High performance suspension bicycle frameset

Claim 2

In a bicycle frameset having a front frame portion and a rear triangle swing arm portion, said front frame portion having a forward end and a trailing end, a head tube mounted on said forward end and a seat tube mounted on said trailing end, said rear triangle swing arm portion having a bottom bracket for receiving a crank assembly, said bottom bracket having a shaped external surface portion, a pair of dropouts for receiving a rear wheel assembly, a pair of chainstay members secured to said bottom bracket and extending in a rearward direction and secured to said dropouts, respectively, a pair of seatstay members having upper and lower ends, means securing said lower ends to said dropouts, respectively, and pivot means pivotally connecting said rear triangle swing arm portion to said front frame portion, the improvement comprising: a rigid channel member having a pair of spaced channel legs joined by an integral base, said rigid channel member having upper and lower ends, said lower end having a shaped edge which is shaped complementary to the shape of the external surface of said bottom bracket, and means fixedly securing said lower end to said bottom bracket with said shaped edge in congruence with said shaped external surface portion, said pivot means pivotally securing said rear triangle swing arm portion to said front frame portion at the upper end of said rigid channel member.

Claim 3

The bicycle frameset defined in claim 1 wherein said rigid channel member is an extrusion of a light weight metal.

Claim 4

The bicycle frameset defined in claim 1 wherein said rigid channel member is made of a composite material.

Claim 5

The bicycle frameset defined in claim 2 wherein said rigid channel member has a base member having a central section which changes from a central thickness T1 to a thickness T2 at the sides thereof.

Claim 6

The bicycle frameset defined in claim 4 wherein said channel legs have a thickness T3, said thickness T3 being thicker than said thickness T2.

Claim 7

The bicycle frameset defined in claim 5 wherein at least one of said channel legs has a reinforcing rib surface and a reinforcing rib formed on said reinforcing rib surface.

Claim 8

The bicycle frameset defined in claim 4 wherein said legs are part of torque tubes, respectively.

Claim 9

In a bicycle frameset having a front frame portion and a rear triangle swing arm portion, said front frame portion having a forward end and a trailing end, a head tube mounted on said forward end and a seat tube mounted on said trailing end, said rear triangle swing arm portion having a bottom bracket for receiving a crank assembly, said bottom bracket having a shaped external surface portion, a pair of dropouts for receiving a rear wheel assembly, a pair of chainstay members secured to said bottom bracket and extending in a rearward direction and secured to said dropouts, respectively, a pair of seatstay members having upper and lower ends, means securing said lower ends to said dropouts, respectively, and pivot means pivotally connecting said rear triangle swing arm portion to said front frame portion, the improvement comprising: a rigid extruded light-weight metal channel member having a pair of spaced channel legs joined by an integral base, said channel member having upper and lower ends, said lower end having a shaped edge which is shaped complementary to the shape of the external surface of said bottom bracket, and means fixedly securing said lower end to said bottom bracket with said shaped edge in congruence with said shaped external surface portion, said pivot means pivotally securing said rear triangle swing arm portion to said front frame portion at the upper end of said rigid channel member.

Claim 10

In a bicycle frameset having a front frame portion and a rear triangle swing arm portion, said front frame portion having a forward end and a trailing end, a head tube mounted on said forward end and a seat tube mounted on said trailing end, said rear triangle swing arm portion having a bottom bracket for receiving a crank assembly, said bottom bracket having a shaped external surface portion, a pair of dropouts for receiving a rear wheel assembly, a pair of chainstay members secured to said bottom bracket and extending in a rearward direction and secured to said dropouts, respectively, a pair of seatstay members having upper and lower ends, means securing said lower ends to said dropouts, respectively, and pivot means pivotally connecting said rear triangle swing arm portion to said front frame portion, the improvement comprising: a rigid extruded light-weight metal channel member having a pair of spaced channel legs joined by an integral base, said channel member having upper and lower ends, said lower end having a shaped edge which is shaped complementary to the shape of the external surface of said bottom bracket, and means fixedly securing said lower end to said bottom bracket with said shaped edge in congruence with said shaped external surface portion, said pivot means pivotally securing said rear triangle swing arm portion to said front frame portion at the upper end of said rigid channel member.

Claim 11

The bicycle frameset defined in claim 8 wherein said rigid extruded lightweight channel member has a base member having a central section which changes from a central thickness T1 to a thickness T2 at the sides thereof.

Claim 12

The bicycle frameset defined in claim 9 wherein said channel legs have a thickness T3, said thickness T3 being thicker than said thickness T2.

Claim 13

The bicycle frameset defined in claim 10 wherein at least one of said channel legs has a reinforcing rib surface and a reinforcing rib formed on said reinforcing rib surface.