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Step 14MOMENT OF TRUTH - FIRST RIDE!!!
Well the moment of truth has come. Did I learn from the first one? Did I leave anything undone?
YES and NO!
This one is SO MUCH LIGHTER than my first one. Probably about 2 pounds lighter. WAY LIGHTER in the front end with a lighter fork, and bars and stem. It feels so light in the front. Plus this bike actually fits me. I worked with a 54cm geometry last time and I typically ride a 56.
I took a trip to Rocky Hill in Exerter, about 13 miles east of me. Nice little grade, short but it's a test ride. I wanted to see how it would climb, go through the gears and decend. It passed all tests with flying colors. It goes amazingly! It's so nimble! Same smooth ride and I got out of the first frame, no creeks or cracks, or wobbles, or anything strange. I'm going to have the bike shop do a once over on everything before I get too crazy bombing down any hills, not that I'm nervous about the frame falling apart or breaking, just that it really is my first time hooking up all the components and I've seen what can happen if a crank arm falls off, or a brake falls off and gets stuck in the front wheel, or the fork and or handle bar pulls away from the bike!!! All bad stuff! But first impressions speak volumes! Ths bike has superceeded all my expectations.
My next frame will be built from scratch, on a jig... As I expect future builds to be of a full custom nature, hopefully for someone out there, maybe you???
Thanks for looking - now put all this essay writing garbage to use and get building!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YES and NO!
This one is SO MUCH LIGHTER than my first one. Probably about 2 pounds lighter. WAY LIGHTER in the front end with a lighter fork, and bars and stem. It feels so light in the front. Plus this bike actually fits me. I worked with a 54cm geometry last time and I typically ride a 56.
I took a trip to Rocky Hill in Exerter, about 13 miles east of me. Nice little grade, short but it's a test ride. I wanted to see how it would climb, go through the gears and decend. It passed all tests with flying colors. It goes amazingly! It's so nimble! Same smooth ride and I got out of the first frame, no creeks or cracks, or wobbles, or anything strange. I'm going to have the bike shop do a once over on everything before I get too crazy bombing down any hills, not that I'm nervous about the frame falling apart or breaking, just that it really is my first time hooking up all the components and I've seen what can happen if a crank arm falls off, or a brake falls off and gets stuck in the front wheel, or the fork and or handle bar pulls away from the bike!!! All bad stuff! But first impressions speak volumes! Ths bike has superceeded all my expectations.
My next frame will be built from scratch, on a jig... As I expect future builds to be of a full custom nature, hopefully for someone out there, maybe you???
Thanks for looking - now put all this essay writing garbage to use and get building!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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It really depends on what level to which you'd like to build the bike. You could build a single speed to a nice level for $300 - $400. You could build any number of geared combinations from $400-$3000 or quite a bit more... The frame alone could be built for around $100 - $200 depending on the tools you already have access to and whether or not you are starting from scratch. Bamboo - $30, Carbon Tow - $40, Bike Frame - Free - $100, Resin $30ish. Paint, well that's up to you if you even want to paint it? That could be more. You could buy a used bike already built up off Craigs List and tear it apart and build it back up? There's so many options. Time is the most valuable piece to this project. Plan on 50-60+ Hours on a frame!
Oh, if you want to get parts from scratch, go to novacycles.com.
It is fun riding the bike for all those reasons... I built it, the double and triple takes are fun and funny, and it is a dream of a ride! Smooth and responsive. Yeah, cutting up a bike is the toughest part for me. I bought a nice single speed SE Lager, was going to cut it up, but just couldn't bring myself to do it. I have to stick to damaged frames and or start building from scratch. It really depends on what I can do least expensively... It appears either way I'll be around $75 for the base materials, excluding bamboo and carbon/resin. Still around $100 total per bike.
I'm glad to hear you have had no shrinkage issues. I believe you'll be surprised and you'll have your frame longer than the 3ish years you expect. I do like Nova quite a bit. But their pricing policy is frustrating. On ly last order I was charged an additional fee because my base ordr was not over $50... And I was not told about this, it was on the billing receipt when the parts arived. So, just an FYI to buyers from Nova...
About the price of the bike build. Typically, the first one is the most expensive. The following ones are usually cheaper because of the excess supplies from the first. But whatever you do, if you plan on building more, use a stable jig. I'm working on getting one done now for future builds. I didn't use carbon tow for the first one and wish I did. I used regular carbon cloth and it didn't turnout as nice as yours. But now, thanks to you, I'll be using that on the joints and working with the rest of the cloths I have to build a full carbon.
I spoke to a guy a calfee today and he told me that the thermodynamic expansion of carbon fiber and bamboo will cause the joints to eventually separate over time. Have you experience anything like this? How much time and miles have you done on your bike so far?
Thanks,
Dan
I'm sure there is some truth to this though! Bamboo is (was) a live woody product. Ambient humidity and temperature sure can make a difference as bamboo expands and contracts with humidity levels. If you construct a structure in the wet season with the highest humidity where you live and then over the dry season it's hot and arid. You may sure have a problem. You built the structure when the bamboo was at it's largest diameter as it's moisture content was high. Then during the dry time the diameter of the poles will reduce. This could certainly become a problem over several seasonal cycles. Carbon does not expand or contract at the same time, so the bamboo could pull away from the carbon wrap. I would say then to construct your frame shortly after heat treating, having driven all the water from the canes. Build during the dry season. Or both!... If you build while the moisture content is lowest, the canes will have the best chance of staying put. They may expand, but cannot contract beyond the starting point.
When heating the bamboo I visually observe 2 things. First the canes do shrink in diameter. Sometimes quite a bit. As well, I see steam and water drops being driven fom the ends of the canes. There are a couple of things you can do to prevent the canes from pulling out of the jointery. Cut small V's with a file into the end of the cane, not all the way around (so as to give the cane a perfect breaking off point) and not many of them. This will allow the carbon tow something to grab onto. Even with a bit of shrinkage, the joints would stay together,
To answer your question - I have well over 1500 miles on my first bike. It was constructed over the summer, when temps were 100 degrees F or higher (up to about 115) and with humidity percentage readings in the single digits (it gets hot here). I think there is little chance of any issues with that frame. I built this new bike in December, wet(ish) here. But, I really don't think I'll have any problems. Very high quality Bamboo on the most recent build! I guess we'll see this coming summer??? Remember in all situations the source of the information and any skew they may or may not have!
Calfee sells their frames for some serious coin. Call back and ask if and how they prevent this phenomenon with their own frames? I'm by no means bashing them - great company and people over there! They pioneered this current bamboo trend and do an absolutely AMAZING job!
Calfee said they switched to hemp fibers years ago because of all the problems they had with their carbon based bikes. I have switched to dried bamboo for my project. I think it may help to mitigate temperature related changes in size.
I had another question though about heat treating.
How dark is too dark at what point do I have to be worried about over treating the bamboo to the point where it will become weaker not stronger? Is there an easy way to test the durability of the treated bamboo?
Thanks for your help, I really want this project to work.
Dan
Forgive me, but I can't exactly answer that. I've not gone past a certain point in the heating process. I get to a color that I like and that's as far as I go. I'm sure you can over do it! As with anything, too much heat and you weaken the basic structure. If others have a solid answer I'm sure we'd all like to know. Chime in please!
Easy way to test the durability? Clamping pressure may be a way. Otherwise, again I'm afraid I can't be of much help here?
Going back to Calfee - my question with the hemp vs. carbon fibre - ultimately you use the same base material to harden both mediums. You use resin. The resin impregnates the fibers of both products and would not allow the expansion or contraction of either product. They are in essence "water proof". How would they explain why one was more or less acceptable than the other? Just a question... There may be more to it, like they use a different resin product that does allow for the natural expansion/contraction of the natural fibers, while retaining a rigid structure - though I am not familiar with any such product?
You raise good questions and I will search for some answers. If I am going to make a business out of this, these are some questions I should probably have answers to!