Do any frame builders work in alu? Just wondering (purely out of idle speculation, never going to happen before you mock me again) if it would be possible to have a new front triangle made up for an old FS bike.
I'd have it made with a larger headtub and seat tube, and be a bit longer in reach.
Or maybe if I knew how to weld I could hydroform a downtube like Colin Furze does with a jetwasher on YouTube then make the rest with normal tubes... hmm...
Over your gob binners?
Easier to do it in carbon maybe? Plenty of home made carbon full sus frames about, the rear end always looks the trickiest.
If you want a custom front triangle, I’ve seen BTR build one for a Lawwill back end (the owner is on here). I can’t see an alloy front end being much (any?) lighter or stronger or stiffer without elaborate manufacturing techniques.
can’t see an alloy front end being much (any?) lighter or stronger or stiffer without elaborate manufacturing techniques.
Doesn't need to be any of those things. But it could be a different shape.
From what I’ve heard it’s much harder to get good alloy tubes in the UK and the processes to make an alloy frame aren’t as well suited to one-off manufacture (heat treatment etc).
It's the post welding heat treatment that's the issue with aluminium - both access to and cost of.
Steel or carbon are easier for 'one off' production as a result.
Surprisingly Chinese titanium (from the likes of XACD/Titan/Waltly) is one of the cheapest ways of getting custom frames built, I've seen replacement front triangle projects before...