Ground Up - Sneak Preview Part II [Archive]

DirtRagArt

07-14-2006, 09:34 PM

Some of you probably already know about my custom Ground Up singlespeed from this earlier post (http://www.dirtragmag.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10080). Here's an update...

Sometimes I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer. When talking with Spectrum Powder Works (http://www.spectrumpowderworks.com) about the paint job for my new custom singlespeed, I made shipping arrangements without considering that Eric at Ground Up Designs (http://groundupdesigns.com) might not be done with my frame. So when my frame showed up today without a headtube badge or dropout sliders, I was left scratching my head. I noticed the frame needed some chasing and facing, too. When I found that my 27.2 seatpost didn't quite fit, I figured out that Eric wasn't done yet. A quick call to his cell phone confirmed my suspicions, and now I'm looking at a bare minimum of one more week, probably closer to two, before I get to use this pile of parts that's been sitting in my office.

In the meantime, check out this paint detail. The steel logo was a last minute thought that came to me while talking with Jason from Spectrum (who painted my bike). For those who thought powdercoating meant no details, think again. The stainless steel chainstay and seatstay bridges are made from leftover tubing that Eric acquired from the Bristol Brewing Company (http://www.bristolbrewing.com/our_beers.asp?brs_id=8).

DirtRagArt

07-14-2006, 09:43 PM

Does this scene look familiar to anyone else?

myron

07-14-2006, 09:44 PM

Nice, I love that decal!! Im a little envious:D Are you saying that's not a decal? Oh my!!

DirtRagArt

07-14-2006, 09:49 PM

Nice, I love that decal!! Im a little envious:D Are you saying that's not a decal? Oh my!!

Nope, that's paint. Stenciled, sprayed, baked and clear coated. The downtube panels are pretty sweet, too, but I didn't want to take any photos of the whole bike until it's finished.

rattlecan

07-14-2006, 10:03 PM

sorry about the confusion-

i like to do the final frame prep after it is spectrumized so i throw less oils into the frame- also i just wanna go through it one last time to check things out before i give it away to its rider.

i cant wait to see you on it. ill get it back in the mail to you the day i get it in.

the painter is a very good friend o mine. he is super bummed now cause he seperated his sholder while riding an ordinary! whoops. this happened just days before his biggest race of the season- the firecracker fifty in breckenridge co. he won last year on his ground up designs single speed and was in super shape this season to defend his title.

eric.

halfinch

07-15-2006, 10:39 AM

jeff-
how you liken the r7?

primitivengine

07-15-2006, 11:08 AM

Does this scene look familiar to anyone else?
oh how i wish it did.

DirtRagArt

07-15-2006, 11:46 AM

jeff-
how you liken the r7?
Well, as you can see from the uncut steerer, I haven't ridden this R7 Super yet, but I've been on a Platinum for a while. You can read the review here (http://dirtragmag.com/print/article.php?ID=767&category=stuff_reviews). I'm looking forward to trying one with a manual lockout instead of SPV. The bike is actually designed around a 2007 Fox 100RLC, so if that ever shows up I'll be running it instead.

teamdicky

07-15-2006, 05:38 PM

I'm getting a little anxious to see this thing built up. Could you hurry up a bit.
Geeesh

rattlecan

07-15-2006, 08:38 PM

http://gallery.groundupdesigns.com//view_photo.php?set_albumName=album50&id=cmtap1

um yeah, so i dont really like to send things out with out a good final prep. i really think it is best to do this after it is painted because it seems like you have to do it again anyway to remove a little overspray and bead blasting media. usually spectrum gives me a call when the frame is done so i was rather surprised to hear from jeff instead. oh well, sure its gonna take a little more time, but it is worth it, you will see.
patience is a virtue.
i wanna continue to deal with people who agree because NONE of my projects have ever happened quickly- but they sure do stick around for quite a while after they are finally compleated.

robcycle

07-17-2006, 06:07 PM

ISIS BB?

-Rob.

mountaintime

07-25-2006, 03:45 AM

Does this scene look familiar to anyone else?

yeah, with all the recent upgrades to mine and my wife's hardtails, I got nearly a full ride, all I need is a frame and thinkin of going SS. Of course, being a student and not a bike mag editor/publisher guy, my component group isn'nt nearly so fancy...
say, anyone willing to donate a 19" ht frame? I'll pay shipping...:o

rockyrider

07-25-2006, 09:45 AM

yeah, with all the recent upgrades to mine and my wife's hardtails, I got nearly a full ride, all I need is a frame and thinkin of going SS. Of course, being a student and not a bike mag editor/publisher guy, my component group isn'nt nearly so fancy...
say, anyone willing to donate a 19" ht frame? I'll pay shipping...:oToo bad, I just sold my 19" Kona Unit frame to a guy in Wisconsin.

mountaintime

07-25-2006, 12:15 PM

yeah rocky rider, I saw that...
I got all excited for a minute, then the bad news (sold):cool:
oh well, lots o' frames out there...

DirtRagArt

07-28-2006, 06:40 PM

... and now I'm looking at a bare minimum of one more week, probably closer to two, before I get to use this pile of parts that's been sitting in my office.
Well, the two-week window is just about to close and still no frame. UPS has the bike somewhere in the Pittsburgh vicinity, but they had the wrong zip code. Go figure.

Anti-Wack

07-28-2006, 09:21 PM

UPS sucks my nuts. They're always late and losing stuff.

DirtRagArt

07-28-2006, 10:54 PM

Yeah, our drivers always rock, but once you're on the phone you're pretty much getting bent over.

myron

07-28-2006, 11:15 PM

Well, the two-week window is just about to close and still no frame. UPS has the bike somewhere in the Pittsburgh vicinity, but they had the wrong zip code. Go figure.
When I have the choice I prefer Fed Ex. When I get a UPS box it always looks like it has been dragged behind the truck UPS also does strange dellivery things. When they ship stuff to our work my stuff may be on the truck during the early delivery,but if it wasnt shipped express you cant have it untill the second normal delivery in the afternoon. Same truck,same driver. Fed Ex with the red EX do the express and if they have a green EX it's the normal delivery. DHL is not bad either.

rockyrider

07-29-2006, 12:14 AM

UPS is completely incompetent at brokerage and customs clearance into Canada, they charge double what FedEx does for brokerage fees and they never get anything right if it has a unqiue tax or duty classification. Bike parts don't have provincial sales tax applied in BC, but you can't convince UPS of that (their brokerage office is in New Brunswick). I also discovered that UPS can screw up retroactively, I've been sent an invoice weeks after the clearance for tax or duty that they have mistakenly had reassesed by Canada Customs because they had the wrong classification on the documents.

Last year I had UPS clear a headset and a chainring bashguard as "bike helmets" instead of bicycle parts as they were described in the documents. Bike helmets have federal duty and taxes applied, when I asked them why they said they didn't know what they were so they guessed. When I asked them why they didn't call me to ask, they said it would have slowed down the shipment, when I pointed out that they were wasting a lot of my time now trying to get the duty and tax correct, it would have been faster for me if they would have phoned, they offered to send me the Canada customs forms to fill in so I can get a refund. They weren't going to fill it in because it "wasn't an error" on their part, they did the paperwork right, they just guessed incorrectly at what was in the shipment. I pointed out that in a service industry if you're going to charge for a brokerage service there's an inherent expectation that the service will be done correctly. They said it was correct as far as they knew when they did it. How can you beat that kind of logic.

"Big Brown" has a different connotation in my mind when it comes to shipping companies, as in steaming piles. :mad:

model3224

07-29-2006, 12:46 AM

i would imagine we have to forfeit about $1500 worth of sales (mostly bikes) because the monkeys that handle our stuff just want to get the shit dumped and wiped. even the guys i see every morning still just drop bikes off the back of the truck right onto the end of the box.

that's not counting returns from people who get stuck with the not so obvious damage. and stuff we've been forced to discount because the box was damaged/taped and "it's obviously been returned."

the best from fedex has to be the one time we got this big mystery box one day, which was opened to reveal a bent wheel and fork from a hybrid, the legs from a park pcs-1 stand, and some parts for a stand-alone storage rack. hey, at least they tried.

anyhhoo, back on topic, is the frame going to be reviewed when it's built?

DirtRagArt

07-31-2006, 10:29 PM

It's alive (http://www.dirtragmag.com/gal/showgallery.php?cat=606).

anyhhoo, back on topic, is the frame going to be reviewed when it's built?
Yes, that is the plan. In the meantime, I hope to post some comments here. If we're lucky, people will also be able to ask the framebuilder questions and such.

phlatlander

07-31-2006, 10:52 PM

It's alive (http://www.dirtragmag.com/gal/showgallery.php?cat=606).

Yes, that is the plan. In the meantime, I hope to post some comments here. If we're lucky, people will also be able to ask the framebuilder questions and such.

Man. that is one slick lookin' musheen! Thanks for sharing.

edit: oops I just read that I need to shhh... sorry

myron

08-01-2006, 12:13 AM

Choice!!! I love that bike. Is it a 29er??:confused:

DirtRagArt

08-01-2006, 12:21 AM

Choice!!! I love that bike. Is it a 29er??:confused:
Nope, good old 26" wheels. It's a pretty small bike so it may look that way at first. It's got a 15.5" seat tube and a 21.5" top tube. The frame tipped the Dirt Rag scales at 5.22 pounds, but the complete build shown here is a very respectable 23.75 pounds.

myron

08-01-2006, 12:51 AM

Cool, I like the BMXish grips too. The silver bottle cage not so much,black powder coat perhaps someday;) I will say Im a tad bit envious,but I have blown the next twelve years bike budget so far this year.
No more bad cows

real_ss_budgie

08-01-2006, 12:52 AM

yep, that frame size made me think it was a 29er..well you better order one from ground up.

PunkRock

08-01-2006, 02:19 AM

What kind of cog and chainring are you running? They shur doo luk purty! I gotta get me sum.

DirtRagArt

08-01-2006, 02:51 PM

What kind of cog and chainring are you running? They shur doo luk purty! I gotta get me sum.
The titanium cog and chainring are made by Brett Brown from Boone (http://booneti.com/cr/cr.html) (reviewed in issue #110).

Here's a quick rundown on some of the bits and pieces:
• Manitou R7 Super (http://www.answerproducts.com/items.asp?deptid=1&itemid=143) with rebound, lockout and compression damping
• Avid (http://sram.com/en/avid/index_content.php) Juicy 7 hydraulic disc brakes with carbon levers
• Lizard Skinz (http://lizardskins.com/products/?type=mountain&product_line=grips) high-flange lock on grips
• Truvativ (http://sram.com/en/truvativ/index_content.php) Team 90mm 5° rise stem
• Truvativ Stylo SS crankset
• Truvativ ISIS bottom bracket
• FSA (http://fullspeedahead.com) Orbit X-treme Pro Headset
• Boone (http://booneti.com/cr/cr.html) 33t titanium spiderless chainring
• Boone 20t titanium singlespeed cassette cog
• WTB (http://wtb.com/product_index.html) Laser V Rims
• WTB Laser Disc Lite 32h front disc hub
• WTB Single Duty 32h singlespeed cassette rear disc hub
• WTB Quick Release Levers
• DT Swiss (http://www.dtswiss-us.com) black Super Comp spokes
• DT Swiss black Pro Lock aluminum nipples
• SRAM (http://sram.com/en/sram/mountain/chains/index.php) PC-991 chain
• Kenda (http://kendausa.com/bicycle/JohnTomac.html) Cortez 2.4” DTC front tire
• Kenda Cortez 2.2” DTC rear tire
• Kore (http://www.kore-usa.com/products/race_post.html) I-Beam 27.2 seatpost
• Kore I-Beam MTB saddle
• King Cage (http://www.kingcage.com) stainless steel bottle cage
• Crank Brothers (http://www.crankbrothers.com) Candy C pedals
• LP Composites (http://www.lpcomposites.com) carbon riser bar (1" rise, 7° sweep)
• Revolution Cycle Jewelry (http://www.headbadges.com) custom sterling silver head badge

PunkRock

08-01-2006, 07:25 PM

We must be soulmates. we both run 90mm with 5 degree of rise. I love you jeff. :)

DirtRagArt

08-01-2006, 08:42 PM

We must be soulmates. we both run 90mm with 5 degree of rise. I love you jeff. :)
Ewww...

Actually, I'm thinking about going for an 80mm 0° rise stem, but I want to do a few more rides and experiment with a zero-setback seatpost before I make the call. I asked for the top tube to be a little longer than that of my Independent Fabrication (http://www.dirtragmag.com/print/article.php?ID=636&category=stuff_reviews) (which has a 21" top tube and a 100mm stem).

rattlecan

08-02-2006, 01:23 AM

myron

08-02-2006, 02:04 AM

hey kids-

glad to see it together- finally.

talk to me - what ya thinkin?

today was very bittersweet.

my new shop is open as of today!

my personal 29er ss got ripped off this morning in front of my girlfriend's house- the fuggers cut the lock.
i guess im getting a new one too.

eric.
Schitt,sorry to hear about the bike. The frame looks great, the paint and logo work is awesome, I NEED one,but have to wait.
What kind of lock was it if you dont mind?

DirtRagArt

08-02-2006, 08:16 AM

my personal 29er ss got ripped off this morning in front of my girlfriend's house- the fuggers cut the lock.
i guess im getting a new one too.

eric.
Bummer... At least you still have the girlfriend, though.

Xteife

08-02-2006, 10:08 AM

What kind of cog and chainring are you running? They shur doo luk purty! I gotta get me sum.
Nicest rearend I've seen in a while...

phlatlander

08-02-2006, 06:25 PM

No more bad cows

Bad Town? :confused: :)

myron

08-02-2006, 07:09 PM

Bad Town? :confused: :)
I prefer bad cows Phlat,well and camel towns too

DirtRagArt

08-02-2006, 11:29 PM

I prefer bad cows Phlat,well and camel towns too
I believe Kevin is making an Operation Ivy reference.

So, I got my third ride in on the Ground Up... I think I'm still on the new bike high (plus we ended the ride at D's Six Pax and Dawgs) but this bike pretty much rocks. For now let's just say it's solid, climbs real well and of course looks about as cool as a bike can. Maybe I'll compose a few more thoughts tomorrow...

phlatlander

08-02-2006, 11:39 PM

I believe Kevin is making an Operation Ivy reference.

I forwarded Myron some of your tunes, but forgot to send the playlist. So some lyrics are left to interpretation. :D I told him to be sure and send each artist a royalty check for $.08 per song.

mountaintime

08-03-2006, 02:23 AM

Whoa, nice pics...
whats that rear-end dropout/axle/brake mount thing?
is it incorporated into the frame design or an add on?
can I get one?

DirtRagArt

08-03-2006, 09:31 AM

Whoa, nice pics...
whats that rear-end dropout/axle/brake mount thing?
is it incorporated into the frame design or an add on?
can I get one?
The bike has sliding dropouts.

OTBSkinloss

08-03-2006, 09:46 AM

That bike is kinda like a woman.
It looks good. It feels good. And I'd step over my own mother for one sweet, sweet ride! :D
Nice.

PunkRock

08-03-2006, 10:41 AM

Jeff, I noticed you running a 33/20 combination...? Can you give me an idea of what these sizs do in reference to the 32/16 I am running. I am starting to experiment with different cog sizes. PLEASE dont just redirect me to Sheldon Browns page, I am not a mathmatician. I'm just looking for laymens terms.

DirtRagArt

08-03-2006, 11:57 AM

rockyrider

08-03-2006, 12:27 PM

But you spin out much sooner on the flats (if you have flats where you ride), or it will help you develop a smoother 90RPM cadence while riding on the flats.

DirtRagArt

08-07-2006, 01:05 PM

Courtesy of Fast Freddy (http://www.fast-freddy.com)...

DirtRagArt

08-07-2006, 01:22 PM

And this morning I decided to install a zero setback post (and a different saddle, since the I-beam saddle won't work). I went with an old Syncros (http://www.syncros.com) carbon fiber seatpost for the time being and a Selle San Marco Azoto MtGel (http://www.sellesanmarco.com/products/azoto_mtgel.asp) saddle. Both have been good to me in the past, so we'll see how they effect the fit on my next ride.

Yesterday I had my first big ride on the Ground Up. Brad, Stick Boy and I did the Hartwood/Hampton/Nortpark ride, all of us on singlespeeds. It took us a good four hours and we probably covered 30 miles. One nice thing about the ride is that North Park has some of the longest downhills in the immediate Pittsburgh area. And boy does the Ground Up like to go downhill.

The trail through Hampton (known as the Rachel Carson Trail) featured quite a few tall log hops, and I was impressed with the Ground Up's vaulting ability. I'm not sure if a lower bottom bracket height would have been detrimental, but I was sure glad I asked Eric to keep it a half inch higher than he initially planned.

The ride also included a good bit of road riding, which exposed the downside of running a 33x20, but I'm still happy with my gear choice.

DirtRagArt

08-17-2006, 05:12 PM

The Ground Up was actually designed around a 100mm Fox (http://www.foxracingshox.com) fork, and I've finally got one. Attached is a photo showing the 2007 Fox F100RLC. Yes, it does throw off my "stealth" color scheme, but I think the performance will end up being worth it. Plus it helps to think of it as Rebel Alliance (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebel_Alliance) colored. It sure does show off dirt and grease, though...

On an unrelated note, I took my first good spill on the Ground Up last weekend in Ohio. I got fully wrapped up in my bike, and the handlebars ended up twisted all the way around. On several previous test bikes, this would have been a big problem, as the fork's knobs would hit the downtube. But that was a consideration in this bike's design, and the frame's ample clearance kept the downtube from being harmed. Thankfully my helmet kept my head from being harmed, too. The frame did suffer a teeny tiny scratch on the drive side chainstay, but that's bound to happen (and it's pretty much unnoticable).

rockhound

08-17-2006, 05:40 PM

Plus it helps to think of it as Rebel Alliance (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebel_Alliance) colored.

NERD ALERT! NERD ALERT!

http://www.funlol.com/funpages/star-wars-nerd.html

myron

08-17-2006, 06:23 PM

I say the fork gets it!! Flat black with the jolly roger emblems. You know what I say?

phlatlander

08-17-2006, 06:45 PM

..........

DirtRagArt

08-24-2006, 12:36 PM

I did two rides on the Ground Up yesterday, the second was worth mentioning. It was one of those rides where I quickly realized that if I could keep up, I would learn something. What was supposed to be a D.O.R.C. group ride turned out to be just me, Stick Boy and Chris from Thick Bikes (http://thickbikes.com).

Stick is a hell of a rider, and when he's following someone as talented as Chris, he pushes his limits even more. And when I ride with Stick I'm always inspired to try more jumps and drops. Such was the case last night, and I wound up easily riding some obstacles I had never attempted before. When we sessioned the dirt jumps, Chris totally inspired us, and I got the nerve up to try the beginner jumps—what a rush it is to land with the transition. I know the Ground Up isn't a "jumping bike" per se, but at 5.25 lbs it's strong enough to handle it. Plus with it's straight gauge BMX downtube, it's even got the soul of a BMX bike.

DirtRagArt

08-25-2006, 01:43 PM

Two Wheeler

08-26-2006, 08:15 AM

SWEET RIDE!

Courtesy of Fast Freddy (http://www.fast-freddy.com)...

Ah, mine's (http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/virtualbikeride.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=9551) cooler.:p (Courtesy of my boss taking a vacation day).:D

DirtRagArt

09-12-2006, 09:52 AM

I finally got around to installing a new, longer rear disc brake hose so I could take advantage of the Ground Up's downtube/chainstay cable routing. It's pretty slick looking, and makes grabbing the bike by the top tube all that much easier.

Spatafore

09-12-2006, 10:59 AM

One nice thing about the ride is that North Park has some of the longest downhills in the immediate Pittsburgh area. And boy does the Ground Up like to go downhill.

North Ridge Drive?

Spatafore

09-12-2006, 11:07 AM

Plus it helps to think of it as Rebel Alliance (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebel_Alliance) colored. It sure does show off dirt and grease, though...

You like Star Wars? Have I got a woman for you Jeff.

You will quickly learn that her special power is the ability to kill a hard-on.

sspeed

09-12-2006, 06:49 PM

that looks to be one sweet ride man--have fun putting her together.

rockhound

11-15-2006, 11:44 AM

You like Star Wars? Have I got a woman for you Jeff.

You will quickly learn that her special power is the ability to kill a hard-on.

How did I miss this...

obionespeedonly

11-16-2006, 01:17 AM

..On an unrelated note, I took my first good spill on the Ground Up last weekend in Ohio. I got fully wrapped up in my bike, and the handlebars ended up twisted all the way around. On several previous test bikes, this would have been a big problem, as the fork's knobs would hit the downtube. But that was a consideration in this bike's design, and the frame's ample clearance kept the downtube from being harmed. Thankfully my helmet kept my head from being harmed, too. The frame did suffer a teeny tiny scratch on the drive side chainstay, but that's bound to happen (and it's pretty much unnoticable).

Detour here...

Chris King Headset Spacing fix...4mm (http://www.ventanausa.com/images/4mm.jpg)

Chris King Headset Spacing fix...7mm (http://www.ventanausa.com/images/7mm.jpg)

Everyone's aware of these, right? They come in really handy for solving issues on non-custom (IE: production) bike frames. Put one on my Surly and fixed it right away. Realise you'll lose some steerer tube length unless you are installing a new fork.

~Jeff, bet it handles soo much better with the Fox, huh? ;)

DirtRagArt

11-16-2006, 01:22 PM

Detour here...

Chris King Headset Spacing fix...4mm (http://www.ventanausa.com/images/4mm.jpg)

Chris King Headset Spacing fix...7mm (http://www.ventanausa.com/images/7mm.jpg)

Everyone's aware of these, right? They come in really handy for solving issues on non-custom (IE: production) bike frames. Put one on my Surly and fixed it right away. Realise you'll lose some steerer tube length unless you are installing a new fork.
Wouldn't such a spacer raise the BB height and slack out the head angle?
~Jeff, bet it handles soo much better with the Fox, huh? ;)
Interestingly, it seemed to ride fine with an 80mm fork, but I probably chalked up any mishandling to it being a new bike. But yes, the bike rides better with the Fox. Go figure...

rockhound

11-16-2006, 01:41 PM

Wouldn't such a spacer raise the BB height and slack out the head angle?

Not enough to notice...

obionespeedonly

11-23-2006, 12:45 AM

*Wouldn't such a spacer raise the BB height and slack out the head angle?

*Interestingly, it seemed to ride fine with an 80mm fork, but I probably chalked up any mishandling to it being a new bike. But yes, the bike rides better with the Fox. Go figure...

~Not any really bad effects with the 4mm version. My h/t angle only changed by about a half-degree. Havn't measured the bb change. It handles so well, I didn't worry.

~The Fox compared to the Manitou just handles way more stable. Especially on a SS, you need to have a solid foundation when climbing out of the saddle muscling the bike around, IMHO.

DirtRagArt

01-08-2007, 08:24 PM

Wow, deadline for the February issue is upon us and the Ground Up review is in the bag. I think the review is pretty good, though Browne is probably right in his critique—it could use more riding impressions. But I had a really hard time trimming the word count down just writing about the frame. I don't talk about any of the parts (the fork is reviewed seperately in the same issue) yet the review still tops out at over 1000 words.

Afterall, there was a lot to talk about. We are talking about a fully custom, one of a kind singlespeed frame. One that cost nearly $1700 with paint, headbadge and shipping.

And man, you should see how clean the bike is right now. We're talking cleaned, degreased, polished—the whole nine yards. Even the tires. Brad shot it indoors in his new and improved in-house photo studio, and the photos are total bike porn.

I've got a few modifications planned for the future. One thing I want to do is to strip and polish the crankarms. I think a 31.8 aluminum bar would be a good idea—something with a lot of sweep. I may go for some more polished aluminum stuff, as well. Maybe a nice polished King headset...

rockhound

01-09-2007, 12:36 AM

I think a 31.8 aluminum bar would be a good idea—something with a lot of sweep.

I came to the conclusion that my 3deg Easton bars just aren't doing it for me.

I just got a Salsa Pro Moto 11deg flat bar and a Dimension Trekking 25deg bar (it's kind of goofy looking, but looks to be comfy and have a lot of hand positions). Of course, you could always go with a MisfitPsycles FUbar or FUbar 2...I want to try one.

1mystk

01-09-2007, 01:54 AM

With the addition of anodized blue knobs on the Fox fork, I decided to pull the trigger on these swanky new Candy SL's with anodized blue springs. Plus it's nice to have new cleats and pedals on a new bike.

Those are the ones I got for the diSSey :D ... I haven't tried them yet. But I have put them on my trainer and use the shoes and lock in when on the trainer. I have gotten a good feel for them and think I may understand how to clip in and out.

I think I am ready to do the switch... I am READY TO FALL on MY aSS:D :p

DirtRagArt

01-09-2007, 05:01 PM

...you should see how clean the bike is right now.
Speaking of, here's a sneak peak.

1mystk

01-09-2007, 05:36 PM

Speaking of, here's a sneak peak.

That saure looks sweet... I can't wait to read the review.:D

phlatlander

01-09-2007, 05:43 PM

Speaking of, here's a sneak peak.

I was hoping you would...and you did. :)

Goride

01-09-2007, 06:21 PM

And man, you should see how clean the bike is right now. We're talking cleaned, degreased, polished—the whole nine yards. Even the tires. Brad shot it indoors in his new and improved in-house photo studio, and the photos are total bike porn.

And for the really inquisitive out there, here's a shot of said new office/studio. With the GroundUp under the softbox.

phlatlander

01-09-2007, 06:36 PM

Goride

01-09-2007, 06:46 PM

We need a HUGE softbox like that in our studio! Nice job Brad.

Was this a new addition to the office (patio enclosure) or a remodel to existing room? I ask because it looks like you're inside, but outside. :)

Neither.

It was Thanita's old office. Before that it housed a pool table and magazine library. The studio was in a cramped corner of the basement, too small for the the softbox which was left stashed for extra special times.

I'm pretty into the bigger, better more productive studio space.

myron

01-09-2007, 06:48 PM

who's office is behind the brick wall with the sliding door?

phlatlander

01-09-2007, 08:16 PM

It was Thanita's old office.

Ahhh, hence the poster of the chick with the flying bugcycles.

real_ss_budgie

01-09-2007, 09:30 PM

and while over at crunchyfrogdesign studio, things are slowly picking up....

plume_mtb

01-10-2007, 08:16 PM

Well, that doesn't suck.

Cool bike, very cool.

obionespeedonly

01-10-2007, 11:23 PM

Looking at the pics, seems you're starting to already polish the left stylo arm with your shoes and the dirt. :) If you do decide to polish 'em up, please put it into an article. There's a lot of folks out there that're looking for polished parts lately. They seem to have fallen by the wayside. Maybe because black in en vogue, or the manufacturers are not interested in the additional cost of polishing and finishing. (Thus the reason I have the DXR Crankset on our wantlist.)

*I started a post in another forum looking for polished parts to build up my new 1x1 and a customers.

rockyrider

01-10-2007, 11:46 PM

Jahnov

01-11-2007, 01:49 AM

1mystk

01-11-2007, 02:06 AM

Rocky,

I'm renaming you the Oracle. Is there no question you know the answer to?!

There was a Niner on display at Interbike that had all the extra parts polished. Sweet XTR cranks chromed out.

The attention is in the detail folks.

I think it is safe to say that RockaSS is the the King Of Bike n' Roll... without the Elvis sideburns:D

That is one SWEET ride!:cool:

rockyrider

01-11-2007, 11:08 AM

Rocky,

I'm renaming you the Oracle. Is there no question you know the answer to?!I'm a consultant, it's my job it's what I do (http://calwestray.tripod.com/sledge.htm)... of course I'm not a bike consultant... hmmm... although that would be more fun than what I do for a living. Although perhaps you've mistaken me for one Bullwinkle's characters...

phlatlander

01-11-2007, 11:19 AM

I'm Winston "Rocky" Wolfe. I solve problems.

myron

01-11-2007, 11:37 AM

The easiest way to polish the cranks would be to find someone who can do vibratory polishing with walnut shells or abrasive compounds. Any number of tool and die manufacturers, gun shops that load their own cartridges and polish their own brass, foundries, etc, could do that polishing.

They are fairly cheep to buy your own. I prefer a tumbler to those that vibrate. The ones that vibrate are much cheeper than the tumblers though.vibrator (http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=587176)

obionespeedonly

01-13-2007, 12:03 AM

rockyrider

01-13-2007, 12:32 AM

Yeah, thought of that. We had one at the machine shop. My worry was wheteher the rocks would affect the structural integrity of the arms. That and polishing generates heat which might mean the arms would need to be re-cured.

Thus the reason I'm asking for an article/post set. I know there's others out there that have the same idea I do, with the tools to do it. Any suggestions for a source in the S.F. Bay Area Peninsula??If you use the ceramic or plastic media or walnut shells that aren't extremely abrasive there's little material removed, no heat buildup (no more than you'd generate steel wooling and polishing them by hand). If you look in the yellow pages under metal polishing, or metal finishing, you should be able to find some leads.

rattlecan

02-03-2007, 04:42 AM

hey guys-

i got my stolen 29er back- some kid tried to sell the white bros fork to my friends bike shop- the shop owner is pretty good at laying down the guilt trip so he brought in what was left of my bike the next day- i got the frame back, missing one slider dropout, the fork, the cranks, the front wheel, and the rear hub...weird..

as you may know i built myself a new bike to replace this one- number 150. the new one was made out of soem leftover aluminum 7005 schwinn homegrown tubes. the new frame turned out pretty light and i really spent a lot of time crafting it but i just dont like it. it rides weird. i think it is the aluminum. im just gonna repaint my old stolen steel bike (#88)and ride it till it gets ripped off again. at least that girlfriend is out of my life now so maybe ill have some better karma.

who knows...

eric.

DirtRagArt

02-09-2007, 12:20 PM

I loved the looks of that bike too. And the tested frame fits my inseam (most don't). The top tube looks real small where it meets the headtube though don't ya think?
The biovalized top tube actually helps create the tight headtube junction (supported by a fancy TIG welded gusset) that allows for so much fork crown clearance.

DirtRagArt

02-09-2007, 12:21 PM

Here's a shot that shows the shape of the top tube from above.

DirtRagArt

02-13-2007, 09:54 AM

The review is now online (http://www.dirtragmag.com/print/article.php?ID=847&category=stuff_reviews).

obionespeedonly

02-18-2007, 11:36 PM

Bloddy beautiful bike Rattlecan!! Even if it didn't have a bling paint job, well thought out and built!!

*Anymore of the stainless left over?? Something like a colored head and seat tube with the rest stainless and shinny?? :p

How's the 36 project coming along??

rattlecan

02-23-2007, 01:02 PM

thanks again jeff- every bike dork i run into tells me they saw the review.

here is what i have lined up next...

i havent been online too much the past couple of weeks cause i just made a new '500 pounds of steel' frame fixture/ alignment table. my brain is fried. there were a bunch of difficult parts to engineer and machine. im glad im done with that project so now its back to making bike frames...

first up is a sweet steel tig welded track racing bike. then a silver brazed lugged steel track bike, then another steel tig welded track racing bike for some dude in switzerland, then an aluminum road bike, then a fillet brazed steel track bike...

skinny tire madness the next few weeks, i guess, but whatever, its what the people want.

i have about 90 feet of stainless steel tubing that i use mainly for bridges and seat stays for girls.

oh --->one other cool thing.

i have enough aermet 100 tubing for 5-7 bike frames. this stuff is extremely rare--- this might be most of the last of it in existence. i talked with gus from arrow racing and he said he has a few aermet 100 tubes left and he would sell them to me for 100$ per foot:eek: this stuff is considered a precious metal.
im thinking of making a new 29er single speed and a track bike for me out of aermet 100 then offering up the rest/ last of it for sale. they wont be cheap though- figure 2000+ for an unpainted track frame. this stuff is soooo hard. i took a hack saw to an aermet 100 tube and it polished it.
all mitering is done by precision grinding. ha, i just thought of something: ground up aermet, literally.

eric.