Jay Carpenter's build

This was an incredibly fun bike to build, and Jay was a model customer. Jay left out no custom feature, he also put in his time doing research to figure out exactly what he wanted geometry-wise. He had his numbers pretty well dialed when it came time for his build, we discussed his steering geometry briefly, and then we had it, he never second guessed himself.
I actually really enjoy the first step in a build, that being the dialog with the customer about what they've been dreaming of. In Jay's case, this step went by pretty efficiently, and I loved it.
That said, however, I also don't mind taking the time to help the customer figure out something unique. The next two projects in front of me are for customers with whom I've spent some time, via phone and email, to come up with some interesting designs, at least considering what I've done so far. Nothing ground breaking, but a stylish twist indeed, each in their own way. They have been great examples of what I would consider the best way to design, they give me their ideas and I give my feedback as well as ideas of my own. The customer doesn't always agree with my recommendations, but I figure out why and learn what they really want. Establishing this connection is a rewarding challenge, and requires flexibility from both builder and buyer.
Anyway, on with Jay's build:

Jay's Single Speed features a custom option not yet listed on the price page, a wide bottom bracket shell with pressed in bearings, spec'd to the exact spacing for any standard external bb style crank.







Note the slight ovalization of the downtube (above), and the toptube (below)








The fillet on the downtube is purposely small on the bottom because this area will soon sport a box gusset.

















It has taken many attempts and a lot of sacrificed material to develop these chainstay forms, even though they look pretty cowboy, they actually do a pretty nice job of manipulating this specific Columbus Zona chainstay. As shown, I made one specifically for bikes with Slider drop-outs.

































Ode to the painter:
Keith put a brilliant finish on this frame, as usual, it's pretty much impossible to show it's full beauty in a picture, I think the best way to describe it is, intensely sublime. Keith does an outstanding job on all my frames, that's why I take my work to him. It's my mission statement to put as much as I can into each frame, that means investing in the nicest possible finish. Keith is semi-local to me (about a 30 min drive), which means the frame is boxed and shipped two less times, and I get a face to face working relationship, which can be a rare thing for a one man business. I also know that he is extremely environmentally conscious with the materials he uses, another important aspect of my quality control.



I need to clarify that Tony Perierra crafted this fine fork, I was sent the fork to go with the frame to paint. Not long after I received it I took an order for my fist thru-axle fork, this one set the bar high for precision.






In spite of a shoulder in need of repair, it appears that Jay can still get the wheels off the ground.



This is unfortunately just a "mock up", the steer tube on the suspension fork was a little too short to ride the bike like this. Even though the bike was designed to be rigid specific, it looks pretty dang good dressed this way, A couple builds down the road I'll be doing a bike very similar to this one, but designed around a suspension fork.

Frame Option: Internal Cable Conduit

I use the word "conduit" to describe this option because it specifies that the cable housing is routed through a stainless steel internal pipe, custom shaped and brazed into the frame. The progression of Jay Carpenter's build (above), shows some steps in the process of making internal conduit. There are other bikes in the world that have "internal cable routing", except this simply means holes drilled in the frame to feed the cables through, leaving the housings loose to rattle inside the frame, which creates an entry point for water, as well as a nightmare when attempting to change cables and housings.
The internal conduit option is becoming a popular one for my most current builds. Not only does it maximize the beauty of a frame, but also makes a very low maintenance set-up, the required use of full cable housing keeps the cable clean, basically sealed from water and grime.
The price of this option is $150-$300 per cable depending on how many frame tubes the conduit routes through. For example, the internal conduits on my orange bike (shown here), and Jay's bike inter at the front and go through the toptube, into the seatstays, and exit the frame near the drop-outs, so the price would be $300 per cable because it routes through 2 different frame tubes. Another example would be an internal brake line on a cyclocross frame, where the conduit only routes through the toptube. The price for this would be $150 because it only routes through one tube and is considerably easier to build.

Frame Option: Custom brake mount

This basically means any kind of mount I make from scratch. The basic frame price includes a standard disc mount on the back of the seatstay. Sometimes, however, there is an opportunity to enhance a design with something special, here are a few examples of brake mounts I've custom fabricated. Each one was specially designed for a specific frame (or fork), prices of custom brake mounts vary depending on the degree of difficulty and time involved.

Frame option: Paragon Slider drop-outs

Frame Option: 1 1/2" Round Drop-outs

These drop-outs can be a solid option for basically any geared bike. They're sturdy, versatile, and can be shaped, if desired, to blend with specific designs.

Frame option: CUSTOM CURVES

Custom curves have become an incredibly popular option on many of my current bikes. I have been able to offer a fairly descent variety, with only a couple different mandrels for a couple of different radius' and tube diameters. However, I am always gradually collecting ways to form tubes of all different shapes and sizes. Because there are no real "hard rules" as far a what I can and can't do, it's difficult to put a definite price on this option. I have it listed as starting at $100 on the price page, but each build has the potential to be totally unique, so I really need to hear what the customer has in mind in order to give an accurate price quote. For most bikes with some kind of custom curves, the additional charge ends up being between $100 - $200 possibly slightly less for something REALLY simple. It is my goal to offer variety to stimulate the customer's imagination so that they in turn can stimulate mine.


The lines of the bare frame above were inspired by a Ritchey "Plexus". That truly was the first frame I saw that made me think about possible ways to manipulate certain ride characteristics by encouraging the frame to flex in specific places with curves.



Another tribute to the Plexus concept (below).





The fork pictured here is a Titanium Blacksheep number.

Frame option: Integrated seatpost clamp

All of the integrated clamps shown here are accompanied by some sort of dropped toptube gusset, but you don't have to have one to get the other. This option is usually fabricated with a sleeve for double wall thickness, making it an excellent choice for added durability needs.
On the "strictly-bling" side of things, the sleeve becomes a canvas for some added expression with shapes, maybe even a hand-carved initial.