Luke , I liked this build from the beginning !
Great to see it getting finished.
Mark
Great to see it getting finished.
Mark
BACK40 returns!
- Thread starter LukeTheJoker
- Start date
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That X-brace is a great fit to the frame design! And I like the extra support it provides as well.
Refresh my mind, what is the dimension of those tires again? I like the close fit to the rear triangle, these look like the max width / volume that would be usable.
Refresh my mind, what is the dimension of those tires again? I like the close fit to the rear triangle, these look like the max width / volume that would be usable.
I love it too, looking forward to finally finishing it!Luke , I liked this build from the beginning !
Great to see it getting finished.
Mark
Thanks OJ!
They are pretty large 26x2.5", I think you have a similar size on the back of your build?
2.5" is absolute max for the frame, you could not get any bigger in there and keep the chainstays that short! It has 1mm from the tread knobs to the flat plate there and only 2mm from the plate to the chainring...
For me the short chainstays wins over a bigger tire any day anyway!
It would be possible to build one to fit bigger tires, but it would need a wider BB and wider rear hub to suit, and then you are pretty much talking a fatbike anyway...
Got the brake mounts done today.
I am used to making the IS style mounts, so switching to post mounts was a change for me, in the end I grabbed some 6mm extended nuts and used them to base my mounts off. Very happy with the results, no rubbing, perfectly centred and plenty of adjustment. I think I like post mounts now...
Front was pretty easy, just welded the nuts to a 20mm wide piece of 5mm plate and welded that to the fork:
Rear was a bit harder as it had to be mounted off the sliding dropout, but it ended up fairly straightforward in the end, I probably could have taken more steel out of it, but it needs to match the rest of the bike:
Here is the bike as it sits now, just need to run some cables, final test ride, then blow it apart for paint:
Looking forward to feeling the bite of those 203mm discs and sintered copper pads!
I am used to making the IS style mounts, so switching to post mounts was a change for me, in the end I grabbed some 6mm extended nuts and used them to base my mounts off. Very happy with the results, no rubbing, perfectly centred and plenty of adjustment. I think I like post mounts now...
Front was pretty easy, just welded the nuts to a 20mm wide piece of 5mm plate and welded that to the fork:
Rear was a bit harder as it had to be mounted off the sliding dropout, but it ended up fairly straightforward in the end, I probably could have taken more steel out of it, but it needs to match the rest of the bike:
Here is the bike as it sits now, just need to run some cables, final test ride, then blow it apart for paint:
Looking forward to feeling the bite of those 203mm discs and sintered copper pads!
The Renaissance Man
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Looks great!
BACK 40 is almost a reality! This WBO was a perfect opp to let us watch you finish off this kool klunker build.
I still like the raw, rusty look of it as it sits....but you already guessed that!
What color are you thinking for the cable housing? Got any white or yellow in stock? Possibly match the saddle brown...?
I still like the raw, rusty look of it as it sits....but you already guessed that!
What color are you thinking for the cable housing? Got any white or yellow in stock? Possibly match the saddle brown...?
I have plain black... The brown saddle has thrown the design out a bit, it was meant to be all monochrome (white, grey, black) aside from the yellow spokes and pedals to add a pop... I might end up switching seats with my Mastersports and put that black Geyes leather saddle on Back40... The brown Velo saddle should tie in with the gumwalls on the Mastersports.BACK 40 is almost a reality! This WBO was a perfect opp to let us watch you finish off this kool klunker build.
I still like the raw, rusty look of it as it sits....but you already guessed that!
What color are you thinking for the cable housing? Got any white or yellow in stock? Possibly match the saddle brown...?
Got the brakes all hooked up!
I wanted to use these vintage DiaCompe levers:
But they only pull around 1/2" of cable, so had to change them out to these no name and no style ones I pulled off a Giant Elwood:
Went for a test ride and the brakes are great! Nice control and feel but heaps of bite when it is needed too.
Was finally able to get it up to speed too, the 30/14 gearing is pretty good, it is easy to top it out on flat ground, but still maintains a decent cruising speed and is low enough for some climbing...
Ran the cables with the FlexRoute cable guides, those are very cool!
I wanted to use these vintage DiaCompe levers:
But they only pull around 1/2" of cable, so had to change them out to these no name and no style ones I pulled off a Giant Elwood:
Went for a test ride and the brakes are great! Nice control and feel but heaps of bite when it is needed too.
Was finally able to get it up to speed too, the 30/14 gearing is pretty good, it is easy to top it out on flat ground, but still maintains a decent cruising speed and is low enough for some climbing...
Ran the cables with the FlexRoute cable guides, those are very cool!
Glad to see the FlexRoute guides in use. I had that as an option and will likely use them in the future. Just couldn't resist the challenge of 'patina' on a stainless cable tie...
Glad to see the FlexRoute guides in use. I had that as an option and will likely use them in the future. Just couldn't resist the challenge of 'patina' on a stainless cable tie...
You will find the Flexroutes are cool when you do try them! Even better than welded on cable guides because they stop the cable housing shifting as well...
Good job on the custom post-mounts for the disc calipers Luke. I think it may be a 1st here. You could have gotten away with 160mm rotors, but have to admit the 200's look pretty cool.. Getting close!
Getting close!
I really like the look of the frame on this bike.
They sure do pull up well!Good job on the custom post-mounts for the disc calipers Luke. I think it may be a 1st here. You could have gotten away with 160mm rotors, but have to admit the 200's look pretty cool..
Using the 6mm extended nuts made the mounts very easy!
Thanks SSG! I am trying to work out a way I could re-design it to be easier to build, then I could offer them for sale, but the curved seattube and the complexity of the bottom bracket mounts is just so much work!
The length of the seattube means it wont fit in standard postal sizes either so that means post would be over $200, so I probably wont pursue it...Update for today:
You know what that means! Getting ready for paint!
I have a bit of cleanup on the frame and a lot of sanding to get rid of the rust, but I am leaving that until the day comes to paint it, I don't want the rust to come back and have to do again...
I wont be painting the handlebars or cranks, I don't want this to look perfect, it needs to have some wear so I am not scared to ride it hard...
Got the battery that runs my Toyota 12R powered compressor on charge too:
Have not charged it since doing the FlipTheScript trike, so it needed a top up. One day I will get around to hooking up the alternator on the motor...
Thanks G-Matt!
I'm doing a lot of planning and designing at the moment coming up with frame designs that I can build, as most of you know, I am a fan of big frames on little wheels, for instance these three builds:
I was planning an oversize BMX frame with similar geometry to a Mongoose Moosegoose, when I suddenly had a thought, what would 'Back40' look like in a 20" version?
I present 'Back20'!
I was planning an oversize BMX frame with similar geometry to a Mongoose Moosegoose, when I suddenly had a thought, what would 'Back40' look like in a 20" version?
I present 'Back20'!
I know you already swapped the brake levers, but... if you swap the brake calipers out for a set designed to work with road levers, Avid BB7 road or TRP Spires, they will work with the old school dia compe levers as the road levers pull the same amount of cable. Mtn disc calipers are designed to work with v-brake levers which pull more cable.
Sent from my SM-G550T1 using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G550T1 using Tapatalk
That is good to know!
I might chase up some BB7's to match those levers for a future build.
Pretty happy with the performance of the Aquila's on Back40, really nice feel...
BACK20 looks awesome! Now, make it a 'breakdown' frame (like the Ritchey Breakaway), and you will sell millions!
Whole bike fits in a bike shipping box.....cool version of the old folding bike.
Whole bike fits in a bike shipping box.....cool version of the old folding bike.
Cool thinking, but it would be hard to incorporate that with looptubes!
