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Big Dummy 2011: my build :)

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Big Dummy 2011: my build :)

Old 02-09-11, 08:31 PM
  #26  
mosovich
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I finished my 2011 BD today and took it on a test ride.. NICE!! I stripped the back board and stained it to match the Ergon cork grips.. I'll post pictures later..
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Old 02-10-11, 06:37 AM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by mosovich
I finished my 2011 BD today and took it on a test ride.. NICE!! I stripped the back board and stained it to match the Ergon cork grips.. I'll post pictures later..
Cool. Sure, pictures are always welcome Some specs wouldn't hurt either
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Old 02-11-11, 03:41 PM
  #28  
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I made very little progress since without wheels I can't finish the drivetrain. I wanted to use my existing wheels from my commuter just for testing, but I had to use the commuter today. And they're so dirty

So, I've attached the rear fender. It's not a perfect fit since the struts rest against the frame. But it's not a big deal either. I've put some of that Magic Tape to protect the frame and, besides, this will not be visible and it doesn't make any difference in fenders mounting.


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Magic tape wrapped around parts of the frame on the drive side for protection or... just because I dig this stuff and it's fun to wrap around things I also attached the brake adapters.


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I've installed the headset (Cane Creek Tank II) and the stem (adjustable Dimension stem) and, for now, my touring bar. Steerer tube uncut for now.


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I'm afraid this is as far as I'm going to get this week.
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Old 02-11-11, 03:42 PM
  #29  
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And... something happened to the Surly decals, just some goo left


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Hmmm... that's for later...


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Old 02-11-11, 04:58 PM
  #30  
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Avid BB7s with 203mm adapters Don't Fit Fine, well Tight Fit (TF) :D

Avid BB7 disc caliper mounted on a 203mm adapter is a tight fit in the rear. There is just enough room to tighten it with short wrench, which might become a bit harder when the wheel and rotor are actually in place and final adjustment is needed.


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Old 02-11-11, 05:40 PM
  #31  
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That's tight, man... very close clearance. Otherwise, it's looking great!
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Old 02-11-11, 06:33 PM
  #32  
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Yeah, that's pretty sweet! Lookin' good so far! I really like that hazard tape on the rear cross member. You definitely went hog wild on that tape! Have you considered wrapping those sections with that hazard tape as well, or will it get covered by the bags?
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Old 02-11-11, 06:35 PM
  #33  
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Adam, you are the spirit of cycling at its best.

Awesome job!
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Old 02-11-11, 06:38 PM
  #34  
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Don't tempt me! I've got three rolls of that stuff!



Not sure. I need to wait for the racks and the bags to see how it looks like. I like that tape too, as you might have noticed So yeah, why not! I'm also getting custom "Adam's Big Dummy" decals for the downtube.

Originally Posted by twobadfish
Adam, you are the spirit of cycling at its best.

Awesome job!
Some call that "Nuts!", but I don't mind

I came across two awesome ideas for Xtracycle stickers on some forum:

"Save a Polar Bear: Ride an Xtracycle"
"Seating Reserved for Polar Bears".

Now I need to find someone to make those for me. The place I got the downtube sticker from doesn't make stickers that long.

Something like this:




Last edited by AdamDZ; 02-11-11 at 08:38 PM.
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Old 02-11-11, 07:06 PM
  #35  
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I skimmed through the thread and didn't see it.. what sort of distance are you going to be doing on this (trips?)? Are the rims in your trailer spare in the event of damage on a trip? How much - including you - are you pushing (approximately)?
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Old 02-11-11, 07:16 PM
  #36  
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I won't be using the trailer with the Big Dummy. I really don't think so. That's my current commuter on this picture with the trailer.

I hope to use the Big Dummy for everything, from commuting and running errands to weekend rides and touring. I want it to become my main ride, a true car replacement. The commute is only 8 miles one way. When I go on a tour I shoot for 50 miles a day to have time for other things, although I've done 70+ miles a few times when I couldn't find the campground I planned to get to.

I'm 195lbs and I don't plan to carry more than 100lbs. The heaviest loads will be grocery shopping. On a tour I hope to stay under 50lbs for the cargo. I doubt I will ever push the BD even close to its limits.
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Old 02-11-11, 08:59 PM
  #37  
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I found this place, Sticker You. You can upload your own designs. $7 per sheet (8"x11"). These are supposed to be vinyl stickers, so they should be good for bike/outdoor use. Since I ordered waterproof Yuba bags I can't saw any patches on those, so I need some stickers

So I came up with a few more stickers.

This a take on the "xx miles per burrito" since I live in NYC, seems appropriate!



Bikes Move People in Rasta colors.



Another take on a famous slogan.



This is actually taken from forum member's tjspiel's post!



And some polar bear paws:



If anyone fancies those and wants to try to have them printed, here are large size images suitable for printing.
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Old 02-12-11, 05:39 AM
  #38  
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For your down tube sticker, couldn't you just split the text on that website? This way you could maximize the amount of space used on that sticker sheet. You'd have to mess around with getting the text lined up on the downtube, but I don't think it would be a problem. Either that, or see if you can locate a sign shop in your area who would be willing to make some vinyl stickers for you. They could probably print them out on the spot.
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Old 02-12-11, 09:38 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by vXhanz
For your down tube sticker, couldn't you just split the text on that website? This way you could maximize the amount of space used on that sticker sheet. You'd have to mess around with getting the text lined up on the downtube, but I don't think it would be a problem. Either that, or see if you can locate a sign shop in your area who would be willing to make some vinyl stickers for you. They could probably print them out on the spot.
I haven't though of that

NYC is big and I'd rather get stuff done on the net and delivered. It's hard to find services that do small jobs. Nobody does DIY any more, it's all "throw away and buy new one". Printing services have minimums and are generally more expensive than what's on the net. Places like this start popping up in Brooklyn where the alternative cultures flourish and people are more likely to reuse and rebuild stuff. But you need to know where to look. That's where I found the framebuilder who fixed eyelets on my Sutra frame.

I had a friend who was into motorcycles and knew where to find such small, cheap painters, machine shops, etc., but he moved out of NYC 3-4 years ago.

Besides, I'm relatively new to the DIY thing too, so I'm just starting to build my list of services that are accessible by bike from where I live. I found a place that does powder-coating, for example, but they don't answer emails and their answering machine is always full. My LBS gets their frames painted there, they say it's like two guys operation that are busy all the time. Machine shops where you could get something cut or milled? Forget it. Nonexistent in NYC.

Last edited by AdamDZ; 02-12-11 at 09:42 AM.
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Old 02-12-11, 10:51 AM
  #40  
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Slight issue with the Xtracycle caliper protector too

The Xtracycle brake caliper protector isn't also designed to work with 203mm adapters well. It's too small and requires some bending to get it to work.

Here's how it's supposed to work (sorry, small picture from Xtracycle website). The end of the protector arch just rests against the bottom of the mount:



With a 203mm adapter, that positions the caliper up and to the left, the protector is too small and the end of it doesn't reach the bottom of the mount, that it's supposed to rest against, and just "hangs" in the air. It also touches the caliper where shown making it impossible to just turn it clockwise to have the end of it rest against the second bolt. Probably not a big deal... for people without any signs of OCD, but for me it almost ruined the built Just kidding... but yeah, it bothered me a bit. Sorry, the image is out of focus, but it illustrates the situation.



Notice some more Magic Seal and Stretch Tape on the protector to... um... protect the protector But it actually came with a bad paint job: the paint was cracking and peeling at the bend, next to the bolt loop. So I feel that the use of the protective tape is fully justified

Here it is after some bending "out" and "down". Now, the end of the protector rests against the bottom bolt. The picture doesn't show it but it doesn't interfere with the movement of the lever.



NOTE: When installing the protector use a longer bolt. The thickness of the protector's loop and the washer take about 3-4 mm. As a result the bolt doesn't go all the way through the brake adapter, and it's supposed to for proper, strong mount. With the kind of forces at work here every 3mm are important. You want to make sure that the adapter mounting bolts go all the way through the adapter! You may need to dremel off the bolt a bit so it doesn't stick out on the inside and interfere with rotor. Short bolts that reach just a few mm inside the adapter may not hold the adapter under extreme forces. And the results will be kind of ugly.
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Old 02-12-11, 02:14 PM
  #41  
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A bit of work on the front end

I've installed my MEC front rack. It was a bit problematic too. I had to come up with some highly sophisticated custom mounting brackets! They came out a bit crooked, I need a real vise to be able to bend pieces of metal.

The left fender strut required slight bending to clear the disc caliper.







Presta valve nuts used as spacers for the lower mount on the fork:



Proof of concept headlight mounts using unused MEC rack mounting brackets. There would be one each side. I'm not sure yet if I'll go with Magic Shine or build my own lighting system, including rear lights, based on Funky Stickman's work. I'm leaning towards going the Funky's DIY way: cheaper and I could have one switch for all lights. Neither would be practical for touring though due to heavy batteries and time required to charge them. I would most likely remove them when going on tours and use self-contained AA/AAA lights and CREE flashlights. I try not to ride after dark when on a tour.





My Marathon XR tires also arrived today too. Neat!

Last edited by AdamDZ; 02-12-11 at 02:18 PM.
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Old 02-12-11, 02:45 PM
  #42  
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Here is a self-contained Spark headlight from Deal Extreme mounted



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Old 02-12-11, 03:24 PM
  #43  
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More lights...

Two Romisen flashlights attached to the fork with Deal Extreme handlebar mounts, they're large enough to fit on a fork!





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Old 02-12-11, 03:28 PM
  #44  
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Lookin' like a cool build. Those butterfly bars are something I'd like to try some time, particuclarly if I ever manage to fit some touring into my life again.
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Old 02-12-11, 04:44 PM
  #45  
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I'm not sure this handlebar will stay on this bike. I bought a flat bar and Ergon grips for this build. I also had a touring bike that I was trying to sell, but it didn't sell so I took it apart and reused some parts. The butterfly bar came from the touring bike, I figure I'd give it a shot. It's very comfortable but makes the bike less nimble IMHO, so it's an experiment.
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Old 02-12-11, 04:47 PM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by AdamDZ
I'm not sure this handlebar will stay on this bike. I bought a flat bar and Ergon grips for this build. I also had a touring bike that I was trying to sell, but it didn't sell so I took it apart and reused some parts. The butterfly bar came from the touring bike, I figure I'd give it a shot. It's very comfortable but makes the bike less nimble IMHO, so it's an experiment.
I don't consider "nimble" to be an attribute of my Big Dummy anyway, but then again, I don't do much traffic dodging with it.
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Old 02-12-11, 04:50 PM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by Dan Burkhart
I don't consider "nimble" to be an attribute of my Big Dummy anyway, but then again, I don't do much traffic dodging with it.
Well, that's a good point!
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Old 02-12-11, 05:02 PM
  #48  
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Thanks for the props, Adam! Yeah, my lighting setup isn't really practical for touring: the batteries are too heavy. You could use a solar charger with them, I suppose. If I were going to do brevets or long night riding, I'd consider a Sanyo dynohub ($40) and halogen lights... not as bright, but much much cheaper than a top-end LED setup.

Keep it coming, man! Can't wait to see it put together and rolling. I will post up pics of my rebuilt commuter as soon as my new wheels come in!
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Old 02-12-11, 05:22 PM
  #49  
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For that brake caliper protector I almost would have used some of that heat shrink wire wrap that you can find at Lowe's or Home Depot. Just slide it on and use a heat gun to basically "shrink wrap" the plastic to that part.

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Old 02-12-11, 05:35 PM
  #50  
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Originally Posted by FunkyStickman
Thanks for the props, Adam! Yeah, my lighting setup isn't really practical for touring: the batteries are too heavy. You could use a solar charger with them, I suppose. If I were going to do brevets or long night riding, I'd consider a Sanyo dynohub ($40) and halogen lights... not as bright, but much much cheaper than a top-end LED setup.

Keep it coming, man! Can't wait to see it put together and rolling. I will post up pics of my rebuilt commuter as soon as my new wheels come in!
Not to hijack the thread, but is there a way to use Li batteries for your setup?
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