Not the best conditions in the workshop this month due to the cold. The oven was doing its best and the participants of the frame building course were working files and hacksaws to keep warm. We had exciting projects going on during the courses, two frames came back from paint and are now fully assembled, ready to hit the road. I have a lovely photo story to share from Remi, who has documented his project from start to finish.
Home-made lunch during the frame building course. It can get a little cold in the shop in winter. I’m doing my best to give everyone a warm welcome and hearty meal a day.
Frame building courses
The frames built during the February courses from left to right: Colin’s and Joe’s single speeders, Pierrick’s gravel rig and Benoit’s commuter.
Normally we can’t build frames ready for Gates Carbon Belt drive during the course with two participants. The design takes a little longer as you need to be sure about the gear ratios to plan precisely for the length of the rear triangle with a given belt length. Colin and Joe were big single speed fans and were sure what ratios they would be riding and since we were building two single speed frames Gates ready, there was a bit of synergy during the design discussion and I agreed to build the frames during the group course, the first two in the galery above, normally only an option during the individual course.
Colin wanted a classic looking lugged frame in combination with flat-mount disc brakes, something we haven’t done during the course yet. To create the chain or belt tension we had to use adjustable dropouts which I source at Paragon Machine Works. Instead of the usual sliders which keep the brake outside of the rear triangle, Colin chose the dedicated sliders for through axles which have a wider angle between chain stays and seat stays which keeps the frame design rather classic. Another interesting detail, and most likely nowhere to be found in the market, Colin built a fork with a 1” threadless steerer for ahead set and flat-mount disc brakes, vivement le sur mesure.
Stainless Steel Dedicated 12 mm Flat Sliding Dropout used on Colin’s frame
Joe’s frame was more conventional, a fillet brazed single speed frame where the chain / belt tension is created with Paragon Rockers (adjustable dropouts). Both Colin’s and Joe’s frame have the opening of the rear triangle to install the belt integrated in the dropout.
The second week of the February course was dedicated to Pierrick’s gravel bike frame, designed to go with a Columbus Futura Cross+ and a Campagnolo Ekar group set. Such a frame can be built during the 4 day course. Pierrick is making good progress, the frame is already painted. I’m sure he’ll also publish the final result on his instagram account.
Benoit joined Pierrick for the week. He is working in Brussels for the “JEUNES SCHAERBEEKOIS AU TRAVAIL” where he is teaching young people how to repair bikes. He wanted to go beyond frame repair and learn how to build a frame, one that is versatile and can be used as a commuter or travel bike. We designed the bike around the comfortable Jones H bar.
Two friends for Paris-Brest-Paris
The first finished bikes of 2023 to leave the workshop are the light road bikes for two friends from Wimereux in the Pas-de-Calais, Jean Francois and Didier. They are aiming to ride this year’s Paris-Brest-Paris on them and have already done their 200 km brevets. I’m glad they still have a few months to train on their new machines and I’m particularly proud that I get to participate in this prestigious race that way (I won’t be able to participate in the Concours de Machine otherwise).
Jean-François and Didier are experienced riders and they had a very clear vision of what they wanted. They brought several parts such as the saddle and the Thomson periphery to be used on those bikes. We confirmed the measures through a professional bike fit at La Clinique du Cycliste. The goal was to create a light and responsive frame and souple fork, ready to be equipped with lights and for Didier also with a charger, but otherwise the bikes are classic road bikes : 2x11 transmission (Sram Force) and caliper brakes, upgraded with a beautiful crankset from White Industries. I made the frame entirely from Columbus Life tubes and the fork with Columbus SL fork blades. The wheels were laced by Matiq, Mavic Open Pro rims (choice of Jean-François) on a SON dynamo front hub and a White Industries T11. Jean-François wanted to test the Supernova M99 front light which he noticed on the winning bike of the Concours de Machines 2022 in Roubaix from Cyfac. For Didier I went for the combination of SON DC front light and the Supernova Tail Light 2 both connected to the Forumslader to charge phone and GPS.
A week in Roubaix
Remi came to Roubaix in May last year to build a frame for a gravel bike with a carbon fork. He chose to take his time and finish the frame in 5 days (it can be done in 4 but 5 days really give you the time to do all the finishing work and potentially witness the fork building on Friday or do some sightseeing in the afternoon to check out some of Roubaix’s hidden gems, such as the Velodrome, the Musée de la Piscine or the Villa Cavrois for architecture lovers.
He took some really great pictures during the duration of the course and also of his finished bike. He was so kind to share them with me and allowed me to publish them in this blog post.
Day 1: frame design and geometry discussion, cutting the tubes of the front triangle and brasing practice for bottle bosses
Day 2: brazing practice, tagging and brasing of the front triangle
Day 3: preparing and tagging of the tubes of the rear triangle
Day 4: brasing up the rest of the frame and adding all the cable guides
Day 5: Finishing up the frame and sightseeing (Villa Cavrois)
The finished bike
Stay tuned for the next update in March. It will be packed with exciting new projects, another finished bike and of course more folks learning how to build their own bicycle frame.
