Work has resumed......kinda

I welded the seat stays on this frame that I had started on July 5th. , the day of my crash. I'm going in to the shop today to attempt to finish it. After nearly two months of not being able to work it was a really great feeling to be able to come back to the welding table and pick up where I left off. I'm sure that it will be slow going for the first weeks but as I regain mobility I should come up to speed. I have the last batch of aluminum that I really need to start as soon as possible- this is not a big batch of frames but some of them are for the upcoming CX season .
 

Hooray- I built something !

 Since July 5th I have been recovering from a broken femur and have only recently been coming to the shop. My duties of late have been limited to decaling, prepping , boxing and shipping of completed work. Until yesterday I had not actually done any building. This changed in the afternoon when I realized that I was probably healed up enough to try something small and simple so I remembered that i had a stem to build that went with a completed road frame bound for the east coast. I really could not ship the frame and fork without the stem so I cut the tube, got out the stem jig and not much later built what you see here- a 110x6 degree steel stem.......victory !  

Next project will be finishing the steel gravel frame still in the jig after languishing unfinished for nearly two months. After that I will tackle the last remaining 7005 CX frames- I'll barely have enough time to finish them before the first races but I am determined to try. 

WCCX frame

This one goes to a jew junior prospect on the team. He is very active in the NICA MTB races and has done some CX so hopefully he will really fly on his new ride. This one is paired with an Enve G-series fork that has been painted to match. The bike will be built up with Shimano GRX mechanical shift 11 spd. which is getting harder to find. Now that the 820 12 speed is out I think that the 2024 bikes will all be sporting the new stuff. I still really like my 11 speed and really hope that the 12 speed works as well.

 

7005 SL road frame with carbon fork for Canada

This frame and fork sat in my shop while I was in the hospital and recovering from home with a broken femur. With my wife helping me as I was barely able to get around the shop with a walker we got this one prepped, boxed and to the post office. This frame was the first one to be shipped out after my accident.

The tubing is very light Dedacciai with some interesting shapes. Most of it is 7000 , the Italian version of Scandium and had to be welded with some special rod that is provided with the tubing.The result is a frame that is usually three lbs. or less but still a stiff feeling go-fast road bike. I hope that the owner really enjoys tearing around on it. I have one very similar that I mostly use for the fast Tuesday group ride that I have been doing since 2004. Now that I have had this injury it is \not likely at age 68 that I will  be returning to the Tuesday ride but if I do, I'll be riding one of these. Its the right tool for the job. Notice that this one is for mechanical shifting and rim brakes.......just like mine.

 

7005 gravel frame going to Japan

This one is bound for the dealer I have in Japan- Movement bicycle studio. This frame is about 3 lb. 4 oz. and is the same color as the Chris King show bike of last year. This "Blue Shimmer" is becoming one of the most popular colors for my customers. I had made a frame for the Made show and it is the same color- too bad I will not be going as I am still in recovery from a broken Femur. The show starts today-  I hope that a lot of folks show up as it looks to be the biggest gathering of custom builders ever.

 

Frames starting to get prepped again.

I'm crippled still but able to crutch around enough to prep the completed frames in the shop and get them ready for shipping or pickup. This is a WCCX going to a local industry person. The fork is an Enve G-series that has been painted to match the frame. This is a light one at just a shade over three lbs. 

My hope is to finish all the preps I have this week. After that I have to wait for the OK from the PT nurse to go back to building. I am missing the Made show and the Eroica along with the entire 2023 CX season because of this injury so in the future I hope to be more careful and maybe a bit more fortunate when riding.

 

Chock full o' nuts and bolts

Here's the result of my July 14th surgery- a rod and a few screws to bolt my broken femur back together . I had a meeting with the surgeon yesterday and it is looking like as much as two months before I can walk without crutches or a cane- this I was told was the goal but theres a good chance that I will be able to get walking in less time. I asked if the lengthy recovery was a factor of my age- the surgeon said no, it just takes time for a break like this to heal but that my pain level can be my guide. 

Good news was the doctors said that it was fine for me to try riding on a trainer. This is a big step in my recovery and I will set up my bike in the back yard with flat pedals on te trainer so that I can use it with street shoes. Hopefully this weekend I'll be pedaling again for the first time since July 5th. Wish me luck . If it does not hurt I'll be doing it daily as the leg permits. I know that getting blood flow to the area and some light loads on the bone will aid in healing.