roughrider504

Anybody ever weld a step to the left chainstay? Does it make it easier to climb up? I am building a tall bike with a 60cm bottom frame, so my 5'9 self may need a little help climbing up. This is also my first tall bike.

wethepeople

I would think it would flex and stress the bike a lot.

hockeyteeth

Use the 60cm for the top frame and find a smaller frame for the bottom.

Some of my friends mount their tallbikes by wedging one foot above the bottom bracket shell of the lower frame and then stepping on the pedal with the other foot. You obviously need some momentum for this method to work though.

But seriously, find a smaller frame to use on the bottom. It will be easier to mount and be much safer.

roughrider504

Both of my frames are 60cm. I'll give the 60's to the co-op and look for some smaller ones I guess.

hockeyteeth

The co-op wouldn't be willing to trade a 60cm for a smaller one?

roughrider504

I work there so much they would just give it to me, but I am going to trade them.

I am thinking of making one out of two 20's since this one will be too tall. I was talking to an owner of a tallbike, and he said those are really fun and good to start with. That or a 24' would be cool. Anyone ever made one of these?

wethepeople

I wouldn't make one out of two BMX's, kinda defeats the purpose of a tallbike.

roughrider504

Well, yeah. A full size one would be more fun. A 50cm-ish bottom frame should be easy enough to ride. One question- The TT length has to be exactly the same on both bikes correct?

wethepeople

nope.

roughrider504

Oh I figured it out. Since the bottom bike is a mens, you just weld the top bike to the TT wherever it lines up. thats easy enough.

wethepeople

Yup, and make absolute sure the headtube angles are the same.

basscadetz

a step? bah! thats like having brakes! right foot left pedal downward position push push push hop on - ride.

Gurgus

I was thinking about building a tall bike with a step through frame on top just for ease of mounting.

frameteam2003

This one is a bit too tall for me to mount with out some help--I use the curb

sam

mastershake916

Wow, what a Beauty.

Also I'm wondering, would is be possible to have some sort of joint or gear that enables the top head tube to be vertical?

basscadetz

this is a pretty normal occurance. mine is like this.

hockeyteeth

Awesome tallbike, frameteam! I like the way you joined the two head tubes.

East Hill

I like the subtle paint job including the rear sprocket, accented by the chrome (?) front cog which closely resembles a pie plate. Very very nice.

East Hill

roughrider504

I just mocked it up, and with the 60 cm bottom frame the pedal is 25'' off the ground at the bottom of its stroke. It don't look too tall when I look at it, but I don't know really. 25'' is somewhat safe?

wethepeople

It's a tallbike, it isn't safe either way.

roughrider504

Found 2 real junkers to make a tallbike out of today. It will need a paintjob and a half.

I was going to use a pipe to join the bottom and top forks, but they both had stuck stems so I couldn't use them. Now I am basically just going to make a super long fork that goes through both bikes with bearings on top and bottom. Mocked it up [the headtubes look off because the top bike is leaning on the tube.]

Oh yeah, I need to chop the seatube extension off the bottom bike.

hockeyteeth

Looks like you let Michael J. Fox take the photo with his camera phone!

Good choice with a mtb rear wheel. The width will make it a bit more stable at slow speeds. Did you try taking a hammer to the seized stems? You should try to do it properly, otherwise how will you get a headset on the top frame? If you have no headset the conduit just rattles in the head tube and makes for a very unnerving ride (I know from experience, haha).

roughrider504

I tried everything with those stems. It is ready for the welder, and you can see how I took the threads from an old fork to be welded onto the extension so I can run a headset.

mastershake916

I like those frames, what kind are they?

roughrider504

The bottom is a Roadmaster covered in various colors of paint, and the top is some american 3 speed frame.