Road Cycling - First Picture of my Bike (Warning! Graphic in Nature! PG-13)

Everything you want to know about this bike, and the guy that builds it (http://www.litman.com/bikes/eisentraut.htm) <-- click

Its kinda like an ultrasound picture of a baby.. Not pretty, but promising.. :) More pictures to come..

http://www.litman.com/bikes/eisentraut_headset.JPG

totally cool to see
they're sending you progress pics?
you ask me it's totally pretty (fascinating)
post more

totally cool to see
they're sending you progress pics?
----<snip>----



No I go there and take em my self..:)
I actually will get to help him with the build up of the bike (after the paint is cured :) )..

Ahhh, don't you just love old world artisanship. Whats it setting you back? Who are you getting to paint it?

Oh, learn to compress your jpegs too. 700k is ludacrous. I don't wanna be loading anything over 200k. :rolleyes:

Ahhh, don't you just love old world artisanship. Whats it setting you back? Who are you getting to paint it?

Oh, learn to compress your jpegs too. 700k is ludacrous. I don't wanna be loading anything over 200k. :rolleyes:

I'm not going to attempt to paint it myself.. I got to choose the color tho.. Solid Yellow (school bus yellow)

700k is big!.. Sorry. forgot to compress.. should be OK now..:)

Everything you want to know about this bike, and the guy that builds it (http://www.litman.com/bikes/eisentraut.htm) <-- click

Its kinda like an ultrasound picture of a baby.. Not pretty, but promising.. :) More pictures to come..

http://www.litman.com/bikes/eisentraut_headset.JPG

uh OK...what is this a picture of? Which part of the frame??? Details!

uh OK...what is this a picture of? Which part of the frame??? Details!

Looks to me like downtube, headtube and toptube.

uh OK...what is this a picture of? Which part of the frame??? Details!
Basically it is the headset tube (where the steerer/fork will goes) with the top and down tubes sticking out.. Noticed an Air hose nipple in the jig (top of the headset)? he's running air trough the frame while brassing it to keep it cool(er)..

I'm jealous that you get to be on hand to see your bike welded
much cooler than just seeing the pics
nice that you're having a hand in the building too
keep the pics comin

Basically it is the headset tube (where the steerer/fork will goes) with the top and down tubes sticking out.. Noticed an Air hose nipple in the jig (top of the headset)? he's running air trough the frame while brassing it to keep it cool(er)..
If he's using back-purge on this bike, he's using it to keep oxygen away from the heat affected zone. On a lug brazed bike typically no back-purge is used. On titanium it is required, on some steels, especially when tig welded, it is recommended.

I need to give brazing a shot. I can mig weld like a mother%$%*#$, but never got a chance to braze. I'd love to build a lugged frame. They're just so...pretty.

Mr. Sorebutt,

Sounds like a real dream bike! Eisentraut is a legend around here in the Bay Area (though I've never seen one in person)! We have so many great framebuilders in our neck of the woods -- besides Eisentraut, we have Grant Petersen/Rivendell, Bruce Gordon, Brent Steelman, Paul Taylor, and so on... I'm wondering what made you decide to go for an Eisentraut? And how did you arrive at a geometry for your bike -- was it your design or an Eisentraut one?

Please show us more pics of how your bike is coming along!

-Kevin (San Francisco)

Nice .. now what tubes are you getting and what lugs were used (if they are HJ I will start crying), is this Ag brazed ?

Mr. Sorebutt,

Sounds like a real dream bike! Eisentraut is a legend around here in the Bay Area (though I've never seen one in person)! We have so many great framebuilders in our neck of the woods -- besides Eisentraut, we have Grant Petersen/Rivendell, Bruce Gordon, Brent Steelman, Paul Taylor, and so on... I'm wondering what made you decide to go for an Eisentraut? And how did you arrive at a geometry for your bike -- was it your design or an Eisentraut one?

Please show us more pics of how your bike is coming along!

-Kevin (San Francisco)

after riding an aluminum bike for a couple or three years, I wanted a steel bike again, and I was seriously looking at a Serotta, as one of my riding partners is riding a 13 year old one and it is a great bike.
However, I had the opportunity to meet with Albert Eisentraut (socially) and also, a good friend of mine who is an ex pro rider and Olympic team member (Montreal Olympic) who knows Albert for many year recommended his bikes.
Now, Albert is known as the "fit" guru, and the way he works is by meeting you, interviewing you about your riding habits, take a ride with you to see how you ride, actually go on your bike for a spin, measure you, and then sends you home and tells you to come back in 3 months. Albert makes the decisions about materials, tubes, lugs, geometry, and size, I got to choose the lugs for the head tube, and the fork crown (Henry James), and the rest of the lugs he will select based on the geometry and tubes he will be using. He guarantees you will like your bike... :)
He will also put my initials (in sterling Silver) on the bike (not sure where).

Nice .. now what tubes are you getting and what lugs were used (if they are HJ I will start crying), is this Ag brazed ?

Some of the lugs are HJ, and I am not sure about the type of brazing.. I know he uses different type of brass and silver for each lug, based on the heat tolerance of the tube/lugs, the strength needed, etc...

Wow, you will have a great bike for many years to go. I had a Ryffranck build for me 10 yrs ago in the same fashion, and am still extremely happy with the result.
Cheers

Now, Albert is known as the "fit" guru, and the way he works is by meeting you, interviewing you about your riding habits, take a ride with you to see how you ride, actually go on your bike for a spin, measure you, and then sends you home and tells you to come back in 3 months. Albert makes the decisions about materials, tubes, lugs, geometry, and size, I got to choose the lugs for the head tube, and the fork crown (Henry James), and the rest of the lugs he will select based on the geometry and tubes he will be using. He guarantees you will like your bike... :)
He will also put my initials (in sterling Silver) on the bike (not sure where).

Mr. Sorebutt,

Thanks for the info! That really gives new definition to the term "custom fitting"! I'm really impressed with personal attention Eisentraut is putting into making a frame for a customer. I look forward to seeing how the bike turns out. Please keep us updated! I'm sure it'll be a wonderful ride!

-Kevin