Bicycle frame build.

[chunkolini]

Nice one.
Surely you are not going to ride that through swamps and into trees are you?
What's next?
Recumbent?

Chunko'.

 

[citizen kane]

Thanks gents. Hope to get it dirty later on today.

Possible next project.

 

[breezer]

You should be justifiably proud of that.
Very, very nice.
Well done.

 

[chunkolini]

Citizen Kane
Now that would be a clunker contender,a bit posh perhaps, but a monster nonetheless.
Is there a familial resemblance?

With this kind of nonsense a long back end is a good thing, ride the front wheel and let the back do it's own thing.
Chunko'

 

[citizen kane]

Chunko,

Thats magnificent, a subtle blend of the very best materials available moulded into a fuctional yet aesthetically pleasing form. As you so eloquently put it, art in steel.

 

[Gsus]

congratulations, good job.
You are a craftsman

 

[chunkolini]

So Citizen Cane, how does the bike ride?

Chunko'.

 

[TheJoker]

I'm very impressed with your build. I wish I could achieve such precision. I would very much like to know more about your jigs and stuff.

I've seen bike frame jigs made out of that famous US type aluminium stuff, I can't remember its name, but it's a number... something like this http://www.valuframe.co.uk/
Did you buy all the jigs, or did you make them? Got any tips, tricks, etc on how to make them?
So far, I think I'd be happy with just 1.5m long rails that I can angle in different ways, etc, plus some nice clamping methods.

I'd love to know more.

Also, why did you put the seat stays into one thicker tube, and not straight to the seat post?

Once again, very impressed!

 

[stuvy]

WOW now that looks too pretty to throw down a big bank! what tyre is on the front of it?

and as chunko' said, what does it ride like? any action shots?

 

[citizen kane]

After nearly 2 months use, half a dozen night rides, a couple of weekend rides, a few big drops, a 4 hr endurance event, riding to work every day and 2 weeks riding rocks in the South of France its still in one peice.

Its picked up a few battle scars along the way, eaten and bottom bracket, dinged a front rim, worn out a set of rear pads from being to scared to let it go down the hills and I've managed to bend the seat post but all in all I pretty happy. I should really be riding my full suspension bike but at the moment this one is just to much fun. I cant claim any magical properties for this frame but it rides striaght and is stiff enough without beating me up to badly.

I've made a few changes from the initial pictures, fitted a bigger front disc, a pair of fashionably wider bars and a larger volume rear tyre.

I'm not a frame designer and dont have the experiance needed to pen my own design so most of the design cues are borrowed from the current trend in UK designed long travel hard tails. That means a very slack 67.5 deg head angle, long front end, short chainstays, steep seat tube angle and low as you dare bottom bracket height. That means it can wander a bit on the climbs but is very stable decending.

To be honest its very difficult to be objective about your own creations. You can buy a similar UK designed / Taiwanese made steel frame for less than £200. The welding will be immaculate and it will come with a guarantee. That guarantee dosnt extend to putting the same smile on your face that riding your own frame does.

The jig is a copy of this one http://www.instructables.com/id/The-simplest-bicycle-framebuilding-jig-I-could-com/ and I think the tyre on the front of the black Jeff Jones is a Surly Larry.

Type 45 is booked in for a 12 hr event next weekend, after that its time to start drawing up the next bike.

 

[chunkolini]

Good to here that it does the job.
I think it is funny that mountain bike design has gone around a bit of a circle.
Big bars, raked forks, ride the front wheel and let the back end do what it likes. Sounds a bit like what Joe Breeze and the boys were doing back in Marin County in the 70's. Do you have the facial hair to go with it.
1977?

Check out this site as well.
http://www.pedalsandginger.com/clunkers-and-the-first-downhill-mountain-bike-race/

You are not a frame designer, no you built your own bloody bike. Not many people can say that. I get tired of guys who 'built' their bike with a debit card. You built yours with a welder.

Fantastic performance.

Chunko'.

 

[breezer]

Joe Breeze, cool as you like, that's why my code name is such. Got a '96 model of his with kona p2 forks. Full rigid bike - Absolutely love it!

 

[stuvy]

cool link chunko, did you see the programme on bbc where the guy went round the world collecting bits to build his ultimate road bike, had a call section where they did downhill in california i think,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t6ylx
Sadly no longer on iplayer though, it should be repeated soon enough knowing the beeb!

 

[chunkolini]

I have an ancient Kona Kileauea I think that is oh the Breezer's as well.
A wonderful thing. These days it has a vile life, used as a commuter on one track lanes, 20 mile round trip, most weathers. Each year I chuck the whole drive train and refit it with cheap and nasty components, then feel ashamed of myself. But the dirt here is very fine and sharp sand, eats metal.

Stuvy, I met the bike guy at a launch of his book, turned up my tallbike I left him threatening to go off and research the whole freakbike culture. I was to tight to buy the book but I would have been interesting.

Citizen Kane, you have inspired me. The recumbent tandem I was planning to build 10 years ago has started twirling around my septic tank of a brain. I am hoping to use chro/mo tubing and do it properly. Your tube mitring contraption was what set me off again, this has always been the stopping point; but I saw a cheapish one on the Frost website, damn another excuse not to do it falls by the wayside. Sadly to finance it I have to sell my lovely Dawes tandem, that would make me sad.

Thanks for the inspiration. if you ever come over Herefordshire way drop me a line.

Chunko'.

 

[TheJoker]

As chucko started talking about tools, Citizen Kane, could you, please, please, please, let us know what your major tools and favourite tools are? I see you have a pretty impressive milling machine there, and tons of other little gubbins. I'm always in the progress of improving my tools, so I'd really appreciate your insights.
A tube notcher is currently very high on my want-want-want-want-list. However, I'm split between a bigger milling machine (I've got a tiny Axminster one that doesn't even do drilling very well), a dedicated hand-drill-powered notcher, or a drill press with a good vice and rotating table...
Thanks in advance!

 

[stuvy]

I didnt bother buying the book and id seen where he had been on his travels lol i just noticed on amazon its £3.50 new or £3.53 used makes alot of sense...?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-All-Abo...3792/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314102442&sr=8-1

 

[denisstark]

fancy building a bmx frame?

 

[Shox Dr]

Citizen Kane, could you, please, please, please, let us know what your major tools and favourite tools are? I see you have a pretty impressive milling machine there

The milling machine is a Tom Senior Light Vertical nice bit of kit. Hard to find, I should know I have one

 

[TheJoker]

The milling machine is a Tom Senior Light Vertical nice bit of kit. Hard to find, I should know I have one

Oh man! That's a nice milling machine! Very nice. *drool*

 

[Shox Dr]

I'll let you know when/if I sell it