What Would you Make as a Frame Builder?
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What Would you Make as a Frame Builder?
What sort of frames would you make? Would they be a standard shape with standard geometry? Or do you have any fancy ideas? Would you take the effort to custom tailor each frame size? Which sort of metal would you focus on using? Build different types of frames or one that can do it all?
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hybrid carbon designed for road use while allowing some unique request adds per request. Making each frame to accept a "standard" [group set brand, igh, freewheel, cassette, headset, cable/hose needs] set by the one ordering it.
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#3
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So stiff, mainly for road use? What sort of head tube and seat tube angles you think would work best? What about the fork?
I think id start off using steel with the goal to focus on titanium one day.
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carbon hybrid materials.
depends on what the order calls for will dictate the road frame design.
depends on what the order calls for will dictate the road frame design.
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#5
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I build my own frames, 5 of them so far. I use lugs and steel tubes because I like low cost of entry on the equipment side, and working with steel is what I am familiar with. I build what cannot be purchased in a store. The first frame was in 2000 under special circumstances that I will not go into. Was tired of riding off the shelf bikes and adapting my preferences to the limitations of the bike. So that is what I built, what could not be had through traditional avenues. Have absolutely loved the challenge and riding a frame that no other person in the world has, and all the while it is exactly perfect for my body and preferences without a single compromise.
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Steel singlespeed monstercross. Four frame sizes, lots of paint choices.
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Seems to me that the real question is if you wanted a custom frame built.
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Money, hopefully.
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#11
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What sort of frames would you make? Would they be a standard shape with standard geometry? Or do you have any fancy ideas? Would you take the effort to custom tailor each frame size? Which sort of metal would you focus on using? Build different types of frames or one that can do it all?
#12
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It's better here because the question is hypothetical. Framebuilders build the frames they (or someone else) want at the time. It's no good to build a frame that you don't want, just sits around collecting dust.
Seems to me that the real question is if you wanted a custom frame built.
Seems to me that the real question is if you wanted a custom frame built.
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What’s the point of hiring a frame builder? Beautiful custom touches, materials like tubing chosen for the use case, individual sizing. If you want to try weird stuff, it’s easier to make it out of Walmart bikes and a mig welder. There’s an entire Internet subculture devoted just to that, and it seems like it’s not very closely connected to framebuilders per se.
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like clockwork
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#17
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>>What Would you Make as a Frame Builder?
Rent, if you're good AND lucky.
Much like a professional musician or writer, it'll be easy to find adulation and hard to find paying customers.
Cynically yours,
-mathias
Rent, if you're good AND lucky.
Much like a professional musician or writer, it'll be easy to find adulation and hard to find paying customers.
Cynically yours,
-mathias
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Since this is the internet and purely hypothetical, I’d would want a frame where the geometry could be slightly adjusted on the fly. Nothing outrageous, but being able to have servos that would slightly alter HA, SA, top tube length.
Program various tweaks for downhill, switchbacks, climbing to maximize what the rider wants for each section.
Since I don’t build frames, I’m sure I’m over simplifying things and have no clue how it could be done. But maybe one day somewhere down the road. Who knows when, we can’t even program a Di2 system to work with whatever.
John
Program various tweaks for downhill, switchbacks, climbing to maximize what the rider wants for each section.
Since I don’t build frames, I’m sure I’m over simplifying things and have no clue how it could be done. But maybe one day somewhere down the road. Who knows when, we can’t even program a Di2 system to work with whatever.
John
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https://www.canyon.com/en-us/mountai...-bikes/strive/
The Scott Twinloc version works by changing the performance of the shock, with a secondary air spring function as well as the common compression lockout lever.
https://www.scott-sports.com/us/en/page/twinloc
I would not set out to prove this is good; it seems gimmicky to me. But gimmicks do sometimes lead to something. Full suspension mountain bikes were the wild frontier 20 years ago and now they work pretty well.
* author hasn't any - ed.
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#20
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Built this a couple winters ago in a local class.
Did all the mitre work, file work, bench grinder, measuring, etc. Then did half the brazing or so and all the finish work.
Its my best fitting road bike(it should be since it was designed for me).
Columbus Zona OS tubing with shaped stays and a bi-plane inspired fork crown, 73deg HTA and STA, and room for 35mm tires.
As for the question of what i would make if I were a builder?...well i would make what my clients ask for. Of course it would be custom fit. It'd be dumb to make only penny farming when people continually ask me about gravel bikes and road bikes.
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And to make money, whatever the customer wants. As long as I could build it well, there's some wacky ideas out there. Some of them are in (limited) mass production already.
I'm reminded of the old joke. What's the easiest way to make a small fortune was a bike shop owner? Start with a large fortune.
I'm reminded of the old joke. What's the easiest way to make a small fortune was a bike shop owner? Start with a large fortune.
#22
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Since this is the internet and purely hypothetical, I’d would want a frame where the geometry could be slightly adjusted on the fly. Nothing outrageous, but being able to have servos that would slightly alter HA, SA, top tube length.
Program various tweaks for downhill, switchbacks, climbing to maximize what the rider wants for each section.
Since I don’t build frames, I’m sure I’m over simplifying things and have no clue how it could be done. But maybe one day somewhere down the road. Who knows when, we can’t even program a Di2 system to work with whatever.
John
Program various tweaks for downhill, switchbacks, climbing to maximize what the rider wants for each section.
Since I don’t build frames, I’m sure I’m over simplifying things and have no clue how it could be done. But maybe one day somewhere down the road. Who knows when, we can’t even program a Di2 system to work with whatever.
John
Built this a couple winters ago in a local class.
Did all the mitre work, file work, bench grinder, measuring, etc. Then did half the brazing or so and all the finish work.
Its my best fitting road bike(it should be since it was designed for me).
Columbus Zona OS tubing with shaped stays and a bi-plane inspired fork crown, 73deg HTA and STA, and room for 35mm tires.
As for the question of what i would make if I were a builder?...well i would make what my clients ask for. Of course it would be custom fit. It'd be dumb to make only penny farming when people continually ask me about gravel bikes and road bikes.
That seat tube looks slack. And in a good way. Looks like the bine really helps set your weight back during climbing.
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what you guys think of double and triple butted tubing
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What is there to think about, really? Double butted is obviously preferred over plain gauge for well documented reasons.
I think triple butted was mostly a marketing ploy, sort of like a razor with 7 blades. Triple butted tubing was at times heavier than double butted because the butting profile wasnt as aggressive. Example- consider double butted7/4/7 compared to triple butted 7/4/8 or 8/5/9 with the same butt lengths for both tube sets. The double butted will be lighter, yet triple butted tubing used to be advertised as better due to more butting.
All this is largely unimportant because tubing should be chosen for the style bike and intended rider- so there is no inherently 'good' or 'bad' tubing based on butting. What is 'good' is tubing that will work best for the intended use and rider.
Also, triple butted tubing is largely non-existant now for new steel builds.
I think triple butted was mostly a marketing ploy, sort of like a razor with 7 blades. Triple butted tubing was at times heavier than double butted because the butting profile wasnt as aggressive. Example- consider double butted7/4/7 compared to triple butted 7/4/8 or 8/5/9 with the same butt lengths for both tube sets. The double butted will be lighter, yet triple butted tubing used to be advertised as better due to more butting.
All this is largely unimportant because tubing should be chosen for the style bike and intended rider- so there is no inherently 'good' or 'bad' tubing based on butting. What is 'good' is tubing that will work best for the intended use and rider.
Also, triple butted tubing is largely non-existant now for new steel builds.
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