How to Build a Bicycle Frame

So I’ve been asked, on occasion, a couple of questions regarding the building of bicycle frames. The two most common ones are:

1. Do you teach?
2. Where do I get started?

The answer to the first is a resounding “no” — I simply don’t have the time or facilities to offer an effective class. I’d also like more depth of experience, as I still find myself frequently puzzling over small issues and engaging in brainstorming to solve those issues.

In response to item #2, I will refer the “curious builder” to Lugged Bicycle Frame Construction, A Manual for the First Time Builder: Expanded Second Edition by Marc-Andre R. Chimonas, which will allow the reader to build a lugged bicycle in their garage, using a few simple tools including files, a vise, and a MAPP gas torch. (Click the image, or here, to purchase at Amazon.) By no means will this turn you into a framebuilder, but it will allow you to build a frame that you can build up into a working bike and ride regularly.

If you’re really dead-set on become a framebuilder, I’d recommend arming yourself with a copy of The Paterek Manual and finding a class or apprenticeship somewhere. (The class will be easier to find, but will cost you a few thousand dollars.) Tim Paterek’s book is the end-all, be-all bible of framebuilding, as far as I’m concerned, and a copy should reside in every framebuilder’s workshop. There are earlier editions available as a free download in PDF.

I’m also convinced that there’s a market for a book that lives somewhere between these two — something not as complex as Paterek, yet addresses more than Chimonas. I’m considering writing it, what with my abundance of free time and all. (Yes, that was sarcasm.)

Mmmmm….Steeeeeel.

So I’ll be bluntly honest with you — when I started learning the craft of framebuilding, I owned exactly one steel bike and it was the first I’d owned in, quite literally, more than a decade. That bike, a Surly Cross-Check, has since been stripped down and the frameset sold in order to fund stuff for this little business of mine. My fleet was that, two scandium Salsas, and a Cervelo P2C (carbon).

A mitered down tube, getting ready to join it to the head tube.

When I started this little venture, my plan was to learn how to build with steel, and then move on to stainless and titanium as my primary metals. In the army, we had a quip about how “no plan survives first contact with reality.” That holds true. I still plan to start dabbling with stainless and titanium in the future, but that’s a few years off, yet, and the availability of a Pallas Athena from those materials is even further out.

The reasons for this are two-fold. First, I have fallen in love with steel. It’s a great material, and don’t let any carbon-peddling shop salesman tell you otherwise. With a wide variety of alloys, tube specifications, sub-components such as lugs and dropouts, and the ability to easily mix and match, I can craft a frame that balances comfort, affordability, and performance for the same price as a decent carbon frame. There are those that will complain about the weight, and while they’re right, they overlook the fact that there’s a wide variety of lightweight parts on the market that make it very easy to take a steel frame down to, and even below, the UCI mandated lower weight limit for a bike.

Secondly, it’s got so much character — you’ve heard the “lively” remarks, I’m sure. It’s true. A good steel frame is going to allow you to feel the road (or singletrack) and not get the shit bashed out of you like you would on an aluminum frame. And it’s durable — if it falls over, you aren’t going to be shelling out hundreds to repair it like you would, say, carbon. It gives you warning before it fails, unlike aluminum.

When you hear me chattering on and on about replacing my Cross-Check, or getting my Salsas phased-out in favor of steel, it’s not just because I feel that I should be riding my own stuff, but that I think steel is the better material for it.

Stuff for Sale

I’ve got two one frameset for sale, as I’m trying to raise some cash to build up my business infrastructure.

The first is a 1983 Trek 720 touring frame and fork, which has been sold.

Salsa Las Cruces. Click for larger view.

The second is a 2007 or 2008 Salsa Las Cruces frame and fork. It’s TIG-welded scandium with a carbon fork. Frame size is 60cm. Geometry and more information is available here. I built this sucker up to race ‘cross, and have only used it for that purpose. It’s got a 135mm rear axle spacing and mounts for disc brakes if that’s the way you swing. Total distance on the frame is less than 500 miles. Asking $450, or best offer. Buyer pays Paypal fees and shipping costs. (And you are getting the frame and fork only. No other parts.) If interested, please email me.

A Few Random Things

1. A-train and I are going to hang out and build at his new workshop on Sunday. Expect photos.

2. CycleTC has a great infographic about biking and walking in the Twin Cities. When it’s mid-February and I’m bitching about the cold and wondering why I moved back to Minnesota, someone point me at this.

3. I’ve got a t-shirt design underway. They’ll be available for pre-order soon, silk-screened on 100% cotton American Apparel shirts. Cost will be $22.

4. Tonight, more work on bikes. Plus some prepping of the garage for the insulation/drywall project that kicks off early on Saturday morning.

Needed

What the world truly needs is a 10-speed internally-geared hub that works with Shimano STI or SRAM shifters.

Discuss.

The Future of Cyclocross?

Bicycling, in a recent online piece featured five trends that they think are the future of cyclocross. As a CX-lover myself, here’s what I think of their choices:

1. Belt drives.

In their write-up they say, “Throughout an entire season, our Gates CDX drivetrain ($245) proved unstoppable in mud, rain and snow, or anything else we could throw at it.”

Okay, but it depends on the belt drive — earlier models had problems clearing debris from the teeth on the gears and resulted in a belt that wouldn’t stay on. And their claims of only being able to run them single-speed are bunk, too — haven’t these people heard of internally-geared hubs?

2. Single-speed bikes.

Just because singlespeed has a standalone category in a lot of races doesn’t mean it’s going to take over the sport. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some singlespeed action, but for CX, I’ll take a 1×10 setup with a Paul chain keeper so that I have a more-versatile bike.

3. Disc brakes.

Yeah, I’ll pass. If you’ve read my personal blog, you know where I stand on the mechanical vs. hydraulic disc brake issue. While the discs will certainly give you more stopping power in shitty conditions than a pair of cantilevers, I would still favor cantis for their simplicity. Additionally, I’m not sure that I want to have a spinning disc brake rotor near my ear when I shoulder the bike for a run-up. For now, personally, I’ll stick with cantilevers. (Though if you insist on disc brakes for a frame I’m building you, I won’t try to dissuade you.)

4. V-brakes.

So less stopping power than discs or cantilevers, and somehow they’re the future because there’s less fork chatter? Give me a friggin’ break. If you can’t HTFU enough to deal with a little bit of chatter, maybe riding a beach cruiser around the lake is more your style? To be fair, I haven’t ridden TRP’s CX-9 brakes (and it’s not in the budget), but I do hear good things about it. Anyone at TRP want to set me straight on the matter?

5. Sealed cable housing.

You know, if cyclocross bikes were properly designed, they’d run the cables along the top tubes, which would basically negate the need for overpriced sealed-cable housings. And you know, after a season of racing and finally needing to replace your cables, would you rather spend $5 on a single cable? Or $65 on a sealed kit from Ride-On? I already pay enough to race, thanks.

Now then, with all of my opinions out there now, what’re your thoughts? Agree? Disagree? See cyclocross headed somewhere else?

Preparing for Winter

So tonight, after the office, I’ll be making a Home Depot run. It’s amazing how often I’m there, being a new homeowner. I do think there’ll be a day where my number of visits begins to drop, but man. Not soon, I suspect. Tonight’s run is so that I can pick the brains of some specialists on the nature of insulating and drywalling my garage, so that I can work through the winter.

The other prep work I need to undertake is getting my paws on some good winter gloves, and some winter riding shoes. I think that with Murphy-Hanrehan being so close to the house, and the singletrack open all winter, that I’d be a fool to not try riding it. The trainer is going to get cold quick. And I’ll need a break from the Sufferfest videos.

Those of you that live in cold-weather environments: what do you do to enable outdoor riding in the winter? Or do you just suffer through other indignities cross-training indoors?

Weekend To-Do List

• refill acetylene tank
• finish Erin’s CX frame
• build final fillets for Paul’s frame
• finish fillets on Justin’s 26er
• email Jamie re: his road frame
• add Google +1, Facebook Like, and Tweet This buttons to Gallery items
• update existing Gallery Items, add Paul and Justin frames

Experimentation

So I’ve been monkeying around with the idea of building a gas-welded (not TIG’ed) aluminum frame. This would be one of those one-off experiments, just to see if it’s viable. I’m pretty sure I’d want to build a dozen or so, just to see if it’s a worthwhile endeavor. (Plus I get the R&D write-off on my taxes, right?) If any framebuilders out there have any commentary, opinions or insights on the matter, I’d love to hear from you.

Does this mean that I’ll be offering gas-welded aluminum frames in the future? I wouldn’t hold your breath. One of the points behind tinkering is to learn stuff. And one of the things that I don’t think people spend enough time doing, in-general.

When the time comes for titanium experimentation (and it will be coming), it’ll be with the intent of making titanium frames available to buyers. Due to the specialized equipment needs and the need for me to take a TIG welding class, that’s at least a couple of years away, yet.

Lunch Break

Proceeding swimmingly on Erin’s CX frame. Beautiful, if somewhat time-consuming, job of slotting the chainstays. (Mental note: in 2012, invest in a slotting saw.) The work you see here was done entirely by-hand, with a knife-blade file, followed by a flat file.

Chainstay and dropout.

Going to take a quick break and get some lunch in my stomach, and then get back to this.