1. Let's start with some shameless self-promotion, rock-n-roll style. The "worlds greatest rock band" Derailleur has a big gig coming up. We're going to be playing at the new Guthrie Theater's lounge next week Friday (Nov 10th) after the opening night of their latest play EDGUARDO MINE. We'll be the only act, so it'll be a Friday night of acoustic and electric tunes, 2 full sets in a clean nice lounge setting. In otherwords, pretty much unlike any derailleur show prior. I don't think there's a cover and we'll go on around 10:15 and probably play all night if you can take it.
2. Hot tub is in and on! Finally got the electrical straightened out, there was an airlock in the circulation pump preventing water from getting pumped to the heater and the heater had a second hidden reset button on it that isn't mentioned in the
manual. Thanks to the Hot Springs Dealer for showing me how to reset that.3. 953 frame is getting the final surface finish, it looks good! Most of the parts are in, once I clear-coat the fork it will just about be ready to go out.
4. Headbadges! yes, people have been asking me for these for a while. I'm finally having a batch made up. They'll be cool, trust me, and hopefully will provide me a template for making an engraving stencil so that I can do more logo engraving on misc parts with my new engraver.
5. BB Fork Crown?!? Yes, rumors are true, I've been working on a super-custom, super bbbb type fork crown for a while. I've gone through about 5 design iterations now and supposedly the first prototype for inspection will be shipping to me next week! It'll be wide, mtb style, Bridgestone inspired, but with improvements to make it stronger and fit more modern frames/tires.
Here are a couple of images of the 3D design. It has lots of room for customizing and a nice flat surface on top for engraving my logo on both sides. My hope is to use these on the 2nd semi-production 29'er frame (the rigid singlespeed) and to offer a rigid fork option for the geared, suspension corrected frames. This will give me a way to make a fork that fits with the theme of the fully lugged frames.Hopefully, if the prototypes pass testing, I will have these early next year. One note to other framebuilds whom I know read this, please don't bother asking about buying these yet. I'm not in a position to sell them to other builders yet, but I'll let folks know if/when that might happen.
I'm really excited about this project and hope it pans out. It's take a lot of work to design this in a manner in which it's affordable to manufacture in smaller quantities.
6. Semi-production frames are getting closer. First round will be a geared, suspension corrected 29'er, fully lugged, classically styled, and with some really clean and tidy looking sliding horizontal dropouts. That will make it a pretty darn good all-around frame, run it geared, run it single, suspended, or get a cool suspension corrected rigid fork from me. Run discs geared or single (with disc mounts on the sliding dropout), or v-brakes or canti's. Look for 'em at The Route this winter/spring. Or hopefully at the Minnepolis Bike and Travel Expo.
7. State 'cross race is coming up, get ready!
bbbb
5 comments:
Hey,
Can I buy one of those fork crowns?
No no,
just kidding, all the stuff looks great! Keep up the good work. What are you using to finish the SS? scotchbrite?
Tarik
funny guy...
On the stainless, I went through a few iterations on finishes and settled in on blasting it with glass bead to give it a satin look, then going over it all with fine scotchbrite. I really like the look, and you can simply rub out any scratches or stains with more scotchbrite.
First thought that went trough my head when I heard about the 953-tubeset being stainless a year ago, was if it could be brazed to stainless lugs. I was therefore very exited when I read you're first entry about this project. Would like to thank you for posting reports how the project went along and jugging by the last pic. it is a stunner. But please don't be such tease, post some pic. of the hole frame and all the tasty details! It would also nice to hear aprox. what the cost for a similar frame would be.
Best Regards from Sweden!
I haven't posted a finishe dpicture yet for one simple reason. The new owner want's one of my new headbadges on it and I haven't gotten them yet. I wanted to just post a picture of the completed frame.
Pricewise, it's expensive materials, but not having to paint the frame helps. Figure around $2000 for a frame along (no fork) fully lugged.
Bob
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