Like Cykelmageren, Groovy and Cherubim, Samurai brought out the kind of bike that challenges notions of what a bike could or should be. These builders make things that certainly aren’t for everyone, the looks rarely fall into standard notions of what bikes should be, and the details are often astounding.
Samurai’s titanium road bike checks all those marks by using Ebikan welding, which takes small, fan-shaped segments and welds them together to create curves. The entire frame is made of 3/2.5 titanium and every main component pressed into it is 6/4 ti. Cut past the break for a gallery of pure metal art…
The design of the bike, combined with the unique construction method, is intended to mimic the beauty and strength of a samurai’s armor and sword. There are no bent tubes here – all of the curves and bends in the frame are made by sections of tube cut at an angle then welded together.
Only a handful of parts on the bike aren’t titanium. The Alfine shifter and rear hub and Gates Belt Drive cranks are the two biggest.
The dropouts use a pivot and guide bolt/slot with tension bolt to pull the belt tight. Click to enlarge for a closer look.
As if it wasn’t obvious from the design, the price proves that these types of bikes are meant for a certain type of rider. Check them out at SamuraiBike.jp. Partners in this build were Futaku Precision Machinery (producer), TiG Co., Ltd. (maker) and Miyake Design (designer).
