Me and stinky go for a ride

Proof that my mountain bike actually gets off the hook occasionaly.
Singletrack to the right.....lot's of steering and climbing. Fire road to the left, long meadows and climbing as well....either way, its some of the best riding anywhere.

Back on the Sunday ride

The top of Granite Creek.
Hang up and ride !
Brownie boy on the soon to be demolished Branciforte ave. bridge.
The top of Glenwood dr., the highest point of the day.

Theyr'e done !

Not only are the frames done but they are on the way to the heat treater . These will be the first frames painted in the new year. Ten frames, ten days and I was sick through the second week. I guess somebody will have to wash the frames with alcohol.....or maybe the heat treatment will kill the germs. These frames actually set a new standard for me in terms of quality. Every time I get into a batch like this I find one more trick that I didn't know before to make things go quicker yet with more precision. Hopefully the next batch will go as well. I'm definitely ready for it now.

Iv'e been busy...

Ten days, ten frames...can it be done ? Let me show you how...if it kills me. I'm down to two days left and a bunch of cable guides and brake bridges left to weld on, along with the water bottle mounts. Final alignment and inspection are scheduled for Friday. Wish me luck !

Whoop, there they is

One week, ten front triangles. Am I tired? you bet. Rear triangles and whatever else I can squeeze in waits for me monday.

Big batch o' road frames

Some of you might not have seen the process of a batch of frames being built assembly-line style before. Here's what it looks like during week one.....ten frames, all of them 7005 aluminum going to V.O.S., a team based in Monterey, Calif. The process starts with drawings based on fit information, then each headtube is cut and machined. The seat tube is cut and welded onto the BB shell. Next, the top tube is welded onto the headtube at the appropriate angle. After that the downtubes are welded on. Today I'll assemble as many of the front triangles as possible. Next week the rear stays and guide will go on. 10 frames, ten buisiness days.....err, maybe eleven-whatever it takes to get the frames build properly and off to the heat treater.

Mechanic's transport bike

How do you get two bikes from the parking area to the pits in a UCI race ? Hook 'em to this rig. The parking lots are often far from the pit at a race course and usually time is of the essence so this bike was the mechanic's solution to the issue as well as a platform to use the new 650B dirt tires from Kirk Pacenti at Bikelugs.com . These wheels are larger diameter that 26" but not as large as 29er wheels and easier to build around. The frame will have the towing/transporting rack but other racks will be built for more conventional uses. The frame is a modified 'Alfie" with a longer wheelbase and room for larger tires.