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FIRST LOOK: Ruster Sports Black Dimond
images by Nick Salazar
Sep 20, 2012  hits 24,002

The front derailleur hangs on a protrusion that comes out of the down tube. It's stiffened up by the red Kevlar later you see there.
The front derailleur hangs on a protrusion that comes out of the down tube. It's stiffened up by the red Kevlar later you see there.
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TJ Tollakson's Ruster brand has just finished its first complete bicycle frame, dubbed the Black Dimond. TriRig got an exclusive first look at the prototype bike. Although it looks almost exactly like the Zipp 2001 frame that inspired its design, this is a brand new frame, that came out of a brand new mold that TJ developed with EBS Carbon in Boulder, Colorado. We're proud to be the first in the world to show this bike to you. Enjoy!

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Tags » beambike,  interbike2012,  ruster,  tollakson,  zipp
  • The Ruster Sports Black Dimond is a brand new beam bike based on the older Zipp 2001.
  • This is just a prototype seatpost cluster - the production versions will be easier to adjust.
  • Again, this is just a prototype seat post. And it does look a little rough - but the production versions will be easier to adjust, and much cleaner.
  • The beam is secured via these two bolts, and is replaceable if you need a different size - just like how the Zipp 2001 worked. That flat top also looks good for attaching some kind of storage or hydration gear.
  • This is obviously a prototype version, and will be cleaned up for production. No word on whether the frame will be for cabled drivetrains only, or if there will be Di2/EPS compatibility.
  • Here's that frontal profile - it's a bit beefier than I'd like, but that's probably because of the extra stresses that a beam bike's geometry puts on the head tube. I also think TJ could have cleaned up that cable routing. No need for that extra loop of housing up top - that's an Omega after all!
  • The front derailleur hangs on a protrusion that comes out of the down tube. It's stiffened up by the red Kevlar later you see there.
  • The pearlescent paint on the logo is meant to play on the Dimond name.
  • The bike certainly has a striking appearance - the absence of the seat tube and seat stays is a welcome innovation. I'd like to see more manufacturers head in that kind of direction, or at least explain why they aren't doing so.
  • Tucked under the chain stays is a standard brake mount, and Tollakson is stocking the TriRig Omega down there, where it fits beautifully.
  • The massive chain stays make up for the missing frame members to help support the rear wheel.

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