what's up in Santa Cruz

World champion stripes

2012-01-31T18:56:00.000-08:00

There's a reason this guy's bike has world champion stripes on the seat tube......he's Ron Riley, masters 70+ world cyclocross champion ! This is the first time any bike I have built has been ridden to a world title. Ron has also been masters national champion as well. This is a bit of shop history being made.

Road racing bike for an eleven year old

2012-01-31T18:51:00.000-08:00

I've got to get this bike built fast as the owner is bound for a stage race in Arizona.....at eleven year old !
I hope she likes this little 650 wheel scandium rocket sled. It is about the fastest thing I can build on two wheels.
I'm not sure what it will weigh but it won't be very much. I hope to have it all built by Thursday night.

First batch of the year done

2012-01-27T19:36:00.000-08:00

The four unpainted aluminum frames represent my first batch of 2012 , although I also built a couple of steel frames this month as well. Normally, six frames in a month would be pretty low for me but I was gone for eight days at the national cyclocross races...did I tell you that our team won the single speed race ? -Sure I did......I can't stop telling folks. Speaking of which....
This frame has a lot in common with Aaron Bradford's winning frame except that this rider is a lot taller and a bit heavier as well, hence the use of one of Mike Ahren's lower chainstay yokes.
This disc-only frame also has the big head tube for the tapered steerer carbon 'cross fork .
Here's a close look at the yoke and one of my last pair of NOS rectangle Easton 7005 chainstays. This frame will be at the NAHMBS but not in my booth......I'm sure you will see it there if you go.

Single speed race-specific CX frame

2012-01-25T20:27:00.000-08:00

This baby has some new dropouts from Mike Ahrens. Remember, you saw them here first......but not last-they are really amazing.
Since two riders from my team got on the podium at the nationals on my single speeds I think that I'll be building many of these over the next year. A national championship is a huge thing for a small builder.
Sorry for the blurry photo.... I hope to have better ones soon. The bike deserves a sharper focus.

Disc brake road frame and fork for S.F.

2012-01-24T18:04:00.000-08:00

This bike will be jumping the trolley tracks and dodging the cars in San Fransisco.
The owner of this frame is a messenger and wanted a bike similar to his current ride, a short upright bike with a fairly high bottom bracket for cornering. My hope is that this really fits the bill.
I made it so there was room for fenders and 28 c tires for all weather conditions. There's even some rack rivnuts in the seatstays-a first for me on an aluminum bike.
The 44 mm downtube is just about the stoutest one I have. Inspite of the beefy tubes, the fame is pretty light.

Freestyle fixed gear.

2012-01-20T18:15:00.000-08:00

I would love to tell you all about this frame but I would have to kill you. All will be revealed at the NAHMBS.

I will say that the most interesting stuff on this frame might not be easy to pick out in these photos......

Belt-drive, beeatch.

2012-01-18T18:51:00.001-08:00

A close look at this frame will reveal the seatstay-splitter. This is a giveaway sign that the owner wants the ability to run a Gates carbon belt. Would I run one ? I really can't say. This is only the second belt-drive frame I have ever built so I don't think it is catching on in my shop but it is nice that Paragon makes hardware for the application.
This commuter frame will have the ability to run fenders and an Alfine internally geared hub as well as disc brakes. The fork will most likely be an Enve disc/cross fork.
Here's a detail of the rear of the frame where all the complex bits live. I guess one could even set the bike up with a 1x10 derailleur setup.......or single speed......the possibilities are many.

Columbus spirit/life road frame

2012-01-16T18:18:00.000-08:00

It was late in the day and getting dark when I took these photos so they reflect that. I built this frame with a mix of Columbus spirit and life tubes at the request of the customer. I like the quality of the metal and the distinctive shape of the chainstays. I did cheat and use a NOS Tange presitge " Concept" seat tube to really stabilize the BB. I think the power transfer on this 3 lb. 9 oz. steel frame will be very good.

Usually I bend my seatstays myself. These came pre-bent, a bit more money but a time saver so it was a wash expense wise. The narrow profile is pretty cool , perfect for a road frame.

Cyclocross nationals

2012-01-11T18:48:00.000-08:00

Two of the five spots on the single speed podium were occupied by Rock Lobster team riders : Aaron Bradford 1st place, Scott Chapin 4th place. Maybe it's good to know that the bikes didn't hold the riders back-that how a good bike is supposed perform.

My bags are packed....

2012-01-01T18:10:00.000-08:00

If you get an answering machine at the shop there's a good reason for it. I'll be out of town as of tomorrow to go to the cyclocross national championships in Madson, Wisconsin. Sure, I will probably get my pathetic dreams dashed in my race, but there are some real racers on the team whom I will be working for. My guess is that there will be some muddy bikes to wash in the coming week. My job-help keep the fast guys rolling and if they are rolling fast, stay the hell out of the way !

Small Steel 29er

2011-12-30T17:46:00.001-08:00

Here's a nice winter sunset out of the front of my shop door....the second to the last business day of the year.
This little guy is going to a customer who I have built bikes for since 1991. He's got the idea to try a 29er and this one is steel. The bike will be set up with XTR and a Fox fork, similar to how I have my bike set up. I hope he likes the geometry and big wheels as much as I do.
I used a NOS Tange Prestige 'concept' seat tube , probably the best steel ever. The rest of the frame is True Temper OX and Dedaccai wishbone seatstays.
After many weeks of waiting I finally have some Salsa dropouts in stock again-always nice to work with and they are stainless as well. I routed the cables under the top tube, something I didn't do until recently. I think on a smaller frame it's a good thing and the bike isn't as noisy when the road gets really bumpy. This is the last frame of 2011. Happy new year !

Really large triathlon-TT frame

2011-12-29T18:30:00.000-08:00

This rider is about 6'8" and he needed something stiff. The top and down tubes are 7005 US made Easton tubes. I'm hoping he'll really feel comfortable on this frame.

Merry X-mas from me and plastic Santa

2011-12-25T09:44:00.000-08:00

I think ol' Santa should cut down on the booze-he's looking a little stiff.

Steel fork for a Bontrager road-lite

2011-12-23T18:59:00.000-08:00

I think I build a fork or two just about every week. My Anvil fork jig makes it a real pleasure , which is actually remarkable as most framebuilders do not use the words "Fork" and "Pleasure" in the same sentence. -That said, these are different times than when I hated the process of building forks.........I'm glad for the change.
This rather crappy photo shows one of my very last pair of Campagnolo front dropouts. Why did I use them on this particular fork ? I just felt like it.

Shredding the gnar with retroshift

2011-12-23T18:49:00.001-08:00

Behold, the retro shift. I guess after riding it on the trails here there's good attributes and maybe a little bit of funkyness. The shifters are simple and durable and very straightforward to use. My only complaint is trying to hit a low gear requires some added body english that I'm not super keen on-kind of an awkward move for a clutz like me. Appearantly it isn't too awkward for Erik Tonkin who sports a pair of these on his bike.
Behold, the gnar.....err....Monterey bay. I couldn't get a photo of the real gnar as I was too busy shredding.

Scandium road frame for eleven year old girl

2011-12-22T19:17:00.000-08:00

She's not your average eleven year old-she trains like crazy and likes to ride fast. She rides on the velodrome and already has a track frame from me.
This 2 lb. 6 oz. frame is made for 650 wheels and has a 47 cm top tube. The seat tube is 39 cm c/t/c. If she grows out of it she has a little sister who will get a very nice hand-me-down.

Small scandium 'cross frame for NYC

2011-12-15T19:44:00.000-08:00

I was told that this rider is pretty short, especially in the upper body. She is supposedly really tearing it up in the N.Y. 'cross series and plans to have this as her second bike. My hope is that after she rides it she might make it her first bike. Anyway, this isn't my decision-I'll just have to wait for a ride report.
Before I put all the guides on this frame tipped the scale at 2 lbs. 13 oz........getting down there for one of my race frames. The only way to lighten them further without weakening them would be to use an integrated style head tube and BB-30.....not on this customer's wish list. I'm sure a couple less ounces would not be super important for this rider.

Another team scandium 'cross frame

2011-12-15T19:37:00.000-08:00

This team member really lagged on ordering this frame but here it is and it might even get raced before the season ends in Feb. The frame weighs 2 lb. 15 oz. , pretty light for a 'cross frame but not too light for what it will be subjected to.
Since the rider is well under 150 lb.s she will get one of my last 32 mm top tubes made in the USA. I got these tubes back in 2007 and use them sparingly.
I added the new drive-side chainstay gusset as this rider might be hopping logs occasionally.

Small steel road frame and fork for Berkeley

2011-12-06T18:52:00.000-08:00

This frame is all of 3 lb. 5 oz. , not bad for steel. The fork is 1 lb. 6 oz. and will lose a few oz. when trimmed. I'm hoping that the rider will like the geometry. Small bikes like this are really tricky to build-much more difficult than really large bikes. Keeping the rider balanced while making the front end long enough so that there's not a ton of foot overlap on the front wheel can be a serious challenge.
The straight blade fork might look pretty racy but it can take a 700x28 Continental tire.
I got a little carried away with the bends but I think the look is nicer than it would have been if I had not bothered. I also think the sweeping bends might soften the ride a taste-not a bad thing on such a small frame.

Almost all the new stuff

2011-12-06T18:44:00.000-08:00

If this frame had disc brakes it would be all the new stuff. It does have the new large head tube for the tapered steerer forks and BB-30 as well as the latest ( and possibly last) scandium.
Because the frame has an oversize tubeset the big head tube looks proper.
I put the chainstay re-enforcement on as this rider is definitely not a shrimp.

'Cross frame for Santa Rosa

2011-12-05T19:58:00.000-08:00

With luck this frame and a selection of parts will be in a box and on its way up north on Wednesday. I'm just waiting on the fork and as you can see, the King gold bits are already installed on the fully prepped frame. I built some wheels and have selected some other stuff so that the build should be easy to complete once the frame has been delivered.

Level top tube road frame in steel

2011-11-30T07:39:00.001-08:00

The rack is full again

2011-11-23T17:51:00.000-08:00

There was a delay in getting these frames back from the heat treater and powdercoater as they both have been pretty busy as of late. Eight frames showed up today and I have been spending part of the day putting on decals. It may be the day before Thanksgiving but I'm not going home early-I would rather get this stuff done now and not have a Friday where I can't do some welding because of not finishing today's work.

Single speed 'cross frame for So-Cal.

2011-11-23T17:45:00.000-08:00

With luck this frame will be all ready for the big Nor-Cal So-Cal showdown in mid January. This is a pretty big frame but it is very light being of 7005 aluminum. I am pretty happy that these stainless faced rear dropouts are fairly easy to get, unlike last year.
There's room for a fairly large tire and the mud shouldn't build up too badly.
After spending about 4-5 weeks on steel it is nice to switch to aluminum just to keep fresh. Next week I have to build a steel frame before I finish the three other frames in this batch.

Here's something you haven't seen in my shop.

2011-11-21T22:40:00.000-08:00

Looks like I'm possibly building a frame or two for another lable. This frame is a Broakland 'Pipe bomb' ....at least it is my version of it. If the designer likes it I might be building more.
There's a lot of old GT in the look of this frame, kind of an urban fixed-gear for folks who like to do tricks and defy death on the east bay streets.
The frame is made to withstand serious beating and occasional unplanned stresses.
It is unlikely that someone like myself would ever really test this frame to it's limit but I'm sure it will happen as soon as it finds a home.

Retro-shift in da house

2011-11-18T18:29:00.000-08:00

I'll bet you haven't seen these......downtube shifters grafted onto brake levers. Some really clever guy up in Portland is selling these cyclocross specific units. Think of it, less than half the price of the ones from the big companies and probably much more resistant to any kind of failure due to mud and water. I have not ridden them very far yet but I'll be trying them in the mud very soon...perhaps tomorrow. Go watch the vimeo on the retroshift to see it in action.

Big tire road frame and fork with Cantilever brakes

2011-11-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

The future owner of this frame used to be a pro roadie. I'm wondering when he last had a steel frame and fork.....must have been a long time ago as virtually none of the bikes used by pros are steel any more, at least on the road.
The tubeset is fairly light but not delicate as the frame weighs in at 4 lbs. 2 oz. , a good weight for a bike that will see some bad roads.
While the frame has no provision for a rack, it is fully fitted with spots to anchor full fenders as this bike will see some wet weather.
Here's the unicrown fork , probably the most popular style that comes out of my shop. These blades look like standard 'cross unicrowns but they are a bit stouter and will be good on rough dirt.

Big tire road bike, hold the fenders again..

2011-11-11T17:58:00.000-08:00

The owner of this frame will be commuting over the Golden Gate into S.F. on a daily basis but had the thought that having the big-tire option would be nice for taking dirt shortcuts and detours now and then.
This 3 lb. 13 oz. True Temper OX frame is pretty sporty for a big tire bike and will have a custom order Wound-Up carbon fork and Shimano long reach calipers , my default brake for this type of build.
It was a little tricky making the bendy stays conform to these lug-style dropouts but the result was nice. My supply line for my most favorite dropouts isn't returning my calls so I guess I'll have to try something new, maybe more of the type you see here.

Disc brake town-cross 26" wheel frame

2011-11-08T18:53:00.000-08:00

The rider of this frame is 4'10 3/4" so it is very small. It will get a new carbon disc fork sold under the 'Whiskey' name that looks pretty impressive to me for the price.
I elected to put the cable adjusters on the head tube as the brake lines should not interfere with the gear cables at all. Disc brakes on tiny bikes really solve a whole bunch of cable routing issues.
Yes, it's like a BMX frame but it will be ridden on the streets of San Fransisco towing a trail-a-bike or a load of groceries. It might get ridden out on the Marin Headlands.....I'm sure it will be fine just about anywhere.

'Cross frame for Santa Rosa

2011-11-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

This Euro is equipped with fender eyes and will be versatile but foremost, it is a race frame. The frame is a mixture of Nivacrom and reynolds 725. I did not weigh it yet but it feels pretty light.
I put on the traditional wavy gussets and standard 'cross cable routing. This is the 16th steel 'cross frame of the year and probably not the last. In 2010 I only build 8 so steel is coming back, at least in my shop.

Big tire road frame and fork-hold the fenders

2011-11-01T20:54:00.001-07:00

This is a big tire road frame but it is a bit more racy than the usual item. There's a lot of little touches that were requests from the customer.
Head tube mounted cable adjusters were one request a little out of the ordinary for me.
the next thing were some really beefy chainstays to make the power transfer feel solid. These true Temper chainstays are the same cross section as fork blades, just thinner walled. they had to be deeply indented to be able to accommodate the Michelin Jet 30 mm tires.
The narrow section 376 mm axle to crown length straight blade fork also had some stainless steel dropouts which will be masked off in the paint process. I almost never have this request but it makes a lot of sense. the rear dropouts are stainless as well.
These dropouts are a little pricey and the fit is maybe a bit tighter than I would have liked but the went on flawlessly. They match the fork crown motif pretty well. I think this is the fourth frame I have built for this customer and I hope it is the best.

Disc-only steel 'cross frame

2011-10-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

Who says you can't have modern features on a steel bike ? -Not I. This frame has BB-30, tapered dead tube and a disc-only brake setup-stuff you find on carbon bikes from the mega-companies. A customer from San Diego specified these features and even source the head tube from the U.K.
The downtube is larger than I use on most steel 'cross frames and it mates up well with the larger BB and headtube.
The top and seat tubes are of normal diameter and the rear stays are not oversize, giving the rear triangle a graceful look that would have been impossible with larger tubes.
The Paragon BB and dropouts like the True Temper OX Platinum main tubes are US made.
The only imported tubes are the chainstays which are Columbus Nivacrome. The frame weighs 4 lb. 2 oz.

Steel road racing frame for Berkeley

2011-10-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

This frame is built from True temper OX with an S-3 top tube. Before I put on the braze ons it weighed 3 lb. 6 oz. , about the same as an Easton elite aluminum frame in the same size.

The customer specified straight seat stays.....less work for me and a more classic look. I'm sure this frame will see a lot of miles in Nor-Cal races in the coming year.

Big tire road bike all ready for a vacation

2011-10-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

The test bike came back from Dirt Rag Magazine and after a little tune up it is ready for a rare three-day weekend in the Sierra foothills. I put on some Rivendell Jack Brown 33 c tires that they generously provided for the bumpy roads around the Amador county wine country. I also installed a Paul Components seatpost to get a little more setback. The Brooks saddle felt a little too forward for my tired old ass.
Here's the new seatpost. Finally, soeone makes a nice classic style seatpost with some real setback.

Bontrager restoration

2011-10-20T18:54:00.000-07:00

One of my customers dragged this frame out of his garage and asked me to build a for for it, get it repainted and build it up with all new parts. It is around 18 years old and is a Bontrager OR mountian frame. I built the fork from Tange blades from the period and put a Shimano SLX group on the frame with a stem and handlebar that I had laying around. I'll swap out the bars for something with more rise. The customer provided the decals......don't ask me for them-I have none.

'Cross frame for Flagstaff

2011-10-18T19:09:00.000-07:00

This frame is scandium and it has the BB-30 shell and the 50 MM head tube that can run the tapered steerer loved by the UCI and all the Euro-racers. This rider is pertty tall and has trouble getting far enough behind the BB with his saddle position. The 72.5 degree seat tube angle on this frame will hopefully take care of that. The 43 mm chainstays will keep the weight distribution centered.
With the 35 MM seat tube and 44 mm downtube, the BB-30 and larger head tube do not seem out of place. I'm hoping that the owner will find the ride of this frame to his liking in all situations, paved or dirt. It may be a 'cross frame but it is light and stiff enough to feel good on the road.
With a fairly tall frame I can get a little more curve into the seat stays. I actually have to bend them a bit more to get the cantilever bosses at the right distance from each other.

Disc-only 'cross frame for Wisconsin

2011-10-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

The disc-only 'cross bike is becoming a regular build in my shop but this one is a little different in that it will have a tapered-steerer fork. This is only the third frame I have built for this headset/fork setup but like the disc brakes , there's somewhat of a trend happening for this feature. My guess is that the front end of the bike will be pretty solid and there will be no chance of fork shudder as there's no rim brake. Is it overkill ? -I can't say....I do know that there's going to be some really cold weather usage of this bike and maybe the extra braking power and solid front end will be good.

I ran out of disc mounts and had to make this one out of 7005 plate. It's probably a little stronger than the stock item and I was able to get a super nice custom fit.

This one is bound for Oregon

2011-10-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

This is a race-day bike made from the lightest stuff in the shop. I hope it lasts long and gets used in all that mud up there in Eugene and Portland.
There's a couple of things on this frame that might help it hold up to the beating that is cyclocross racing. # 1, the seat stays are really stout, pertty much straight-guage 7005.# 2, the new chainstay gussett will help prevent a crack at one of the more highly stressed points in the frame.

Really small 'cross frame for bay area local

2011-10-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is a 'cross frame although it looks like a mtn. bike frame. The person riding it is only 5'3" so it has to look like this. One good thing, it doesn't weigh anything.
There's a few NOS US made tubes in this frame that I save for bikes like this. I don't have much of these tubes left and it will be a sad day when they are gone for good.
My guess is that some sort of newer 'V' type rear brake will be used as the cable room behind the seat tube is minimal.

Bound for Bakersfield

2011-10-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, the day after tomorrow there will be more than liver and onions, chicken fried steak and oilwells in Bakersfield-there will be a custom single speed cyclocross frame and fork from you-know-who. The blue decals are custom ordered from a local sign shop and are a little different than my stock versions.
I really wish I had a blue seat collar to complete the look but I'm sure one will be on this frame before too long. I had to ship it today with what I had in stock.

Yes, I still make forks with 1" threaded steerers

2011-10-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

And that's exactly what this is.....maybe a month late but it is built and soon to be in the hands of a very patient customer.

The rack is full again

2011-10-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

Six of these frames, the ones without paint will be off to the heat treater today. I have almost enough work to finish off the year if I include a couple of projects I intend to show at the handmade bike show next year. I won't enter them in any competition, though-I'm all about the work speaking for itself and not looking for a trophy for what I do every day.

Collector's corner : Eisentraut in the house

2011-10-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

You don't see this brand very often, an Eisentraut signature road frame. The frame is about 25 years old and the second owner had it on a roof rack and well, you know the rest. Fortunately, all that is needed is a fork alignment-$ 30 and he'll be good to go, unless I find something else wrong. The lugs are very nice on this bike....understated ,but I know full well how much work went into this frame.

Disc-only 'cross frame

2011-10-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

Well, it had to happen some time.....the disc brake revolution on cyclocross bikes has made inroads into my build list. This is certainly not the first disc-only 'cross rig I have built , but the frequency of this kind of request has gone way up in the last few months. There's a lot of advancement in the brake systems and the recent UCI reversal on the disc brake ban at sanctioned races has fuled the latest trend. I try not to have an opinion on this subject and leave it up to how these bikes perform in races. My guess is that they will do fine. I have fun building them.
I made the cable routing for the brake hydraulic compatable so the rider can have a choice rather than be stuck with no alternative to a cable actuated brake.

Steel 'cross frame and fork for San Fransisco

2011-10-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

This is a Euro with a fender package option. No racks, no touring stuff, just a race bike with fenders.
This should be a sturdy reliable ride for town , country roads or the bay area race courses.
The owner of this frame and fork was a founder of Cyclocross Magazine so I know he'll appreciate all the time and care I put into this frame and fork,

Team 'cross frame for a local

2011-09-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

Here's another one, the third for this week. The total batch will be six and I hope to have them all done next week with only two to go.
oddly enough, the last name of this racer is Crossley.....turns out that his name is perfect-he can motor at 'cross.

Here's a close-up of my new innovation,err...band aid.....hmm......solution to a rare problem. I don't want to have any problems and neither do my cusomers.

7005 'cross frame bound for Kansas

2011-09-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

This frame features the new gussett that will be a new part of all my aluminum and scandium cyclocross frames. The goal of this small triangle of plate is to re-enforce the area of the bike that tends to fail the soonest. Now perhaps the rider will get an additional few seasons out of the chainstay......or the bike will break somewhere else-I guess time will tell. I don't have a big problem with chainstays breaking on bikes but the few I have seen got me to thinking that maybe I could do something about it and save myself some work in the future.
Increasingly people are asking for road cable routing on their cyclocross bikes. I'm not one to argue with what people want as long as they are sane, or at least sincere. I have known some insane people who are very ethical .
Here's another view where you can see the new feature in all of it's tiny glory.

Cross frame bound for Malaysia

2011-09-29T19:33:00.000-07:00

No, that was not a typo-this frame is really going to Malaysia just as soon as the brakes and fork arrive. I have sent some frames to Singapore, Taiwan , New Zealand, Australia , Guam but this is the first to the island nation.
The customer wanted a scandium team bike, paint and all so that is what I built. I even got to use my last US made NOS scandium tubes out of the stash I had been saving. This was the right size frame for what I had and I hope it works well on the other side of the planet where it is going.
I still have yet to prep and install the r. Der. hanger, seat collar and a BB cable guide.

Cross frame for Chico

2011-09-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

This frame went together without a fight.....not to say that some are a pain but there are frames that keep me at work later than others. This one went together nicely and it allowed me the luxury of a twilight 'cross ride-good for the morale this time of year.
Nothing out of the ordinary here, just a good workhorse race frame from mostly my dwindling stash of US made NOS Easton 7005 tubing. I think by the end of 2012 I'll be out of this great material forever.
I'm trying to build three of these this week to complete the last 7005 frames of the year. Next week it will be a few Scandium frames and then back to steel for the rest of 2011.

Steel 'cross frame bound for Portland

2011-09-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's Portland as in Oregon. I guess the customer for this frame decided that lugs, stainless logos and a two year wait were not in his case a selling point. I hope he likes what I built for him and I hope that he gets to thrash it in the incomparable sticky mud that is the regular track in Portland cyclocross racing.
No extra stuff here, just a bare bones steel racing machine with the only extra being the white painted on panels. There also is a matching fork but I didn't get time to photograph it. Suffice to say that it is a straight blade unicrown made to take some serious abuse.

Two incredible road frames for sale

2011-09-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

This frame is unridden. Long story, suffice to say that it is all USA made GX-2 scandium, the best tubing that I cannot get any more. You can get the frame with an Edge fork for $ 1250

The second frame is also Easton USA made scandium but this one has a couple of seasons worth of miles and a Reynolds ouzo pro fork. It can be yours for $ 800. The seller is at cafehunt@hotmail.com and is located in Fairfax, Calif. I am advertising the frames for him and am not taking any cut from the price......they are both hundereds of dollars less than a hew frame made from newer inferior materials.

Collector's corner

2011-09-25T20:49:00.000-07:00

A customer came by with this nearly mint condition 1974 Raleigh professional. I figured that people needed to see it in all its glory.

The drive train is super clean.....not many miles on this bike at all.

Yes, Doug....this your fork

2011-09-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

This fork will go on an older Merlin MTB. The blades are NOS Tange and should have a very nice ride. The length is the same as a Rock Shox 'Mag-21' from about 1993. The bike is old enough that it has a 1" steerer. Nice to know that a nearly 20 year old Merlin is still in effect.

Bakersfield bound single speed 'cross frame

2011-09-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

The internal top tube and fender eyelets were a special request. It doesn't rain much in Bakersfield but you never know.....climate is changing.
The brake bridge has a little boss for the fender and is some 3/8" cro-mo aircraft tubing.
this frame should see some hard duty in the coming months. I also built a fork to go with it but didn't get a chance to photograph it.

Hardtail frame for Texas

2011-09-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

This frame is nearly the same shade as one of my guitars. I had to take a photo of the two of them side by side to show the difference.
The color of the frame looks a lot lighter when photographed outdoors but the photo shot inside my shop gives a more accurate representation of what the color looks like in person.
The frame is a cross-country frame for the most part but it can take a 100-120 mm shock .
Nearly all the tubing is made in the USA, nice in view of the difficulty in finding material actually manufactured in this country. I'm glad that there are still some people out there who believe that we don't have to import every D#$%^ thing from China.

All purpose 'cross machine

2011-09-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

This frame is for one of the former editors of Cyclocross magazine. I always like to get industry and former industry folks on my bikes.
This is pretty much the straight-up Euro chassis with fender eyes and bosses on the bridges.
You might ask " Why such thin tubing on the bridges ?" When you run out of the fatter tubes and the fame has to get done , you use the thinner stuff. I change the guage of the bridges once in awhile to get a different look. In this case it is a pretty graceful touch and since the bridges are only there for fender support, they don't need to be larger. The .049 wall tubing is stronger than it needs to be anyway.

This week so far

2011-09-07T21:06:00.000-07:00

I finished up two steel 'cross frames and built these two forks today. On frame will go to a rider who is all legs. The other smaller frame is going to a man who has some new shifting system that will be debuted very soon, like in a few weeks. I'm hoping that our team gets a few sets to try.
This is the taller frame. Both are my tig Euro model and they weigh about 4 lbs. each and are made from a mix of Reynolds 725 and True Temper OX gold and platinum. Light and solid is what I hope these will be.
I kept the rear stays pretty straight on the taller frame as the thinner tubes do not like to be bent very much. Also, with such a tall frame not much of a bend is needed in the seat stays.

I had a little more poetic license with the smaller frame as I used some thicker wall seat stays that can take a couple of bends without buckling. The frame was still pretty light at 3 lb. 15 oz.

Kathleen's bling machine

2011-08-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

I have not finished assembling this bike but i got impatient and took photos anyway. I was struck by the dark richness of the gold Paul Component hubs, crank and brakes. We get custom anodized Paul's stuff for our cyclocross team. The 'Cross single speed world championships will be at Golden Gate park in nearby San Fransisco and we will have at least four people riding in the event, including this bike.
The Mavic reflex CD rims will be fitted with Challenge Grifo-32 tubulars. I'm sure the bike will come in at a low weight but all the parts are designed to take a beating. The fork is the new Ritchey WCS 'cross and a number of out elite riders will be trying them out, as will I-an old non-elite.

Some stories are happy

2011-08-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

About 1993 I built a lugged frame and fork with a fillet brazed stem for this guy in the photo. He put all Dura Ace parts on it and rode it until May of this year when the bike was stolen. Usually around here bikes that get stolen are never seen again. A couple of days ago someone came by with the bike, paint partially stripped and a bunch of low-end parts had been installed. The story was that this person had seen a craigslist ad for the bike for $ 150. He borught it by my shop to authenticate it but also to see if it had been stolen. I knew immediately who's bike it was and today bike and owner are reunited. Maybe the frame needs new paint and parts but this owner is really happy. Some times you just get lucky.

26" wheel hardtail bound for Kansas

2011-08-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

This photo shows that yes, I can put the cables underneath the top tube ! I have this routing on my own bike and like how the cables are out of the way. I don't hear as much rattling on bumpy trails, either.
The classic wishbone of the tig. s.l. mountain bike frame , one of my staples for at least 18 years.
This smaller frame gets a downtube gussett and will be fitted with a 120 mm travel shock fork.
The bike will hold 2.3 tires and should be good on just about any type if dirt.

Scandium 'cross frame for a local

2011-08-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

The rider of this frame has a really short torso so the top tube is pretty short. The rider has long legs so the seat tube is pretty long for a rider this tall , so I guess you could call this one the tall-short frame.
I was not supposed to build this frame for another month but the customer's present bike was stolen so if she is to race the full season I had better get this frame to here as soon as possible.

Scandium single speed 'cross frame

2011-08-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

After many weeks of waiting I finally got a couple sets of stainless-faced aluminum track dropouts. This frame will see duty in may races this season and will be ridden by Scott Chapin who is on our elite cyclocross team.
Scott wanted a simple frame, no bottle mounts, rim brakes - nothing but the minimum to have a bike for going as fast as possible.

Really tall steel frame

2011-08-18T19:32:00.000-07:00

This frame is for a rider of about 6'8" if I remember right. The customer came up with these tasteful pastel shades and panel scheme. I like how subtle it turned out. It doesn't scream "Rock Lobster !" at you, it politely informs you if you care to look.
I also made a matching fork but it didn't make it into the photo session today. All I can say is that this rider will finally have a bike tall enough to ride.

UBI class, one more time

2011-08-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

Here's the fully finished frame I constructed with the class which I dubbed the " Corntrager Cobb Mtn. " No particular reason.....I did come up with other names but this one stuck.
One student from South Korea made this tiny MTB frame for his wife. She must be about five feet tall tops.
The class is assembled here to demonstrate the alignment table and the pros and cons of trying to get the frame as straight as possible. Bending metal is never a good thing , especially when really tiny mis-alignments would be hard to detect while riding. It gets to a point of diminishing returns if one really does a lot of cold-bending on a frame.
All of the final prep tools were laid out on my desk on the final day. A couple of folks were prepping their frames with only minutes to spare. It's amazing how fast two weeks can go by.

Home away from home

2011-08-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

This is my home for two weeks while I teach at UBI. This nice little backyard cabin was provided to me by Mike De Salvo and family. Mike is perhaps the best talent in welding in the custom bike game right now and he is one of the hardest working people I know. Hard work doesn't make you a good person in of itself but Mike's hard work is a result of his commitment to maikng his customers happy and providing for his family. I'm lucky to be here-all I need to do to earn my keep is feed the cats and water the garden while Mike and family are off on a much deserved vacation.

UBI class continued

2011-08-10T06:42:00.000-07:00

Here's the frame I'm building to demo the process for the class. It's a 29er for about a six foot rider.
The days lessons are often spelled out on this dry-erase board. It's funny how students are often so consumed with their frames that they forget to look at the board when they need to know the next step. There's a lot of information to take in when you only have two weeks to build your first frame. I warn the students on the first day that staying focused and not obsessing over really small details is the best course but during the process those ideas can get lost. Eventally , everyone finishes their frame and the world keeps turning !

U.B.I. class of 08/11

2011-08-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

This is the fourth class I have taught at UBI so far and this group is working at a faster pace than any class I have instructed. It isn't just one or two accelerated students, it is pretty much the whole group. I feel very lucky to be able to teach at UBI and even more so with a class like this.
No matter what, the experience here is very rewarding and it helps me become a more organized thinker.....a great side benefit. As always , I hae to build a frame along with the eight students. This frame, a steel 29er will be property of UBI and will get ridden by the staff. I'm happy to build them a frame that I hope will be useful i the future.
This student came from Canada and was one of five international students in the class. There is a bit of a language barrier with a couple of the students but they are not deterred by this, they just put on the helmet and weld away until tey get it right.
Even the boss , Ron Sutphin came in and taught mitering on the Bridgeport today. The school is a result of his vision and ability to get like-minded folks on the staff. This might be the best school of its kind anywhere.

Taking the show on the road

2011-07-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

Nice packing job, eh ? I guess I don't think I'm looking to win any prizes for orderly packing. This is what I'm taking up to Ashland, Oregon on my two week trip to teach at UBI. As you can see, I'm also intending to do a bit of riding. I'll be reporting from the road here and there.

One guy, two frames

2011-07-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

We have a new rider on the team who is pretty serious about cyclocross. Serious enough that he had to get a single speed and a geared bike so that all options were available .This frame is equipped with Mike Ahren's slider dropouts in 7005 aluminum mated to some scandium main tubes.
Although the dropout has a discmount on it now, it will be removed later. This will be a rim-brake bike so that wheel exchanges with the pit will be a lot easier. If you go disc, you had better have your own spares as the neutral support and your team mates are unlikely to have what you need.

This is the geared version and it is a full 1/2 lb. lighter. The bike will be heavier all built up as the single speed drivetrain has a lot less components. The geared bike will probablly be about 17 1/2 lbs. while the single speed might be only 15 lbs. There will now be about six single speeders on the team.....maybe we will rule the Nor-Cal S/S 'cross scene.
This is scandium from the shipment I got about two years ago. I am getting more soon and it will be a variety of tubes , even some MTB tubes. I'm hoping that the new stuff is a little heavier so that it can be suitable for larger riders.

Modern 'cross frame with a nod to tradition

2011-07-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

The level top tube on this frame isn't something I do often but this was requested and the rider is experienced enough to know what he wants. The bright red will be easy to spot at races.
This frame is built from the new scandium tubes I have-very light and easy on the shoulder.

Scandium hardtail

2011-07-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

A customer saw the 25th anniversary frame and was inspired to get this frame painted in a very similar scheme. The panels are candy apple red instead of the coke-can red of the original. In this photo the colors look a little dark-I just managed to get the photo shot before going home late in the day.
Since the panels were red the headset and seat collar needed to be the same-fortunately the color is a common anodized shade and the whole effect is pretty nice.

After many weeks of waiting....

2011-07-13T21:19:00.000-07:00

This is my new 29er. Now I must ride it and ride it a lot......I have to get the full experience so that I can either be a convert or just another guy who tried it and didn't like it. From my few little test rides I really think I'll keep this bike until either it or I break !
The buildup is XTR for the most part. I had to sell a whole bunch of stuff to finance this project but hey, might as well go for it if you are wanting a quality ride that will hold up for a long time.
I built the wheels with some Stan's rims.....not because I like them or will run tubeless. I built with the rims because they were white. It's a sickness, you know. The three-bolt FSA cranks shows that advertisements in magazines some times work. I saw it and said " Hell, I got to get one of those." Is it any good ? I'll let you know. It is really light......one less bolt , at least.

26" wheel touring bike with couplers

2011-07-13T21:12:00.000-07:00

Time's a wastin'. I have only a few weeks left before I go off to Ashland to teach my class at UBI so I'm trying to squeeze out a bunch more bikes before the end of the month. There was no way to build this one fast but it is done and getting shipped to the painter tomorrow. It has the last Pacenti P.B.P. crown in my stash. I hope they become available again.
The brake bosses are set for Paul's Racer center-pull brakes......very powerful and stylish.

Really large 'cross frame

2011-07-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

If this frame looks tall to you, it is. I think this might be one of the largest steel 'cross frames I have ever built. The rider is 6'8" and has a standover of nearly 40". I guess this is why he ordered a frame from me.....not much chance of finding anything in the local bike shop this big.
The frame is nearly all true temper OX and weighs about 4 lb. 12 oz. , a lot lighter than I though it would wind up. It is amazing how this very stout tubeset still builds a really light frame.
The seatstays are pretty much uncut from their full length......very unusual as it it seldom that I build a bike for anyone with legs this long.

Team batch III

2011-07-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, here are three more for the team. I still have two more batches to go but not all of those will be for our team. One of these is a repaired frame-these bikes get the crap beaten out of them but they are good bikes and certainly worth repairing for another season's beating.

Big tire road frame and fork for Davis, Ca.

2011-06-29T19:18:00.000-07:00

The owner of this frame will be riding it on all kinds of surfaces-pavement good and bad , dirt roads, maybe some single track. The bike that does it all and is still a road bike with caliper brakes has become very popular, at least at my shop.
This is the same fork crown I use on my Alfie town bike......lots of room for a large tire and a fender. The crown kind of looks like a Masi crown on steroids , wide but still sporting some '70's Italian style.
There's room for up to a 700x35 c road tire and a 32 c 'cross tire. The tubes are pretty light as the rider is very light as well. The father of the customer has three of my frames....now I really know I'm getting old when I am building frames for the offspring of my customers !

It's almost time ! Only a few more days to wait.

2011-06-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

Visitors from the Bay.

2011-06-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

These four hardy souls rode down from San Fransisco carrying loads of gear and mixing up the ride with some pedaling on old dirt tracks off the highway. I guess it was a tough ride as these guys were pretty tired when they came by the shop the next day. 100 miles with lots of hills and about 20 miles of dirt sounds like a really full day to me. They were all on hand built frames, one rider on a frame that he had build himself, one on a Boulder and two of my frames. I remember when I used to do tours like this....it has been a long time, almost 20 years since my last one.

2011-06-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

This purple road frame has a detail that I have not been asked for in quite awhile......a graphic design on the top tube. I think the painter pulled it off well. It definitely sets this frame apart .
The frame will see a lot of centuries and long rides in Nor-Cal and elsewhere.
From the side you can see that the headtube allows for a nice high bar position , good to for the lower back on those all day rides.
Here's a top view of the graphic. I think other folks will start asking for little touches like this that make the bike unique. maybe it is the next thing that will replace panels......you never know.

7005 ultralite 'cross frame

2011-06-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

A local woman on a team based here ordered this frame. It is a light but durable cyclocross frame mainly for racing. The front triangle tubes are NOS Easton , pretty much the most durable tubes at this weight.

Easton 7005 frame for D.C.

2011-06-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like a 2 lb. 13 oz. frame that you can beat on for a good long time. That's what you get when you use the NOS American made stuff. This frame is from my stash of the lot that I purchased a few years ago. I'll be really sad when it is all gone. I can feel really good about the ride and longevity of this frame.

This is a mixed batch of Scandium and 7005 that I started last week. I hope to have about eight frames off to the heat treater in about 8-9 more business days.

Bike show bike show bike show !!!

2011-06-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, folks.....bikes just like this fixed-gear rolling house of ill-repute will be on display at the big stinkin' Whoopdedoo at Bruce Gordon cycles in Petaluma on June 26th. Last count there were eleven framebuilders and some other great folks from the industry . There will be the mini velodrome and some food and microbrew. It is shaping up to be a really great event and there is no charge for admission. The bike swap alone is worth the trip. I'll personally be bringing some stuff I though I would never cut loose......you'll have to just check it out.

Almost a 'cross bike

2011-06-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

This frame may look exactly like a cyclocross frame but it isn't. It is what the customer calls a 'Dirt-phalt' frame made for a mix of riding. It is similar to the big-tire road bikes I have been building a lot of lately but it leans more toward 'cross as it has cantilever brakes instead of calipers. It is also made for a cyclocross fork which is about 18 mm taller than a big-tire road fork.
This version is mostly scandium with some 7005 stays. It will be paired with 700x28 c tires but will fit just about anything from 30 c on down.
The seatstays are pretty tight as there is no need for big mud clearance. Like I said, it is not a cyclocross frame.
Too bad my camera is dying...the focus is starting to go on the close up shots. It's a pity because the welds on this frame are about as nice as I have ever done in this material.

Scandium road frame

2011-06-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

If this frame looks a little odd to you, it is because the top tube slopes the opposite way of most road frames. This rider has been riding this position since he was a teenager and seems to be pretty good with it. The heat tube is very short allowing for a low bar position, nice for out of the saddle climbing.
The BB-30 and integrated head tube make this frame about as light a build as I can offer at 2 lbs. 8 oz.

There will be some press in retainers that hold the bearings. This is good as they can be replaced if they wear. Many integrated systems do not have this feature.

Images from the Amgen T.O.C.

2011-05-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a VIP car in the caravan in advance of the peloton. It was a big surprise when I saw a friend in the lead car, a super fancy Nissan. Paula Mara is a race official and must have been having a blast driving the electric blue convertable for the week of racing.
Here's Radio Shack controlling the pace at the front of the pack just before the Carmel Valley KOM. There was a break about three minutes up the road at this point....I didn't get a photo, though.
Here's the broom wagon doing its job, removing all traces of the race that had just passed. All of the signs and paraphanalia got loaded up to be used the next day.

Spring scandium batch # 1.

2011-05-27T17:55:00.000-07:00

This batch is made up of three new frames and three repaired frames. I can get them all heat treated and save a little money for the repair customers. Scandium bikes are light and they are something that I feel are worth repairing if they aren't too beat. I have another batch of all new frames I'll be starting Monday. It will be about 6-8 frames total. After that it is back to steel for a month.

Single speed for Atlanta

2011-05-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

No, there's no water bottle mounts on this frame-it was ordered that way. I never argue with an omission ! Even with a few less braze ons, there's still plenty of work in the frame with the oversize seat tube, slotted disc mount and the usual stuff you find on one of my MTB frames.
I price these frames the same as steel road frames but there's more work involved and I find that I'll have a couple more hours invested. This one is a frame I would love to have at a show because it displays simplicity- my idea of a proper single speed.
Here's my proprietory adjustable dropout that has seen little use since the advent of sliding dropouts. For the customer , this version is simpler and about $ 120 less expensive.....a good thing. $ 120 will buy a lot of burritos , even in 2011.

Granny Smith hartail

2011-05-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

I always have a hard time using the phrase " Hardtail" to describe a mountain bike. I don't build full suspension and rode in the dirt for many years before any suspension was available, front or rear. I don't have anything against full-suspension, I just don't have the background that would make me want to build it. This frame is a pretty standard setup for me, the disc brake, wishbone stay and not really huge diameter tubing is what I do. This one came out pretty nice.
The customer chose silver decals against the lime-green metallic/candy finish. i think it was a good choice.I probably have about seven decal colors available but I would have chosen this combination if it were my bike. I also built a bar/stem combo painted to match but it is in the box already so you'll just have to imagine what it would look like.

Scandium cross country frame

2011-05-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

It seems like a long time since I have welded any aluminum or scandium. I have been on the steel treadmill for a couple of months and it is always fun to switch materials for awhile. This frame is # 1 in a batch of 6-7 scandium frames, mostly for the 'cross team.
This is a smaller 26"wheel MTB frame that will see lots of trail use and some racing. I have not weighed it yet but it feels very light , definitely lighter than my new 29er.
The stays are all NOS Easton made in the USA. I wish I could always use this stuff but it is in short supply and will no doubt be gone soon.
Here's the side view. The frame is a 16" center to center and will take up to 2.2 tires along with a 100 MM fork.

Another parking lot bike show

2011-05-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

Hey, want to hang out with your nor-cal frame builder buddies ? How about tacos and beer ? How about a bike yard sale with all of our cool old stuff that you can paw through and make really insultingly low offers on.......and we'll most likely accept the offer ? How can you refuse that ? This will happen at Bruce Gordon cycles in Petaluma on the afternoon of June 26th. Details can be seen on brucegordoncycles.blogspot.com . Be there.....admission is free and there will be at least 10 of nor-cal's most notorious frame-fryers there , along with other industry folk. I will be offing my super trick smelly old jerseys and collection of various shiny bits that might fool the primitives but will probably not fool you.....darn.

Two tone 'cross frame

2011-05-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

Panels are definitely in these days. Here's an example of two colors that I have not often put together on a frame. The two seem to work together well and give the frame a pretty deluxe look compared to the normal one color scheme on the majority of my frames.
The s-bend chain stays will have plenty of mud room for the fall racing season.

The largest thing I have ever built

2011-05-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

This structure made from square 6061 aluminum tubing is 16 feet tall. I welded it up for Rope partners, a company that services wind turbines. This is to be a trade show display with a t.v. monitor and a covering of graphics. There's about $ 1,500 worth of tubing in this monster.
As you can see, It all breaks down and fits in the back of this not particularly large truck. There's a lot of un-bolting to do in the dis-assembly. It took three of us about 20 minutes to get it all apart. This project has been in my shop almost a week but it is gone now and I'm back to just bikes.

Rock Lobster # 046WB

2011-05-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile someone will come by with one of my older frames. This one is from 1988 when I first opened my doors as a fulltime builder. I built the frame as a trade for some photos that still adorn the walls of my shop. The owner is a professional photographer and has kept the bike for 23 years. Now he intends to sell it to buy....guess.....tools to build frames. He wants a torch and tanks to start brazing so don't be surprised to see this bike advertised for sale somewhere like MTBR classifieds or ebay.
The frame is fillet brazed , built before I had a tig welder . The model is "Team Issue" so the fillets are unfiled. I had done a few repairs and mods on the frame but it still rides and has some period correct parts here and there.
This frame was built right around the time I was building my first single speed frames and it shows the same type of construction-hand bent wishbone seat stay, internal gussetting and True Temper tubing. I went away from that tubeset for many years but have come back to the brand and use it a lot. This is an oldie, primitive but still rideable and a piece of my obscure history.

Tom's ride 2011

2011-05-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

Here's my race bike partially transformed into a quasi expedition bike for the ride. I made a bracket for the seatpost to hold a third bottle. There's no water available for the first five hours of riding.

An old friend of mine who was a real legend of cycling here used to get folks together once a year to do an epic ride in some desolate country south of here . The friend was Tom Cuthberson , author of many books and probably one of the first people to bring the notion of cyclocross to Santa Cruz. Tom was a real adventurer and he was always looking for new places to ride, both paved and in the dirt. For years on his birthday he would get a few folks together to do this mammoth loop ride of 73 miles, 6,700 ft. climbing that was about 30-40% dirt. I used to get a call from Tom urging me to join on the ride but I always had something in my schedule that got in the way.
In 2004 Tom was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. He fought it valiantly for nearly two years but it took him at age 60. A couple of years after that, one of Tom's friends and someone I knew from Cyclocross told me that Tom's ride would be happening again around the time of Tom's birthday. This year I actually made the time and went on the ride , really wanting to see this special place that was Tom's favorite place to spend a whole day on the bike.
Six of us, half on 'cross bikes and the other half on mountain bikes left King City at 8:45 a.m. on a Saturday morning. All the folks on the ride had done it numerous times, I being the only new addition.
The first climb was all dirt and I found out that my gears were too high for the steeper pitches. I suffered along until I stopped to take a photo of a meadow about 2/3 of the way up.
Here's the group at the top of the first climb getting ready for the downhill.
This is a view from just beond the top of the first climb.
Riding down the long valley road there were some dramatic rock formations on either side. The photos fail to capture the impressive sight.
Here's another view of the paved valley road that followed the dirt road with the climb. This road had a climb as well but not as steep or as long.
At the end of the pavement there was a campground and the start of another long dirt section.
Not far into the second dirt track was a good spot for lunch, a small river with a nice swimming hole.
Since the next place to get water was about two hours up the road my riding compatriots brought and used a filter to purify the water from the river.
This is a view from the final dirt section , mostly a side-hill road with a pretty long climb up to 2,800 ft. The views were dramatic and the downhill to the next campground seemed to go on for a half an hour. It might be the longest dirt downhill I have ridden in California that wasn't in the Sierras. As I rode I thought of Tom and said to myself on a few occasions " Thanks for showing me this ride, Tom. " This was one more way to remember the man and his many contributions to the cycling community in Northern California and elsewhere.

It's rare....

2011-05-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

A customer requested a bar/stem set. I have only built maybe four in my life and not one like this. It is all German 4130-it isn't that I specifically ordered tubing from Germany but it was stamped 'Germany' on the side. It seems straighter in the lathe than the cro-mo that I normally get. It welded up nicer as well. I'm not opposed to making a few more of these if folks want. I call it " Javier Barstem".

Almost old school but not quite....

2011-05-04T22:09:00.000-07:00

Sometime about 7-8 years ago I came up with an idea for a disc mount for single speeds. They were pretty popular until the advent of the sliding dropouts and now the swiveling dropouts. Everybody has a different way to deal with the same problem.....on a single speed, the wheel can be in different places in the dropout depending on the gear being used at the time. The disc brake needs to have the ability to adjust to the changing wheel positions. i came up with what I still contend is the simplest solution to the issue-and, it might be the cheapest.
So yes, this idea is not from the previous century but it pre-dates most of the other stuff. Yeah, it is a bit caveman style but i'll bet that you won't ever have an issue with the setup. It is as simple as it gets.
Just think......a no charge disc option on a custom frame ? -blasphemy ? I'll be torched at the stake by my contemporaries-that is , unless they are welders. In that case I'll be electrocuted at the stake. Hmm, maybe my blogs are starting to cross-pollinate.

Here's how I use my rear triangle jig

2011-05-03T22:18:00.001-07:00

For all you folks interested in the process, here are two photos of how I line up my rear triangle jig. A lot of frame jigs hold all of the tubes in place. Here at Rock Lobster, we work a little differently. I build the front triangle on one fixture, then I use the device in these photos. The lower one shows how I use my fill scale drawing to line up the jig and clamp it to the frame. This step gets the axle at the right height relative to the rest of the frame.There's a hole in the jig that accepts several types of axles. When the hole is empty, it can be used to sight the axle center from the drawing. The upper photo show how I use a frame alignment stick to center the the jig so that the center line of the rear wheel is the same as the center line of the front triangle. It works really well and I designed the contraption myself. I have not seen another one like it .

The gift of steel

2011-05-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

This frame is a gift though not from me. I am pretty generous most of the time but I do have to put food on the table. This road frame will be used for centuries and other long road rides. It seems that the rider who will be the owner of this frame has really been captivated by spending all day on the bike. I just rode for nearly seven hours yesterday so you won't hear a dissenting voice from me. The frame is designed to eat up the road shock with a generous wheelbase and a slacker head angle. It should rool the flats and rip the downhills. It is pretty light so I imagine it will be o.k. on the climbs as well. Maybe this rider will get the randonneur sickness that I got about 1992-2003. The only cure is to ride it out of your system , 100's of k.m's at a time. I still have my medals and P.B.P. parephanalia from 1995. I don't regret any of it at all.

Two coupler frames

2011-04-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

Coupler bike # 1 is a fairly large road frame bound for Salt Lake city. It has a straight blade crowned fork and some heat tube collars. The panels are the same as the last frame I built for a bike show last year.

Coupler bike # 2 is bound for Flagstaff, Az. and will have a nice dark British racing green paint. I'm still figuring out what decal color....the customer gave me a little leeway , the only requirement is that that the decal color doesn't clash with the base color. That would be pretty easy as I don't have any outlandish decal colors in stock currently.
This is another big-tire road bike , probably my most popular build aside from cyclocross bikes this year. I have one now being ridden by a magazine contributor. I hope he sees the value of this type of bike and the almost limitless types of riding one can do .
On the fork I used another Pacenti 'Artisan' crown . It is looking like these might be available again-something I am very enthusiastic about. I am building many more steel forks this year and really like having a variety of good quality hardware available to build them with.

Frame builder's vinyard

2011-04-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, 16 vines about 7 years old. I'm trying to make my own estate bottled Pinot Noir from my back yard. Maybe it is too small to be considered a proper vinyard and a 680 square foot house is hardly and estate, but this is what I have and I'm going to try to make the most of it. Having had success in the shop with bikes does not help one at all when it comes to taming the finicky grape. By late September I'll know if I have a solid harvest. I'll probably only get around six gallons but if it is good, it will be worth the effort.