Picture from Eric, Ego Boost from James

James writes:

I have gotten to ride my new bike quite a bit and I am really not sure what "pixie dust" or whatever you put into that frame, but it really is the best riding bike I have even had the opportunity to ride - - and I have owned a lot of different MTB frames over the last 16 years, all hardtails, some aluminum, some custom steel, some scandium, and one carbon. None of these even begin to compare.

Thanks again. I really cannot believe just how amazing the ride of the bike is. The handling is just fantastic. And the way the power from my legs is delivered to the rear wheels is amazing too. Before I got this bike, I really was considering going back to a 26 inch wheel. You may remember I even called you early on to talk a little bit about 26. Now I am going to sell all of the 26 inch stuff I have. This is how a 29er is supposed to ride.

Thank you so much,

James

Here is a very dirty cell phone picture of the bike. I will take the time to clean up the bike and get you a few good pics.

The picture that James provided is, well, not the best, so I'm replacing it with this one sent by Eric.

How much mud clearance that thing have?

Well...I guess that depends on the mud. And this is after quite a bit of washing!

Here's another shot of the Dream Team at the bottom of Picture rock. IMO, linking Heil to Wild Turkey to Picture rock is the best sustained singletrack ride in Boulder (well, the best legal one, anyway). ~10 miles of absolutely stunning moderately technical flowy singletrack, relatively close to town, with the option to add on Hall Ranch (another 10 miles of good trail) with only about 1 mile of spinning on the pavement.

Last minute Thanksgiving recipe!

Ran out of ideas for something to make that everyone will like? No problem, make some cornbread!

Walt and Sarah's Buttermilk Cornbread

1/4 cup butter (half a stick)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2c applesauce
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk (I use powdered buttermilk and water)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix everything together and bake in an 8x8 pan for 25-30 minutes, or until you can stick a chopstick in the middle and it doesn't come out goopy.

Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!

One more for Craig...

Craig brought me over a sixpack the other day, of a New Belgium beer called "Frambozen". I haven't tried it yet, but he just texted me: "That beer? Yuck."

Great.

Well, here's a picture for you anyway, Craig. Just gotta do the shock mount (and finish weld the brace between the seat tube and toptube), do brazeons, and drop her off at the powdercoater.

Weekend Recipe, a day late

This one's for Jesse.

Sarah's Zucchini Casserole (this is actually good, not disgusting like it sounds)

First, either make a loaf of French bread, or buy a loaf at the store. I made ours, but honestly I don't think the quality of the bread is that important.

Now:
Chop and saute 2 medium onions in some olive oil.
Cut your bread into 1 inch cubes
Mix up the following in a bowl:
-2 cans of diced tomatoes, drained
-1/2 tsp basil
-1/2 tsp thyme
-1/2 tsp black pepper (or more, if your tastes run to spicy)
-3 cloves of garlic, chopped/minced
-2c shredded mozzarella cheese
-2 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced

Get a big casserole dish, line the bottom with some of the onions, and start making layers comprised of: onions, your bowl mix, and bread chunks. The layers don't need to be very carefully done.

Dump 1 cup of veggie (or chicken, or whatever) broth on top of everything. Also sprinkle some more shredded cheese on top if you'd like.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, covering the dish with foil. Remove the foil and bake another 30 minutes, or until the cheese on top is nicely browned.

In the meantime, make some pesto/sauce for it:
-1 roasted red bell pepper
-2 tbsp olive oil
-2 tbsp lemon juice
-3 cloves of crushed garlic
-1 cup cannolini beans, drained
-salt and pepper to taste

Throw all of it in the food processor or blender and made a smooth paste (which you'll spoon onto the casserole as you serve it).

Super tasty, for reals!

Craig's Dualie

A photo essay - the first steps of building Craig's 4" FS 29er.

.083" beef for the pivot (turned down to press-fit, then welded into the upper section of the seat tube), .035" above. Offset to accomodate Craig's super-slack seat tube angle and reasonably short (455mm) chainstays. I'd go shorter, but Craig's going to be sitting pretty far back - so we wanted to keep the rear wheel behind him enough to prevent looping out.

BB/ST/pivot all welded up.

Upper pivot tower and .058" x 1.375" sleeve.

Setting everything up to tack in the upper pivot tower. Gotta double check all those clearances!

Tower welded to sleeve. Here's the complete seat tube assembly:

Still one seat tube step to go - brazing the sleeve to the seat tube to hold everything together (well, ok, the welding of the tower holds everything pretty well, but this is still something I need to do, if for nothing else than to fill the small gaps between the tube and the sleeve)

BB30 and seat mast thoughts, also hoodie update

First, quick news: Brent thinks the hoodies will be ready in about 2 weeks (much faster than I thought) and we're doing an XXL size (it's been added as an option to the paypal link).

Now, on to BB30:

I got a great question from Steve about the BB30 bottom bracket/crank system and integrated seat masts - both of which he wanted to know if I'd do.

I rudely said, "no," and Steve followed up with (being much more polite than he had to) - "Why?"

Long boring rambling follows. You've been warned.

Steve -

Sure thing. The whole point of BB30 is that you can do the final alignment of the BB shell (as the bearings are press-fit) AFTER the frame is built. This solves a MAJOR problem for building with carbon fiber, since the shell has to be bonded into the frame, and the threads can't be re-cut afterwards to be in alignment. The BB30 solves this problem by using an aluminum shell with a lot of extra material, then having the final boring of the bearing surface cut after the frame is finished - allowing the BB bearing alignment to be done after everything else is done. That's huge for building carbon bikes, and cuts a load of cost. And it's a bit lighter, since you're replacing a pretty thick aluminum shell (plus bearing cups) with just the shell.

Fast forward to steel - alignment can be checked at every stage of the process and kept correct, since the frame is built in pieces (I do alignment checks at 6 different points in the process). So there's no alignment advantage.

And the shell is much different - instead of a 1 3/4" aluminum shell, we use a 1 1/2" steel one - which weighs about 85 grams for a 68mm (pre threaded) model. An equivalent BB30 shell in steel (you can look it up at Paragon) weighs 140g. Even after subtracting the weight of the bearing cups (about 30g) you end up with a heavier setup. The BB30 axle is a tiny bit bigger, so in theory it's stiffer - but I don't hear anyone complaining about how stiff their external bearing cranks are, so I can pretty confidently say that the extra stiffness isn't useful (or even noticeable outside of a laboratory) unless you weigh 400 pounds or something.

Another downside is corrosion - if you get water into the shell, either the shell or the bearing races can get nice and corroded, and lock themselves together. You can grease the crap out of everything and prevent this, of course, but if something does start rusting - that's the end of the frame, since you can't easily machine the bearing seat *smaller* again.

So bottom line is that BB30, for steel, is heavier and has some major downsides. It's also a huge pain to build with, since you've got to put the ENTIRE FRAME in a milling machine and use a boring head to machine the bearing seats when you're finished. Screw it up, even a tiny bit, and that's the END of the frame.

Great stuff for building carbon bikes in a mass production facility - I'm guessing that BB30 is saving manufacturers a nice chunk of change in costs. And it doesn't have any downsides for carbon or aluminum bikes, really. Weighs about the same, should perform fine.

But not steel, unfortunately.

The seat mast is likewise something that doesnt' end up making sense. If we assume we can use .049" 4130 cromoly for the mast, and it extends, say, 150mm above the toptube (a reasonable estimate for a normal non-compact road bike) then we've added 120g of steel to the frame (and that's being generous - you'd actually have to add more to make the seat tube/seatstay/toptube cluster strong enough - call it another 50g). So we're 170 over the normal frame weight. If we figure the seat clamp is 30g or so (I'
m being generous again - I bet it's more like 50g), we're at an even 200.

Contrast that to a standard collar (10-20g) and decent quality (WCS, Thomson Masterpiece) post that weighs 160-180. Best case scenario, we break even on weight. Worst case, we add 30-80g to the frame.

Second problem is corrosion. If we want to clamp the seat clamp to the steel, we either have to clamp on top of the powdercoat (slips, wears off and corrodes, etc) or to bare metal (corrodes). We could use 304 or 306 stainless to get around this problem, but that would need to be thicker to be strong enough - say .058" or so. So now the extra steel is 140g.

And I haven't even gotten into the downsides of the mast if you cut it too short, or decide you want to ride a different saddle and need to raise it, or decide you want to loan the bike to a friend, or (heaven forbid) sell it. Being stuck at one saddle height and then having to cut the mast down to go lower is, IMO, not very useful when you can move a conventional seatpost up and down as much as you want.

It just doesn't end up working out well. There's a reason most steel double triangle frames look pretty similar to each other - they just work well. In other materials, other configurations can be better, but not in steel, really.

Couple more for Ken

The bike is a pretty odd one - sort of a monstercross frame, but with Paragon sliders (for chainstay length adjustment) and a super-slack seat angle for Ken's weirdly long-femured self. Oh, and rack mounts, s-bends, all sorts of cable stops and guides, and S&S couplers. Not a light frame at all once all that stuff is welded and brazed on, but a very versatile one.
For those who are curious, the hose going into the top of the seat tube in the first photo is pumping argon into the frame while I weld the chainstays on. This has the effect of minimizing the distortion and oxidization of the back side of the weld inside the bottom bracket shell, which is nice because it help minimize the amount of thread chasing that's necessary. The shell itself isn't thin enough to need the backpurge, but bottom bracket taps aren't cheap - so I like to make them last as long as possible. 25 cents worth of argon on each frame has allowed me to still be using the same taps (after over 300 frames) without even sharpening the cutters.

Waltworks Hoodies!

Yes, they're finally being made. Here's the design that Brent at Twin6 just forwarded to me. I'm not sure why it shows up so pixelated, but the actual garment will look much sharper.

EDIT: The small dots are for spacing purposes for the printer and won't show up on the actual hoodie.

Cost will be $45, shipping included in the lower 48. I'm going to go ahead and put a pre-order paypal link here, but please be aware that there is not a firm delivery date yet, and I very much doubt that they'll be ready before the holidays.

EDIT: Brent is estimating 2 weeks until T6 has them, so probably 3 until I have them. No promises, though.

They will also be available direct from Twin6, probably for a bit higher price, for those who don't want to preorder.

Few random shots for Ken

...while I wait for the right downtube to show up (smallish CX frame + S&S couplers + needs to be stiff = special tube order). Not much to see yet, here's the seat tube/BB shell and a shot of the dropout/chainstay joint. A lot of builders will use nickel silver to braze these in, but I think TIG is more secure (and I'm better at it) so I do it that way.
Also note that I've used a nylon brush on the ST/BB to make it easier to see what's going on. The normal weld discoloration makes it a little tricky to take clear photos.

Yes!

I am on cloud 9. Now I have a reason to care about the Washington Wizards.

I really wish he could get signed by a good team, though. It was a lot of fun to watch him play in Denver.

The reason 'cross and fancy drivetrain parts don't mix

Thanks to Chuck D for the photo. I always laugh when I see cyclocross bikes with Record, or Dura-Ace, or Red. Unless you're a sponsored pro, that's just advertising that you either A) don't race, or B) have more money than sense.

200 is in the bag... I think

I managed 6 reps of 185# on the benchpress today. I'll try 195# on Tuesday, but I think at least 1 rep of 200 is probably in the bag... meaning that I will have finally accomplished *last winter's* goal.

File under: pathetic skinny bike racer boasting.

You rock, Thomson, or, I am SO important!

I'm a huge fan of Thomson seatposts and stems, for a variety of reasons -
-Made in the USA by people who get paid decently and probably enjoy their work.
-Largely indestructible, reasonably light, pretty trick looking.
-Well engineered and easy to install/use.

So I was pretty upset when my supplier of OEM bike parts, Security Bicycle in New York stopped carrying Thomson. To be fair, they mostly supply road bike stuff (that's where the money is - there are a lot of people who seem to think nothing of dropping $2k+ on a wheelset for their roadbike) and Thomson doesn't make trick carbon fiber doodads. Then again, I see plenty of Thomson posts and stems (including the ones that I ride) that are 10+ years old and still working just fine. I'll take 10 years of honest service over a couple of grams any day.

Long story short, I called Thomson and they immediately gave me a manufacturer-direct OEM account. So now I've got a reliable source for all things Thomson, and I even can *lower* prices for their posts and stems. Since I'm not a retail shop, they're only available to *new* frame customers, of course. If you're curious about pricing, drop me a line and I'd be happy to quote you for whatever build (with or without Thomson stuff) suits your fancy.

Not that I'm complaining, but 6 or 7 years ago when I would try to get accounts with various companies, I'd spend *weeks* (if not months) submitting paperwork, begging via email/fax/phone, and so on. Now apparently I can just randomly call people, tell them who I am, and I'm good to go. Weird.

Jefe's TA fork

I get a lot of questions about 20mm through axle forks (rigid ones, that, is). Here are some thoughts and a few photos of Jefe's fork before it went off to powdercoat.

-I really think through axles are mandatory for any fork over about 100mm of travel, especially for big folks and especially on 29ers. The difference is really night and day. That's suspension forks, of course. For rigid forks, most people won't notice a huge difference in the ride - rigid setups are already really laterally stiff, even with a standard 9mm QR axle. For big or aggro riders, or folks who really want the ultimate in steering precision, though, there's no argument from me that this is the stiffest setup you can get, short of doing a rigid fork with a TA AND a 1.5" steerer.

-It's a lot of work to build the dropouts and attach them. Really small stuff (ie, pinch bolt dropouts for 20mm axles) is always a pain. It probably takes me an extra 2-3 hours of work to do a TA fork versus a standard dropout model. Consequently, they cost an extra $100. Not cheap. Probably only worth it if you're a serious snob or have a *really* fancy TA front wheel you want to swap back and forth from a suspension fork.

-The actual build process is the same as for a standard fork, but I cut off the bottoms of the fork blades at a 35 degree angle, cut a piece of .065" 4130 sheet to fit, fusion weld, and file smooth, then make a 7/8" miter for the actual dropout, which is made from (you guessed it) 7/8" 4130 tubing and a seat binder. I like to use the seat binders because the M5 bolts are a lot harder to strip or screw up than the M4s you find on a lot of stem clamps and such. The dropout has to be welded in *really* carefully (and mitered perfectly) to keep the fork in alignment and make sure the axle will fit smoothly and securely when installing the wheel. It's much, much touchier than doing a standard DO fork.

-Weight is about identical to using standard dropouts. There's probably a 10g or so difference one way or the other, depending on what 9mm configuration you compare to, but for all practical purposes, the weight is the same.

So anyway, I build a decent number of these, and I'm happy to do them in any configuration you can dream up, as always.

Rumors of my demise...

...have been greatly exaggerated. From Hassan:

"Funny enough, went out to Bachelor St. last night and someone had raked! It was kind of like fantasy land. Really weird.

More odd however, was my learning that you have 'gone out of business'. In the parking lot, while we were getting ready, a couple bikers returned and started packing up. One of em', lights blazing, came up and explained how cool my 'vintage' bike was. My buddy John explained to him that it was pretty much brand new. The guy then went on to explain how that we were wrong because, 'they went out of business a while ago'. My only thought was of you handing Pele and Snickers pink slips, ranging a for rent sign on the garage, and walking off into the sunset. It's ok, you can always just poach apple trees.

Regardless, please accept my condolences.

Pure comedy."

Long-travel 29er crap for sale!

Item 1: 2006/2007 vintage (not sure if WB does model years, but it's about 2.5 years old) WB F135 29er fork. Great shape, Sarah doesn't like her DH bike and we don't need it anymore. Steerer is 195mm. Seals/bushings/etc in good shape. $450, shipping included in the lower 48.

Item 2: Recently rebuilt WB DH-2 29er/26er DH fork. 180mm travel, will work for 29ers with no travel reduction, dual crown goodness! $400 including shipping. I am getting hurt too much on the DH bike and find that the travel on this fork is more linear than I can handle on steep stuff, so I'm selling it off. Coil/air assist sprung. Includes fork guards, stanchions and seals in perfect shape, ready to bolt on and ride.

Make me a reasonable offer on either of those items and I'll consider it.

Pathetic

Check it out: Boulder High is having a parking problem.

Far be it from me to wax grumpy... but I will anyway. I'm not even sure 16 year olds should be allowed to drive - and the whole idea of the high school spending money on expanding their parking, instead of, say, paying teachers or buying supplies is ludicrous.

Raise the fee for a parking pass to $1000 a semester. Or more. Keep raising it until there's room in the lot again. Tow and impound cars parked illegally. Boom. Problem solved.

Track Day!

Yes, I went and rode a track bike. On the track. It was... interesting. Super, super fun for a couple of laps, then *really* boring for most of the rest of the time. I can see how you need to have some training goals or drills to work on to make it fun.

Unfortunately, there are no pictures of your humble narrator, so you'll have to content yourselves with Fuentes' ugly mug, plus our attempt at a paceline. RC leads it out.

I have to say that I was unbelieveably sore (partially from the fact that the cheapie rental bikes had slipping seatposts, partly because I'm not used to fixed gears, and partly because it's *freaking hard*) the next day, so I actually might consider doing it again. It would be great training for next year's short track races, I think.

Thoughts on hydroformed aluminum tubes

No, I'm not planning to build any aluminum bikes. Sorry. For some context on how I came to write this, check out this MTBR thread.

First, a bit of context: the variety of good quality mountain bikes (both mass produced and custom) available now is astounding. There are an awful lot of good bikes out there both with and without hydroformed tubes.

But putting this in the context of global trade and mass manufacturing in general over the last decade or so, my BS detector goes off quickly when I hear crazy engineering claims about every new technology, *especially* when that technology happens to make it easier or cheaper to mass produce whatever product. Does that mean the technology is bad? Of course not! Cheaper/easier are good things, as long as you're not sacrificing quality (let's not get into whether or not buying everything we own from China is a good idea for now, since that kind of thread just devolves into name-calling in a hurry).

WRT hydroformed tubes specifically, I tend to see them on bikes where I *don't* see much effort made to really tune/engineer the different stock sizes for different riders (ie, same diameter tubes on every size from XS to XL, identical chainstay lengths and BB heights on every size, etc, etc). This generally leads me to believe that manufacturing costs are the driving force behind most of this kind of innovation, not improvements in riding characteristics.

I could of course be wrong. But Occam's Razor says that the best explanation here is just keeping costs down. Of course, that makes pretty crappy marketing copy ("just as good as last year, but 20% cheaper for us to make!"), so if you can make some tweaks to make the frame do a tiny bit better on a test rig, you're a lot better off using that as a selling point, even if the end consumer will never be able to tell.

So I'm not saying hydroformed tubes are bad. I'm just saying they're probably more beneficial to the manufacturer's bottom line than the rider's enjoyment. Just IMO, as always.

Few shots of Tison's goofy bike

29" front/rear or 29" rear/fat tire 26" front, baby!

Tison writes: "Hi Walt. This is the best bike I have ever ridden! I especially like the fork."

Not too shabby, especially since this was built to replace a high-end custom frame, not just some cheap junk bike. Getting emails like that always make my day.

Overexposed

Sheesh, Eszter is getting to be a one-name celebrity like Cher. It's a good thing I kick her off the team so regularly to keep her modest.

Also, thanks to Dave G for the photos. Here's his new 26" (read that wheel size part as if my voice were dripping with venomous disdain) singlespeed. By the way, that's a frakking huge tree, dude!

For no good reason at all

...here's a picture of Chris during this year's CB Classic. Yes, he rides a lot of stuff on his singlespeed that most folks walk.

Sorry about the lack of pictures on the blog lately. None of my recent build projects has really been that unusual, and I'm working pretty slowly due to being sick all the freakin time. I promise to try to attempt to do better.