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This frameset gets some Shimano forged fork ends and vertical dropouts I purchased from Terry Osell a while ago.
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Custom-made computer sensor braze-ons. The spoke nipple is to keep the threads from being damaged during building, painting, and build-up. A turned-down spoke nipple will keep the sensor in place, too.
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Testing the fit of the computer sensor and the magnet housing.
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Internally routed computer sensor cable runs through a stainless guide in the fork blade.
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Close-up of the fork crown and steerer assembly after clean-up.
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Close-up of the inner fork tang – it may be the left side, but I’m not sure.
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Right-side, outer fork tang. The cut-outs have been filled in with silver. A few air bubbles announce some sloppy work.
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Rear of the fork crown after counter-sinking the front brake hole.
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The downtube has been tacked (with bronze) to the bottom bracket shell and the stainless steel internal dérailleur cable guides are fitted.
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Close-up of the downtube-to-headtube fillet, right side.
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Close-up of the right side bottom bracket fillets. All the fillets were made using Fred Parr’s Brazage Fillet Pro. Nice stuff!
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Shimano vertical dropouts. Nice.
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Note the fender mount under the brake bridge.
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Double seatpost clamps reduce the amount of torque needed on each bolt to keep the post secure.
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An engraving of “Ishmael” in the seat tube. A stainless steel guide runs through the top tube for the rear brake cable housing.
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Chainstay fillets and a drainage hole. The left-side chainstay fillet is completed. The right-side fillet needs a little more clean-up.
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Does it slide into the pre-set jig when done? It does!
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Testing the fit of the front rack. This photo was taken at Peacock Groove HQ. The Man Himself, Erik Noren, let me use his shop and torch until I could arrange to have my O-A tanks refilled. This was prior to NAHBS 2008 and I was on a deadline (which I didn’t make).
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The exit hole for the stainless steel guide in the right chainstay. The guide runs into the stay about 2cm, where it is brazed to a lathe-turned brass step-down coupler and joins to the continuous run of 4.8mm stainless guide which exits the chainstay, wraps around the bottom bracket shell, enters the downtube, crosses over the similar front dérailleur guide, and exits on the left side of the downtube near the headtube.
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Rear dropout after removing flux, no clean-up.
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Detail of the rear dérailleur cable guide stop near the head tube. The photo was taken just after flux removal.
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Testing brake clearance on the front rack. The Rival brake was used to test the fit – the clearance is the same as the Red brake which would be fitted to the bike.
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Photo taken of the completed frame right after brazing in the seat stay bridge. No more brazing! A lot of clean-up left to do, though.
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Back from being zinc-phosphate dipped and painted by Terry Osell’s painter. DuPont polyurethane paint. No clear coat.
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Headtube close-up. Fitted with a Chris King headset. The headset was spun on the lathe and all the anodizing and laser-etching were sanded away and then polished.
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I applied decals and clear-coat after a thorough degreasing.
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Assemling the front fork. This is very time-consuming: wires need to be routed, fender needs to be mounted, things need to be all in alignment.
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Pretty, pretty Record cups!
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Fresh Campagnolo grease!
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Honjo-Koken hammered fenders are very stylish.
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Campagnolo Record 180mm crankarms fitted with T.A. chainrings - 39/51.
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The first ride of the season: the Minnesota Ironman Bicycle Ride – 27 April, 2008. 104 miles. No, it’s not a triathlon. It started out in the 20’s. That’s Fahrenheit! We had sunshine, winds, rain, sleet, accumulating snow. My feet stayed dry and toasty, even while the rest of me froze. Now that’s what I call fun!
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Fitted with an Ostrich handlebar bag. This is the randonnée bag for me.
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Headtube area close-up. Lots of small details to take in.
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Dura-Ace hubs are smooth!
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In the back yard - left side.
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In the back yard - right side. This photo was taken before the mud flaps were installed. Probably the weekend before the Minnesota Ironman.
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The computer cable runs through the steerer and exits the top cap.
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Ritchey seatpost. Oh, how I dislike black seatposts!
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Dura-Ace dérailleurs, cassette, and hubs. Perfect. The Jtek ShiftMate allow precise shifting with the SRAM Red shift levers.
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Repeat photo. But, it’s so cool!
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OK. Enough already.
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Um...leaves?
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The new front rack with shiny attachments. Built to show at NAHBS 2009.
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Test-fitting the new front rack on the new fork.
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Shiny bits!
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Testing.
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Still shiny.
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Note the new, smooth, Honjo-Koken fender.
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Hawker Cyclon 6V, 8Ah lead-acid battery mounted to the third bottle mount. This powers the headlight and the tail light. It is charged via AC quick-charger or dynohub. Note the crankset has been color-matched to the frame. Paint was done by Chris Kvale the weekend before NAHBS. He did an outstanding job!
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Ugly, ugly wires! Now I have to build a new bike that routes all these internally.
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Ick. Wires.
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Wires run through the rolled-over fender edges.
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Close-up of the headlight angle adjuster. This is a modified Schmidt E6 halogen lamp.
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Again, the computer sensor cable runs through the right fork blade, through the crown and steerer, out of the top cap.
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This is the older style of computer sensor (reed switch) – the mount for it is simpler than the new zip-tie sensor it replaced. Here you can see where it enters the fork through a stainless steel guide. The guide does not run the entire length of the fork blade.
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Still named after a breed of rabbit, as is my wont.
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The engraving of “Ishmael” in the seat tube. Chris Kvale highlighted it in white so it stands out more.
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More ugly wires. But, here you can see another close-up of the rear dérailleur cable housing stop and adjuster.
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I made it!
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Put the shift cable in at the brake lever, push it through, and – voilà! – it appears at the chainstay. Just add the usual length of rear housing.
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Wider-angle view of the headtube area. Yes, it has a bell.
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Another view of the battery, all wires connected and ready to power the lights.
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More decals, the battery, painted crankset.
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The 13-23 Dura-Ace cassette – a 9-cog cluster with 10-speed spacing.
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More decals and details.
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Wires running from the battery to the headlight and switch.
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Compare this photo with the photo of the bike when it was painted red. I like the color and polished stainless so much more.
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Still a “Flemish Giant”.
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Wiring details.
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Less cowbell, more bicycle bell!
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“Element 26” decal in English, of all languages.
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Tried out my Ostrich bag on the new rack. The rack was built to support a small Lowepro bag used to carry my SLR.
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Ready to ride!
