WTP BMXPlus! Cream review

Andrew Jackson’s signature work of art

WETHEPEOPLE C.R.E.A.M.

FRAME test.

The C.R.E.A.M. is a perfect match for serious street riders, blending tough and tech features into one high-tech frame.

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When Andrew Jackson worked with WeThePeople (WTP) to release his first signature frame, the C.R.E.A.M. V1, it was nothing short of the talk of the town.

While it didn’t look like anything special from a distance, its distinction was in the details. While investment-cast parts are nothing new to cycling, WTP was one of the first brands to apply the technology so extensively on a freestyle frame.

Since WTP has also made themselves known as a very progressive brand, we knew it wouldn’t be long before they had to one-up themselves, which they did with the C.R.E.A.M. V2. Currently considered one of the most advanced frames in BMX, we jumped at the chance to build one of these frames up and see how well high tech holds up down a 10-stair.

INVESTMENT WHAT?

When you really break down the C.R.E.A.M. V2, it shares a lot of basic features with many other signature frames out there. It is made from seamless chromoly tubing, with a singlebutted top tube and single-butted, tapered downtube. It is fit with a Mid bottom bracket shell, has an integrated seatpost clamp and has fully removable brake hardware with seat stay-mounted brake studs. For fat-tire clearance, the stays are widened slightly and the braces are curved, allowing for a slammed tire—even if it is the size of a dirigible. Conventional, right? Well, this is where it all takes a turn for the unique.

Rather than weld tube to tube as with

most other frames on the market, WTP decided to apply a technique called “investment casting” to create flawless, one-piece structures to take the place of the traditional multi-tube junctions. What was wrong with traditional tube junctions, you ask? Heat. For every weld put down on a frame, the tubes being joined are heated and cooled, altering the molecular structure of the tubes slightly and increasing the potential for weak spots on either side of the weld. The solution to this is to space out the welds, but it can be tough with today’s lowstandover-height frames, where tubes at the head tube, seat tube and stay junction often touch, even overlap. This is why frame cracks are most common in these areas. To avoid this, WTP decided to use investment casting to create one-piece head tube, seat tube and dropout yokes that would interface with the tubing, both spacing out the weld surfaces and increasing the strength of the material on either side of the weld.

So why doesn’t everyone do this? It’s not a cheap or quick process, and it still requires just as many welds. Cast parts also offer incredible strength increases with the ability to vary, while at the same time tightly control wall thicknesses, but they are also heavier than a simple piece of tubular chromoly. This is why WTP and AJ decided to tweak the V1 design, save a little weight and release the 2-ounce-lighter V2. But, at 5 pounds, 4 ounces, does it have what it takes to catch the eye of the weight-savvy street rider. Stronger or not? We will see.

STREET!

Building the C.R.E.A.M. up was as simple as can be, especially for a brakeless rider. With no welds on the upper seat tube junction, there was no warping or internal imperfections to the tube that might require us to have to muscle a post into the frame. The seatpost slid smoothly into place and was quickly and easily locked into place with the integrated clamp. We also found the same perfection in the head tube where the integrated bearings dropped securely into place in the frame’s unique-looking head tube. The dropouts accepted our wheel perfectly, without the need for spreading or pinching the stays or dropouts—again, drawing attention to the perfection of cast parts. With that done, it was time to hit the streets.

Since the V1, the C.R.E.A.M. frame has maintained its quick-handling, 75-degree head tube angle, which we love, but has also gained a tiny bit of length in the rear end—and by tiny, we mean tiny. With only about an eighthinch stretch to show for the change, we aren’t quite sure why they made it.

Regardless, no one is that picky about frame geometry, so the worst-case scenario is that you ride with a touch more stability and attribute it to your skills. In motion, the V2 is truly a tech frame for the experienced rider. The bike’s snappy handling is a modern rider’s dream, but can be quick to catch an inexperienced rider off guard, especially if you dabble with transition. Tall riders will also be psyched to find the C.R.E.A.M. frame is available in long top tube options, like the 21.25inch that we tested. This allowed for plenty of room in the front end

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FRAME test.

WETHEPEOPLE C.R.E.A.M.

when doing no-footed cans down drops.

And for the rider who knows how to keep short chainstays in check, it makes it very capable at the trails as well. While the frame itself felt noticeably heavier than the frame it was replacing, once built, the frameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quick-handling features helped disguise the weight, so much so that we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even notice the difference.

Overall, it was about a quarter-pound heavier than our previous bike, but as it came out swinging, drop after drop, we learned to appreciate the durability the extra ounces had to offer. For the photos, our test rider wanted to knock out a few lines that had been haunting him for a while and tossed the bike several 64 QQQ <GRJFOMG;A =IG

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didn’t even have a dent to show for the hard impact, which is rare in today’s lineup of ultra-light frames. With three months of riding under our belts, we have to say that the V2 is just as tough as the original and capable of shredding just about anything you put in front of it. We even found this frame to be a tech rider’s dream come true at the park, where it can turn on a dime, pump through even the tightest of transition and air with the best of them.

NOT FOR EVERYONE

Durable chainstays and dropouts make the V2 a great tool for those with pegs—even if the guy who designed the bike doesn’t run them. Gap to smith by test forcer Mike Arnold.

As much as we love the C.R.E.A.M. frame, it’s not for every rider. The deceivingly long front-end options are enough to make most tall riders feel comfortable on it, but the super-short rear end is less than ideal for flow riders, so if dirt and park riding are your priorities, then you may want to look into a frame that offers an extra 1/2- to 3/4-inch in the dropout.

A big bummer for a lot of people is the bike’s moderately low standover height.

While it is far from being a scooter, a lot of people with interest in such a hightech frame are older and might prefer something with a little more seat tube spread between the top and downtubes. But if you’re living in the now, the standover height is right on the money to suit a variety of riding styles. The other bummer is the price. At $419, it is one of the most expensive street frames on the market, which will price out many of the riders the bike is ideal for.

THE NICHE YOU WANT TO BE IN

times in the process. In spite of a few small dings and some scratches in the paint, the C.R.E.A.M. always came back for more—even if the other parts didn’t fair as well. We sandwiched 2.25 tires into the frame without issue and even bottomed out in the dropouts and had enough room to spare for some wheel wobble only a brakeless rider could appreciate. But, it wasn’t all stair drops and gaps on the V2; the frame also saw plenty of hard peg use, which it took all in stride. The investment-cast dropouts saw countless yards of grinding and showed no signs of losing shape or premature wear. We even dropped the grind-side stay to a few ledges and

Considering all we know and have learned of the C.R.E.A.M., it is very much a niche frame, but if there was ever a niche you wanted to be in, this would be it. This is a very high-tech, trick-looking and performance-minded frame that has also proved to be durable and with great technical handling. On the downside, it is a few ounces heavier and roughly $100 more than its more straightforward competition, and it is not a stable platform for a beginner to ride, with quick handling built into every aspect of the design. Now, smash all that information together into a rider profile and you have the ideal frame for the experienced and serious tech street rider who is hard on their bike, has a few extra bucks to spare and doesn’t mind a few extra ounces in trade for a little more strength and the ability to ride one of the most uniquely detailed frames on the market. If that’s not the niche you want to be in, we don’t know what is. We have always loved the unique aspect to this frame design, and now that we have spent some quality time with it on the streets, all we can say is, it may not be for everyone, but it truly exceeded our expectations. ❑

HEAD TUBE: 75° SEAT TUBE: 70.5° TOP TUBE: 20.75”, 21” or 21.25” (tested) CHAINSTAY: 13.125” slammed WEIGHT: 5 lb., 5 oz.

PRICE: $419 HITS: t 2VJDL IBOEMJOH t 6OJRVF EFTJHO t 4USPOH t $MFBO MPPL XIFO CSBLF IBSEXBSF JT SFNPWFE MISSES: t " GFX PVODFT IFBWJFS UIBO UIF DPNQFUJUJPO t 1SJDF NBZ TDBSF PGG UIF QFSGFDU SJEFS may 2012

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