Production

Why steel? Because it is a traditional material with great mechanical properties. It is 3 times more rigid than aluminum alloys and it can have carbon-like strength. It has a good lifespan and a good workability. The NOVÁK frames are made by the method soldering on the butt with brass solder, which is a labour intensive method, ie unproductive and thus expensive and also extremely beautiful. Unlike welding, soldering does not melt the base material (pipes), brass is bonded to it at about 780 °C due to surface diffusion. The main character of the frame is determined mainly by the chosen pipes, so the connection method itself has almost no effect on the result. So the brazed frames are different because the visual reasons, thanks to the larger sizes the connections are stronger and stiffer than in case of the welded frames. In my work I prefer the sets of tubes of the traditional Italian Columbus manufacturer with almost a hundred years of history. It offers a very wide range of materials and tube designs.

When constructing my frames, I proceed from the philosophy of the shape determined by the function. I'm not a fan of to much decorativeness and purposelessness. The frames are designed to be simple, functional, to have a maximum rigidness. Understandably, the stiffness of the steel frames will never be at the aluminum or composite level, but every steel enthusiast expects it. Steel is simply different, it's itself. What is the weigh of my frames? I don't care about it so much. What is the weigh of the fat on your body? Yes, I can make a frame with a weight on the limit of possibilities. However, it is always necessary to consider what is the benefit for you.

I bet on the custom construction, the originality of each piece. I do not care about frames with a "since" price, I'm not interested in big series. Behind each frame it stands another story, as well as behind its owner. When designing frames, I draw on my experience from many cycling disciplines I actively do. From allmountain to the road and everything in between. This gives me great insight and the ability to build a wide variety of types of frames. In addition, thanks to my longstanding collaboration with VELO and 53x11 magazines, where I have been testing bikes and equipment for many years and for which I also write articles with a technical focus, I have constant contact with current trends in the cycling industry.