Titanium Swift frame, anyone interested?
#76
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#78
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I will have to assess the ride quality, and based on that, might start a second version.
I already have some ideas for improvement. Disc brake mounts might be one of them, so wheel size is an easy choice.
I already have some ideas for improvement. Disc brake mounts might be one of them, so wheel size is an easy choice.
for say a a 406 big apple Type tire clearance ..5~6cm
though then there starts to be big chain ring tooth clearances to be pressed into the outside of that DS tube.
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Snake stays are one of the enhancements in mind. In fact I tried to change the stays after building started but they were to far advanced to do it.
#80
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Been away for awhile and just now saw this thread. Man oh man is that frame beautiful. Great job there Jur.
I had a problem with my Xootr frame with the chain hitting the seatstay in lowest gear. Admittedly the setup it happens with has a wide q-factor, i.e. 135mm Deore hubs, front derailleur, bottom bracket with outboard bearings. So curved stays would be nice, as well as those extra cable guides for the front der.
I was thinking a bracket for a braze-on front der would be great, but then I thought about the folks running 60+tooth big rings....guess Xootr's clamp-on monstrosity is still neccessary for a front der setup. But wait, is that a boss for a cable pulley I see on the back of the seat tube? Does that mean theres a ti derailleur clamp in the works too?
I was thinking a bracket for a braze-on front der would be great, but then I thought about the folks running 60+tooth big rings....guess Xootr's clamp-on monstrosity is still neccessary for a front der setup. But wait, is that a boss for a cable pulley I see on the back of the seat tube? Does that mean theres a ti derailleur clamp in the works too?
#81
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I was thinking a bracket for a braze-on front der would be great, but then I thought about the folks running 60+tooth big rings....guess Xootr's clamp-on monstrosity is still neccessary for a front der setup. But wait, is that a boss for a cable pulley I see on the back of the seat tube? Does that mean theres a ti derailleur clamp in the works too?
So I thought that since the seat tube is a standard diameter at 34.9mm, standard clamps can be used. Still not nice though. My Moulton has a braze-on and I use that with a FD and 60T, plus a small spacer to get it set slightly backwards. So it works, hence a braze-on might be included next round. For now, I will hunt around for a suitable clamp bracket. There are some sleek carbon ones, but Ti would be much nicer. So far I am doing Ti everything. Almost.
[edit] Ah yes that is a pulley boss. So bottom pull can be done that way, plus there is an angled cable stop that might work for top-pull.
Last edited by jur; 07-02-14 at 06:26 PM. Reason: speling
#82
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Given the BB is in line with the seat tube the regular band on to Braze on FD bracket works fine, I'd expect ..
The bikes where the seat post passes behind the BB as the seat post is telescoped down ,
present different issues..
Then the FD has to be behind the seat tube , since the crank axis is behind the seat tube .
brackets are made to clamp on the tube , then..
The bikes where the seat post passes behind the BB as the seat post is telescoped down ,
present different issues..
Then the FD has to be behind the seat tube , since the crank axis is behind the seat tube .
brackets are made to clamp on the tube , then..
#83
Raleigh20 PugFixie, Merc
Just seen this Jur - what amazing 'never need another bike again' project. [envy]
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#84
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However, it deserves some slimline mudguards that hug the tyres.
Any advice?
#85
Raleigh20 PugFixie, Merc
Ok so I made some slim mudguards for my Mercton last summer; Recipe went something like this:
1) Buy some black PVC pipe - mine was about 2mm thick and maybe 2" round - sink tubing basically.
2) Cut it to a length that will fit diagonally into a domestic oven, and then in half along the length so you have two trough-like mudguard blanks
3) Heat up the oven to something low. I can't remember the temp but it was definitely lower than combustable temperature - something like UK gas mark 2 I think.
4) Put one of the blanks in. I put it on something flat and metallic so it didn't start to fall through the bars
5) When it seemed fully pliable (mine basically went flat and then started to curl up after maybe 10 mins) I pulled it out with some pretty sturdy gardening gloves and stretched it over a de-biked wheel with it's tyre fully inflated. My tyre was slick, but if it's grippy you might want to cover it with foil or something before using it as a forming jig.
6) Smooth the floppy bendy hot plastic over the tyre and keep it stretched with one glove at either end
7) Hold it in place until it's cooled. This is boring and easy to half-as$ but it will go out of shape if you give up too early. 10 mins should be fine - put on some music first
8) You now have your first mudguard blank. Mine was way too snug at the sides, so I put painters tape on it then put both it and the wheel in a truing device. Using a pen it was easy to rotate the wheel, find the centre, and then mark a good place on both sides to trim the guard to the required width, which I then did away from the truing device with a Dremel / Superfine glass paper.
9) Fit to your bike with hardware stolen from other mudguards, or if you're a particular glutton for punishment, with parts you designed in Sketchup and got 3d printed.
1) Buy some black PVC pipe - mine was about 2mm thick and maybe 2" round - sink tubing basically.
2) Cut it to a length that will fit diagonally into a domestic oven, and then in half along the length so you have two trough-like mudguard blanks
3) Heat up the oven to something low. I can't remember the temp but it was definitely lower than combustable temperature - something like UK gas mark 2 I think.
4) Put one of the blanks in. I put it on something flat and metallic so it didn't start to fall through the bars
5) When it seemed fully pliable (mine basically went flat and then started to curl up after maybe 10 mins) I pulled it out with some pretty sturdy gardening gloves and stretched it over a de-biked wheel with it's tyre fully inflated. My tyre was slick, but if it's grippy you might want to cover it with foil or something before using it as a forming jig.
6) Smooth the floppy bendy hot plastic over the tyre and keep it stretched with one glove at either end
7) Hold it in place until it's cooled. This is boring and easy to half-as$ but it will go out of shape if you give up too early. 10 mins should be fine - put on some music first

8) You now have your first mudguard blank. Mine was way too snug at the sides, so I put painters tape on it then put both it and the wheel in a truing device. Using a pen it was easy to rotate the wheel, find the centre, and then mark a good place on both sides to trim the guard to the required width, which I then did away from the truing device with a Dremel / Superfine glass paper.
9) Fit to your bike with hardware stolen from other mudguards, or if you're a particular glutton for punishment, with parts you designed in Sketchup and got 3d printed.
__________________
My Raleigh Twenty site | foldr : A flickr pool | #6460, #5632 & #3407 on the fixedgeargallery
My Raleigh Twenty site | foldr : A flickr pool | #6460, #5632 & #3407 on the fixedgeargallery
#86
Raleigh20 PugFixie, Merc
Oh and PS - my new ride-to-work-along-the-canal-or-chuck-it-on-the-train bike - bargain echobay TSR27.
In battleship grey.
In battleship grey.
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My Raleigh Twenty site | foldr : A flickr pool | #6460, #5632 & #3407 on the fixedgeargallery
My Raleigh Twenty site | foldr : A flickr pool | #6460, #5632 & #3407 on the fixedgeargallery
#88
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Ok so I made some slim mudguards for my Mercton last summer; Recipe went something like this:
1) Buy some black PVC pipe - mine was about 2mm thick and maybe 2" round - sink tubing basically.
2) Cut it to a length that will fit diagonally into a domestic oven, and then in half along the length so you have two trough-like mudguard blanks
3) Heat up the oven to something low. I can't remember the temp but it was definitely lower than combustable temperature - something like UK gas mark 2 I think.
4) Put one of the blanks in. I put it on something flat and metallic so it didn't start to fall through the bars
5) When it seemed fully pliable (mine basically went flat and then started to curl up after maybe 10 mins) I pulled it out with some pretty sturdy gardening gloves and stretched it over a de-biked wheel with it's tyre fully inflated. My tyre was slick, but if it's grippy you might want to cover it with foil or something before using it as a forming jig.
6) Smooth the floppy bendy hot plastic over the tyre and keep it stretched with one glove at either end
7) Hold it in place until it's cooled. This is boring and easy to half-as$ but it will go out of shape if you give up too early. 10 mins should be fine - put on some music first
8) You now have your first mudguard blank. Mine was way too snug at the sides, so I put painters tape on it then put both it and the wheel in a truing device. Using a pen it was easy to rotate the wheel, find the centre, and then mark a good place on both sides to trim the guard to the required width, which I then did away from the truing device with a Dremel / Superfine glass paper.
9) Fit to your bike with hardware stolen from other mudguards, or if you're a particular glutton for punishment, with parts you designed in Sketchup and got 3d printed.

1) Buy some black PVC pipe - mine was about 2mm thick and maybe 2" round - sink tubing basically.
2) Cut it to a length that will fit diagonally into a domestic oven, and then in half along the length so you have two trough-like mudguard blanks
3) Heat up the oven to something low. I can't remember the temp but it was definitely lower than combustable temperature - something like UK gas mark 2 I think.
4) Put one of the blanks in. I put it on something flat and metallic so it didn't start to fall through the bars
5) When it seemed fully pliable (mine basically went flat and then started to curl up after maybe 10 mins) I pulled it out with some pretty sturdy gardening gloves and stretched it over a de-biked wheel with it's tyre fully inflated. My tyre was slick, but if it's grippy you might want to cover it with foil or something before using it as a forming jig.
6) Smooth the floppy bendy hot plastic over the tyre and keep it stretched with one glove at either end
7) Hold it in place until it's cooled. This is boring and easy to half-as$ but it will go out of shape if you give up too early. 10 mins should be fine - put on some music first

8) You now have your first mudguard blank. Mine was way too snug at the sides, so I put painters tape on it then put both it and the wheel in a truing device. Using a pen it was easy to rotate the wheel, find the centre, and then mark a good place on both sides to trim the guard to the required width, which I then did away from the truing device with a Dremel / Superfine glass paper.
9) Fit to your bike with hardware stolen from other mudguards, or if you're a particular glutton for punishment, with parts you designed in Sketchup and got 3d printed.

#89
Senior Member
sorry to go off topic but littlepixel this is for you - I have been looking at your link for Raleigh twentys etc, I work in Newcastle upon tyne for a charity that recycle bikes, recyke-y-bike.org and we send bikes to Africa from public donations, we fix them up and send them over but also we sell decent bikes to the public and we get many old bikes in, currently we have a few twentys, stowaways and a nice dawes kingpin in there, most of them shoved in the piles with the rest but lots of nice examples that need tlc to get them back to great condition, currently there an afterthought but I love the 20 inch wheel bikes in general so feel that someone into these types of bikes should know whats there if I get the chance tomorrow I will get some pics as I volunteer there one day a week to do rebuilds and scrapping.
#90
Raleigh20 PugFixie, Merc
@dezzie - sounds interesting- they're selling for quite a lot again (mainly to shoreditch media types) down here in london - maybe they need a quick fix up and a train to Kings Cross via ebay?
I can't warrant one for myself I'm afraid - I have two already and a third frame awaiting its fate already in the tiny shed of doom
@jur - glad I could help. My 9 point version didn't quite include the one or two failures as I figured out the process but pipe is super cheap and I bet you'll get there. If you have lots of 406 tyres about it might be good to use a bigger one as a former than the one you want to use as you'll get more usable clearance without having to tension it to be a bit bigger using the stays.
@BruceMetras - You're too kind. I just couldn't spring for Moulton guards in case they didn't work so I basically had to go bespoke. I should probably go into business since Brompton refuse to do anything other than their wide silver ones which just don't look modern or sporty. (a definite mark down if you're a city boy who's just sprung for a Ti raw lacquer S model.
I can't warrant one for myself I'm afraid - I have two already and a third frame awaiting its fate already in the tiny shed of doom
@jur - glad I could help. My 9 point version didn't quite include the one or two failures as I figured out the process but pipe is super cheap and I bet you'll get there. If you have lots of 406 tyres about it might be good to use a bigger one as a former than the one you want to use as you'll get more usable clearance without having to tension it to be a bit bigger using the stays.
@BruceMetras - You're too kind. I just couldn't spring for Moulton guards in case they didn't work so I basically had to go bespoke. I should probably go into business since Brompton refuse to do anything other than their wide silver ones which just don't look modern or sporty. (a definite mark down if you're a city boy who's just sprung for a Ti raw lacquer S model.
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My Raleigh Twenty site | foldr : A flickr pool | #6460, #5632 & #3407 on the fixedgeargallery
My Raleigh Twenty site | foldr : A flickr pool | #6460, #5632 & #3407 on the fixedgeargallery
Last edited by LittlePixel; 07-07-14 at 06:41 PM.
#91
my nice bike is at home
Now: back on topic.
Last edited by kraftwerk; 07-08-14 at 11:21 AM.
#92
my nice bike is at home
#93
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Right. I got the Ti Swift in my grubby hands.
Some quick mass measurements,
Rear triangle: 0.9kg
Main frame: 1.0kg
That makes it a tad lighter than the early aluminium frame, and about 0.7kg lighter than the current aluminium frame. That is with the over-designed main frame. I am impressed.
Some quick mass measurements,
Rear triangle: 0.9kg
Main frame: 1.0kg
That makes it a tad lighter than the early aluminium frame, and about 0.7kg lighter than the current aluminium frame. That is with the over-designed main frame. I am impressed.
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Any comments on how circular head tube is, BB easy to thread (not distorted), otherwise frame alignment? Seems like might have been a little different for them to get this on a normal jig that they'd have used for such given its sizing.
What fork are you planning to use with this? Trusting the one off fab for the frame is one thing, the fork is a little different.
Nice work.
What fork are you planning to use with this? Trusting the one off fab for the frame is one thing, the fork is a little different.
Nice work.
Right. I got the Ti Swift in my grubby hands.
Some quick mass measurements,
Rear triangle: 0.9kg
Main frame: 1.0kg
That makes it a tad lighter than the early aluminium frame, and about 0.7kg lighter than the current aluminium frame. That is with the over-designed main frame. I am impressed.
Some quick mass measurements,
Rear triangle: 0.9kg
Main frame: 1.0kg
That makes it a tad lighter than the early aluminium frame, and about 0.7kg lighter than the current aluminium frame. That is with the over-designed main frame. I am impressed.
#95
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Any comments on how circular head tube is, BB easy to thread (not distorted), otherwise frame alignment? Seems like might have been a little different for them to get this on a normal jig that they'd have used for such given its sizing.
What fork are you planning to use with this? Trusting the one off fab for the frame is one thing, the fork is a little different.
Nice work.
What fork are you planning to use with this? Trusting the one off fab for the frame is one thing, the fork is a little different.
Nice work.
Frame alignment, well I am working on that.
Pics soon. Wheels aren't here yet. Neither are brakes and cables.