Strong Frames

[Carl S]

Hi Carl.

Is there any recording of your framebuilding business seminar available somewhere ?

Thanks !
Francois

Not that I know of. Last year Don had someone in the seminar video recording it but I don't know what for or where it is. Looks like you'll have to come to Austin for this years seminar :)

[Dave Kirk]

Anyone who is looking to make a living from building owes it to themselves to make sure they are at Carl's seminar. Working harder is good, working smarter is better - and Carl can help you work smarter.

dave

[topher]

Carl, when can we expect to see your first production carbon frames?

[edoz]

Anyone who is looking to make a living from building owes it to themselves to make sure they are at Carl's seminar. Working harder is good, working smarter is better - and Carl can help you work smarter.

dave

Even if you aren't planning on making a living, you should catch it. He makes some good points about efficiency, and if you're ever going to build for anyone other than yourself, the points about customer service and organization are well worth it.

[Carl S]

Carl, when can we expect to see your first production carbon frames?

Soon! As a matter a fact I'm just finishing up a new carbon section on my site that will include pricing, options, a tour of the building process and a bunch of cool pictures. Hopefully the pages will go live next week.

[zank]

Soon! As a matter a fact I'm just finishing up a new carbon section on my site that will include pricing, options, a tour of the building process and a bunch of cool pictures. Hopefully the pages will go live next week.

Can't wait to see the pictures! That teaser photo you sent to me was killer.

[Carl S]

Even if you aren't planning on making a living, you should catch it. He makes some good points about efficiency, and if you're ever going to build for anyone other than yourself, the points about customer service and organization are well worth it.

Thanks you guys. Also just to let everyone know, this will be the last year that I do the seminar after which I don't know what Don has planned. It's gong to be my 5th time and I think that's enough for me. I need to focus on my booth at the show and the seminar takes me away from the booth.

[sevencyclist]

Hi Carl,

Congratulations on adding carbon to your choices of material. Will you be using carbon for all styles of your bikes (road, cyclocross, MTB), or is it only for a particular type? What do you consider is the most important attribute that carbon brings to your bikes? Any thoughts of mixing of material between Ti, Steel, Aluminum, and Carbon?

[Carl S]

Hi Carl,

Congratulations on adding carbon to your choices of material. Will you be using carbon for all styles of your bikes (road, cyclocross, MTB), or is it only for a particular type? What do you consider is the most important attribute that carbon brings to your bikes? Any thoughts of mixing of material between Ti, Steel, Aluminum, and Carbon?

Thanks a lot, I'm pretty excited to finally get it on the price list.

I think carbon fibers best application is on the road and I want to keep my carbon production to a third of my business so I don't currently have any plans to do anything but road bikes. I may in the future offer cross I doubt I'll ever offer carbon MTB's.

The most important attribute carbon brings to the table are lightness and stiffness at the same time. In my opinion, frame design is all about rider priorities. Carbon allows me to further tailor frame design for the individual. I can build a frame that's 800g (before paint)that is quite stiff. If a riders priorities for lightness and stiffness are at the top of their list carbon is a great choice.

As for mixing material I've been doing that for years. I've built just about every combination you could imagine including a Stainless, carbon and titanium frame. I usually recommend choosing one material based on it's properties and sticking with it for those reasons. In rare cases I may build with several materials but only when there is a good reason to do so.

[e-RICHIE]

forget about the tech stuff for a moment atmo (but just for a moment).
you know how to make all these iterations look good, not simply work well.
that, carl, is not as common a trait among our peers as it should be.
some folks have the touch.
fewer have the eye too.

Thanks a lot, I'm pretty excited to finally get it on the price list.

I think carbon fibers best application is on the road and I want to keep my carbon production to a third of my business so I don't currently have any plans to do anything but road bikes. I may in the future offer cross I doubt I'll ever offer carbon MTB's.

The most important attribute carbon brings to the table are lightness and stiffness at the same time. In my opinion, frame design is all about rider priorities. Carbon allows me to further tailor frame design for the individual. I can build a frame that's 800g (before paint)that is quite stiff. If a riders priorities for lightness and stiffness are at the top of their list carbon is a great choice.

As for mixing material I've been doing that for years. I've built just about every combination you could imagine including a Stainless, carbon and titanium frame. I usually recommend choosing one material based on it's properties and sticking with it for those reasons. In rare cases I may build with several materials but only when there is a good reason to do so.

[Lionel]

Carl, is Enve your supplier for carbon tubes?

[Carl S]

forget about the tech stuff for a moment atmo (but just for a moment).
you know how to make all these iterations look good, not simply work well.
that, carl, is not as common a trait among our peers as it should be.
some folks have the touch.
fewer have the eye too.

Thanks Richard, that's a huge compliment, especially coming from you.

[Carl S]

Carl, is Enve your supplier for carbon tubes?

Yes, they build to order and I have my own specifications that I have them make. I can call out material, modulus, laminate schedule including outlook and physical dimensions.

[Archibald]

Thanks Richard, that's a huge compliment, especially coming from you.

Deserved, though!

[topher]

First, I wanted to say how great the Carbon site on your web page looks, just like the rest of your site, and how excited I am to see a new offering from you available. I was curious how you are going to work these carbon frames into your work schedule. Are you going to make them as they are ordered or do them in batches and limit the number you make per year? Just curious, your ordering and build process were so well run in the purchase of my steel frame and I just figured carbon may skew things a bit. Thanks for the insight.

[Carl S]

First, I wanted to say how great the Carbon site on your web page looks, just like the rest of your site, and how excited I am to see a new offering from you available. I was curious how you are going to work these carbon frames into your work schedule. Are you going to make them as they are ordered or do them in batches and limit the number you make per year? Just curious, your ordering and build process were so well run in the purchase of my steel frame and I just figured carbon may skew things a bit. Thanks for the insight.

That is a good point. I'm not exactly sure how I will work it in at the moment and that is one of the reasons I plan to keep my sales numbers in carbon relatively low in the beginning. I'm sure this idea will develop but I plan to start the carbon frames as I would any other when their turn rolls around. Then during each cure cycle I'll build the next frame in the queue. When that frame is done I'll go back to the carbon until the next cure cycle and so on. Although I can't build a steel or titanium frame during a cure cycle I'll go ahead and complete the frame and let the carbon frame sit until it's done. That way I am focused on only one frame at a time. Once the two main cure cycles are done I can focus on the carbon frame until it's complete.

[edoz]

Do you have any plans to or thoughts about combining carbon fiber with any other material?

[Carl S]

Do you have any plans to or thoughts about combining carbon fiber with any other material?

Hi Eric, I've been combining material for a long time but now my preference is one material per frame so I don't see any combo bikes in the future. But I will say, if I ever recognized a value in combining material or if there is an application where it makes sense I'll sure take a hard look at it.

[dcpdpayne]

Hey Carl,
I just saw your photos of your, and by “your” I mean a bike for you to personally ride, new frame. It looks pretty nice. I wanted to get your initial impression of the frame. Without getting into the BS of Vertically stiff and laterally whatever, how does the bike ride compared with your own work in ti and steel bikes, asuming that you've not made radical changes in geometery? Is this the wave of Strong Frames future, or will one-off steel and Ti remain the balance of your work?

[Carl S]

how does the bike ride compare with your own work in ti and steel bikes, asuming that you've not made radical changes in geometery? Is this the wave of Strong Frames future, or will one off steel and Ti remain the balance of your work?

Hi Andy, carbon definitely has a different feel than the metal bikes. It's very smooth and stiff but it lacks the springiness of steel or titanium. I wouldn't say it's better or worse, just different. Depending on a persons preference they may prefer one material over the other but I like them all.

I don't think that carbon fiber is the wave of Strong Frames future. It's just an addition to what I offer and I expect it will always make up a small percentage of what I build. For most of my customers steel or titanium will fit their priorities better but there will be some for which carbon fiber will be a great fit. My guess is that my percentages will be around 50% titanium, 40% steel and 10% carbon fiber.