NAHBS

Yes, I am going to be in the belly of the beast in Sacramento this coming March. Look for me in booth 934. I will not be showing Schnozola bikes like in the photos but I will have some current stuff on display- some of it will even be for sale. You never know, I might have something that could be the prefect impulse purchase that could cause possible domestic disharmony........

Disc-road frame for S.F. Di II in steel

 I always have liked British racing green and this customer spec'd some tan decals- really one of the most attractive color combos on a frame so far this year.

 The frame is made for Di II Shimano and also has rack mounts for utility. The tire room will be generous as the frame is built for a CX-length fork. The frame still retains shorter road bike chain stays so it really is for the pavement and not for mixed terrain, although it would probably handle some fire road riding quite well.

Now I have to get to the shop so that the customer can pick up the frame in person.

Aluminum flat-bar commuter for east bay

 Flat mount disc brakes front and rear, seat post, bar,stem and fork painted to match. This should be a really light and stylish ride.

 The fork is and Enve GRD that should take about a 35 tire, maybe a touch bigger if it is a road tread.

It would have been nice to set it up with the bar and stem but I didn't want to risk scratching the paint....it was pretty windy when I set this up for the photo !

The next frame in the batch

 Here's another CX frame in the aluminum batch. 3 lb. 4 oz. of shred. This frame is 100% Dedaccai 7000 tubing and will be going to a local racer who has many victories to his credit over the last 3 odd decades. He said he doesn't have big plans to try to equal last season but I think if he takes a relaxed approach he will probably eclipse what he did last year-even though that in itself would be pretty hard to do.

 The dropouts and flat mount hardware is from Mike Ahrens - wothout Mike I think that the few of us who are building custom aluminum frames would be having to make our own dropouts and brake mounting hardware. Having done a bit of machining this year on some custom bits I'll tell you that it is a job better left to those who have lots of experience.

 This is # 2 in a batch that should number around 6-7 when all is said and done.

After this batch and some other repairs and steel work I'll be filling this empty space with my shop. Yes, this is a sneak peek at the new space- it has a pretty good echo right now. My shop will take on a new look- the old place had history......lots of it. The new place will have an actual planned flow to it.....less chaotic and hopefully a taste more efficient. I'm getting old so I need a system that helps my aging skeleton through the rigors of taming metal.

Start of the July aluminum batch.

 This might be the last batch I build before I move the shop- that's right, folks....I'm moving for the first time in 22 years. I didn't want to move but things at my present location have changed significantly . The landlady of the last half-century has passed on and her kids ( not really kids- some of them are over 70 ) don't seem to know what to do with the building. They are implementing changes that will result in barring the public from the building complex- I need to be available to customers and the general public so I really have to go.

 I have found a place nearby and hope to sign the lease next week. In the mean time I have to keep building CX frames such as this aluminum flat-mount disc brake race frame. I'll try to complete as many as I can before the move. I imagine that the move will shut down production for about two weeks. I hope that this does not significantly impact the work flow. The new shop has some real plusses .....I hope that I'll have a more efficient and cleaner workplace- at least for the first few months !

Very small boost 29er frame in aluminum

 Yes- the rider is on the small side for a bike like this but the level of competition that this rider races at makes me believe that she won't have any trouble making this bike go fast.

 The frame is nearly all NOS Easton Elite tubes taken from the archives in my loft. I seldom use these tubes as they are a bit short for building modern 650 and 29" MTB frames. Since this frame is very small , the tubes were pretty much perfect. The frame is overbuilt to a degree so that the punishing rocks of Bidwell park near Chico, Calif. will not kill it.

 The chain stays and head tube are the only non-Easton tubes on the frame. As you can see, I even put a dropper post port on the seat tube- this is a first for an aluminum frame from me.

 This seat stay yoke is not something I bought. My supplier was out of stock and I didn't have enough cash or demand to order a full run so I made this one myself on the Bridgeport . It took a crazy amount of time and is a little crude but it will get the job done.

The old 1987 Miller Synchrowave did a good job of flowing out the welds in the front end. There's a lot of mass here and with only 50 amps at the wall it is not easy to get this much heat. The new shop will have at least 100 amps so I'll be happy when I get to see how that works. My machines will be happy as well.

Disc road frame for sale in steel

 This is the rare case where I have an extra frame in the shop. Since I will be moving my shop next month I'll need to cut loose of as much stuff as I can before the big move. This frame is item # 1 on the list, not that it takes up much room but the proceeds from the sale will help offset the cost of the move a bit. Here are the stats:

 The frame is mid-weight steel- a typical True Temper/Columbus mix. It will take up to a 700x33 road tire so it can be considered a 'big tire road frame'. The bike is built for a flat mount rear disc caliper and there's an internal route for the hydraulic line- a $ 100 option usually. This frame would be $1,850 plus tax usually.

The top tube if measured level is 555. The seat tube is 530 c/t/c. The head tube is 167. The chain stay is 414 so it really is a road frame and not a gravel frame. The BB drop is 70 mm. The frame is built for a tapered steerer typical CX disc fork with a 395 axle to crown length. The rear spacing is 142x12 for thru-axle.Give me a call at the shop if you are interested and we can come up with a price.(831) 429-8010. I can also sell a fork with it as I will have the new flat-mount Whiskey fork in stock and I can also provide a headset as well.

650 Boost MTB frame in steel

 There's a lot going on with this frame. It has internal dropper post routing, rack mounts, boost spacing and a custom order headbadge. The frame also sports something I have not had done- a rare fade powdercoat finish. Usually fades are done with wet paint but this is a case where the powdercoater was able to do a fade with two metallic colors.

 The frame will be a sturdy build with a 1X Eagle XX1 group, XT brakes and some carbon rims laced to King hubs. The bike will be super long for stability on long descents and for heavily laden bike-packing trips.

Steel all-road frame taking shape

Not the usual build, this one. The wishbone stay is something I seldom do except for MTB frames. The new flat mount for the rear brake is becoming a normal feature. This one is made to take up to a 700x38 dirt tire. I'll be sending this one to Pa. when it is finished .