Leo is behind). Why had nobody invented such a simple system before? I think this is more of a philosophical question. I guess when the world comes to a point when something is possible, people start inventing things around it. This year there have been many new bicycle companies. In our case, the reason we ended up this way might be the collaboration between Finnish education, globalism, markets etc. that created the need for these kinds of activities for us and it all bursts out through our desire to make mountain bikes. I think that the Machine is the kind of hubris that we tend to do as humans when we want to take something to the ultimate level.



