Hi everyone! Here are some of my framebuilding projects from this past year. I’m a hobby builder and don’t sell anything I make.
They are straight gauge 4130 front triangles with the linkage and rear end from a Scott Gambler. Rear ends are either carbon or aluminum depending. I like the idea of a bit of chassis flex up front but stiff, light and precise out back.
I started tig welding and frame building last November and I’m really enjoying it! If you see something that I’m doing wrong then please let me know. I don’t really know what I’m doing and people are giving me tips all the time.
Here are some of the front triangles I made in the past year.
I thought my jig might be amusing for everyone…. This is a DH frame with a double bend seattube.
So, that’s where I’m at more or less. I like to play around with different geometry and kinematics currently but I would like to make a better jig and then make some rear ends too.
Thanks @wzrd !
Just so you know, I look at your stuff all the time for ideas and inspiration!
Haha, that’s the best or worst part of my « jig. »
I hold the lower pivot in place with an Alu part I made on the lathe and it is held in the t-slot. The upper pivot is held in place with half of a crown from a Rock Shox Boxxer. I like to repurpose stuff and the Boxxer crown was a win for that.
Most of it was made with scrap. One day maybe I’ll make something straighter and easier to setup! I need to learn some machining skills first.
Pics of my jig. (I have intentions of making it better someday and have started accumulating metal and stuff)
It rides so much better than I thought it would. I can manual it which I’m very surprised and it corners really good with the battery that far forward. It is balanced like a motorbike and loads the front tire nicely even with a slack head angle. I did a run a few days ago on the old WC DH track in Champery, Switzerland. It’s heavy but totally capable and much more fun than I ever thought it would be. Pretty happy with how it rides. I would make the seat angle steeper if I did another one. I think I made a mistake somewhere but that’s probably normal with my “jig.”
It’s a motor from Kranked/ Bjorn Enga. He is an old freeride film making friend of mine from 15 years ago. Does anybody remember the Kranked movies?
Here are some pics from 2 days ago. Snow would be nice this time of the year but hey at least we can get out there.
@earle.b
Haha, maybe we’re getting old! It seems fewer and fewer people saw those movies. Kranked 3 opened my eyes to what was possible on a bike and Wade Simmons is probably responsible for my lifestyle choices iand career path, haha.
You can do that however not for very long. The 12s, 11s & 8s Mtb chains can’t handle that kind of regular abuse. It is very fun to do that and I love a good gravel parking lot for moto flat track style cornering. When I ride it like that on the power trying to slide I break chains and bend cassette sprockets all the time. It has too much power and not enough drivetrain for that kind of riding.
It’s more for faraway ridge lines and sustained steepness. Some stuff is too steep for me to pedal up so that’s where these become interesting. I’m responsible for the trails here so I have used all sorts of motos both big and small as well as many different ebikes to access where we are working or make the rounds to see where we need to work.
That’s kinda why I’m exploring what’s possible with the 420 chain and single speed drivetrain on the CZEM Drill One. Just sorta poking around and seeing what are the limiting factors in each power/weight concept. I would like to try and make an emoto frame one day but that’s for later. I still have a bunch to learn and more DH/EN frames to make first.
Amazing! That looks like a REALLY fun bike. What rear end are you using, and how did you source it? Do you have any thoughts or lessons learned from the project yet?
It is from a Scott Gambler DH bike. I work for Scott at the HQ in Switzerland and have a few of those frames from when I helped develop it.
Since I’m learning as I go and starting with very little welding and fab skills I learn so much every time. This one had a lot of different thicknesses and I think I progressed with my welds and the pulse settings. It is starting to make more sense. I was using the pedal before.
I live in a ski resort and we don’t have any snow so we opened the tram to bikes in addition to skiers. Yesterday was an incredible day with lots of friends.
#3. This is my favorite feeling bike and I wanted to ride it again a bunch before I do another one. Mainly for the kinematics. This one is less progressive than my others and has a lower starting leverage ratio. I think I will do the next one similar to this and put the lower shock mount as far forward as packaging allows. The piggyback hits the DT if you aren’t careful so that is the limiting factor from going further without doing a double bend in the Toob Bender on the DT,
My wife’s fork was feeling harsh so I showed her how to size her bushings and change the seals between laps. She was proud to have done it herself and her arm pump went away.
@wzrd and @Daniel_Y I have a spare DH bikes to lend you 2! Come on over.
By the way, 4 people in that photo are engineers in the bike industry. You two would have a great time discussing UDH and all the other things on the tram going back up for another one.
