Good Fellow

Hey guys, i would really like you help with this.

I bought a road bike frame from a bike swap meet. Its solid black, no make or model shown on the frame. I didn't get to ask the man who worked the stand who made it because they were packing up. It looks to be a newer aluminum frame with integrated headtube and a serial # on the BB that is 9-digits long and starts with a J, the rest are numbers.

I would like to put the bike together but i have no clue what its specs are. I've taken it to a few bike shops but they could not identify it. And as much as i'd love to get their help in getting the specs from it, they would want me to order the parts through them. That would make this project cost me a thousand bucks, if not more!

Does anyone have a clue what make this bike may be? I'd really appreciate the help!

Kimmo 

What do you need to know? It probably won't explode.

Put it on a scale, that'll give you an idea how fancy it is.

As for the specs, if you don't own a vernier caliper, you should buy one. They're like $10.

You can google up headset fit guides by Cane Creek (IIRC) and others.

Good Fellow

Its pretty light to me, but then, i've only owned steel bikes up till this frame. Ill have to weigh it later. And i believe the headset is 41 mm by 45 degrees (from my first trip to the lbs). Im almost positive it needs 700c wheels. But the guys at the shop made it sound like any part that wasn't "just so" would kill the frame.


I think all i need is an idea of what fork i need (its a 1-1/8 threadless, but im talking about its rake and such) and i can work out the rest from there. In all honesty, its seems like its a simple set-up for a road bike, down tube shift bosses, i believe it can use v-breaks, nothing to fancy.


I think if i had an idea of what fork and headset to get, i can just keep an eye out for good deals on the other parts.

Are there other parts on a bicycle that are very specific? Im still learning a lot about bike mechanics.

Good Fellow

And i might have a caliper, thanks for the tip!

dsaul

Check the Nashbar website. They sell a couple of unbranded aluminum frames. See if one looks like yours.

Bezalel

Just use a caliper to measure the tubes, the only precision measurement you'll need is for the seatpost diameter which are availible in 0.2mm increments most of the tubes will be in 1/8" increments.

The serial number on Nashbar frames usually start with NB. One of the common numbering scheme for frames made under contract is the start with the customer's initials followed by a sequence number (or date code and sequence number).

cny-bikeman

1. Do you mean headset??
2. If you don't know how to measure/determine specs you have a steep learning curve ahead of you to "put together" a bike from scratch, as there are multiple issues of compatibility with the frame and between parts.
3. Do you mean head tube??
4. You need to be more than almost positive, but it's unlikely that a frame built for a threadless h/s would take anything but 700c wheels.
5. Figuring out the fork blade dimensions is not a minor issue. Doable, but not over the Internet. Takes some measurements, math, knowledge of geomtry and the understanding the effect of trail.
6. Uh yes there are, and specialized tools as well, some that may be needed only once. www.sheldonbrown.com, www.parktool.com/blog

Andy_K 

There are a bunch of parts that can vary depending on the frame. Here's what comes to mind.

Headset -- It sounds like you've got that figured out, but when buying the headset be sure you know what you're looking for. Integrated headsets are available with 41mm and 42mm diameters, so double check the measurement. Also make sure it's the same for top and bottom.

Bottom bracket -- There are a lot of different standards, but it should be easy to figure out what you need from the shell width, diameter and threads (or lack thereof).

Rear wheel spacing -- It's probably 130mm if it's a road bike frame, but if it's touring it could be 135.

Brakes -- Does it take caliper or cantilever brakes? This will be obvious, but you didn't say which. If it's cantilevers things are easy, but if it's calipers then you also need to know how much reach you need. You can measure that once you have a wheel in the frame. This will also be a clue as to what fork length you need.

Seat post diameter -- There are a number of standards here and some are very close to one another. You don't want to confuse 27.2 mm with 27.0.

Good Fellow

Well dang, i think i'll need a more serious caliper then the small plastic one i've got.

Thanks for the input guys, i'll check Sheldon Brown's site for more info, but it seems i have a ways to go on this bike. But at least i wont be bored for awhile.

And yes, i get head tube and head set mixed up sometimes, my apologies.

arex

Get a cheap digital caliper at Harbor Freight. Not accurate enough for building an engine or something, but more than accurate enough to give you dimensions on a bike, in either English and metric. $15, tops.

Clawed

Let's see, he says what frame do I have but doesn't include a picture?

um, metal, bicycle?