BB/CS/DO

Yesterday I decided it was about time to start putting together Jessica's 650c lugged road frame.

I got as far as the bb to the cs to the do.

Waiting for Snow

The snow bike is more or less done.  I still need to finish filing all of the fillets, add some braze-ons, and whatnot, but it is ridable.  I gave it a quick and dirty (and drippy) black rattle-can paint job to keep things from turning to rust over the winter.  Once winter is over, I will take the time to properly finish the frame and give it a proper powder coat.  Now I just need some snow to ride it in!

I have had the bike out a few times at Theodore Wirth and Elm Creek. It is tons o' fun. I highly recommend a snow bike for anyone who lives in MN and considers themselves a mtn biker. The bike handles very predictably, is comfy, yet is stiff enough that my 2-3mm of clearance between the chain and the tire are not an issue.

I definitely have to put the bike underneath me when cornering otherwise the Endomorph's tend to slide. This is only an issue when I am too tired to ride properly. Perhaps I will get some knobbier tires for next year. The Hammerschmidt is awesome. I am not man enough to rock a single speed snow bike, but the two speeds of the Hammerschmidt is perfect for the local trails. My current trail riding ratio is 35.2:23 (1.53) normally and 22:23 (.96) when I can't hack it in the "big ring" anymore. The front and rear wheels are interchangeable, and I currently have a 20 tooth cog on the front in case I wanted to ride some bike path. We'll see if I have to change these ratios up with different snow conditions as opportunity presents itself. As for now all of our precip. has been replaced by rain :(
Next up for this frame is a rack or two for adventure camping trips and the occasional snow day commute.

Nearly Ridable

Another night till 1am in the garage.  I ran out of acetylene, but only need to put on the seat post collar yet.  I am going to bring the frame and fork  in to work to mill/face/chase everything.  Then slap some parts on 'er, and it should be ridable.  ...with a lot of clean up to do on the fillets, and in need of a paint job, but ridable.


Now I just have to get the bath tub cleaned up before Jessica finds this mess!

Making Progress

It has been a while since I have posted, so here is a terrible photo to show that I am actually making progress.

My friend is building up a Pugsley, so that served as a good kick in the pants to get this bike done.  There is not much left now.  One more fillet on the frame, some facing and chasing, a disc mount on the fork, the seat post binder, perhaps some cable guides, etc, ...and a heck of a lot of clean up work on the fillets.
By the way, if you have, or know of anyone that has, a 27.2 seat tube reamer, let me know - I need to use one if I ever hope to get a seat post in this frame!

Back At It!

 Its been quite a while since I have updated, but here is a photo of how things are shaping up.
I moved a few months ago, and lost all my momentum on the project.  Now my new shop space is in complete chaos, so things are back to normal.  I have been doing little bits here and there, but haven't bothered to post an update on the frame, so here ya be!
This bike will be ready in time for winter.  This bike will be ready in time for winter.  This bike will be ready in time for winter!

Jessica's Lugged 650c Road

Jessica is short.  I am building her a 650c lugged road frame so she can have a bike that fits proper and doesn't have to use silly geometry to make everything work with 700's.  Its gonna be dang sweet.  Here is the start of it:

Beer Irony

Oh, sweet and precious free time, where dost thou go?!

Not much work getting done on the bicycle these days.  I am not half way done with the snow bike, and I already have my next frameset project figured; a road bike for Jessica.

I have, however, at least made some good headway on a fork jig that will be able to accommodate both regular forks, suspension corrected forks, and fattie snow bike forks with 135 o.l.d. spacing.  I'll get some photos posted of that when it is finished.

Things that have been taking up my free time include (but are not limited to) learning about raising chickens in my yard, scheming on expanding my garden, and of course, homebrewing.  Here is an Imperial Stout I brewed up in July of '10.  I just bottled it a week ago.  It is blacker than black, thick as motor oil, and as my friend Angela says, "It's like taking a drink of earth."  It is certainly a sipping beer, but dang is it tasty!



Imperial Stout in a Schlitz glass.  Isn't it ironic, don't you think?

First Burn

I haven't gotten much work done on my bicycle lately.  It is cold in the garage, and life has kept me busy.  I have, however, more or less finished my homebrewed hot tent camp stove.  It burns very nicely and has a good draw to it.  I will be adding a cast iron damper, and making the legs more rigid; but not too shabby for my first stove.  It was made out of one 2'x4' piece of sheet metal, a piece of expanded metal, and some stove pipe.

Hot Stuff!

 Instead of working on my bicycle lately, I have been doing some other metal-work in my free time.  I have been fabricating my own variation of a stove to be used while hot-tent camping.  At some point between now and next winter, I intend to make a tent and a pulk/toboggan hybrid to haul all my hot-tent camping gear for future adventures next winter.  More to come once I finish this...

Useless Excuses

I ran out of gas, then I ran out of brass.  Those had to be refilled and restocked, but I had to wait till payday.  Last week I threw out my back, and as a result, I haven't been biking.  This in turn means my energy level is noticeably lower, which then means I don't make it out to the garage after work to put in time on the frame.

This changes today!  No more excuses.  Time to get back at it!  ...after eight hours of beauty rest and my morning coffee, that is.

Goodnight all.  Look for more post(s?) in the next couple of days.