Engin Cycles

[MarkC]

Drew,

What comment? I meant welcome back to posting here. I missed your additions (as well as Carl's, Archibald's, and other more technically oriented posters).

Different Mark or something out of context?

Mark

[EnginCycles]

Drew,

What comment? I meant welcome back to posting here. I missed your additions (as well as Carl's, Archibald's, and other more technically oriented posters).

Different Mark or something out of context?

Mark

This is the comment :

Toward branding - I personally consider a framebuilders participation in the community when prying open my wallet. It isn't the deal maker persee, but if I know the builder is giving back, helping the craft, maybe providing good advice to a few up and comers, I see that as favorable toward their brand. It makes me happier about my purchase. The frame is the key, but feeling good about the purchase is a nice bonus and the little bits add up.


Not negative from you at all but I felt I wanted to reply. Even though I was not participating here I help and add to the community a lot. Much more than many but mostly behind the scenes. Often without any credit which is fine but a mention here or there would always be welcome.

Hope that clears it up.

Cheers,
Drew

[Too Tall]

Hey Drew you are a stand up guy for this and thanks again. Now let's quit this idyl chitter chatter and get this ball rolling.
Looking forward to you in this coming FNLs.
I imagine you are busy making bikes, running the business and spending time with those beautiful children too!!

[nahtnoj]

Drew - I seem to recall seeing you bought a place in East Falls? Are Ed Rendell's parties as crazy as I imagine they'd be?

[EnginCycles]

Drew - I seem to recall seeing you bought a place in East Falls? Are Ed Rendell's parties as crazy as I imagine they'd be?

He literally lives across the street from us. Having married into an Irish family I can say we party more than him (at least at his residence). In fact this past weekend we had a big blow out for my mother in law's 70th birthday. Tent in the back yard, late night fire and many many dark and stormy beverages to toast the lack of rain during the actual party! Our yard paid the price but she is worth it.

[MarkC]

Drew - tnx.

When I wrote that was indeed thinking of my recent frames / bikes and specifically you and Carl. In a very positive way.

Don't want to reincarnate the branding thread here and you should get back to welding and making chips!!!

--Mark

[EnginCycles]

I have been dealing with 650b since 2007 (for mtb not civil war reenactment stuff) but seems it has finally caught on and this bike should really fly. Projected weight of 20.75 lbs and nothing spared when it comes to strength.

8789002258_5e7e3736af.jpg

Thanks for looking.

[Rody]

Drew,

Glad to see you thriving on the Ti...she looks purdy.

r

[steve garro]

I have been dealing with 650b since 2007 (for mtb not civil war reenactment stuff) but seems it has finally caught on and this bike should really fly.

Ha!
Me too - love the civil war comment - I use that one allot!
Lookin' good, man - Garro.

[EnginCycles]

Ha!
Me too - love the civil war comment - I use that one allot!
Lookin' good, man - Garro.

Thanks Steve (and Rody). I am about to start another 650b which is more of a trail bike with long front end travel. This is one of the categories I really think the wheel size shines.

More Friday.

-Drew

[EnginCycles]

I admit that when Eben (bike snob NYC) asked me to build him a bicycle my first thought was thank god I am thick skinned. It turned out that Eben has been more than kind to me and often gives me props like this:

Bike Snob NYC: Extra, Extra: Wall Street Journal Wins At Stupid!

[G-reg]

Asone of the very few builders I've seen playing with Paragon's Yoke, care to talk about it?

Looks like you are Tig'n the two halves together?

"Both ends are long" from PMW's website, how long? Did you cut either end down much in the couple bikes the Internets know you've built with them?

What's your mitering sequence? Do you braze/weld up the drops/chainstay's/yoke and mitre to the bb?

[EnginCycles]

Asone of the very few builders I've seen playing with Paragon's Yoke, care to talk about it?

Looks like you are Tig'n the two halves together?

"Both ends are long" from PMW's website, how long? Did you cut either end down much in the couple bikes the Internets know you've built with them?

What's your mitering sequence? Do you braze/weld up the drops/chainstay's/yoke and mitre to the bb?

The part is designed to be welded together. It is a clam shell design that is the only way to get a hollow part without casting it. The part is solid on the ends which ultimately gets cut off. I chop the chainstay ends down to about a 5mm shoulder for the chainstay itself. The BB end gets mitered and about a 15mm chunk (all solid) gets removed with the saw. I never attach the parts together til the bike is ready to get tacked. The yoke is mitered to the BB, the chainstays are bent then made to fit on the drop outs and the length is made correct. Everything is loose in the fixture before tacking. Also just to add the part needs to be modified internally before welding to allow for purging and gases to escape. Jeff (the designer at Paragon) and I worked very hard on the original project that yielded this part and it works flawlessly in this application. It even allows for a standard BB and a triple to clear the stays. The rear wheel needed to be offset 15mm for the triple (to clear the tire) but the 1x systems work with a standard 135 (or 142) rear end and clear all the way up to a 38t ring on any crank.

Did that answer your questions?

Cheers,
Drew

[Too Tall]

Looks like Casa Drew is a busy place. NICE :) I loved visiting your shop and looking forward to catching up sometime soon.

What's the latest in tech. for your Ti bikes and can you talk about dropper posts? What works!!!???

[G-reg]

..........

Did that answer your questions?

Cheers,
Drew

Great info, thanks. I've wanted to play with one but didn't want to hack up such a pretty/spendy part.

[EnginCycles]

Looks like Casa Drew is a busy place. NICE :) I loved visiting your shop and looking forward to catching up sometime soon.

What's the latest in tech. for your Ti bikes and can you talk about dropper posts? What works!!!???

For my titanium bikes the next thing is the road drop outs I have being made at Paragon. Nothing super fancy but all to my spec which works better with my process and design style. At this point I have the bikes where I want them. I have good relations with the suppliers and the quality control on titanium is excellent compared to what I was dealing with when making the stainless stuff. It is a wonderful material and my 5 year goal is to only sell titanium bikes.

The dropper post has really taken off. The 30.9 version of most manufacturers are going with the stealth cable (comes out the bottom of the post) and are getting lighter and lighter. They all make a 27.2 version but most the 30.9 is the ticket. All the bikes are available with the 30.9 option.

Cheers,
Drew

[G-reg]

Another Yolk question if you don't mind. Could you / would you braze the halves together? It feels like an "If you have to ask..." kind of question, but I'll ask anyway.

[EnginCycles]

Another Yolk question if you don't mind. Could you / would you braze the halves together? It feels like an "If you have to ask..." kind of question, but I'll ask anyway.

The part was definitely designed to be welded. There are not much bearing surfaces to braze and feel you have a strong part. It would need to be filled with brass before it would be strong enough and then it kind of defeats the purpose of being hollow.

[steve garro]

What rim did you run on that yoke bike?
I'm in the middle of a couple (with s-bands) and find that the Kris Holm 29er rim laces up WAY better then the Rabbit Hole (those feel soft to me) and the tire profile, while only measuring 3mm narrower, has a profile which allows more clearence - you gotta squeeze every little bit out of those.
I'm leaning towards a 3.0" in the front & a 2.35-2.5" in the back for optimum singletrack.
is the grey bike ceramikote?
Nice work, Drew - Garro.

[EnginCycles]

What rim did you run on that yoke bike?
I'm in the middle of a couple (with s-bands) and find that the Kris Holm 29er rim laces up WAY better then the Rabbit Hole (those feel soft to me) and the tire profile, while only measuring 3mm narrower, has a profile which allows more clearence - you gotta squeeze every little bit out of those.
I'm leaning towards a 3.0" in the front & a 2.35-2.5" in the back for optimum singletrack.
is the grey bike ceramikote?
Nice work, Drew - Garro.

I have used both rims for the 29+ stuff and while the Kris Holm's rims are double wall they are a good bit heavier. It was not an issue with the tandem (which got the Kris Holm's) but a single the weight savings is rather big. Some are not using the Surly tubes anymore as they where also rather heavy.

The grey bike is titanium. There are many finishes but that is a glass media with no buffing afterwards. Some get a buffing after blasting and some don't. This is a very industrial finish and offers excellent contrast to the brushed logos.

I have never been a fan of the mixed wheels size. Not that 30+ is another wheel size but I figure you are either in or not with the big revolution:)

Cheers,
Drew