M_V's multitude of bikes and adventures in the land of framebuilding

That is cool.

I think that Raptor coat stuff has to be shot out of a proper paint gun though. It was one of the ones I looked at last time I looked into it.

I really like the orange peel hammerite finish you got on that bike. It's perfect for a beater bike. So much better looking than a cheap rattle can job and probably easier to apply and about the same cost

And harder wearing!

Yeah I’m a big hammerite fan.

Would like to try some other hammered paints, I hear the rustoleum stuff is good.

Definitely prefer the green Hammerite to the black, seems to go on a lot smoother. Another benefit of it is that it’s a lot easier to clean off than powdercoat and they texture makes it pretty easy to blend in touch ups and bird you’ve repainted after doing more brazing to etc.

I picked up a second hand cargo frame this week with some peeling cream powder coat in places. I plan to touch that up with the hammerite once i've wire wheeled the worst bits. wish me luck!

Nice, good luck!

You got a thread for the build?

I might photo as I go and upload it all at once. I've not decided whether I'm gonna put some snazzier parts on yet (all an exercise in vanity on a 30kg bike anyway)

Got my rose joints in the mail this morning so put the steering linkage together.

Had to make an extension for the tab on the ‘steered’ steerer as the short one I brazed on meant that swinging back and forth between full locks on the bars barely moved the front wheel.

Christened it with a 20kg load going to the post office.

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ahhh thats so cool. I dont have the space to put a cargo bike but would love to build one.

That's ace!

Got around to working on the GT that @Rik_Van_Looy sent me today.

Chopped both original chainstays out (only one was cracked but I wanted to get the dropouts out and figured removing the stays was the easiest way) and debrazed the dropouts.

I’d ordered a pair of single bend chainstays which were a pretty close match to the originals but then today I can’t up with a better idea...

The tyre clearance on the original chainstays wasn’t great, not like in that Surly 1x1 frame I made into a trials bike last year and rode like once.

You can see where this is going I’m sure so if you were butt hurt when I chopped it up the first time... ooh boy!

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Duck approves

This is excellent. So good to see

The original top tube from the 1x1 is in my little shopper type bike, the chainstays in this GT now. Going to be interesting to see how far I can spread it out!

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Got a spare TT for my Twenny in there somewhere? (👁)👃🏼(👁)👂🏼

Want the downtube? Hammerite might scrape off leaving the Surly paint/decals underneath.

Bought some WTB dirt drops from @Big_Ted and fitted them along with @edscoble favourite bb5 brakes (road version to work with the drop bar lever) to my mtb. Nicely surprised by how well the brakes bite.

Also swapped out the sus fork for the rigid Orange fork I have. Can really feel the suspension action of the big tyres with the rigid fork fitted.

Took it for a spin up to my mate’s last night and really like the change of position.

Steering is quite heavy with the short stem I fitted so might try a longer one and will eventually make a stem to suit the bike.

Rigid fork means I can fit a front rack more easily so can see me using this bike for camping missions now.

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Wait till you fitted proper compressionless housing and you’ll get a killer

The cables are bmx linear cables so I think they are as compressionless as Road/mtb stuff that’s sold as being ‘compressionless’.

I don’t know how “true” compressionless they are using both linear and helical steel together.

I'm not sure if this one has the helical. Looks really like gear cable when you cut it. I'll see if I have an offcut that I can strip back and see.

Quickly chucked the frame in building my mate together into a bike so I could dive it a round the block test ride.

Goes down the road in a straight line with no hand on so slapped some primer on it yesterday afternoon.

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Love the Frame!

Testride, I dream about that! :D

cool! are the seatstays fork blades?

They sure are.

I used (nearly) the same fork crown to tie them together as will be on the Steamroller fork that the frame will be built with.

*Nearly because despite the steamy fork being advertised as 38mm tyre max and this bring the ‘40mm clearance’ version of the fork crown, this one is slightly narrower.

Thought it’d tie the bike together to match the seatstays to the fork.

Adds a bit of weight but client wants to be able to fit a rear rack mounted child seat so I figure it’s a good place to over build.