Yeah, the 39T unramped chainrings were £7 on CRC, I would have preferred a 36T.

I may have to change the cogs (11 – 18 – 24 maybe) on the back to suit my riding when I’ve tried it off road.

Chainline seems ok due to the cogs being shifted to the end.

I did think about that as well, although you would still need a tensioning device at the back which would add weight.

This was just from stuff in the spares box.

Why do people do this?

because:

Bit like an old Sturmey Archer but durable. Gears for up, down and along.

Weight increase is neglible due to the super lightweight shifter.

And don’t call me Shirley.

Have you factored in that she wastes 10+hrs a week in a car and you get to ride your bike?

Same situation here, I pay half the fuel.

The alternative would be to live inbetween our places of work and I would have to pay the same in fuel.

She earns 3k more than me.

Sadly this is a couple (maybe 3) years old and I bought it off a mate… not sure I could send it back in its current state!

Well the elastic band lasted about ten minutes..

Evo edition featuring the ‘pro spring’

Finished with ‘stealth’ permanent marker

22+ miles each way, with a big hill (Haldon) inbetween.

Usually 1hr15 in (taking it easyish) and 1hr30 back (again, taking it easy)

I’ve been managing it twice a week for the past month, really look forward to it when it’s dry, however last week I got drenched and it took nearly 2hrs to get back with a 20mph headwind!

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Tea Time[/url] by Mike Davies Canon S95/40D[/url], on Flickr

..or fix it
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/x9-x0-frankenmech

http://www.fibre-lyte.co.uk/

Click on the pic of the bike on the left and follow the link (gear mech plates)

Exactly why I ghettod one:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/deore-mech-polymorph-frankenchaindevice

We’re using a Komatsu to demolish an outfall on the river avon.

http://www.komatsueurope.com/komatsu-machine.asp?machine_type_id=1&prdt_id=417

http://www.mascus.co.uk/construction/used-long-reach-excavators/komatsu-pc-340-lc-7/xqqeooxj.html

Made a few ‘sheets’ of polymorph from the granules, cut them to shape using a stanley knife and then ‘welded’ them together (by dipping the surfaces I want joining in hot water).

Great stuff, have made a pretty decent helmet light mount from it amongst other things (although that really does have a chance of melting!)

Cheers,

I hope it does melt – it’ll be one hell of a summer!

Mine did this approx. 4yrs out of warranty.

I had to go through the place I bought it, but Extra were excellent, had it back within a week.

If it’s the ‘known fault’ i.e the rear triangle cracking on the CNC part by the bottom pivot, then it seems it doesn’t matter if it’s out of warranty.

They did ask to see proof of purchase though, if possible it might be worth asking the person who bought it to see if they can get it sorted…

Richmars,

Nice work, pretty much exactly how I was seeing mine come together in my head!

How much do you reckon you spent?

Hi Chief,

I understand the concerns you’re talking about, having made a canoe and a couple of surfboards I can confirm that they are not perfect, and in no way have I saved any money!

However, I’m happiest when I’m making something, and a bike seems like a good next project.

I would be suprised if I got any change out of £500 for a first attempt.

Facilities wise, garage/workshop setup, good selection of tools to make jigs etc.

Initial thoughts for manufacture are to ‘sculpt’ the shape out of medium density foam (like the type you shape surfboards from), fit hardware (BB shells, headset tube, dropouts etc).

Then either layup with CF/GF, wet out with epoxy then wrap with perforated tape to get rid of excess resin.

Or

Vacuum bag in sections, but I’m not sure about that, I’ve only every vac bagged on a plate/mould

Good point, although you can get the specifications for Reynolds tubing easily enough here which could be a good place to start?

Great, thanks

I can mail you some steel frame dims with related CEN info if of use. Tubes dims, approx geo etc of known or easy passes. Theoretical from models or actual, but actuals are often test to CEN + a percentage of cycles, not always to destruction so not sure how effective that is for reverse eng. Got the same for Al but tube shapes vary more so more complex to model.

That would be really useful jamesco, thanks: mike dot davies at aecom dot com.

I think you guys are right, get a feel of what a simple steel mtb can handle and use as a starting point/check to my calcs/design.

Good idea irelanst, it would require cutting up a frame to get the wall thickness though..

I’ve got a feeling that a lot of frames are made ‘off the cuff’ and then tested to make sure they are strong/stiff enough without much actual design going on.

What makes you think that?

Not sure… because it may be cheaper to do it that way? and once you have somthing that passes the tests there’s no question about its suitablity etc.

Thanks Loco, good idea to look into the CEN testing stuff.

Now safety factors… what would be sensible for a composite bike?..

I remember my composites module at uni, once you’d factored in material SF, loading SF, workmanship SF, Layup SF, Void ratio SF, etc etc you ended up with something like 17! (Civil structures)

I reckon that deflections rather than failure will be the governing factors on a composite bike…

Ride tomorrow morning? Have text you.

Marcus:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Syntace-P6-Seatpost-34-9mm-22667-/181042376796?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item2a26f7705c

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scott-Genius-Alloy-Mountain-Bike-Seat-Post-34-9mm-X-315mm-/190794284979?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item2c6c39bfb3

Pleased?

Yes, you can seperate the carbon cage plate thing on the X0, the X9 however seems to have been made as one unit, so it had to be cut out (completely destroying the mech)..

Shot of the X9-X0 ‘Splice’ interface beneath the steel;

Corners trimmed a bit @ Hamish’s request;

Awesome Johnny, it’ll just slice any rock in half that it comes into contact with!

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Hanchurch Service Reservoir Inside 2[/url] by Mike Davies Canon S95/40D[/url], on Flickr

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Smokey Joe[/url] by Mike Davies Canon S95/40D[/url], on Flickr

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Love Pigs[/url] by Mike Davies Canon S95/40D[/url], on Flickr

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Friendly Horse[/url] by Mike Davies Canon S95/40D[/url], on Flickr

Some of these photos I took using extension tubes, some using a reversed 50mm lens on the end of the extension tube, and some just using a reverse 50mm on the camera body (fingerprint, £1 coin, mosquito)

See table below for possible magnifcation factors.
(The fly is at 1.88x magnifaction)

Less light = long exposures = tripod

I have these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jessops-three-section-macro-extension-tubes-for-Canon-cameras-/121044742779?pt=UK_Photography_CameraLenses_Lens_caps_hoods_adaptors_ET&hash=item1c2ed4327b

cost me £40 from the bay and has connections for the lens etc.

Just an old monocular microscope that I got for Xmas when I was 12! (nearly 17yrs ago)

Similar to the ones half way down the page http://www.brunelmicroscopes.co.uk/student-microscope.html

Dslr on a tripod looking down the eyepiece, could be better quality if I had an adapter but it gives reasonable results.

Surface of a fly’s wing – the hairs are in the same order of size magnitude as blood cells!

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FlyWing 100x[/url] by Mike Davies Canon S95/40D[/url], on Flickr

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FlyWing 450x[/url] by Mike Davies Canon S95/40D[/url], on Flickr

Choice: Watch strictly come dancing or stab myself and take pic of my blood @ 450X magnification.

I think the cell in the middle might be a white blood cell.

[/url]
My Blood[/url] by Mike Davies Canon S95/40D[/url], on Flickr

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A Tale of Two Bridges[/url] by Mike Davies Canon S95/40D[/url], on Flickr

35mm B&W film digitised using a dslr and homemade lightbox;
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35mm Film – Whitsand & Helen[/url] by Mike Davies Canon S95/40D[/url], on Flickr

‘Focus Stacked’ Macro fly;
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Fly Eye[/url] by Mike Davies Canon S95/40D[/url], on Flickr

Good job maycontainnuts, I’ve designed many of them, never made one though! Just an observation; you may need sway bracing perpendicular to the face of the building (unless it’s not free standing and is tied to the building?)

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Frosted Tree[/url] by Mike Davies Canon S95/40D[/url], on Flickr

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Match[/url] by Mike Davies Canon S95/40D[/url], on Flickr

Messing about with a reversed minolta cellotaped to the front of the 50mm prime (yeh, I know, pro-level stuff!)

Don’t worry Edukator, I wouldn’t really chop his fingers off.

It would make me a bit sad though.

As a half-chink myself, I would ask Watsontony not to refer to me or my mothers side of the family in that way.

If he did it again I would chop his motherfunking fingers off.

Sounds perfect.

I took a Tracer VP to the alps this year which was good, next year will take the SS which should be even better.

Make sure it has been welded up properly before you buy; http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/crooked-intense-ss-frame-fixedbodged

Yeah, I did enquire to, they said I should come along to their Thursday evening ride, I asked where it was starting… Chudleigh… great.