DIY bike

Just a side thought...

I did some searching on the net and discovered I can get a full steel
(is real) tubeset, plus all lugs, forks and braze-on's, from a mob in
the UK for around $350Aus. Has anyone had a go at knocking up their
own steel frame, and did they come away with something that was worthy
of riding a lot?

I figured I can spend $2k for a custom frame and fork, OR get the
tubeset, lugs etc, oxy set, bench, vice, tools, waste a good number of
weekends, and create Webb Cycles Mark 1, AND still have $1000 in my
pocket, AND a shed full of tools. First, I need the shed, but that is
a minor detail.

Any thoughts?

Brendo

In aus.bicycle on 17 Apr 2007 22:55:23 -0700
Brendo wrote:
Just a side thought...

I did some searching on the net and discovered I can get a full steel
(is real) tubeset, plus all lugs, forks and braze-on's, from a mob in
the UK for around $350Aus. Has anyone had a go at knocking up their
own steel frame, and did they come away with something that was worthy
of riding a lot?

Calling SuzyJ...


http://www.littlefishbicycles.com/framebuilding.html

Zebee

Brendo wrote:
Just a side thought...

I did some searching on the net and discovered I can get a full steel
(is real) tubeset, plus all lugs, forks and braze-on's, from a mob in
the UK for around $350Aus. Has anyone had a go at knocking up their
own steel frame, and did they come away with something that was worthy
of riding a lot?

I figured I can spend $2k for a custom frame and fork, OR get the
tubeset, lugs etc, oxy set, bench, vice, tools, waste a good number of
weekends, and create Webb Cycles Mark 1, AND still have $1000 in my
pocket, AND a shed full of tools. First, I need the shed, but that is
a minor detail.

Any thoughts?

Brendo


Planning a trip to the UK sometime soon? Why not take a 5 day
side trip to he
http://www.daveyatescycles.co.uk/courses.htm

I would....

def

--
e-mail: d.farrow@your finger.murdoch.edu.au
To reply, you'll have to remove your finger.

On Apr 18, 2:04 pm, Zebee Johnstone wrote:
In aus.bicycle on 17 Apr 2007 22:55:23 -0700

Brendo wrote:
Just a side thought...

I did some searching on the net and discovered I can get a full steel
(is real) tubeset, plus all lugs, forks and braze-on's, from a mob in
the UK for around $350Aus. Has anyone had a go at knocking up their
own steel frame, and did they come away with something that was worthy
of riding a lot?

Calling SuzyJ...

http://www.littlefishbicycles.com/framebuilding.html

Zebee

I have seen this website, in fact that is where I got the idea that
this may be a feasible idea, with the end result a sturdy
construction. My friends would note that my handywork is often...
well.... I cna improve a lot. But this is something that a) looks fun,
and b) looks acheivable. Did anyone else think these thoughts, only to
have the end result well below par in terms of appearance and quality?

Brendo

Brendo Wrote:
Any thoughts?


Yeah, you'd want to be a complete nutter to want to do that.

I've built three. The first one broke in fairly short order. The
second one broke after about 10,000km, and the third one is still
together (after about 10,000km), but isn't being used anymore because I
noticed a tiny little hairline crack in the paint.

I've put my framebuilding activities to one side for a while, but will
return when time permits. It's heaps of fun and lots of work, but
expect heartache.

Anyway, http://www.littlefishbicycles.com documents my descent into
insanity. http://www.frameforum.net is also a good resource, and
http://www.framebuilding.com (Ceeway) are wonderful for tools and
steel.

Have fun.

Cheers,

Suzy

PS: Don't believe anyone who says you need a jig. None of my frames
used a jig, and they're a damn site straighter than any of the
commercial frames I've measured.


--
suzyj

On Apr 18, 2:38 pm, suzyj suzyj.2p8...@no-
mx.forums.cyclingforums.com wrote:
Brendo Wrote:

Any thoughts?

Yeah, you'd want to be a complete nutter to want to do that.

I've built three. The first one broke in fairly short order. The
second one broke after about 10,000km, and the third one is still
together (after about 10,000km), but isn't being used anymore because I
noticed a tiny little hairline crack in the paint.

I've put my framebuilding activities to one side for a while, but will
return when time permits. It's heaps of fun and lots of work, but
expect heartache.

Anyway,http://www.littlefishbicycles.comdocuments my descent into
insanity. http://www.frameforum.netis also a good resource, andhttp://www.framebuilding.com(Ceeway) are wonderful for tools and
steel.

Have fun.

Cheers,

Suzy

PS: Don't believe anyone who says you need a jig. None of my frames
used a jig, and they're a damn site straighter than any of the
commercial frames I've measured.

--
suzyj

So it's something done AFTER you have a suitable steed to ride,
possibly for an N+1.

Anyone else made one?

Brendo

On Apr 18, 3:55 pm, Brendo wrote:
Just a side thought...

I did some searching on the net and discovered I can get a full steel
(is real) tubeset, plus all lugs, forks and braze-on's, from a mob in
the UK for around $350Aus. Has anyone had a go at knocking up their
own steel frame, and did they come away with something that was worthy
of riding a lot?

I figured I can spend $2k for a custom frame and fork, OR get the
tubeset, lugs etc, oxy set, bench, vice, tools, waste a good number of
weekends, and create Webb Cycles Mark 1, AND still have $1000 in my
pocket, AND a shed full of tools. First, I need the shed, but that is
a minor detail.

Any thoughts?

Brendo

If you are in Adelaide, chat to Peter Good (Thorogood bikes). He's
taught framebuilding to quite a few people.

donga

Brendo wrote:

So it's something done AFTER you have a suitable steed
to ride, possibly for an N+1.

Yes. It's best for a bike that's not your daily ride, unless of course
you have some redundancy.

Also don't expect to save money.

Cheers,

Suzy


--
suzyj

"Donga" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Apr 18, 3:55 pm, Brendo wrote:
Just a side thought...

I did some searching on the net and discovered I can get a full steel
(is real) tubeset, plus all lugs, forks and braze-on's, from a mob in
the UK for around $350Aus. Has anyone had a go at knocking up their
own steel frame, and did they come away with something that was worthy
of riding a lot?

I figured I can spend $2k for a custom frame and fork, OR get the
tubeset, lugs etc, oxy set, bench, vice, tools, waste a good number of
weekends, and create Webb Cycles Mark 1, AND still have $1000 in my
pocket, AND a shed full of tools. First, I need the shed, but that is
a minor detail.

Any thoughts?

Brendo

If you are in Adelaide, chat to Peter Good (Thorogood bikes). He's
taught framebuilding to quite a few people.

....and I could be wrong, but I reckon his latest steed is an off-the-shelf
carbon bike (azzuri?)

:-)
Gemm

Brendo wrote:

Any thoughts?

Are you competent with an oxy set?
If not, it is a good, fast, expensive way to destroy nice good quality
steel.

You have a good work bench?
It requires good set up to get a properly aligned bicycle.

By all means give it a go, but I'd be inclinded to built something else
first from steel from scavenged bicycles.

My initial reaction was that price sounded expensive, but I was at the
steel yard last week and left with 5 lengths of crud carbon steel that
left me $198 poorer. Also discovered that the 3metre length of
rectangular steel that I've been using for all sorts of levering is
worth about $65, urk.

P.S. a basic oxy set is around $300 and BOC rental will cost $240pa for
gas bottles with about $200 for the gas (depending on size). So you
might want to recalc your savings.

Alternatively, if you are in NSW, a year at TAFE, one evening per week,
doing oxy 1 & 2 will cost $300(?) and get you access to good training,
all the gear and good advice and you could probably do it second half.