MATT REYES STEEL FRAMESET 2022 Mar 9, 2022 Categories: MASH 0 Comment - THE MATT "SLUMWORM" REYES SIGNATURE FRAMESET - - INTRODUCTION: Hey there, Matt Reyes here. MASH gave me the keys to the car and let me make this blog post. I’m currently writing to you from my 4th floor studio apartment here in San Francisco. My cat says hi. A little more than a year ago, MASH approached me with the opportunity to collaborate and produce a signature frame set. I had been in love with the MASH steel frame for quite some time. It was a strong bike, with a great geo, cleared huge tires and had the ability to bar spin with a slightly longer fork. (An absolutely crucial feature) We took that frame as a solid foundation and evolved it into what you see here. You might be asking. What did we update? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ In this post I'll point out and elaborate on the 6 major changes we made to the frame. Our thought process, reasonings and the sub sequential performance advantages these subtle tweaks made to the overall feel of the ride. - - THE FORK: The transformation began with prototyping a couple different fork options before landing on what you see here. We went with a 420AC fork with shorter (29mm) dropouts than standard (referencing the Fumanchu fork as an example). The shorter fork dropouts keeps the wheelbase tight while giving you additional bar spin clear as your wheel spins back towards your feet. The tapered tube design for the fork arms keeps the aesthetic looking more track bike while minimizing the amount of weight on the front end. This slight shaving in weight provides huge advantages when doing spin tricks and throwing the bike around. - - TUBING: MASH Butted Steel. For this frame we used more BMX style tubing that is larger in diameter for both the top tube and down tube. The top tube angle has also been dropped as it descends to the seat tube. Making it easier to get more height out of bunny hops and allowing you to drop your knee over the bike. Which has its advantages when it comes to control and performing certain tricks. HEADTUBE: The head tube was updated to an hourglass shape that utilizes drop in bearings instead of press fit. Just one more thing that makes working on and maintaining your bike easier from the comfort of your own home. Less is more, especially when it comes to the amount of tools you need to assemble. - - THE TOP TUBE: One of the key focuses of the project was establishing greater bar spin clearanace. We achieved that by extending the top tube a touch and providing less toe overlap. All of which helps whether you’re doing tricks or just riding around town. It was intended to be run with a shorter stem. Bringing your bars closer to you and giving the bike more BMX handling feels. If you want the same body position you had on your “Steel Frame” I recommend you run a stem that’s 10-20mm shorter. - - GUSSETS: There are 3 primary gussets on the REYES Steel Frame. They’re located on both the top tube and down tube, reinforcing the connection point to the head tube. The third gusset is a small bridge that is tucked away behind the BB giving the chain stays additional strength and lateral support. TIRE CLEARANCE: I’ll be honest. The first thing that drew me to the MASH Steel frame was the huge tire clearance it offered. With this frame set we attempted to provide even more space. Just incase your tires get a little wiggly and out of true. The drive side chain stay features a solid steel plate that gives space for a 42-45c tire while still providing room for a full size chainring. - - ADVANTAGES - - IMPORTANCE OF SPEC: If you’re like me and replaced the fork on your MASH Steel frame for something longer, then I’m sure you noticed that the bike handled entirely different once you made that change. The handling on it somehow felt a little more squirley and unpredictable. Things are designed the way they are for a reason and the REYES Steel frame is designed around a 420AC fork. Making the ride feel a heck of a lot more locked in and controllable. Riding through traffic no hands is now easier than ever. BB HEIGHT: The BB height on this bike is relatively high, yet low enough to feel stable while pedaling out wheelies. Once you put some 38-42c tires on, it boosts the bike so high off the ground that you effectively eliminate the threat of pedal strike all together. I’m able to lean into corners so deep on this bike. It’s absolutely insane. That coupled with some knobby tires make this bike a cornering monster. - - FEATURES YOU WON'T SEE: A couple of the things that this frame doesn’t have in comparison to the MASH Steel Frame are the water bottle mounts, brake mounts, and brake cable routing holes going through the top tube. Less is more. Especially if you’re going to be jumping off a bunch of stuff. Haha. FEATURES WE KEPT: Again, using the MASH Steel frame as our base, we kept most of the same component spacings and sizes. That way swapping over parts from your existing track bike will be a breeze without having to gather different or additional components. WHAT DOES THE BIKE COME WITH? Beyond just coming with a Frame + Fork, the full package includes headset bearings, a MASH seat post collar and a MASH top cap assembly. We did our best to provide everything you'll need to get up and running. - - CLOSING STATEMENT: That’s about all I have for you right now. I couldn’t be more stoked on how this project turned out and feel incredibly blessed to be a part of it. That being said, it’s 3:21am here in San Francisco and I should probably wrap things up for the night. I haven't proof read any of this, but whatever. Whether you read everything or scrolled quickly, you made it this far, go ahead and give yourself a high five. You crushed it. Thanks for being here and we’ll see you out there. Be good, have fun and we’ll talk more soon. - - Photos By: Mike Martin // Spenser // Matt Reyes - - :)