It's no secret Easton makes some of the most sophisticated tubing on the market. When Niner Bikes was trying to decide what frame material to work with for their first frame, Easton GX2 Scandium stuck out as the clear choice for both weight consciousness and ride quality.

Scandium is a rare earth element and an additive used as a grain refiner in alloys. It's biggest purpose is to minimize the heat effected zone of a welded tube. Every time two tubes are welded together, there is a heat effected zone that weakens the overall strength of the tubing. This heat effected zone, on a standard 7000 series aluminum frame, can be as long as several inches. Any internal butting of the tubing should, for maximum strength, take place after the heat effected zone. On Easton's GX2 Scandium tubeset, this heat effected zone is reduced to almost nothing, giving Easton the ability to make tubing that butts significantly closer to the weld, without compromising strength.

Scandium, however, does not increase the yield strength of an alloy. This is a critical component to the equation. Simply adding Scandium to a 7000 series tube, as some other companies are doing, does not increase the strength of the frame. This results in requiring nearly the same exact tube profiles as a standard 7000 series frame which results in a ride quality as harsh as a standard 7000 series frame, thus negating the benefits of the Scandium additive. Easton developed a proprietary alloy with a substantially increased yield strength than that of a standard 7000 series alloy. This gave Easton the ability to use smaller diameter tubing and thinner walls to result in a more compliant ride while not sacrificing the fatigue strength of the frame.

It's important to note that while the external diameters of the tubing plays a role in the bikes ride quality, internal wall thickness of these tubes plays an equally important role. Balancing the two is an art form in ride quality, especially with the increased demands that a single speed rider puts on the frame. Mashing on the pedals in extreme uphill situations with no ability to shift requires an extremely stiff bottom bracket area and front triangle. Niner's goal with the One 9 was to balance weight, compliancy, and stiffness in the perfect balance. Easton was able to supply the custom tubing to make it happen.