Friday, December 28, 2012

7005 road frame for N.Y. state

 This isn't a light duty frame but something for durability and utility. That said, it is 2 lbs. 14 oz.  a bit lighter than what I would have guessed. It has some great tubing, both old and new. The top and downtube as well as the seatstays are some of the last of my NOS Easton elite stash. I had planned to use some s-bend seastays but they were so wide that the brake bridge would have been too short to span the distance !
 These bi-conical seatstays are feathery light and should dampen the ride a bit. The chainstays are very stout so the bike won't lose any of that great snappy acceleration.
This frame will most likely be paired up with a 45 mm rake to match the 72 degree head angle. this should yield a nice nimble feel without losing the good downhill stability- Classic Bianchi geometry from the early '80's

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Disc brake 'cross frame for Pa.

 This sled is a study in sickness.......sorry, I just had to say that. As I started on the frame I guess I kind of got a bit crazy with it. I did a seatmast in a way I had not done before. There's a press-fit welded in piece at the top of the seat tube that has been turned to a precise size to fit the seat mast topper from Ritchey. These toppers don't seem to fit on any tube in my shop but this adapter I made on the lathe makes it possible in a really simple and durable way.
The 44 mm head tube will house a tapered-steerer Evve disc 'cross fork with a combo King Inset and external headset.
 The frame will accommodate a pretty large tire, maybe a Bruce Gordon Rock 'n road 700x43 if needed. There's also eyelets for a fender. The seat stays were advertised to be 'really curvy'. They were just the thing for this bike.....and yes, the disc rotor on the rear wheel does not hit the frame !
I don't remember where I bought these bottle bosses but they have to be the fanciest I have ever seen.

7005 29er single speed for So-Calif.

 If I were to build one of these for myself it would be the same as this one. The Ahrens slider dropouts and seat stay yoke are solid. The top and downtubes are NOS Easton as well as the seat stays.
 I put some crimps in the chain stays and used a 73 mm BB shell to get some room for the tire  figuring that there's a chance that something larger than a 2.2 might find its way onto this frame.
This is a real cross country rig that weighs well under 4 lbs. I didn't try for lightness, this is just how they turn out. Wish I had gotten it ready before Christmas but it isn't a perfect world......

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Small steel 29er frame for PA.

 This frame is small enough that I was not able to build a full wishbone seatstay. I just mitered the stays so that I could weld them to the sides of the seat tube. I've seen it done but for me , this is a first. The rear end of the frame is really stiff......pretty surprising to me as it isn't built super heavy.
I was told that this rider is going to compete in an Xterra event. With a 120 mm fork this frame should be a pretty plush ride. It is the smallest 29er I have built so far. The Paragon head tube allows foe a tapered steerer and a much lower headset stack so that the smaller rider will have a decent cross-country bar position.

Last steel 'cross frame for the year

 This frame and fork are pretty much a general purpose 'cross platform. There's rack and fender braze-ons but the tubeset is fairly light . The geometry is my standard euro race as the rider might try a bit of cyclocross racing.
 If racing is not in the immediate future of the bike it will be very good transportation in the rainy climate of Portland , Oregon. The tubing is nearly all True Temper OX . The Ritchey rear dropouts are a bit of a throwback to a time about 15 years ago when they were what I used on most of my road and 'cross frames.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Light steel road frame for S.F.

 A steel straight blade fork is supposed to go with this one but it is not built yet. the bike will be fitted with long-reach Shimano brakes and will have capacity for 700x28 tires and fenders. It isn't a touring bike but more of a general purpose road bike for a woman who is just under 5'10". She likes to have her handlebars about the same level as her saddle so that is the reason for the longish head tube. The bike will have a quill stem and 1" threaded headset......my first in several years. The parts will be coming from an older bike. The 3 lb. 10 oz. frame is nearly all Columbus and should eat bumps for lunch. The front end geometry will be stable for the hilly terrain on both sides of the Golden Gate.


Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Single speed 29er for tall rider

This guy is pretty tall....6'5" if I remember correctly. The bike is outfitted with Paragon 'rocker' rear dropouts.The post mount version here is the first I have built with-don't worry, I checked with a brake caliper to make sure that it cleared the seat stay.
 This frame will easily fit 2.2 tires , even with the wheel all the way forward.
The head tube is also from Paragon-the 44 mm version for a tapered steerer Rock Shock. This should be a really solid setup.