The ancient artist and scientist Daidalos, who, according to legend, invented the labyrinth and the first wings with which his son Ikaros fell from the sky, was allegedly able to create the most beautiful marble statues Athens had ever seen. When he was asked what his secret was, he is said to have replied modestly: "The gods enclose the statues in blocks of marble. I just see them and then uncover them." Perhaps Adrian Summermatter from Valais is a kind of modern Daedalus. Instead of a chisel, he uses a CNC milling machine, instead of marble he uses aluminium, the method of uncovering is the same.
It all started in 2009 with brake discs. Many places in the world have particularly long or particularly steep descents. Valais has both at the same time. And several times over. No wonder Adrian Summermatter constantly had problems with brakes that were too hot. Even 200 mm discs became too hot, the pressure points shifted and braking performance dropped. Heavier equipment was needed. Soon the first 220 mm discs, "home-made", were in front of Summermatter. Obviously there are advantages to working for companies like Bosch. This was followed by a full-suspension tandem in 2010 and a carbon frame guard for various models.
The idea of building a downhill frame was not long in coming. As CNC parts had always fascinated Summermatter, the method quickly became clear. The frame would be milled from solid material. The advantage: no weak points due to weld seams, an unusual, convincing look. Only a few kilos remained of a 100 kg aluminium block. The Ribisu frame was born. Ribisu is Valais German and means "grater" or "difficult woman". Henri Lesewitz has already written about the first generation of the Ribisu reported.
Even in the second generation, little has changed in the basic, motocross-inspired shape of the frame. However, a full 400 grams have been saved compared to the first model thanks to even more cut-outs and a cage structure in the chainstays. The suspension travel is still around 220 millimetres. The frame is now anodised orange, probably even more beautiful and stiffer than the first model. A small series is planned, but there are still a few hurdles to overcome. Summermatter nevertheless promises that a frame, at least in size M, will be anodised and available in various standard colours from 2015. We hope that he can keep this promise.
You can find the latest news on the Ribisu Facebook page
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Adrian Kaether
Editor
