on the outside there is. but on the inside there is no plate! look through google images for a pic of the dropout and you'll see what I'm talking about

https://www.justridingalong.biz/Produ...=Blue+&s=57cm+

That would be on the list of dealbreakers for me right there. I know the dropouts on older Leader frames with single-sided plates were prone to getting pretty chewed up over time.

I like that it's an aluminum frame with a steel frame look. I love riding aluminum, but I like the look of steel. I'd consider picking one of these up, but I think I'm currently at the point where adding another bike might start to annoy wifey.

Are there preventative things you can do to avoid this? Also I noticed that this Pake is 7005 Aluminum (as opposed to 6061 which some other bikes are). I wonder if this would affect the durability of the dropouts.

No/negligibly so. The steel axle bits are still harder than aluminum. Also, they're serrated.

7005 is stronger than 6061

It's usually the outside that gets chewed but maybe something similar to this?
https://www.helixbmx.net/dropouts.htm

Yeah, I was just thinking along those lines. I figure washers and a little bit of caution would keep me from running into any real trouble. If all else fails, I'm friends with several talented welders.

I emailed Pake anyway. I couldn't find any warranty information from them. A lack of warranty would make me pretty hesitant.

If pake has the same warranty as Soma frames (reasonnable, but an assumption none the less), it's a 3 year limited warranty.

I've had several emails out to Soma re: warranty exceptions, etc but they have yet to respond.

The lack of interior drop-out plate bothers me just because it says these guys don't really know what they're doing.

Also, when I was interested in buying one, I asked them if you could buy the plates anywhere (if they're replaceable, you should be able to buy them, yes?) and they told me they'd be "available soon". That was like 6 months ago.

Agreed.

Those are some ugly welds.

Says nothing about the functionality of the frame, just a "what 65'r does not like about that framework".

I'm with you Sixty. Those dropouts look like some weird beak or something too.

Well, i guess it's bitter sweet. On the bright side, I've been discouraged from buying what could've been a crappy bike. On the other hand I'll have to go back to trolling eBay on a daily basis for a 58cm Cannondale track, Langster S-words, and FTP frames.

Get a felt TK3 and sell the parts.I really dont think that a 500 dollar Pake frame is any better than a stock Complete bike with a beytter frame for a couple honnies more.

Possibly. That would be nice because the only parts I'd need to keep on it would be bars, stem, bb, headset, and seatpost. I could probably even out selling the rest.

Wabi lightning has no plates (on either side). They claim to use "special track nuts" to protect the dropouts. Welds looks even worse as well. Just unusual how one bike is well regarded and another is easily dismissed.

Find yourself a Trek T1 frameset. I race on a 2008, made in USA T1. Welds are super smooth, has a nice metallic red paintjob, and has steep angles, which as we all know are super wicked awesome for your commute.

Wabis come with stainless steel washers that fit into the dropout slot, that's all.

https://www.wabicycles.com/drop_out_protectors-info.html

Doesn't make up for the lack of dropout inserts, IMO. And those welds do look like dog poop.

The appearance of a weld to the naked eye has little, to no, relation to it's integrity.

I totally agree that an insert adds peace of mind, but as long as the frame comes with a warranty that covers this potential issue, this alone would not be a dealbreaker for me. The wabi comes with a lifetime warranty, pretty tough to beat, imo.

Not an expert, just a noob looking for a bike.

Yeah, 5 pounds for frame + fork isn't very light. Then again I don't know where you're coming from at the moment. For me, the price seems steep for an aluminum frame to be honest. Do they ever go on sale? I'd probably spend $300 on this if I was after something similar.

Me personally I don't have a problem either. I have an older leader (721) w/ single plated dropouts, ugly welds, etc and it doesn't bother me in the least. It's fun to ride and has held up well in the year or so I've had it so far. No complaints. I was mainly pointing out how one bike can be derided and another praised while they both share the same "flaws"

I think the biggest strike about it is the name. Pake is pretty synonimus w/ budget frames and coming out with a relatively expensive (compared to their rum runner/cmute) makes $500 look steep in compairson. In real world prices it stacks up fine with the competition imo.

We can keep going back an forth about this until we all pass out but until someone sees one in real life and rides one, the discussion is at a dead end as far as I'm concerned.

^Agree

I like the way it looks and was when I saw the thread I was hoping we might actually get to hear a real world review lol

If forum members want to subsidize my purchase of one I will ride the **** out of it and report back.