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Correct, TIG tacked. I guess you could braze some tacks on there as well. I’m not really sure why it was done this way but it seems logical if you have the equipment.

Some more.

Some photos.

Days three and four done!

Wednesday we started by mitring and slotting the chainstays. This took a wee while as we are both using slotted dropouts and Matt’s attention to detail goes above and beyond ensuring that everything fit like an absolute dream. Then Matt used a TIG welder to tack the chainstays to the BB and dropouts. We then popped a wheel in the dropouts to double check alignment and clearance. We also popped in a BB and crankset to check everything fit as it should.

Throughout the day we also practiced brazing bits of tube a few times.

Today we sorted the seatstays. First they were mitred on the lathe with a hole saw to fit at the seat tube, and then hand filed on the other end to fit the dropout.

Next we practiced brazing with some more bits of off-cut and then after lunch ensured all of our tubes and brass brazing rods were throughly deburred and cleaned using sandpaper and acetone.

Finally Matt tacked both frames together using the TIG welder ready for us to start brazing tomorrow morning. Now we have some frames!

It looks like the course will be running over into the Saturday but as this is the first time Matt has run his workshop with two people simultaneously he was half expecting that to be the case. We will be aiming to finish off the bosses on Saturday.

Some photos.

Day two in the bag.

Started off with some brazing practice on a steel square tube followed by some offcuts of bike tubing. This was really fun. Trickier than expected but we were both improving each time we brazed some tubes together.

Next we finished off the front triangle by mitring the down tube. Matt does the compound mitre on the down tube by hand and watching him work a file was a sight to behold.

With the main triangle done we started on the chain stays. Matt had drawn up a cross section of our rear ends so we could see where our tyres and axles would sit in relation to the BB shell. From here we plotted the position of the cranks we would be using as well as chainring and dropout positions. We made mine have clearance for Omniums (if you can fit an Omnium, you can fit any track crank), and Gabi’s for a GRX 2x (even though she’ll be running 1x I wanted to have the option to run a double just in case). Gabi’s needed a cheeky dimple so we added that after cutting the stays.

Finally we did some more brazing practice on some tube off-cuts.

Ha! Can’t believe I forgot the butt checker!

Super Birkis!

More.

Day one done and it was amazing. Started off with a bit of half and safety over a cup of coffee and then moved on to looking at our tube sets, checking over our Bike CAD drawings and setting up the jigs. Matt has two jigs so we can build our frames simultaneously.

Next we started on the front triangle by cutting tubes on the lathe. I’ve never worked with metal before so I found this fascinating and Matt explained everything in a way that was informative and exciting. Ensuring the tubes all fit together took a surprisingly long time but we pretty much got the front triangle on both bikes cut.

Finally we spent some time learning how to braze. Again, this is something I’ve never done before. Gabi was a natural and was producing great results in no time. Can’t wait to get back at it tomorrow.

Tomorrow Gabi and I are starting a five day frame building course with Matty aka Rothair Cycles in Glasgow.

We’ll be building a frame each; she’s making a gravel thing and I’ll be making a road fixed/audax thing.

We’re both really excited, Gabi especially so as she’s previously worked at bronze foundries and sculpture workshops and enjoys making things and learning new processes and techniques. Not to mention we each get a frame at the end of it.

I’ll post up some photos as we go along over the next few days.

I’ve seen a couple on eBay before. Not sure if they were custom as one of the ones I saw had an extended headtube.

Edit: it’s still for sale https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326264070340?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=_Z4VHXENTr6&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Y1uf4QWXQNe&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Interesting. I’ll definitely check it out as a lot of our conversations while riding the tandem were about comfort.

I’ve never ridden a tandem before so can’t comment how this one compares.

Yeah, think you’re right.

Thanks, he built the frame himself. The back is super compact so that we can fit our respective partners on there.

A few more.

Just spent a glorious three days cycling around the North Pennines on my mates tandem.

Pedalled down from Hawick on the first day, then did a hilly day ride from the inn we stayed at, followed by a slightly different route back to Hawick. We even got in a bit of roughstuff up near Tan Hill and took in the Chapel Fell Road climb.

It’s hard going. Not sure if we are still both getting used to it (only our third proper time riding it) or if it was just all the hills. Either way, it’s a lot of fun.

Nice. How are you tensioning the chain on this?

It’s an Odyssey XL. It expands to almost double this size.

My saddlebag arrived. It’s glorious.

Yes, the Expedition I think it’s called? It was offered alongside the bag as part of a discounted bundle on the Carradice website.

Keen to see how it works out.

I’ve ordered my first ever Carradice this week, an Odyssey XL saddlebag along with the Bagman QR and the support struts. Looking forward to using it on my commute and not using a backpack. I have some Audax patches ready to sew onto it.

I’ve heard of people using estate agent sign type plastic to stiffen up the bases of saddlebags. Maybe something similar could be done on your roll?

A lot of handlebar bags have plastic sheets sewn into them these days for this exact reason.

How did you get on?

Currently sellotaping four £1 counts to a piece of card and writing a self addressed envelope…

Shame there’s still no plans to make a Hyper badge ;p

I’ve started stretching every morning which is helping but it feels like I’m trying to undo twenty years worth of cycling induced tightness.