Ground Up - Sneak Preview

[DirtRagArt]

So, I've been scheming with Eric "Rattlecan" Baar of Ground Up (http://www.groundupdesigns.com/) for some time, and things are coming to fruition. Check out these photos by Luke Wright (http://gallery.groundupdesigns.com//view_album.php?set_albumName=album47) of Rattlecan at work on my future singlespeed.

Am I excited? That would be an understatement...

[phlatlander]

That's my favorite photo in that set.

I bet you're going to be a proud Papa. :)

[hairygrump]

What?

No daily blog of your experience as a Ground Up customer, complete with delivery date countdown timer and photos of the drawings you've faxed to them detailing your exacting specifications?

Jesus, Jeff. Have you ever been on the Internet before?:rolleyes:

Seriously though, I'm curious where these dropouts (http://gallery.groundupdesigns.com//view_photo.php?set_albumName=album47&id=sliderdrops) came from. Are those Eric's, or are they somebody else's?

[Cyclenaut]

LOL Grumpy!

Eric that's shaping up to be a lovely looking thing, as usual. I continue to drool over your frames.

[danheckler]

mmmmm, singlespeed. Lookin' good there Eric and Jeff. YOU KNOW Jeff, if you just want me to hang on to that bike for you here for the next time you're in Colorado, I'm just letting you know, I can do that for you:D :D :D

[rattlecan]

What?

No daily blog of your experience as a Ground Up customer, complete with delivery date countdown timer and photos of the drawings you've faxed to them detailing your exacting specifications?

Jesus, Jeff. Have you ever been on the Internet before?:rolleyes:

Seriously though, I'm curious where these dropouts (http://gallery.groundupdesigns.com//view_photo.php?set_albumName=album47&id=sliderdrops) came from. Are those Eric's, or are they somebody else's?


hey man- these are my dropouts. i designed and made the first run of 13 sets back in the spring of 2004. the first time i met jeff we went riding in fruita and i was riding the first set of these sliding dropouts. my bike wasnt even painted yet. i now have them machined locally by a friend with a brand new cnc milling machine. they cost me 200$ a set to get made. no joke. is it worth it? i hope so. everyone i made a set for seems to like them. i guess i have a couple bikes with them too and i guess i really like them as well. i spent all that energy developing them because i hated making bikes with ecentric bbs. they always creaked, were heavy, slipped, and it messed up your position every time you want to change your gear. this solved all of that...


anyway guys... thanks for the props- stay tuned for more pics.

eric.

[Trailer Rails]

Explain to me, why you used the torch on some of the welds and the tig on other. Are you welding or are you brazing when you are using the torch? I would like to start making some frames but I have everythng but a TIG right now. I don't have much experience with the torch. I can TIG better than I can torch weld.

[hairygrump]

they cost me 200$ a set to get made. no joke. is it worth it? i hope so. everyone i made a set for seems to like them.Can I request that we see a photo of them finished when they're in the bike? They look cool to me, and I too think sliding dropouts are the way to go. But that's also just a really, really nice photo of sliding dropouts generally, so if possible I'd like to see a less beautiful photo so that I can see how beautiful the dropouts are.

[rattlecan]

sure- here is a pic of a bike i made wth these in 2004.

[Jahnov]

Those drops look exactly like the Paragon Machine Works sliders. Are they the same? I just had a pair welded into my old steel rig. It's at paint now, can't wait!

[hophead]

Those dropouts are bad ass! Just needs a bottle opener.:D

[rattlecan]

Those drops look exactly like the Paragon Machine Works sliders. Are they the same? I just had a pair welded into my old steel rig. It's at paint now, can't wait!



ok since you pryed...

it IS kinda funny how paragons dropouts look sooooo similar to MY dropouts. hmmmm. maybe it is because someone sent them a set that i made in my first batch of 13 sets and they just copied it...

notice the dates i listed above. you will see.



im sorry, but when i see a bike with the paragon sliding dropout i get the same feeling as when i run into my ex girlfriend.
ya know- CHEATED!!!!



eric.

[Jahnov]

Do'h

Sorry to touch on that touchy subject, I had thought that maybe there was a little bit of honour in PMW's use of your design. The cheater is whoever went behind your back and sent them a sample. Kona also uses a cheapo version of it also on the Explosif, sutra, and unit models. Had I known it was your design I would have contacted you for the part in the first place.

BUT, Dirt Rag ran the Paragons in their mycrobyte section a while back. That was how I found out about them. Perhaps they should do a follow up to do you right, especially since Jeff is getting you to build his SS!

I can send you a SASE for a Ground Up sticker or two and I'll happily place them on the seatstays, and if anyone asks I'll send em your way...

-Josh

[marapets]

haha thats awesome! wish my bike had a skull on it

[hairygrump]

it IS kinda funny how paragons dropouts look sooooo similar to MY dropouts. hmmmm. maybe it is because someone sent them a set that i made in my first batch of 13 sets and they just copied it...HA! There's the drama we need to make this a real custom builder thread! Can't talk about custom made bikes without somebody getting underserved, cheated, or lied to!

Internet, you never fail me.



... sigh.

I still think they look nice, simple, and clean. Keep up the good work, Eric. Sorry about your intellectual property.

[rattlecan]

yeah, i was pretty bummed when i saw that paragon started to offer their slider drops at less than half the cost it takes me to get them made locally. some of my friends suggested i should just build with paragons drops--- i was like "F- THAT NOISE!"...

naw, im too much of a proud sukka to do that. i went ahead and continued to do things the hard way.

i also decided that because of this scam i refuse to sell my sliding dropouts to other builders. if you want the real deal, it will be brazed on your custom groundupdesigns frame by me.

sure they are more expensive, but then i came to the realization that people are not getting my bikes because they are cheap, they are buying them because they are good. other people get surlys, and niners, and fishers etc because they are cheap. i dont wanna play that game. i want to eat well. i found out the hard way that it is damn hard to weld a pretty bead when hungry. honestly.

pm me your adress and ill send you a couple stickers. i just got a new book of stamps.

love,
eric.

[primitivengine]

hey rattle, i have seen the sliding drops starting to pop up all over, and since you have been using them for awhile, i have a question. i absolutely love the design, it completely resolves the issue of a rear disc, but how strong are they? i have always wondered how much it would take to break the mounting bolts on those dropouts. have you even had to worry about this?

[rockyrider]

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" and of course most really innovative and creative people are likely pretty much fed-up with being flattered. I think the more typical operating modus for the world is "Any idea worth doing is worth stealing".

That's a great gallery collection of shots, it shows all the craft involved with none of the slapstick that Discovery Channel seems to think everyone wants to watch on American Chopper or American Hot Rod. :rolleyes: Man, if bicycles were built in the slap dash, grind it to make it fit way those projects are, you'd never make it go in a straight line. :eek:

[rattlecan]

hey rattle, i have seen the sliding drops starting to pop up all over, and since you have been using them for awhile, i have a question. i absolutely love the design, it completely resolves the issue of a rear disc, but how strong are they? i have always wondered how much it would take to break the mounting bolts on those dropouts. have you even had to worry about this?


no, no i have not had to worry about strength with these dropouts. in fact i am building three trials frames with these next week. the three kids who are getting them are pros- see my site.

there is very little pressure on the mounting bolts because there is a precision tab on the aluminum sliding part. ive made 20 bike frames over the past two years with my sliders and resulted in zero negative feedback.

they work.



eric.

[teamdicky]

Geez Jeff,

A bit of a step up from a converted GT.
Lovely, simply lovely.

[primitivengine]

no, no i have not had to worry about strength with these dropouts. in fact i am building three trials frames with these next week. the three kids who are getting them are pros- see my site.

there is very little pressure on the mounting bolts because there is a precision tab on the aluminum sliding part. ive made 20 bike frames over the past two years with my sliders and resulted in zero negative feedback.

they work.



eric.
sweet, now i just have to save my pennies until i can afford a new bike!!!

[Rock Star]

Awesome bike Jeff and Eric. I saw the article in the mag and was amazed at the details. Primo work.

haha thats awesome! wish my bike had a skull on it

Me too.
You can get one here
http://www.headbadges.com/
Skull or whatever design you want.

This is the one I want;