Pioneer Valley Frameworks: Innovation & Special Features

Pioneer Valley Frameworks has designed and developed an ever growing list of innovative features to take its bikes to the next level of functionality and performance. PVF is always striving to perfect and improve its methods, designs and end products. Many of PVF's techniques and designs have to be kept confidential to protect the 'secret sauce' of what helps make these bikes extra special, but here are some highlights of PVF's innovation that can be shared:

Overview of Unique & Proprietary Features Developed & Used by PVF:

PVF Build Kit Option System
Unique Frame Fitting & Design Process
Carefully Planned & Executed Clearances
Special Hilltown+ Chainstay Yoke
Flat Mount Disc Brake Tooling
One Bike, Multiple Wheelset Versatility: 650b & 700c Crossovers
Proprietary Front Derailleur Braze-On Design
Mega-Cool Welding Heat Sinks
Quick Release Fender Mounts
Special MTB Seat Tube Lug Design

Examples & Descriptions

PVF Build Kit Option System

PVF has created a special, proprietary system to provide nearly endless part options, all visible to the customer in an easy and accessible format. The system lets customers easily compare price differences between parts, and instantly view the total cost of their bike. A custom Wheel Builder Tool built into the system allows every parameter of a wheel set to be selected and priced out. A custom Fork Builder Tool also lets the customer select all the mounts and options for a custom fork. This awesome system, available exclusively to PVF customers, is truly one-of-a-kind, and so far no other company offers anything even close to it.

Learn More about build kit options

Unique Frame Fitting & Design Process

A properly fit and tailored design is the difference that determines how well a bike will actually perform for its rider. Each rider has very different needs and preferences and PVF's Fitting and Design Process has been perfected over more than a decade to accurately interpret the customer's needs into an end product that functions ideally for its specific rider.

A special, fully adjustable bike is used to determine the ideal fit for each rider

Carefully Planned & Executed Clearances

PVF uses a long list of techniques to ensure finished bikes work flawlessly with their intended parts, and can allow larger tires, and wider gear options to be used, even with super short and tight wheelbase clearances. The planning starts well before any fabrication has begun by using CAD software to model every part. Special jigs, designed and made by PVF, mimic specific tire, wheel and gear clearances during the mitering and welding process. Then, clearances are once again checked with actual parts to be 100% sure of the end functionality of the bike.

CAD models are made in 3d to plan wheel, tire, gearing, and chainstay clearances

A 2d drawing based off a 3d CAD model is used to lay out clearances

PVF has designed and made special jigs and templates to check clearances prior to, and after welding

Proprietary Machined Hilltown+ Chainstay Yoke

It took over a year in development, but this special machined chainstay yoke, which was designed and made 100% in-house, was well worth the work. This yoke is featured on the Hilltown+ and HilltownCX+ models and allows absolutely massive tires and a wide range of gear options to be used, despite a super short and agile chainstay length.

Room for massive 650b x 2.1" or 700c x 45 tires, a ton of gear clearance, and all with a tight 425mm chainstay length

Difficult machining hollows out the inside of the yoke pieces

Learn More on the Hilltown+ Page

Flat Mount Disc Brake Mounts

PVF was one of the very first to develop tooling to be able to build frames with the newer Flat Mount disc brake standard. These fixtures, designed and machined by PVF are used by several other companies, including Firefly Bicycles. This tool holds the Flat Mount brake mounts in place, in the proper position during welding. The Flat Mount standard provides a sleek aesthetic, saves a bit of weight, and helps prevent clearance issues between the rear brake, racks and fenders.

A CAD model of the Flat Mount Welding Fixture while in development

A finished flat mount fixture being used while building a frame

One Bike, Multiple Wheelset Versatility: 650b & 700c

Almost every model of bike which PVF offers has been optimized to allow the ability to use and swap between both 700c and 650b wheels. This means that you can do far more types of riding, all with one bike. PVF has been a big supporter of 650b wheels for ages, and was among the first to design bikes to specifically be able to run and swap between both 650b and 700c wheels.

A Greylock+ with 700c x 25 wheels & tires for speedy road mode

The same bike with 650b x 42 wheels- these have the same overall diameter as the 700c x 25's! These 650b x 42's allow far more off road ability

700c Rim with 25mm Tire vs 650b Rim with 42mm Tire: Each has a very different tire width, but they share the exact same overall diameter. The ability to run both types of wheels allows tremendous versatility.

Proprietary Front Derailleur Mount

For a number of years, PVF has been designing and building bikes with super short chainstays combined with big tires, with the goal of keeping the bike's handling fast and sporty, while still allowing a lot of versatility by being able to run a wide range of tire sizes. Building these bikes makes for a lot of design and fabrication challenges though, one of which is getting clearance for the front derailleur. PVF developed a proprietary braze-on mount that uses a unique placement of the front derailleur to give proper clearance, and still shift perfectly. The design also supports a far wider gear range than any other front derailleur braze-on mount, and can accommodate anywhere from a 44T-53T large chainring.

The mounts are designed & made 100% in-house

Compatible with a huge gear range: from a 44T-53T big ring

Mega-Cool Welding Heat Sinks

Welding occurs at very high temperatures, during which metal becomes a liquid and then reforms as a solid as it cools. A side effect of this process is that distortion occurs, which in the case of a bicycle frame, can contribute to misalignment. PVF uses special welding techniques to maintain alignment during welding, and an inspection and re-alignment process is done post welding. To help prevent excessive heat build up during welding, PVF has designed and made special welding heat sinks. The use of heat sinks during welding is nothing new, but PVF's design of using both an internal and external, air-cooled heat sink is unique, and effectively helps to further increase cooling over other designs. The heat sinks also feature gas inputs to back-purge the frames internally with the argon shielding gas used during TIG welding. While it is not considered a mandatory step for welding steel, PVF always uses shielding gas internally to further reduce weld distortion and contamination, helping to make cleaner and stronger welds.

PVF's custom heat sinks reduce heat distortion and misalignment during the welding process

Quick Release Fender Mounts

Using a special and unique design by Pioneer Valley Frameworks, and 100% made in-house, these special mounts can make installing and removing your fenders faster and easier.
These mounts are CNC machined in-house out of corrosion resistant stainless steel, and can be welded in place to the bridges of the frame and fork crown of custom steel PVF forks. They feature a slotted design that makes it so much of the fender's hardware does not have to be entirely removed to take your fenders on and off. A special bracket CNC'ed from aluminum is also installed onto the rear fender for the chainstay bridge mount. This proprietary design can help make changing out your fender setup on the fly less of a hassle.
(Special thanks to John Bayley for giving the inspiration for this design)

A CAD model of one of PVF's Quick Release Fender Mounts

Quick Release fender mount on the seatstay bridge

A Quick Release fender mount on a custom PVF fork

Special MTB Seat TUbe Lug

PVF often makes special seat tube lug/sleeves for riders who need extra strength at the top of the seat tube, but don't need the strength of an oversized diameter for the entire length of the tube. In these cases, a custom made seat lug adds strength where it is needed, and saves weight over having a full length oversized tube. While the design PVF uses for its 'standard' seat lugs are unique, the concept is nothing new. However, PVF's lug design for MTB frames which use a lowered top tube and reinforcement between the top tube and seat tube are truly one of a kind. This design provides reinforcement where it is most needed, and removes material where it isn't, and does it in a unique and stylish way.