Definitely the last frame of the year-first of its breed

For 2019 I will be introducing the newest incarnation of the team 7005 CX race frame. This is a frame that has been slowly evolving since 2002. The newest version now has a flat mount rear brake , flattened top tube for a taste more shouldering comfort , internal routing for the rear hydraulic line and more seat stay mud room by virtue of eliminating the seat stay bridge - in the bridge's place will be a gusset high up near the seat tube. This is to do a bit of stiffening and lessen the chance of the seats tays breaking near the seat tube from flex.

The goal is to make a bike that does not load up on mud as quickly as the bikes that have come before this new one. Another goal is to have as little stuff on the surface of the main tubes - it's an attempt to have clean surfaces where the rider is likely to grab the frame for carrying. Price on this frame will be $ 1,750 and will come with a thru-axle and seat collar. All these frames will be made to order - if you plan to race and want one it would be good to get your order in no later than mid April. I have to admit-I'm kind of excited to get more of these out on the course.

Maybe the last frame of 2018 ?

 That depends on what happens today. This is the first in an aluminum batch that might number 6-8 total. I'm building three track frames in this batch- unprecedented. The frame pictured is a disc/road frame set up for Di II.

 The tubing is nearly all from Dedacciai and is 7005 series. I am now routing the rear hydraulic line through the down tube- something I didn't do until late this year in aluminum . I have offered it on steel frames for a little over a year now.

This frame is also fitted with the Ahrens design flat mount and dropouts. I'll be building many of these in 2019 according to my order list. I'll be updating my race CX frames to be more like this frame with the exception of more mud room. I should have some new stuff to show at NAHBS in Sacramento in March.

Steel MTB frame for Marin County

This one has dropper post routing and a sterling silver Jen Green headbadge. This frame will be ridden where mountain biking supposedly got its start about 40+ years ago.

 Lots of Paragon Machine works hardware on this one- BB shell, head tube, dropouts and brake caliper mount. This is not a boost frame and will probably not run a tire larger than a 2.4".

This year I will have built more MTB frames than in the last 4-5 years. Maybe the hardtail really is coming back !

headbadge for 40th anniversary bike

Yes, this is what will hopefully be on the head tube of my 40th anniversary special bike. This bike will be shown at the upcoming NAHBS, along with a few other complete bikes. This show might be a special one for me and I'll be bringing some merchandise to commemorate the occasion. I'm not sure that I'll ever do another bike sho so if you want to see my work be sure and get to Sacramento in March. I'll be next door to Mike De Salvo who himself is having a 20th anniversary.......might have to make a 20-40 shirt !

Aluminum gravel tandem frame

 Yes, that's what it is. I don't think there will be another one at the upcoming NAHBS but then I could be wrong. This has been a vision of mine for about a year and in the last two days I have devoted all the time to making it happen.

 While it isn't quite done yet , it is about 90% completed. I still need to put all the bottle mounts on and address the final alignment, maybe install rack mounts in the rear. The frame will be paired with a Rodeo Labs fork. Originally I was going to do a project with Rodeo Labs but I was not able to meet the timeline they needed. I'll still use their fork on this bike as it seems to be the only carbon fork stout enough for tandem use. It also has rack mounts as well.

I'm waiting for the tandem cranks- they should be available next month. I am still figuring out what to use for wheels- as many spokes as I can get and some really strong wide rims . The bike will have 700x40 tires to start . The frame weighs 9 lb. 1 oz. and is made from 7005. The down tube, seat tube and chain stays are NOS US made Easton tubes from the late '90's.

40th anniversary frame and fork

 Yes, it has been 40 years since I built my first frame. What does one build after 40 years to commemorate four decades of putting bicycle frames together ? The sensible thing to do would be to build something I have never owned, so that's what you see here. It is a touring frame, fork and the frame has an integral rack. Correct, the rack is welded to the frame. Bad idea ? I don't see it that way. As long as this bike is mine it will be a dedicated light touring bike. I live in a relatively dry climate and will not be carrying that much on the bike- hence the light touring designation. That said, it is probable that I'll be doing some 90-100 mile days on it going from town to town. I have gotten back in to doing short 4-6 day tours after a couple of decades of concentrating on work and cyclocross.

 This bike will be fitted with 650x42 Pacenti tires. I bought the tires at least two years ago thinking that I wanted to try them. I did not have a bike suitable until now. My goal with this bike is to build it up and have it and a few others on display at NAHBS in Sacramento this coming March. Of course, I could just blow off the show and go on an extended bike tour but since I have already paid for the booth I guess I had better show up. I do want people to see this frame as it shows off just about every skill I have as a bike builder. Some of the frame features make me proud......some of them maybe not as much. When I got to building the fork I did get a bit impatient. I'm hoping that some skilled work by the painter will make it all look seamless and good. I am proud of the lugs- they are not all that special but they were given a good deal of attention with the files . I'll let the people be the final judge of my work- that said, the lug shorelines will be the furthest thing from my mind when I get on this bike and start riding south.....or north.

 In short, this is a pretty odd build- 650 wheels, integral rack, flat mount disc brakes, lugs with a fillett brazed BB, sloping top tube, 12 mm thru-axles front and rear. Something tells me that there won't be another one like it at the show. The combination of old and new is sure to make some folks scratch their heads and think that the builder is a bit nuts. -I'm fine with that. Nobody has to understand it except me. After 40 years, this made sense to me. It will have a use. If it didn't it most likely would have not existed.I would like to thank two former builders for a bit of inspiration and materials:
Michael Knepp for the cool fork crown
Bruce Gordon for his collection of riffler files
Mitch Pryor.....he was next to me at the last show and I got to see his touring bike- inspirational

Yes, that's a 1" threaded steerer

 This is not an older frame but one I just shipped out this week. The customer requested smaller diameter tubes and a threaded fork. I had to make some calls to get the gold headset but here's the result- a tig welded steel frame that is below 4 lbs. with a look that was popular about 25 years ago. The bike will have modern components and will be in Kansas by the end of the week.

 This fork crown is the same one I used on countless builds back in the late '90's. The brake bridge is also a popular one from that era. I had a nice time building this one, even if the sourcing for some of the bits got a little difficult. It all came together- the only thing I could not get was a gold top nut for the headset. I had to go with silver but the gold Jen Green headbadge makes up for that.