Llewellyn Bikes

[Gattonero]

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Then the full assembly of the bike with DuraAce 9000 and off with this bike to the Bristol Bespoke show.
Oh and yes I am taking orders for this frame to answer the questions put to me of late, but only a limited number each year. About ten each year, I have 5 spots left for this year. Some seem keen and this frame is yet to roll down the road!

Ever thought of that rounded insert to be stainless steel? Those areas can get a lot of rubbing from mud/dirt, even when there's ample clearance.

By the way, I may see you in Bristol, and I think you should call this frame "Circus Maximus", just like that chariot racing stadium back in the day.

[David Tollefson]

Maximus...

[Dazza]

Ever thought of that rounded insert to be stainless steel? Those areas can get a lot of rubbing from mud/dirt, even when there's ample clearance.

By the way, I may see you in Bristol, and I think you should call this frame "Circus Maximus", just like that chariot racing stadium back in the day.

The trick here is the curved insert is brass brazed which is a higher temp than the silver brazing.
So the brass joint to the curved cut out does not melt when doing the lower temperature silver brazing on the bridge in between the chainstays.
Stainless steel cannot be brass brazed, it must be silver brazed.
I suppose one can use a high temp silver to do the curved piece,(or nickle silver which I detest for various reasons!) then finding .65 mm stainless steel in 31.7 and 35mm diameters for the insert requires a few off cuts of down tube to be about.
Also one would still paint the whole bridge and insert as the cut paint line will have a good chance of corrosion creep under the edge of the paint shoreline as it being being sprayed my water etc. CS bridges have been painted for many decades and I cannot recall any much trouble that I have noticed. So if one wants a stainless chainstay bridge, it is easy to do plain tube without the cutout. The CS bridge with the cutout adds 2-3 hours to the build.

[Gattonero]

The trick here is the curved insert is brass brazed which is a higher temp than the silver brazing.
So the brass joint to the curved cut out does not melt when doing the lower temperature silver brazing on the bridge in between the chainstays.
Stainless steel cannot be brass brazed, it must be silver brazed.
I suppose one can use a high temp silver to do the curved piece,(or nickle silver which I detest for various reasons!) then finding .65 mm stainless steel in 31.7 and 35mm diameters for the insert requires a few off cuts of down tube to be about.
Also one would still paint the whole bridge and insert as the cut paint line will have a good chance of corrosion creep under the edge of the paint shoreline as it being being sprayed my water etc. CS bridges have been painted for many decades and I cannot recall any much trouble that I have noticed. So if one wants a stainless chainstay bridge, it is easy to do plain tube without the cutout. The CS bridge with the cutout adds 2-3 hours to the build.

Surely the corrosion is a problem to consider.
I though would be a nice touch to have a s/st part there, but you have very good points there!

[Dazza]

The Murphy bros little beauty, "The QuickChainger"
been a standard feature for over 20 years

[dogrange]

The Murphy bros little beauty, "The QuickChainger"
been a standard feature for over 20 years

Great feature!

[Dazza]

In recent years when I am a bike show with out doubt some one will approach me and I politely listen as they tell me their excitement of how they bought a second hand Llewellyn on ebay and how they got a bargain and how happy they are and the bike or frame is super nice and what can I tell them about it as they supply me the serial number. I am sincerely pleased they are happy and I give them the date it was made and any other info I can recall. I am genuinely flattered that my old work is so coveted.
At the end of the phone chat or the one to one in person conversation I make a habit of saying
"Perhaps soon I will make you your very own new Llewellyn very soon"

after all

it is my chosen path of professional expression

as Gary Larson reminds me

[Dazza]

A 1993 era Llewellyn respray.
I knew the late Chris Mann for some years. We worked in bike shops and trained a lot together, I taught him some bike mechanics , wheel building and how to tie and solder a wheel. I built him 3 or 4 frames over some years. Recently Simon his younger brother wanted Chris's frame refurbished to be his daily ride bike. Joe Cosgrove did a nice respray of the original colour and as I assembled the bike today I thought of some on the training rides we did together. A huge windy day when branches came crashing down around us several times as we climbed up to Montville. It was terrible day to be on a bike, storms, and cold rain for 180kms. But the one that I am fond of is the Magpie at Samford. We had done a hard lap of Mt Glorious one morning and we were at the back of Samford on some quite roads when I suddenly took off ahead of him. He was yelling at me "what the f-ck are you doing, we are done with our efforts.........&#$@!!!*##! you stupid dick head #^%!@**#! " Just then the Magpie started belting him about his head. (this is in the days before helmets) I am nearly falling off my bike with laughter as I look back at this sight. Then he started yelling at me
"you fucking ars-h-le #^%$!!*$#@ you set me up with that bloody efffing magpie!" Oh the fun times. Chris was gone too early. Some times things are just not fair

[Dazza]

Come and say g'day at Bristol Bespoked. Colossus #1 will be there.

[dogrange]

Wish I could be there to witness its colossal majesty in person!

[Dazza]

Dr Brian McLean is experimenting with deeper position so a zero set back seat post is fitted. The seat is fitted 10mm higher than will be ridden, this is to keep it all looking smooth as the bike is on display to avoid scratches. We are off on the big bird tonight

[Dazza]

I wish bike shows would go for 5 full days and into some evenings, so they are a bit slower and gives more time for the punters to absorb what is on show. I hear some builders speak of the buzz and excitement when the hall is full to almost a people crush but I believe if the flow past is too fast and every one switches into "rush mode". More personal space for the punter allows them to drift through and see and absorb.
I hear stand holders moan about the long day for them, crikey, marsh mellows, harden up say I ! Shows are great events for builders to learn and share from each other. I really like this aspect of shows. The get together each evening for a soothing ale and meal, meeting builders you have never met before and have yarns, but unfortunately for me I never get to chat to as many as I wish I could. When a show ends I am always a bit sad, because I have missed meeting many, absorbing, and never given enough time to many. I want a TARDIS.

[Dazza]

Hauled by a King Class.
Just imagining for a moment on Sunday after the show

[Dazza]

After a few years in A grade and just finishing in the bunch or close to the front groups with the Euros when they come out for the bank race, (I just do not have the engine), I asked for a B grade Grafton to Inverell start in 1987 and to my surprise I got it. I had the best form I had ever had, 200ks over the hills around Malany and coming back behind the motorbike piloted by Peter McKenna for the last 100kms, laps and other days laps of efforts on Nebo and Cootha, that sort of stuff and I was sprinting well to places in crits.
However I still managed to stuff the gallop up in the small group that arrived at Inverell, lack of confidence. Any how I asked the cute red head her name and could we meet up at the race dinner that night, she responded positively
so I did not feel so bad for only managing third. The rest of the galahs on the podium truck heard all this and I think the mic got it out to the crowd, and all got a giggle out it, which this photo captured. Only trouble was we had to shoot through as my mate Paul who fed me during the race had to be in Brisbane again the next day for work reasons so we left before the dinner. AgHHHHHHHHH!
I was depressed for the 5 hour drive home. Maybe I was depressed for 5 weeks after ?

[Dazza]

Traditionally frame builders would show their style via lug embellishment. In this world of mass production and off shore production for mass consumption I do my best to maintain a blend of contemporary aesthetics with the best of the traditional ways. I very much enjoy this work. It stimulates my chosen path of professional expression. I started on a set of my "Custodian" lugs and completed the down tube lug yesterday morning.

[Dazza]

Novellara Italy 2000. Main street.
James Victor head Aussie women's road coach (currently U23 head coach)
Me as mechanico (we lived the Euro summer each year, left OZ in April, home in October.)
Alison Wright, good little sprinter and rode in the Aussie track teams as well.
Margarete Hemsley, tough roadie, was on her way to winning the 2002 Commonwealth Games but a slip fall and broken collar bone ended the day when she had the form of her life.
Kym Shirley, good all rounder and could go up the mountains with the best of them. Married to Matt Haymen (this years Paris Roubiax winner)
Liz Tadich, good all rounder and silver at the worlds in 1997.
Janita Feldhan, lives in France now, climb and tough as nails. Olympian that year.
Sara Carrigan, all rounder and quick in a time trial, won the Athens Olympic road race 2004
Hayley Rutherford, good all rounder.
Kristy Scrymgeour, very quick in time trails and twice Aussie champ.
And the Fiat Turbo Diesel 5 speed Manual that never missed a beat.
Crikey we worked hard and James Victor is a coach that cannot be bettered. From 1997 he guided the Aussie team to be a real force. It was a good time to be involved.

[Dazza]

a wee bit more
whizzz, whrrrrr, file file whizzzz file file
while I contemplate the new casting project

[Dazza]

I will be contributing words here as time permits

Darrell McCulloch: our newest columnist from Down Under

[Dazza]

My first words are up, I will be getting deeper and cutting deeper as the months roll by

The many markers of an evolving industry

[Major Tom]

Referring to our talks in Bristol:
Just wanted to state, that I was the one to invent the use of "Ethnocentric" font on bicycle frames

(sorry for using a non-Llewellyn picture in this thread. If you find it inappropriate, I will immediately remove it)
Major Cycles Competizione by picnicker74, auf Flickr