Our friend Ricardo brought this Masi Gran Criterium in a little while ago and it had a thrashed seat lug and seat tube. He wanted to convert it into a commuter and I was very willing to help. Having already replaced the seat tube on this frame and built a new fork for it, I didn’t see it as being sacrilege to do this conversion. Ricardo is going to be getting groceries and running errands on this bike with great style. The silvery metallic purple has an almost micro-suede look to it that just makes you want to reach out and touch it. And the super thin clearcoat really shows the definition of the lug lines and file marks from its original builder.

 
 
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In other news, we’ve been painting…A LOT. I will resume with the frame building very soon as we don’t want our wait list for frames to get out of hand. Here are some shots of a recently completed Royal H mixte — a very lovely bicycle. More paint work to follow suit.

 
 

Lastly, the weather in many parts of the country has been crappy and cold this winter. It has been taking its toll on my morale and my commuting bike. Salty roads and metal don’t work so well together (see pic of my Phil Wood bottom bracket). Just a quick reminder to take care of your bikes in this season. We don’t want you to get any seized seatposts or stuck bottom brackets. Take ‘em apart when you can to make sure everything is all right in there. Grease your posts and BB threads. Spray some frame saver in there as well if you can get the whole bike apart. Your bike will thank you many years from now by not rusting away.

 

Hopefully David doesn’t have to endure too much sleet and freezing rain on this bike but it’ll be ready to take it on! This road/commuter frame is going to be set up with drop bars, rack, fenders, and a full Shimano 105 group. I’ll be sure to post pictures of the complete bike when it comes together. It’s guaranteed to be a stunner. Butter cream and baby blue have joined forces to brave the 2010 winter weather (which has already thrown it’s fair share of snow in our faces).

Upcoming bikes include Leif’s cross/commuter frame and fork and two (yes, two) Reynolds 953 stainless race bikes. Awesome.

 
 
 
 
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I said I wasn’t going to build anymore BMX frames but here I go again. This black and gold street frame is for Adam who I’ve built a bike for before. This was built with a combination of straight gauge and True Temper tubing and weighs in at around 3.75 pounds. The dropouts are definitely large by today’s standards so I could have take even more weight off. We shall see how this holds up at Rye Airfield. David K.’s commuter is up next!

 
 
 
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Mike’s cross bike is finally done after lots of lug carving, crazy paint masking, and the most precise lug lining you’ll ever see. It had been 5 months since I built a lugged frame (the last 5 frames were fillet brazed) but it wasn’t hard to get back into the swing of things. This bike is going to be Mike’s winter bike as well as cross bike. Winter is far from over so he’ll have plenty of chances to ride it. The snow is melting away on the trails as I type so I anticipate this bike getting muddy very soon. The bike is a kelly green with lime green lugs and gold accents all over, in case you didn’t notice. The ever talented Josie Morway did the lug lining. I think if any other bike painter saw her work, they’d hire in a second. Next up is Adam’s BMX!

 
 
 
 
 
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We were sad to see Dan move to Portland but it’s totally a good fit for him. Dan’s a guy that rides all the time. For his job, commuting, fun, etc. And what better place to ride than Portland. I hear they have lanes specifically for bikes over there! And bike racks! And a bike shop on every corner! Oh well, Providence has a ways to go and I understand if he doesn’t come back. I’ll be sending Dan a little piece of his home state soon. This gun metal beauty is for him and will hopefully make its way over to Alpenrose for a lap or two. I made some modifications to the classic LC19 fork crown by carving the edges and filling in the cutouts. I also did the same with our svelte little dropouts. It made for a very solid, flowing frame and fork.

 
 
 
 
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Next up is Mike’s lugged cyclocross/winter bike. I’ve been in lug carving mode for a while now.

I don’t build a lot of bikes with wishbone seat stays but I love them so. My personal single speed has one and I can understand why Justin would want one too. It takes the simplicity of the single speed to another level. The thing that makes this bike most distinct is the fork crown which was custom shaped into a sloping crown from a blockish sand cast Davis fork crown. That is a task I won’t be taking on again anytime too soon. Carving the crown left me filling the top fork blade cavities with two nickels shaped and then silver brazed in. You’d never know by looking at it. That’s the goal, right? I did this because finding a sloping round blade crown is near impossible these days. Holes were drilled for a circular theme throughout. The paint is a sandstone/champagne color with black panels and white details. Very understated. I love it.

 
 
 
 
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Dan C’s full on track frame is next…once he finally picks his color!

Here are some shots of an 80s Bottecchia restoration I did recently. Lug lining galore with the steady hand and a brush. Justin’s single speed is coming up next. Paint is happening as I type this…sort of. Check back for more updates very soon.

 
 
 

It seems like I’ve been building some taller bikes as of late. This cyclocross bike is 67cm and looks incredible! The light blue with white panel paint scheme is gorgeous. And the dark blue painted on logos and bands look sharp. If there’s anyone who needs a custom frame it’s someone who can’t get something off the shelf at their local bike shop. Everyone should be able to enjoy cycling no matter what their size is. These bigger bikes are fun to build because of the design challenges that arise. Head tube angle, seat tube angle, bottom bracket drop, seat stay length, and chain stay length are all crucial as bikes go larger than 64cm. Restrictions in tubing lengths from manufacturers poses the largest problem which is overcome by using straight gauge chromoly or custom drawn tubes. So check these shots of Matt’s frame and fork out and contact us if you need a bigger bike built.

 
 
 
 
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In other news, Dan Langlois’ cross bike was in for a repair and got a new paint job while it was here. It’s like a brand new bike again except now it matches his other one.

 

I also recently uploaded some riding footage from 2007 for Dan to see that was shot for a video that didn’t use all of it. Might as well share it with the rest of you too. Here I am riding my Circle A flatland frame.

Just finished building up Josh’s blue commuter/touring/road bike. We went with a similar paint scheme to Matt’s single speed with solid white accents instead of silver and stainless. It’s also fully fillet brazed including the fork for a very fluid look. He went with primarily an Ultegra drivetrain with Sugino cranks and Dura Ace bar-end shifters. He put his already-broken-in Brooks B17 on there so he’s ready to put some hours in on this bike!

 
 
 
 
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Dave Wilcox did an amazing job of representing Circle A in the Oregon Manifest Constructor’s Race! He got 2nd place in the Constructor’s Race and we got 10th in the Design Challenge. All in all it was a fun time even though I didn’t get to go out to Portland to experience it. Maybe next year? If you’re in the Portland area though, check out all the bikes that will be on display until November 8th at Manifest headquarters at NW 10th and Hoyt (Thurs & Fri 2-7, Sat 11-7, Sun 11-5). For more information on the rest of the Oregon Manifest festivities, see the amazing coverage on the bikeportland website and their flickr page, as well as the main OM site.

Dave getting ready for the race. Courtesy of bikeportland.org.

In other news, cross season started again in the past month and Gloucester and Providence cross weekends were crazy! Well, I only went to the second day at Gloucester but it was a blast. I’m still getting back into the swing of things but it should be a good season. Circle A friends, Jay and Josie, spearheaded a goodtime cross team complete with jerseys. Say hi to Team Makeout Party. Clearly we take our fun very seriously. Here’s a pic of me post-race at Gloucester courtesy of Marty at Geekhouse.

Coming up next we have a tall cyclocross bike for Matt F. Check back soon!

So what can happen in a month and a half? A lot! First off, I built a bike for another Dave W. This time it’s for Dave Wilcox. He’ll be racing it in Portland, OR for the Oregon Manifest Constructor’s Design Challenge. The bike was specifically designed for the 77 mile Oregon Manifest Constructor’s Race put on by Rapha while incorporating all the design specifications given to the builders. The specs are as follows:

1. Truly sensational solution
A genuinely unique and innovative solution for transportation use. Amaze us.

2. Handling
The bike must handle equally well with and without load. Both options will be tested against turning and straight pedaling.

3. Integration
Design solutions should be integrated into a complete and harmonious whole, rather than a checklist of details.

4. Presentation and Execution
Fabrication refinement and final presentation are important indicators of skill and thoughtfulness. Extraordinary craftsmanship can be displayed equally well in the simplest brazing or the fanciest lug. Individual design solutions should build to a single visual and functional whole.

5. Overall response to the course and challenges
Entry bikes must take into consideration all elements of the race course, the 10 design considerations and the overall challenges they present.

6. Load carrying
Bikes must accomodate and securely carry the rider’s award ceremony party attire, a provided 6-pack of beverage (in glass bottles), and a provided small container of party snacks.

7. Security
Bikes must be protected from theft while unattended. A smart, easy solution for securing the bike under different conditions is expected.

8. Portage
Bikes must accommodate being carried by its rider over a section of the course.

9. Utility
Bikes should accomodate the expected need for changing weather, lighting conditions, and visibility. We know that you know what this means.

10. Quality and Rattles
If elements are loose, rattling, or otherwise inoperable at the race finish, points will be deducted for each failure.

So did I meet all of those criteria? I like to think so. The parts that I could’ve focused more on are the lights and lock. Dave was very understanding and went with some clip on lights and a standard mini Kryptonite u-bolt lock. Jon Bailey of Baileyworks went above and beyond the call of duty by creating a custom front rack bag for this project that has an integrated lock holder similar to the Errand Bag he’s been working on with Capricorn Bicycles for their awesome Errand Rack. I have to be honest and say that I haven’t seen it yet! Jon shipped it straight to Oregon for us. He rules so I can only imagine this bag does too. So here are the details on the bike:

• Two spokes were forged and brazed onto the chainstay as a chain slap protector.
• Spokes were used as the cable guides on the BB.
• Internal cable routing for the rear brake with yet more spokes as reinforcements at each end.
• The STI down tube guides are a couple of “diver bell” cable stops tapped out for some stainless adjusting barrels.
• The seat tube sleeve was carved on the front and back to match the head tube rings and fork crown.
• The fork crown is a modified Long Shen LC15 to match the head tube rings.
• Racks are fillet brazed from 5/16″ x 0.035″ chromoly. They are specific to the SRAM Force short reach brakes.
• Fenders are Honjo alloy painted to match. I fabricated an integrated tire sweep on each fender that is activated by a button on the outside.
• The stem is a fillet brazed custom with double recessed bolts.
• Paint is a custom red mix.
• The painted valve caps were a bit over the top.

 
 
 
 
 
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Next week, I will have finished the next bike which is a fillet brazed road/commuter for Josh. It’s getting the final swipes of the file now and will be going into the booth for paint very soon.