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.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Belt-drive 650 MTB frame....so there !

Yes, this is a belt-drive slider dropout 650 wheel mountain bike frame that will sport a Shimano Alfine 11 drivetrain. Have I made many of these ? Actually this is the first one. It has a curved top tube for increased standover room. The rider is 5'3 1/2" so this was the thing to do.The bike will be fitted with a 120 mm fork.
All of the interesting hardware is from Paragon Machine works: The head tube, BB and dropouts. The post mount on the rear is a fairly new feature.

7005 29er for Flagstaff, AZ.

 this may be aluminum but it isn't dainty. The rocks around Flagstaff are merciless so I put a bit of extra beef into this frame. It also has the very first tapered head tube that I have used in a 29er. This allows for a nice low cross country bar position with a 100 mm fork.


Saturday, November 24, 2012

1973 Motobecane team champion

 I got this at a charity auction years ago because I always wanted one. These were really fine bikes back in the day. This one is much too big for me so it is going to a good friend of mine. The bike has been hanging in my shop for a number of years.....I don't remember which number.

 Not the black anodized Campagnolo record seatpost that has been modified to accept the larger aluminum rails of this Ideale cutaway saddle.
The ends of the stays are finished off much nicer than other French pro production bikes of the day.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Road frame with seatmast in steel

Pretty self explanitory.....level top tube and hidden by the vise a BB-30. This one is ready to ship.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Fitness guru's frame ready to build up

 I'll be assembling this bike today with a Shimano Ultegra/CX-70 build. The wheels will be RS-80, a nice light wheel that can take abuse without costing too much. The Grifo file tread clinchers will make for a nice soft ride.
 This frame is part of the last fall batch-10 frames that I completed in the last three weeks. I'm super happy to have these all built and am looking forward to cleaning my shop and concentrating on the remainder of the cyclocross season. I also have about 18 steel frames I have to get started on as well......

The last three team frames for the season...almost.

 This single speed  CX frame is for the current district mens champion Alex Work.
 This one is for Sea Otter womens silver medalist Ellen Sherrill
This one is for powerhouse sprinter Natasha Perry. I still have a couple at the painter.....it has been a busy fall season.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Team bike with Bruce Gordon rock 'n road tires

 No, these 700x43 tires are not supposed to fit on this bike. No, I'm not going to tell you what I did to make them fit. What I will tell you is that I can build a nearly identical bike that will handily accommodate these tires like this bike appears to be doing.
Supposedly there's a ride coming up Saturday in Point Reyes station ( see Bruce Gordon's blog) and all of us might be riding on these big tires. I'm looking forward to it.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Used MTB for sale

 I'm selling this 26"wheel aluminum hardtail for a longtime customer as he's now getting a 29er. The frame is about 5 years old and is all US made Easton elite 7005 tubing . The equipment is a fox F-80 RLC shock, Mavic Crossmax wheels and the rest is all XTR, most of it new. The price is $ 1,250. The bike has XTR V-brakes now but disc brakes can be fitted on both the frame and fork.
 There's really no scratches on the bike-it is in really fantastic condition. New this bike would be about $ 4,600 now with this equipment. Call me at the shop at 831-429-8010 for more details.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Gray like the winter skies

 This rider in Boston asked for a color that matched the cloudy sky just before a snowfall....err, something like that. I did my best to pick the closest shade-hopefully the pick was right.

The steel road frame and fork will have to negotiate the pot-holed streets of Boston so I used some not-so-dainty tubes for the build. It isn't really heavy, just stout and made to last. The fork has serious room fo mud and slush should the bike be used in a real winter-not like the winter we are having here-90 degrees yesterday.....

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Al Carbon frame for a local

 I used to make lots of these frames-aluminum front triangle and chainstays with a carbon seatstay wishbone. The combo works to give a really racy frame a smoother ride. I have used this style of frame for most of the all-day rides I have done in the last ten years. I think the larger companies bailed on this style of frame because of the amount of labor involved . The carbon stay will be bonded in after the frame is heat treated and powdercoated.


Friday, November 2, 2012

S/S 29er......a bit larger than the last one.

 No, this isn't the same one I put up a few days ago, although the features are nearly the same.
 This rider is 5'10" with a bit longer legs than average. The rear stays are a bit wider to accept a 2.2" tire
I'm almost done with my batch of 10 aluminum frames as this is number eight. Week after next I'm back on steel for a month or two.