Posted on

Corrosion

Magnesium does not carry an increased risk of corrosion.
Magnesium bicycle frame care

 Paketa has had almost no bikes returned with signs of corrosion since we began building bikes back in 2001. It’s true that bare magnesium can corrode, just like steel and some aluminum alloys, but a properly coated and cared for Magnesium frame will not have a higher chance of corroding than other materials. To test the corrosion potential of a magnesium bike, we built up a demo bike that was completely unpainted, bare magnesium. JP, the owner and framebuilder, has been riding this bike to work everyday for 3 years with no signs of corrosion.
rocket unpainted
This frame has been on the road for three years. No paint, no coating of any kind, and no corrosion whatsoever. During the three years, it has been ridden in rain and snow, and left out in the rain a couple of times. Even in those conditions, no corrosion. Magnesium that is bare can corrode, so we powder coat or paint all of our frames and coat the inside of the frame with CorrosionX. We use these precautions to make sure our customers don’t have corrosion issues. Paketa riders can also take extra care of their bike to make sure it doesn’t happen. First of all, keep your bike inside and dry. If you ride in the rain, make sure no water is sitting inside the frame. This simple care is congruent for all types of bikes. Second, spray Framesaver or Corrosion X inside the frame once a year just as you would a steel frame.  In general you don’t need to be concerned with corrosion, and following these simple care guidelines will keep your frame free of corrosion for years to come.
 Care Guidelines: Follow these guidelines to help your custom Paketa Bike frame last many many years.
  • keep your bike inside and dry. towel dry to remove water or sweat.
  • hang your bike upside down with the seatpost removed regularly, or after contact with water or lot’s of sweat.
  • spray corrosionX or framesaver inside the frame regularly. Tilt the frame around in different directions to allow the fluid to coa the inside.
  • ANNUAL – we recommend removing the crank and bottom bracket once a season. With the bottom bracket removed, you can spray corrosionX inside the tubes through the holes into the BBshell. It is also good for the BB shell to be cleaned and re-greased for insertion of the bottom bracket. This is also a good time to replace your bottom bracket cups.
  • Use auto touch-up paint to seal any scratches or chips in the powder coating.
  • Examine your frame after every ride for damage of any kind.
rocket unpainted
Posted on

Paketa Custom Colors

Choose one, two, three, or four color custom paint jobs
 Paketa Cycles believes in providing you with the exact bike you want. That’s why each frame comes with fully custom geometry, components, and even paint job. The boundaries are endless to what you can make your bike look like. We will work with you through each step to make sure we make the bike look good. Choose from simple sharp looking one color paint jobs, two color fades, or multi-color custom designs.
  •  STEP 1: Choose number of colors. prices vary
  •  STEP 2: Choose color or colors
  •  STEP 3: Discuss options with Paketa sales manager
  •  STEP 4: We will do a digital mock up of the design and submit to you for review. see samples below.
  •  STEP 5: Adjust design until it looks like your dream bike. (more than three changes in digital design will incur extra fees)
Posted on

Designed and crafted entirely in the USA

 

Paketa Cycles have been based in Boulder, Colorado, since the company’s birth in 2001. Boulder’s rich cycling heritage and extensive depth of both riders and technical cycling experts makes it the ideal place for us to design and test our proprietary extruded- and TIG-welded magnesium frames. The last two years have been all about testing, refining and delivering the first truly available magnesium bikes in the world. It wasn’t an easy road, but we never thought trying to revolutionize what bikes are made of, and exactly how to do that, would be. Why go to all the trouble? Well, when you try a Paketa, you’ll see for yourself. Riding is believing!

We invite you to “step outside of the box” and see just how much better a Paketa is than any other bike in the world. That’s a bold statement, we know, but we aren’t about being subtle. If you value ride quality as much as light weight and good looks, magnesium will force you to re-evaluate what bicycle frames should be made of.

 The next step is getting you on our bikes . Let us know what we need to do to make that happen so you too can “Ride the Revolution!”

Posted on

Paketa Magnesium Bicycles

Our mission is to build lightweight, high-performance bikes that ride better than any other bike on the market.  We believe that magnesium is the best bike frame material available, and after you ride a Paketa, you will too. We custom build our road, mountain, and tandem bicycles right here at our shop near Denver, Colorado. Please email us if you will be in the Denver or Boulder area and would like to test ride any of our bikes including the famous V2 and V2r racing tandem bicycles.
All Paketa bicycle frames are built with custom geometry for a guaranteed fit.  We work closely with you to build you the tandem, road, or mountain bike of your dreams. Click the links below for more information on our ultra light road racing bikes, our stiff, responsive, and compliant mountain bikes, and our superlight 21 pound racing tandems.
 2013 Nationals: Paketa team riders and racers brought in lots of medals at the US Masters Nationals Road Race. Congratulations to all of our team riders including Dave Walker and Terry Malouf, the entire Radsport Team, Henry Abel, and more. Thank you all for your continued support.

I want to personally thank you both for an incredible opportunity & phenomenal memories. The Paketa was so fast; so much fun to race. And, as a result of having such superior equipment, Steve and I flew through that TT course at Master’s Nationals, winning a gold medal. That will always be an epic event in my life!  — Beth Graff – Gold Medalist, US Master’s National Championships, Mixed Tandem 110+ Time Trial

 

Posted on

The Paketa Rocket Venus Road Racing Bike for Women

Engineered to meet the needs of the woman cyclist

Frameset Price: $3350

  • Custom geometry for the perfect fit
  • Custom tubeset based on rider
  • Stronger than carbon fiber and aluminum with the comfort of titanium
  • Complete bikes as low as 13.5 lbs
  • Stiff and lively frame for aggressive road racing
  • Phenomenal strength to weight ratio
  • 1-4 color custom paint jobs
 For women athletes, four qualities of a bike seem to be the most important: weight, fit, ride quality, and looks. The Rocket Venus is specifically engineered to meet the needs of competitive female cyclists. Paketa’s specialty V9 tubeset, with its ovalized smaller diameter tubing and thinner walls, allows us to build complete bikes as light as 13.5 pounds with high-end components. No other bicycle can compete in weight with the Paketa Venus. With our custom fitting and geometry, women cyclists don’t have to settle for a carbon fiber bike with stock geometry. Now you can ride a light weight bike designed to your body and riding style.

When talking ride-quality, there is no comparison to a Paketa. Our exclusive double-butted magnesium tubesets dampen vibration better than any other frame material on the market without the “dead” feeling you get from a carbon bike. A Paketa custom bike offers a stiff yet amazingly comfortable and lively ride. Combine super light weight, custom fit, superior ride quality, and Paketa’s fully customized multi-color paint options and the result is the ultimate in performance women’s cycling.  It’s unlike anything you have ever ridden before.
Posted on

What makes the V2r better?

Sometimes it takes a whole new look at an old problem in order to make the next big advancement in technological development. Nothing magical in having the transfer (also called “timing” or “connecting”) drive on the left side, now is there? While it was conventional for many decades in tandem design, it’s hardly innovative. At least a century earlier, tandems put the transfer chain on the right side, behind the main drive ‘rings—like the 1895 Victor double-steering tandem below. So, in 2010, a mere 115 years later, what’s so new about putting the transfer drive on the right side, inboard of the main drive? Everything.

Custom Yoke to mount timing belt on drive side

The CAD-designed, CNC’ed chain stay yoke is a Paketa exclusive. Who else but the company that’s been working with magnesium exclusively for ten years could engineer this subtle work of art? Paketa introduced the worlds first – and still the only – magnesium tandem in 2005, and brings more experience in magnesium bicycle construction than anyone on the planet. The yoke design allows the transfer sprocket to fit in as close as possible to the center line of the frame, yet still provides enough clearance for up to a 28 mm tire—enough for even Clydesdale-class tandem teams to enjoy the benefits of a light weight Paketa tandem.

Lighter weight bike

While weight savings is merely one of the many advantages of the V2r design, many teams striving for lighter weight will immediately appreciate the difference. A V2r can easily save a pound (454 grams) overall compared to even our own industry-leading V2 design. The weight savings comes in with eliminating one spider-mount arm (two instead of three, as with the conventional left-side transfer drive) and the ability to use two lighter-weight single-bike cranks in place of a heavier tandem-specific front-and-rear crank pair. And, significantly, there’s no loss of stiffness or durability in using lighter-weight single-bike cranks since the bottom bracket axle bending and bearing loads are no higher than on a single bike.

Better gearing system

As for gearing range and shifting, the V2r again excels. The combination of 2X10 road and MTB gearing provides the same wide range as a conventional triple-chain-ring road setup. With a 39/53 double sprocket in front and 11X36 cassette in back (as shown in the photos), the gear range is identical to a road 30/39/53 triple crank with an 11X28 cassette—certainly enough for most any tandem team interested in racing or fast sport riding, for sure. And, with a double sprocket in front, the shifting precision is as good as any single bike, and any road shifter compatible with a matching MTB rear derailleur and cassette will work (SRAM™ Red™ Double Tap™ shifters, Red™ front deraiiluer, SRAM™ XX™ cassette and XX™ rear derailleur shown). Say goodbye to triple front shifters and substandard front shifting!

Bottom line

The V2r raises the bar, plain and simple, for high performance, light weight, and durable tandem design. Don’t follow the leader; be one.

 

*V2r design patent pending. Dave Walker, engineer, designer, and applicant. Design licensed solely to SXE, Inc., d/b/a Paketa Cycles. All rights reserved.

Posted on

Paketa V2r Design Raises the Bar for High-Performance Racing Tandems

The award winning V2r has continued to be the fastest tandem on the road. With over 13 medals earned at Nationals in 2013, the V2r keeps proving itself everyday!

Why is the V2r the absolute best racing tandem on the market? To start, the V2r is the lightest, stiffest, and smoothest riding tandem in the world. It’s unique design allows for the transfer belt drive to be mounted on the right side, making it extremely versatile with modern components. Crossover drive left-side transfer chains (or belts, more recently) are the product of bicycle evolution, which graduated from single drive chain rings to double, and then triple, chain rings for the main drive to provide wide-range gearing for a variety of riding conditions. Triple chain rings take up so much space on the right side that there’s no room left for the transfer ‘rings or sprockets; hence, designers moved the transfer drive to the left side where space was plentiful. But, with that comes several inherent disadvantages:

Advantages of the V2r with right side timing belt drive. 

  • Any road bike crankset can be used which adds a lot of versatility and weight savings.
  • Road bike cranks only have a spider on one side, so weight is reduced. Typically we can save over a pound on a V2r.
  • Having the transfer belt drive on the right reduces the loads on the bottom bracket, providing more durability and better component lifetime.
  • The V2r has a super clean aesthetic since all of the drive train parts are located on one side.

The Paketa V2r tandem (patent pending) eliminates all of these problems in one elegant, integrated, and game-changing design. By mounting the transfer drive sprocket on the same crank spider, behind the main drive sprockets in the rear, all of the disadvantages of the conventional left-side-drive design are eliminated. Conventional single-bike cranks can be used for both the captain’s and stoker’s cranks, for starters. This allows the use of almost any crank, including state-of-the-art light weight carbon cranks, of any crank length to suit either rider. Because the bearing and axle bending loads are no higher than on a single bike, there’s no stiffness or durability penalty for using the very lightest single-bike cranks available—note the Zipp™ carbon cranks on the V2r in the photos. The transfer drive (Gates Carbon Drive™ belt system shown) is mounted far inboard on the right side, which also reduces frame bending in the boom tube under hard pedaling. Even all-out sprints by the strongest riders won’t cause frame “whip” and the unpredictable handling that results.

Because of the innovative “compact open” low-top-tube design, frame sizes become almost irrelevant. Standover height is ample for almost anybody front or rear, and with a 72.5 cm (28.5”) stoker top tube you’ll never hear any complaints of cramped rear quarters. A quality adjustable stoker stem helps to fine tune the fit of the stoker. The V2 is available in a small, medium, large, and extra-large with different length captains top tubes. Captain’s top tubes are customizeable to the 1/2 centimeter. We can make a suggestion based on your measurements, or you can have us match your existing tandem or single bike. Our standard sizing goes as follows: Small: 54 cm, Medium: 56cm, Large: 58cm, XL: 61cm.

“Hello and just a quick note to say we have been on the V2r for a few months now, and we are riding the perfect tandem! This is by far the best tandem we have ridden. Previous tandems owned were a Paketa V2, Calfee, Burley, and we still have a Co-Motion Supremo that is currently idle. The bike is very close to the V2, but it rides closer to a single bike, plus a little lighter with the single bike parts. Visually it is much cleaner with the right side drive. It is very responsive and efficient while pedaling. You don’t feel the internal torque in the bars and across the tires contact patch. The bike is completely stable at any speed and tracks on rails. The smoothness vs stiffness does not make sense, as if they are incompatible with each other, but yet they are both present in the ride. Great job!”- Trey  

Paketa V2r Frame: $8195
  • Limited Lifetime Warranty
  • NAHBS Best in Show Bike: Best Alternative Material – 2012
  • Price is for frame only.
  • Transfer Belt drive located on right side inboard of drive chainrings
  • Almost any road bike crank can be used for ultimate weight savings.
  • Wide choice of crank lengths
  • Improved frame and bottom bracket stiffness and durability
  • Optimal combination of 2X10 or 2×11 gearing
  • Low gearing with double-ring shifting precision
  • 44/44mm headtube new for 2012
  • Tapered or Straight steer tube compatible
  • 1.125″ straight steerer with fully inset headset.
  • 1.25″ or 1.5″ tapered headtube with top inset and bottom external headset
  • Optional BB30 rear bottom bracket – $250 upgrade
  • Innovative yoke design – transfer drive inside main-drive chain rings
  • Weight savings: about 1 lb. (454 grams) vs. industry-leading V2!
  • Complete Bikes as low as 21 pounds!
  • Drivetrain design patent pending – a Paketa exclusive
  • Time Trial setups available
  • Custom color options available. Single color included with frame. Multi colors are extra.
  • Complete bikes available. we can get almost any components on the market
Posted on

What’s old is new again in tandem design

Archibald Sharp’s landmark treatise, Bicycles and Tricycles: An Elementary Treatise on Their Design and Construction, published in 1896, describes various contemporary tandem frame designs, including “no-lateral,” in some detail. For decades, this simple, open-frame architecture prevailed; sometimes with the addition of a triangulated stoker compartment. Around the 1970’s, various permutations with internal reinforcing tubes appeared with names such as mixte, full marathon, double marathon, up-tube (popularized by Fisher), all leading up to the currently popular “direct lateral” approach used by most manufacturers today. So, why would Paketa choose to revert back to a century-old design? To put it simply, the open-frame design was selected because our engineering and frame testing development program have proven it’s the optimal choice for magnesium—even Dr. Sharp couldn’t anticipate that advancement in materials. A comparable-weight magnesium tandem frame with a direct lateral tube would suffer in stiffness, strength, dent/buckling resistance, weight, or some combination of these deleterious effects. Archibald would approve.

Check out the new V2r tandem with a unique frame design that allows the belt transfer drive to mount to the right side of the frame, inboard of the main drive. Paketa tandem bikes is located in Colorado, near Boulder. Check your local dealer, or contact us directly if you don’t have a local Paketa tandem dealer.

The Paketa V2r tandem (patent pending) eliminates all of these problems in one elegant, integrated, and game-changing design. By mounting the transfer drive sprocket on the same crank spider, behind the main drive sprockets in the rear, all of the disadvantages of the conventional left-side-drive design are eliminated. Conventional single-bike cranks can be used for both the captain’s and stoker’s cranks, for starters. This allows the use of almost any crank, including state-of-the-art light weight carbon cranks, of any crank length to suit either rider. Because the bearing and axle bending loads are no higher than on a single bike, there’s no stiffness or durability penalty for using the very lightest single-bike cranks available—note the Zipp™ carbon cranks on the V2r in the photos. The transfer drive (Gates Carbon Drive™ belt system shown) is mounted far inboard on the right side, which also reduces frame bending in the boom tube under hard pedaling. Even all-out sprints by the strongest riders won’t cause frame “whip” and the unpredictable handling that results.

Posted on

Lightweight, high performance travel tandem bicycles

NEW! The Paketa D2 and D2r racing travel tandems are equipped with custom made S&S couplings for easy take apart and travel. Now you can ride a lightweight Paketa magnesium racing tandem anywhere in the world!  

The long wait is over: an S&S coupled version of the venerable Paketa magnesium V2 and V2r tandems are now available!! The name derives from the great French “constructeur” take-apart (“Demontable” in French) bikes of the 1940’s-1970’s, including Rene Herse and Alex Singer, from whom the inspiration for the very first Paketa tandem was drawn. We call ours the “Demon2ble,” or “D2” for short. Nothing else comes close.

D2 magnesium travel tandem – racing and recreational performance riding

  • Travel version of our famous V2 racing tandem –
  • Left side transfer drive
  • Custom S&S couplings for easy travel

D2r magnesium travel tandem – high performance racing

  • Travel version of our famous V2r racing tandem –
  • Right side transfer drive
  • Custom S&S couplings for easy travel
  • Super light weight
  • Any road bike 130bcd crank can be used for lighter weight and greater versatility
  • Custom yoke adds stiffness and performance while accommodating right side belt transfer
  • 44/44mm straight headtube allows use of tapered forks and headsets

Working closely with S&S, the team at Paketa have come up with the next logical progression in high-performance tandems, this time aimed squarely at the wanderer in all of us. Even as a daily rider, it’s still head and shoulders above anything else on the market except our own V2/V2r, and if you only have one tandem, this is it. As a travel tandem, it is simply without parallel. The weight difference is about three pounds vs. our industry-leading V2 or V2r design, creating the possibility of a sub-25 lb. travel tandem that packs into regulation-sized airline cases. The design philosophy is simple: no compromise! We’ve stuck with our standard, oversized magnesium tubing to ensure that the all of the stiffness, responsiveness, and exceptionally smooth ride of the V2 is preserved while still keeping the weight low and durability high. In order to realize this, we’ve specified custom-sized titanium S&S couplings, and the engineers at S&S have come through brilliantly with a novel concept aesthetically integrated with the frame profile (shown below) while providing all of the strength and durability S and S is known for.

Because of the innovative “compact open” low-top-tube design, frame sizes become almost irrelevant. Standover height is ample for almost anybody front or rear, and with a 72.5 cm (28.5”) stoker top tube you’ll never hear any complaints of cramped rear quarters. A quality adjustable stoker stem helps to fine tune the fit of the stoker. Our travel tandems are available with custom geometry or in a small, medium, large, and extra-large with different length captains top tubes. Captain’s top tubes are customizeable to the 1/2 centimeter. We can make a suggestion based on your measurements, or you can have us match your existing tandem or single bike. Our standard sizing goes as follows: Small: 54 cm, Medium: 56cm, Large: 58cm, XL: 61cm.

**we do NOT retrofit couplers into existing frames**