ALLITE® Inc. partnered with bicycle manufacturer Weis to co-develop the first bicycle track frame made entirely from ALLITE Super Magnesium™. The one-of-a-kind build was showcased at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) in Sacramento, California in March 2019.
The Super Magnesium alloy has been in development since 2006 and was primarily in classified defense and aerospace applications. However, since its launch to market in 2018, the alloy’s use has been expanded to a variety of industries — from high-tech smartphone case architecture to high-powered locomotive engine components. The company uses proprietary processes to produce the alloy with excellent performance properties. This includes a patented flux filter to reduce as much oxygen and other inclusions during casting by more than 10% and a patented double crystallizer cooling process that results in 20% smaller crystals compared to traditional cooling processes. These processes reduce impurity levels to an absolute minimum in order to mitigate corrosion effects, resulting in corrosion rates of the same order as some corrosion-resistant aluminum alloys. In addition the company can implement a plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) surface treatment that produces ceramic layers on the surface of light alloys, which provide additional wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and thermal and chemical stability.
“After connecting with several independent bicycle manufacturers following the launch of ALLITE Super Magnesium in 2018, it became clear that Weis was the ideal partner for this collaboration,” said Morten Kristiansen, vice president, Products and Marketing of ALLITE. “Weis’ minimalistic brand aesthetics blend well with ours, and the Hammer Track’s frame design, and purpose, is perfectly suited for an experimental frame using our premium alloy.”
Weis bikes are designed, mitered, aligned and welded in-house at their Brooklyn, NY facility. To guarantee quality, durability and performance, careful attention to every step of the building process is given – from custom-made tubing profiles to the slightest changes in geometry, the goal for each frame model produced, is an optimized riding performance. The Hammer was designed to go fast and ride hard, which makes it perfect for riding on the streets or opening it up on the track. Weighing 30% less than aluminum while also being stiffer and stronger pound for pound, the Super Magnesium alloy is well suited for use in premier bicycles.
“Once our team at Weis learned about ALLITE Super Magnesium, we became fascinated with the idea of creating our own unique frame using the new material,” said Cole Bennett, owner of Weis Manufacturing. “We’re continuously innovating and looking for ways to optimize riding performance, and working with this new premium alloy is a testament to that.”