Right now I'm looking at getting a new bike. It was going to be a CAAD8 (via buying the whole bike at once as an R900 and slowly upgrading as stuff breaks = $1600 MSRP). There are several people in my area who ride a manufacturer I had not heard of until I go here. The brand name is Paketa. The company is based in Boulder. Its basically run by two guys, they design the frames and build a prototype and a company who deals with magnesium makes the frames in Russia. The same company also builds aircraft parts and other things using Mg alloy. I've heard NOTHING but GREAT things about these frames. There are guys all the way up to cat 1/2 riding them, yet I believe a frameset is cheap enough to be well within my budget. I really want to buy a frame and build it up *exactly* how I want it, and in the mean time I can save money by not getting the stuff I don't need. For example, I don't need a seat right away. I can throw an older seat on what will become my old bike. I am going to get the frame with a threadless (it will be my first haha) headset and fork if I end up going with paketa.

Has anyone heard anything about them? I know the primary thing is to make sure the paint doesn't get scratched deeply or else the alloy oxidizes very quickly, but its generally bad to scrape the paint on any bike, you could be messing up the epoxy on a CF bike, causing your steel or al frame to corrode, etc. Mg is just a bit more reactive.. haha. At least I here the new alloys won't catch fire. But anyway who has heard anything about them? I am pretty sure I can get a really sick deal on it. A buddy of mine on my team was able to get a full DA9 Paketa Mg frame, with fork, Bontrager XX lite wheels, FSA Cf seatpost and good bars and seat and everything for $1950. He knows the owners or something - but I think I might be able to get a similar deal. Obviously the real discount was on the frame, since thats what they control the cost of. So I wonder what I could get one for...

Pinarello puts some special coating underneath the paint of the Dogma because of the oxidation problem.

Yeah, I'm sure Paketa does too. Still, if you scrape it bad enough, you will take off the coating....

Do they offer free X-ray checks ever couple of years....in the automotive motorsport world, Mg wheels are Xray'd after each race or day of practice....am not sure i would go with a Mg frame...but thats just me...would also depend on the alloy...maybe if i saw all the metallurgic curves on the specific alloy...

Well, like I said, I've never heard of any problems. Does Pinarello offer to X-Ray their frames? I'd be looking to get about 4-5 years out of the frame AT MOST. I'd probably be getting a new one when I graduate college.

Why not get something that will last?
Doesn't sound like your income covers expensive, disposable technology. Mine doesn't either. An Habanero, or even better
the Habanero Team Road, would give you a great bike that would
last half way to forever. They do custom, and that sometimes makes the difference between good and great.

https://www.habcycles.com/road.html

Well, while Ti may last forever.... I would still be wanting a new bike in 5 years time. To me, technology improves so much that in 5 years spending the same amount you spent on your current bike now will get a much superior bike. I'm in the same situation now with my Trek. I'm going to be spending about the same on the frame, but I'll be getting a vastly superior bicycle.

I don't think you'll get 5 years out of a Mg frame.
having 2 bikes is the old way of doing things. The old one becomes a beater, you use it when the good bike is in the shop, or the weather is crap and you still want to ride, etc.

On what facts or specific knowledge do you base this opinion?

Isn't metal fatigue a major issue with magnesium?

I was actually looking for someone who has first hand experience to comment. So far that hasn't happened. I've gotten a bunch of people who have probably never ridden a Mg frame commenting that they don't think it'll last. On the other hand there are 3 or 4 people I know on this exact frame and they all love it. If someone who has owned one would like to comment - that would be peachy.

if you're so picky then why didn't you use the search feature?

Paketa and other mg frames

I read both of the threads that came up from a search. There was only one first hand account of someone who owned one (James57) and he liked it. Koffee mentioned that some Dogmas that were raced hard for a year in Europe were basically falling apart at the end of the season. Thats fine and dandy, but to me "falling apart" doesn't imply the frame, because you can't ride a frame thats falling apart. Plus I know those bikes go through absolute hell and MOST of them are falling apart at the end of the season. The people I know have had this frame between 1.5 and 3 years. There are no problems yet, and they race as much - if not more- than i Do.

Hi,
I know a guy who had one. And then another, and then begged the LBS for
credit towards a different frame. If the company can prevent corrosion, who knows?
But the stuff loves to corrode. If you want to do product testing, be my guest.

OK...Product tester here!!

I've had my Paketa Rocket for 2 months and have 500 miles on it. Granted, that's not exactly a long time, but I can say that so far, I am impressed with this bike and Paketa has been great to deal with.

Paketa has changed over the past couple of years. Their initial frames were made in Russia. As of last year, all frames are made in Boulder, CO. The tube sets are extruded Mg that are made to their specs by a manufacturer in Denver. The frames are tig welded in house. As a race car hobbyist, I do a bit of welding. Mostly mild steel and some aluminum. I am impressed with the welds on this frame. According to Paketa, the welded frames are 'pickled' in an anti-corrosive solution. All frames are powder coated for added protection. I can attest that the powder coating is tuff. Yesterday, while I was propping the bike up in the garage, one of my old skis fell onto the top tube, not a mark was left.

One of the major benefits of Mg is it's excellent fatigue resistance. Vibration damping is another of it's strengths. If you hit a pothole or pavement crack, etc of course you still receive a sharp jolt as you would on any other bike, But I can say that after hours in the saddle (4.5 hours yesterday), my back is less sore and my hands aren't vibrating like they were on my early 90's Cannondale.

There will always be those that scoff at new ideas. Remember, Carbon Fiber an Ti were both once new materials for bicycle frames. Time will tell, but as of right now, I'm pleased.

jbhowat...you can PM me if you need more details.

Exactly. See? Never seen someone who could tell me first hand they owned one and doesn't like it. Generally you tend to here more about stuff people don't like, but this is the same story I get every time.

So the frame is powdercoated and then painted over that? Their website is really out of date and not hugely informative. I'm going to ProPeloton on wednesday to ride one hopefully. As I said though, I may end up getting a better deal from a friend who was able to get a sick deal on a bike directly from Paketa

I'll PM you.

So, how did you lie it? Was it as good a ride as they say and did you find out about the fatigue issue?

I am considering one, but can't get to Colorado to ride one (I'd go, but my wife would kill me if I told her I wanted to test ride a bike!!)

Bill

Sure is a pretty bike. Seat tube diam 31.8? The bike looks very much like my cdale t400 in tube sizes etc. Thats why im wondering. And man that powder coat is awesome. Less my eyes are lieing that bike is some black blue fade. Wich i did not know was even possible with powder coat.

The seat tube is in fact 31.8...but your eyes are lying (and the picture quality doesn't help). It's all one color, very dark blue. They have done a black to blue fade in the past. Here's a link from a road test at Pez cycling. Unfortunately, the info is old. The test bike is one of the older frames when they were being built in Russia. But it does show a black to blue fade (that I wasn't wild about):

https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=1502

Yeh ive seen better fade jobs as well. Im gona do a red white or red white blue fade on my cdale. well ok im not my dad is hehe. He paints cars and has done some seriously slick paint jobs on high end restored clasics just seen his latest a model a. Paint job is supper glassy to the point it looks like a hot wheel or a rc car that was painted on the inside of a lexan body. My other idea for a paint job is a thin coating of rhino lining. Sanded and coated again and sanded again in a maroon color then clear coat it.

At any rate these bikes realy do look nice. Ive nto ridden a mag fram i a very long time. But i do remember riding on true mag mag rims for bmxes years ago and personaly i loved them old rims. Mine were bare mag and i had to polish them quite often to keep them nice looking. But in all the year jumping on them i must have had 300+ huge 20 foot pluss jumps before i finaly broke the front rim. Mag rims frames etc when cared for properly are very nice.
My advice to op if you like it buy it. But also hit your local auto parts store and buy some touch up paint and watch out for chips when you get one on the frame use the touch up paint on the chip. Maganese can corode fast and hard unprotected You need to watch out for that.
Stay off lime stone paved trails no matter how smooth and hard if you got a chip. Keep a eye on all cups for chips around them and touch up the secound you see one same deal for area around the seat post and drop outs.
You take care of the frame and its going to last for years.

I'm not sure where you're located, but if you're anywhere near Golden, CO you should visit Peak Cycles. It's a small high-end LBS that carries Paketa. I believe the owner (John) rides a Paketa himself and would probably be a great source of info for you. Last time I was there, they had a Paketa mtn bike built up, they may have a road bike built up in stock too for a test ride.

I can certainly understand why you want first hand experience. the dirth of people here with first hand experience with Mg may tell you something.Obviously, its not mainstream, and that makes it a little more risky. Question is what advantages does it have that make it worth taking a flyer on a less proven and accepted technology. (this is coming from a guy who has a Griffen Vulcan, boron ceramic metal matrix frame.)

Hi guys, just having a read though bike forums trying to get an idea of your points of views on magnesium alloy frames. I worked on the magnesium alloy for a while, so this is a little moment of pride to see you all having discussions over it (even if it appears you don't like it, or have a negitive view on magnesium itself). If you have any technical questions about the alloys etc, i'd be pleased to answer them.

I have never road a mg frame and its not a bicycle but mg is used in dirt bike components(top end sx/mx racers due to expense) and the classic vw bug engine case. I would think anything you can make engine components out of must be fairly durable?

Has anyone seen someone go down at speed on a mag frame? While it is hard to get started, a mag fire would be nuts. cool to watch though