Kirk Frameworks

[Dave Kirk]

Dave,
Thanks so much for taking the time to set up those pics and describe your old rear triangle building method. I really appreciate it. What a neat way to put together a frame!
Jason

Cool - thanks.

Along these same lines I had a fork set up that I used using the same V blocks and stuff. If you want to see it just let me know and I can mock it up and take a few photos.

Dave

[timdude]

Guitar guys often do very good work. I look forward to seeing what he comes up with.

Dave

Here's what he came up with we decided to go with a H of C candy aztec yellow over silver metallic, he thought the black decals would show up better on the yellow, instead of the candy red. Also we decided against the lug linings we liked the paint contrast against the lugs , and my HJ decals had a yellow background.

One other note you received very high praise on a club ride last night with the Louisville Bicycle Club. You built #174 for Dave King the ride captain he went on and on about how great an experience it was.

Tim

[Dave Kirk]

Here's what he came up with we decided to go with a H of C candy aztec yellow over silver metallic, he thought the black decals would show up better on the yellow, instead of the candy red. Also we decided against the lug linings we liked the paint contrast against the lugs , and my HJ decals had a yellow background.

One other note you received very high praise on a club ride last night with the Louisville Bicycle Club. You built #174 for Dave King the ride captain he went on and on about how great an experience it was.

Tim

Very cool color - I'll bet it looks a foot deep in the sun and even better in the diffused light of late afternoon.

Cool you got to ride with Dave King. He's a good guy and one of a few Kirk owners in that area.

Enjoy the ride!


dave

[derailer]

Hi Dave,

Long time listener, first time caller. I'm considering my first custom bike, and for many reasons, including your extremely informative posts on this forum and others, a Kirk is at the top of my list. In particular, I'm considering a JKS X, both because I weigh 190 lbs and because OS tubing looks cool, dangit. To that end, I've got a few questions. Why did you choose Reynolds 953 over Columbus XCr? Why did you choose to carry over the stays from the JKS on the JKS X? And, finally, is it possible to fillet braze 953?

Thank you much,
D

[Dave Kirk]

Hi Dave,

Long time listener, first time caller. I'm considering my first custom bike, and for many reasons, including your extremely informative posts on this forum and others, a Kirk is at the top of my list. In particular, I'm considering a JKS X, both because I weigh 190 lbs and because OS tubing looks cool, dangit. To that end, I've got a few questions. Why did you choose Reynolds 953 over Columbus XCr? Why did you choose to carry over the stays from the JKS on the JKS X? And, finally, is it possible to fillet braze 953?

Thank you much,
D

Thanks for the note and the interest in my work and for 'calling' for the first time.

Here are a few answers for you -

* I didn't so much choose 953 over XCr as I did choose reynolds s a company. I have a decades long relationship with the good folks at Reynolds and I like and trust them. I've been using 953 on the JKS variants for a number or years and like the way the material works and rides and seeing the specs of the XCr feel no compelling urge to change. When I decided to offer a bike with XL tubes I looked at the specs of 953 and they fit what I wanted and needed so it was the natural place to go.

* The chain and seat stays of the JKS are more than stiff and strong enough for even the largest and strongest riders so I feel that there is no need to go even stiffer. I did however want the main tubes to be stiffer than OS tubes to make the frame stiffer torsionally and to make a more stable platform to support the larger and more powerful rider.

* I hear that one can fillet 953 with special flux and rod but I have never played with this and am not tempted to go in that direction frankly. I love working with the Llewellyn lugs used on all the JKS variants and love the way they work and look. I feel confident that all JKS's will use Dazza's lugs for a very long time.

I hope that answers your questions. Let me know if you'd like any more info and I'll get right back to you.

Thanks again,

dave

[sevencyclist]

Hi Dave,

I noticed that your terraplane rear seems to be joined strictly by "fastback" method to the seat cluster. Have you ever done a wrap around joining for terraplane? Thanks.

[Dave Kirk]

Hi Dave,

I noticed that your terraplane rear seems to be joined strictly by "fastback" method to the seat cluster. Have you ever done a wrap around joining for terraplane? Thanks.

Hey,

Thanks for the question. Good eye - yes the Terraplane is offered only in fastback form. The load the joint sees changes a bit when you put a curve in the stay and the fastback arrangement is the best way to join the stays considering the load. In other words - it's stronger this way with a curved stay.

Make sense?

dave

[Dave Kirk]

Thanks Joe.

Kirk Frameworks Custom Bicycles | Thanks Joe.

Dave

[cuda2k]

Hey,

Thanks for the question. Good eye - yes the Terraplane is offered only in fastback form. The load the joint sees changes a bit when you put a curve in the stay and the fastback arrangement is the best way to join the stays considering the load. In other words - it's stronger this way with a curved stay.

Make sense?

dave

It does appear to be the strongest option, but in the end all it does is make me want to put down two deposits, one for a terraplane and one for those beautiful wrap over ends. I've had a soft spot for the wrap over treatment ever since building my dutch built Gazelle AB-Frame which was my first 'good' road bike (and even then the frame was better than 20 years old). I must say though, the execution on a Kirk is a bit more refined from the Gazelle's all-business construction. Guess since I still own a pair of Gazelle frames, I'll stick with my terraplane plan.

Thanks Joe.

Kirk Frameworks Custom Bicycles | Thanks Joe.

Dave

Great retrospective. Thanks for sharing Dave.

[Dave Kirk]

Yo,

I've added a post to my blog about S&S couplers and how they are retrofit to a frame and thought some might like to see a perfectly good frame cut in half.

Kirk Frameworks Custom Bicycles

Thanks for looking.


dave

[KeithNYC]

Bump. Started e-read this for some reason as I'm laid out with the flu. What a gem of a thread. Dave, you are missed here.

[Simonhi]

Wow, this thread has so much going on in it I've read it from front to back twice over the last couple of days.

What a collection of inspirational stories and a great ethos to work you have to tell. There so much that can be learnt from your experiences alone that for anyone new to frame building you can literally save them years of wasted time by following your path.

In time I hope to shape some tubes into a frame or three and will keep a very simplistic approach, it seems to be the way.

Thanks very much for time you have invested in these pages and your blog, a great insight into great work.

Many thanks,


Simon.