The Bad Angles

Well it looks like I got some work to do to conform to F.I.S.T.!
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/techctr/bikefit06.html

It look like I need to lower the seat some. I knew it was a little high . . . Anybody got a hacksaw? . . . Crap! This should turn that 92 into the 95-105 I'm looking for. Now to deal with that 85. I'm gripping the curve of the extension instead of the end of the extension. But when I achieve this 90, it doesn't place my shoulder above my elbows. I still need to rotate by lowering the bars some, but I can't because the stem is as far down as I can get it . . . well sand it. As for the 117 it's just a matter of rotation, and also remember I'm gripping the curve of the extension and not the ends.

It's Assembled!

It's Assembled!


(If your playing along folks in the game called, "Where's the headset's lock-nut", You will notice it's missing . . . I don't know? . . . It's just gone . . . however I was luck enough to find that threaded washer thingy-ma-jigger.)

The assembly went fine, except for one part . . . The Stem. The stem wouldn't go far enough down into the fork steerer because of the short head tube. So the had some problems to over come. 1) Cut off the bottom of the stem. 2) Re-slot the bottom of the stem. 3) File the inside of the stem to match the contour of the wedge. 4) Sand down the radius at the top of the stem with 50 ans 80 grit emery to get it to fit in the steerer. It's not much, but enough that you might just consider finding a new stem.

One thing I could not change was the stem bolt became too long since I cut it off to fit in the steerer. The thread is 7x1.0mm. Ever try to find a 7x1.0mm die to cut more thread down the bolt . . . or find any 7x1.0mm bolt period, let alone a long allen cap bolt. I just needed a couple more threads, so I found a high profile lock washer to put under the cap on the bolt to fit into the stem . . . Yea! . . . Lucky!


This is probably the shortest seat post ever, It goes down into the tube about 3". I'm going to see if the functionality of the bottle cage on the frame is better than my jersey pocket. I can probably drop 0.5 Lbs. by cutting off the extension and using a 330mm post.

Not that weight is an issue, but I built it from straight gauge 4130 an it's pretty heavy. Also yes those tires are Continental, Sport Contacts. 28c and 480g a piece. They are tank tracks. I've had the tires for 3 years and cuts are minimal. Usually you have a tire for 2 months then you get a flat one day and it open the flood gates for more flats and you have to replace your tires. Not these tires. They are the more cut resistant tire I've ever had. They also just barely fit.

Good Ol Specialized Cranks. Great Cranks, They do use the 144mm bolt pattern, the same as old Campy record cranks. Some bike shops . . . MIDWEST CYCLERY . . . still have a lot of Sugino, and Campy Record 144mm chainrings at great prices . . . Some people may have a problem with the smallest, practicle, chainring being a 42t. I did say practicle. Avocet made a 41t chainring that just barely made it. I think I cracked about 3 of these before going back to 42t. If I remember right the top of the chain hit the chainring bolts . . . we're talk tight tolerances.

The Orange Machine

(Right click on photo, click "open in new window" to enlarge image)

Wow . . . it's . . . it's . . . A Carrot? . . . or an orange time trial frame. One day I'll perfect brazing and have minimal clean-up. Lots of filing, and sanding . . . not too bad though. It's straight and aligned. I'm progesively getting better. I think the nextframe I should have down how big of a heat patch I need to get the seamless look. You can't tell by the picture, and while it's not as obvious as my other frame, but you can still tell a bit.

Good O'l Krylon primer and Ace brand paint. I finshed it with 120 grit, but I probably should have with 320. It's ok for an R&D project.

I couldn't decide if I wanted to keep the seat mast or not because it's not really functional, so I kept it and added a 3rd H20 braze-on to it to make it functional. . . .and yes those are bolts brazed to the frame because I ran out of braze-ons. I drilled the holes small enough so it I do have to use proper braze-ons I still can. . . . Just a little magic of Krylon.

I'll build it up tonight, and take it out tommorow.

No.3 Almost done

Now all I have to do is put a cap on the wish bone, some cleaning up, and a few braze-ons. Everything went OK. There are somethings I'd like to do again. but I already have ideas for a new project.

SeatStay

The rest of the frame is done. It's just awaiting the Seat-stay. This took me about all day to make. It takes a log time to get the angles right when you have to hand saw the small tubes at that angle. I dont have a proper jig for this so I have to make that to, but not even that will help you when you knock it over and have to reclean everything, and reasemble it.

Well I should have this finished tonight, I did a little clean up on it, and I think it's going to be fine. It didn't exactly go as planned, but it's good to work out right.

Front Triangle

The front triangle is done. Now the brazing clean up begins. All the brazing went a lot faster, and turned out a lot better, even the cleanup is going to be faster.

Not a whole lot to say other than I'll post pictures of my cleanup later.

Day 2 of TT Frame

I've got getting my miters done in about 35 - 40 minutes. I was going to show a "how to", but the pictures didn't work out the way I wanted. The frame right now look like I'm building it for someone 6'-7" tall, but you have to leave the tube extensions for when you braze. The heat with distort it if you don't leave the extension to support the shape when you add the heat. Hopefully by then I'll learn to work my camera.

A lot of time is spent adjusting the jig to the right specs. It looks easy enough. The thing is on my drawing I had the seat tube at 54cm, but that was center to top and I had to go back and find the center to center dimension that is 45.5cm. seems small be remember the design revolves around the seat to pad drop on a TT bike. In order to get the seat above the pad 9 inchs I had to make the head tube 3". and so there you have it.

The top tube is 52cm. seems short but the thing you have to remember about that is I have a 78 degree seat tube angle, so that pushes the front end out, so you have to spec a shorter top tube.

I've done all the math, now it's time to find out if it really works.

No.3 is out of the gate

Since my drill with the 1/4" chuck got chuck'd, I had to make this miter with a saw and file. This is the second frame I'm going to have to use this technique. Took me about 30 minutes. First I used the program called "WinMiter", printed the template, traced the miter on the tube, then started sawing to rough it in, then filed to contour. I didn't get the camera till late, so I couldn't take pictures of the process, maybe tommorow.

I think this technique is faster than setting up my tubing notcher. It does a good job for dune buggys or something like that, but doesn't hold the tolerance I need for bicycle frames.

This is the seat-tube and Bottom bracket for my Time Trial bike.

Time Trial Frame no.1

I guess if your thinking about doing some time trials, you had better have a Time Trial bike. I still might have a few tricks up my sleeve. I might still bend the seat tube for shorter chain stays, or a might eliminate the seat tube all together . . . that's right no seat tube . . . What will I do to remedy that? . . . Who knows. I got some ideas to build in a vertical compliance for really long time trials . . . Like 190 mile time trials!

The geometry comes from taking my body's measurements, and measurements on a trainer to make sure my thigh to torso is at 90 degrees when my pedal is at 6'O'Clock, and Shoulders will be above my elbow rests while being 90 degrees to my torso. (I'll post a picture later, but the fit process is well documented and easily found on the internet).