Monday, February 21, 2011

Back to Work - Bob's New Commuter Bike

I am finally back to work after months away from the shop.  We have been
very busy with kids activities (swimming and hockey) and a couple of
non-bike related projects.  It felt great to get back to framebuilding.  I am
currently working on a frame for myself.  It is going to be my new commuting
bike.  It will have a Shimano Alfine 8 speed internally geared hub and will
be Gates Carbon Belt Drive.  I got quite a jump start on this frame due to
the fact that I had a front triangle already available.  The first front triangle
that I built for Wayne's 29'er Single Speed was too short in the top tube
due to a mistake on my part.  I went with an inacurate chart for the dimensions
of his previous frame instead of measuring his actual frame.  I won't make
that mistake again.  Anyway with the front triangle mounted in the fixture I
mitered the chainstays and brazed them to the sliding dropouts and the
bottom bracket.  After finishing these joints I bent and mitered the seatstays
and they are almost ready the be brazed in.  Now I just need to design and
fabricate some type of breakable joint on the right seatstay so that the drive
belt can be installed.