I am reworking the rear of my full suspensions and I am looking for chainstays that are tapering a but less than most options do. I am perfectly with ovalized 30x16 (or similar) but pretty much all of them end in 12.5 round, which means that with a long back end the chainstays are not much bigger than 12.5 at the dropouts.
Having just built up my titanium Victor with a couple of Reynolds FT120 chainstays with a larger 3d printed yoke I find the section at the dropouts to be a much nicer taller profile.
I could of course make a bigger 3D printed yoke, but I am trying to optimize printing cost, weight and complexity.
Long story short: I am looking for some chainstays with either a single bend of around 8 degrees, or straight, that are taller at the dropouts than the standard option from Columbus, Reynolds or Deda. Could also mean that if they are longer (with a longer untapered section) I end up with more meat at the dropouts.
A friend of mine just successfully shaped his own oval to round chainstays using a 3D printed mold and a hydraulic press. With a bit of trial and error you might be able to do the same and make a fully oval stay from any length round tubing.
Sorry I don’t have any suggestons for where to source already shaped tubes.
How about some streamline tubing?
@JMY That is indeed one of the things I was considering. I have a 3d printed, I have a bunch of non butted 1mm tubing and a hydraulic press. I would need to make a bending die though.
@truth Also my idea, but damn, those prices… 3 FT is € 150,-
Just last week I bought some tapered 1mm tubes to try as tandem chainstays and fork blades. You would love the 25/16 and 22/14 tubes.
I would be happy to send you some, but there are 2 major issues.
- They are only available in 201 and 304 stainless steel.
- I live in China.
The prices on in-stock tubes are pretty reasonable. They will make tubes according to customer requirements. They can bend and ovalize tubes. Most tubes on the website are 1 or 1.2 mm. I am going to ask if they can work with thinner tubing. I have no idea what minimum order requirements are.
Thanks for the offer! 25/16 and 22/14 is already smaller than what I’m currently using from Columbus (30/16) and I very much prefer cromoly over stainless.
But rethinking the yoke and dropouts I seem to be able to move the chainstays a lot further back and use a much fatter part at the dropout, so for now I’ve fixed my own problems.
I think it’ll be worth your time to flick through the fairing “bicycle frame depot” stock list;
I’ve aquired a few chunkier chainstays from them in my time, they offer at least the following single bend 30/18 tubes which taper to 14mm round, one of which is QUITE long…
edit; here’s a link Chain and Seat Stays - 4130 CrMo Steel - FRAME BUILDING MATERIALS
Thanks, thats indeed an excellent source! Too bad it’s in the USA, but nowadays it’s easier to get stuff over there than from the UK.
they do seem to want to have you open an account the long way, rather than just run an online shop. but the pricing is Really, Really good (many tubes >$10) and they have some super unusual stuff which the “untraditional” builders among us are often hunting for…
BUT ANYWAY,
they shipped my order all the way to New Zealand, and they made a point of packing it super well and tight, and hunting for the best carrier; in the end the shipping cost wasn’t that bad at all.