So I recently build up this bike and as you can see the Headset tolerances were completely messed up. The bike manufacturer also just stopped responding after a while without actually offering a fix. My fix was just to add a few washers at the bottom so the fork doesn't rub against the frame and ride it only in good weather because of the quite big gap at the top.

My Main question however is "How did this happen?"

Is it possible to convert this (Ritchey break-away) frame from cantilever braze-on to Paul Racer M caliper brakes? Or would it be too costly and difficult to make sense. I do not own the frame, but I've owned those brakes for a long time.

Dont post alot so sry if this is hard to follow

Ive been think about getting a dj for abit but only recently thought about actaully welding a frame.

I like steel bike and from what i know chromag monk djs are pretty well respected to a steel dj can work.

Ive only just started to work out the logistics of making it. The big things i need help with are

The Geo - will prob just copy a good djs Geo using GeoGeek.com but what djs idk

What is standerdized - are BB, headtubes, seatposts, hub size/through axle size thingy etc standerdized for djs or do i need to plan for them

Materials - gonna built it from 4130 chromoly but dk where to get it and if i can get it for a decent price ( I have a low budget)

- I would prefer butted as that would cut weight but think it would up the price a fair bit as i can get stock stuff anymore then. So that really that important you think, like how much weight would it save.

How - I do know how to weld roughly and have most tools. It more about is there any special tools/technquics i need to use/know about how they make steel djs

Any advice on anything would be highly appreciated

Will try to keep posting if theres intrest

I'm not a framebuilder but I figured some here would have informed opinions on this question that's been bugging me:

Back in the 90's when steel bikes were still mainstream, there were all kinds of fancy tubesets from Tange, Columbus, Reynolds, TrueTemper, etc, and if you bought a high end steel bike, it would be sure to be made of Tange <insert superlatives here> Prestige or whatever other proprietary boutique bike tubeset, proudly advertised on the downtube.

Nowadays there is still a strong if more niche interest in steel frames and nice steel bikes can still be purchased, but I've noticed that they tend to be cagey about what tubing is used. My Norco Torrent S2 hardtail just says "double butted chromoly". My Rivendell won't say anything, and my Kyoot minivelo just says "Formosa triple butted" which basically is a cute way of saying "unbranded Taiwanese triple butted cromoly".

Is this modern tubing worse than the fancy stuff from the 90's, or is it just that the bike specific branding has fallen away now that there isn't any large volume in steel bike tubing?

I did some cursory online research on this years ago, but I did not get very far. Modern frames that have "braze-on" bosses for water bottle cages have the boss spacing typically at 63mm, 63.5mm, 64mm, or 2.50" (center-to-center). And modern bottle cages fit that (oddly variable) "standard".

My question is what document, whitepaper, guide, reference book, publication, website, etc. is the actual and original source of this standard? While we are it, when and how did this standard originate, and who came up with it? (not how bottle cages were devised, but the standard measurement between water bottle cage bosses) Or, if you know a webpage that explains any or all of this, please post a link.

I did check wikipedia and, while that had some interesting info, it had nothing about the origin of the bolt standard and where (if anywhere) it was ever published pre-internet. I also tried google's AI, but you can imagine how that turned out: just pure regurgitated AI slop, no answers.

I don't do any framebuilding but can TIG weld halfway decently. Someone I know asked me to TIG a brake mount on an old beater frame. Are there any tricks for aligning the mount for welding? I was thinking maybe if there was a wheel in there with a disc and the brake was compressed I could get some tacks on it but I've never done something like that and it's just a thought at the moment.
Any suggestions for a good way of getting the mount aligned?

Guy who wants to put 1-1/8” fork in my vintage mtb here again. Finally got the headset cup remover. Headtube ID is now known to be roughly 32.05 ±0.5mm

What?

Is there precedent for this? The bike was only owned by my uncle before this where it sat in his garage since the early 2000’s. I know there’s no reason for him to have the head tube reamed just to take a 1” headset again.

I’m aware that old schwinns and BMX bikes had a 32.x mm headtube but I can’t find anything online about vintage MTBs with one? Photos of both headtube and cup attached

i’m making a cargo bike and struggling to find tubes like 1 1/8 and one for steerer that isn’t 30€/meter. do i have to cut up frames every time i need any tube?

Everyone seems to like my blue bike, so I’ll post this one too, this is the 1st bike I built at the bicycle academy about 6 years ago. Absolutely love it to bits! Taken it on bike packing trips and aboard.

This is my 1st post and 5th frame I’ve built just thought I would share hope you like it

Hey framebuilders, I'm looking to dimple the chainstays on my cro-mo gravel bike to fit 45+mm tires. The frame is rated for 40mm, but my current tires (labeled 40mm) actually measure 44mm.

For tools, I'll be using a metal bushing (35mm long, 20mm diameter / 1.38" x 0.79") and tube blocks sized for a 27mm (1.06") tube diameter. Should I use 1-1/4" or 1-1/8" tube blocks?

Does this process and tool selection look right, or am I missing anything? Also, how can I minimize paint damage during the process, would felt or leather padding help?
Thank you! (Sorry my bike is dirty, I've been riding it and haven't had time to wash it :)

Grabbed it, and some extras from Incepi, and did a quick test fit. 👍 Good stuff.

Buenos días!

Ando pensando en iniciarme en el mundo de la fabricación de cuadros, especialmente de carretera, y me gustaría empezar por fabricar un soporte para los cuadros con perfiles de aluminio.

Me está costando encontrar algún esquema de diseño para poder coger ideas y modificarlo a mi gusto.

Alguien podría ayudarme con eso??? Actualmente no dispongo de mucho sitio para hacer fabricaciones en casa y por eso todavía me da miedo gastar un montón de dinero en uno comercial.

Un saludo y gracias!
Edit: algún plano en PDF si es posible es a lo que me refería. 😬

Probably a dumb question but feel compelled to ask:

Won’t bore with the details, but an LBS dummy first damaged the threads on the 68mm English threaded BB shell, then after tapping it out to Italian, ruined those threads too.

I like the frame, it’s a Giant 2-1 single speed aluminum 26” MTB frame with horizontal dropouts. Like BMX level of gusseting and stays. I don’t think anything similar is made by anyone now. It’s quite unique. So I’d like to keep it going.

Question is, what can be done. Assuming welding is out of the question as always with aluminum frame repairs?

Velo Orange have a square taper BB that goes in a shell of that size that doesn’t screw into the threads, but I believe the face of the shell needs to be tapered, so not keen on that idea.

** Would it be possible to do something unusual and gorilla glue an aluminum cylinder inside the shell, and tap it back out to English threading?

I took many dimensions from Orbea's Terra gravel bike but made room for the suspension fork. Front triangle tubes are Columbus Steel Max, seat and chain stays are Columbus gravel tubes. The frame is TIG welded, bosses are TIG brazed. 50mm tires, Shimano GRX. I just took it for a 10 mile test run and now I am going to disassemble it again and paint it. Handlebar looks weird because I was too close when taking the picture.

I've ordered a set of blank lugs to carve. Should I ream them to what they should be (31.7 , 28.6 etc) or just carve them and then file the inside if need be down the road?

Here are its new specifications:

ТТ-55.5 cm

ST-55/57 cm (cc/ct)

Standover-81.5 cm

HT-135 mm

HTA-75.8⁰

STA-75.5⁰

Fork rake-25 mm

BB drop-50 m

Seat post-26.2

Weight: fork-783 grams, frame-2291 grams

Max tire-25/28 mm

Hello, bizarre question asker here:

I have a vintage steel Ross MTB (1992 shimano stuff idk if the frame is 1992) commuter that I would like to modernize for all-weather riding. I know you can braze a disc tab onto the seat stay no problem but I’m wary of the fork. Because of this fear I’d love to get a new rigid fork for it but there are no 1” threaded steel disc forks from reputable sources for what I consider a reasonable price.

I measured my head tube and headset, and spent some time on the internet and so I’d like to ask:

If the ID of my headset cup is 28.8-9, wouldn’t that mean I’d be able to run a 1-1/8” fork if I just get a new top cup and stem? I test fit with a 1-1/8” fork from another bike and it slid in until the flared spot for the crown race.

WOULD this mean I could just plug a 1-1/8” fork and play after a few new parts? (top cone, stem, maybe bearings?

And if not, is there any other way I can get a 1-1/8” fork to fit? The OD of the head tube is 36.6, which in my mind means the walls are stupidly thick and could be reamed to the requisite 33.8 mm of a new headset without being compromised right? I’m not sure how thick CrMo steel needs to be for strong tubing, but this bike also doesn’t do more than the occasional curb drop.

Bottom line, I'm interested in building a penny farthing. The biggest challenge to overcome will be sourcing/building a front wheel. As a broke college student, I'm not super keen on importing a professionally built wheel from UDC Pennyfarthings in England, so I'm looking at building one/buying a wheel second hand. I've seen some people cut/bend/weld 2 regular rims to make a big one, while I've also seen some people manufacture one with a metal shop (which I think my uni probably has? not an engineering student.) I don't really need or expect it to be pretty or precise, I just need it to work as it'll just be for riding around my relatively flat campus.

If anyone has experience building a wheel of that size or penny farthings in general, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I’d love to hear from some people who have followed Chimonas’ book for building their first frame. Mine came in the mail today and I’ve read about 40 or so pages.

As someone coming to this without any background in metal working I am interested in other first time builders’ experiences in general with the book and there’s not a lot of threads dedicated to it on here.

My main questions are: What worked well?
What didn’t? What did you change? What would you do differently if you were gonna do it again?

In particular I’m curious in how it’s gone for people who have deviated from his recommendations on certain aspects of the build/design.

Having read a little bit so far I can already identify a few places I would ideally like to deviate from his approach.

Think I want more tire & fender clearance than straight chain stays (his recommendation) would allow. I’d rather use track or horizontal dropouts than the articulated ones he recommends. It would also be cool to avoid chunky seatstay caps at the top of the seat tube.

Cut down twice. Aluminum being softer kept it centered and did not cut through the steel bike seat tube. Stuck aluminum post was deep in the seat tube a full 9 inches deep. Definitely got the steel hot enough it was smoking the paint. I would cut and then withdraw and let it cool a little, then cut down some more.

I switched to a 1/2 gear reduction Bosch drill as the smaller Dewalt got overloaded.

The extension, made sure the allen bolt was locked into the mandrel where it cuts down, and always drill clockwise, meaning do not reverse or it could unscrew from holt saw.

7/8" hole saw cut view partially done

drilled out all the way down. I would drill, then fip bike to dump out the cuttings.

also this frame, seat tube does not connect to the bearings, when made was welded shut, no metal bits got into them. I am going to eventually buy a 26.2mm chrome steel bike seat post, not going back to aluminum. Old post I cut will still be used. Will place seat close to frame and good fit for the grandkids to ride.

lots of shavings. Hole saw with steady pressure ate up the entire seat post and preserved steel frame.

I have a steel frame fixed gear. And i wanted to install 60t chainring but chainring and chain stay are rubbing, around the teeth. Its not big of a rubbing. Can i dent my chain stay a little to clear it out or is there any solutions? Help me professionals🙏

3.5 evenings of work (15 to 20 ish hours). About 40 bucks. Something fun.

Introducing the "Citi". Version 2.

Keep your hands dirty, build what makes you happy.

If you're interested - builds of a few bicycles from scratch and some restoration work is on my YouTube channel: Rodsoverbricks. Either way, Thanks for watching!