Pinkbike Poll: Could You Build Your Own Mountain Bike Frame?
Photo: Steve Salter
Could you make your own mountain bike frame? I mean actually build a frame, from scratch. Mountain biking has always had a thriving scene of garage builders, riders who decided to pick up a torch and take matters into their own hands, but tackling a project like that is often easier said than done.
Along with needing to figure out how to weld or lay up carbon, there's also the fact that we're living in an age of near-instant gratification, where buying is much, much easier than building. All it takes is a few clicks of a mouse or a tap on the screen and you can have your dream bike delivered right to your door without ever setting foot in a bike shop. But while being able to purchase a recliner, big screen TV and a bucket of cheesy poofs without going outside has its appeal, consuming will never be as satisfying as creating.
Not all handmade bikes are created equal, as this one from Cjell Monē demonstrates. Photo: Dave Rome.
It takes a special breed to build a bike from scratch. It's a labor intensive process, no matter if it's a steel hardtail or carbon fiber full suspension bike, and that's not including the time it takes to develop the skills necessary to actually create the thing.
Despite all of the hurdles in place, I'm continuously amazed by the creations that emerge from small shops around the world, everything from gorgeous titanium hardtails to futuristic-looking carbon fiber creations, equipped with a gearbox, of course. There are more resources out there than ever, and if you spend enough time in the bike building forums and watching instructional videos there's a good chance you'll find yourself inspired to build a bike of your own.
That brings us to this week's poll question: Could you build your own mountain bike frame?
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That said, I can accept that there are other reasons for wanting to build a frame such as for the art, feeling manly, or just pure passion for the sport.
If I had 6 months off work and a pound of ganja it sure would be fun to take a stab at it, right? Unfortunately my wife wouldn't allow me to do the former, and would sniff out and dispose of the latter, so unfortunately bike building is not in the cards for this guy.
Sorry didn’t hear anything else you said.
Just when I think I have a handle on all the different types and styles a new one gets thrown in the mix. Guess I’m ‘working’ from home on Monday!
There's a lot of very talented people who makes great things in their sheds but for rest 99% trying to make frame yourself is simple stupid idea
Of course all of that I just wrote won't stop us trying anyway
I know they have both in house for testing, and both are hard enough to demo that I’m eager to hear any comparisons I can find.
and sorry, accidently downvoted you
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYO3tOqDISE
This other guy tried to make a simple sandwich completely on his own, and it took him 6 months and $1500:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=URvWSsAgtJE
The point is we live in an interconnected society, where free trade and capitalism has made us infinitely wealthier than even kings from a thousand years ago.
The point of the story (100% true, BTW) is that just because Communism can crank out a high volume of something doesn't mean its worth anything. To read more, google how China increased their steel output to match England, as documented in Wild Swans (autobiography book)
Friedman never claimed corruption is only inherent to government systems, and that private industry is immune. He claimed quite the opposite. His insight is that all men are corrupt/corruptible, and that competition & voluntary exchange is the best way two keep the corruption of Man in check. Government, a violence-enforced Monopoly, is the greatest tool a corrupt man can have to rule over his fellow men.
Seriously though, you could both update a bit. The dichotomy isn’t communism vs the totally free market in 2020; both are obviously
flawed. How about some Thomas Picketty?
Just close down all antitrust authorities for a year, and no „market“ whatsoever will be left, just monopoles.
And who should be the regulator, if not some entity whose representatives are elected by the people?
Again, without rules, there‘s no game. The market is always only what it‘s defined to be by given rules, and someone has to make and enforce those rules. And, naturally, it can‘t be one of the players.
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace, youHuhuuuuuu
For reals, whenever I am hearing this song I am shitting myself... One hell of a nightmare
There is but one way to win a conflict, with overwhelming and undeniable force. Period.
NONE have gone to war for "humanitarian" causes. They have gone to kill the enemy and all agents therein. You must remember, history is written by the victor. Thus, being as the allies won WWII Auschwitz was terrible while Hiroshima/Nagasaki are success stories. This would not be the same views if the Kraut's or Japs had won the war, history would be inverted, and we would all learn it in elementary school (and, would still be correct).
A good friend had her son leave for Basic Training (Army) just a week ago...he also did not enlist to be a humanitarian. He enlisted for love of nation and desire to serve and protect. I would hope he does not hesitate to act when and if needed, if that means one or one hundred thousand lives of the enemy/opposition.
Back to carpet bombing The guerillaS (which your villains effectively are) - have you ever heard of carpet bombing of the jungle in Vietnam ? Now it was jungle, we are talking about desert. What the Ef do you think precision bombing is for? Humanitarian measures? No. It is effective on all levels. Least own damage, least political damage.
I haven’t been to the army but I played a few computer games...
Please listen to a few podcasts with Jocko Willink, you may learn a thing or teo if your family failed to educate you.
How old are you? Please tell me no older than 18 and if so please tell me you are just a pot head.
Now, as for Scott who is in helicopter gunships, he has re-enlisted six or seven times now. He is just at 46yrs old and still can not figure out why they are sending in his .50cal "pea shooter" when we have "Bunker Busters" at the ready.
When I am spraing ants with bug killers I do not at all worry about the beetles....the same holds true for humans in war zones (declared or not). These stupid 20 year wars have got to stop. There is only one way, total annihalation.
I just explained you why you cannot solve anything with force causing exponential collateral damage. You are proposing using WW2 tactics in 2020. You are proposing doing something your own army And government knows is ineffective and does the exact opposite, not because of any high fly measures, but because it is the most effective strategy.
You are incapable of establishing the context and connecting more than a few dots. This also surely means you have no bloody clue why to bomb them or save them, or anything, you are just excited to pull the trigger because this is what you are raised to do.
Sorry, after a bit of a measure, you are not terrifying me, I’d love to have guys like you on the Eastern coast of Sweden or on the border with Finland. As much as I am also capable of empathizing with family of soldier Juri or Sasha getting off a little track in Sweden in hopefully unrealized future, I’d love you guys to shoot them right in the head. If you miss and it goes into spleen or knee, please shoot again, not out of mercy, out of pure practical measure. But please, don’t ever get Into any government or even higher military ranks. There’s always a millions of reasons why world looks the way it looks. What ifs... you may as well wish Mars was the size of Earth and it was habitable from tomorrow. For now I wish you all the best. Everyone has place in this world but it always sucks when kids say, I like when it’s cloudy because then drones don’t fly and I am not scared of dying. It takes a skill to say “yeah, so long it’s it my kids” - if the time would come, I’d say the same without looking back. Not everyone is capable of such mindset. You are incapable of putting yourself in other people’s shoes, the ideologica block is strong in you. You don’t know how you would react if you would go on a patrol And found half of a kid after the drone strike. You possibly could rationalize it into “not my kid” but you don’t know. Just like I don’t know if I could go out there and shoot someone, it scares me because as a perfectionist and geek, I could learn to like it... you don’t get good at anything without honestly enjoying it. Your buddies must enjoy shooting to people. You only need to learn to dehumanize them.
Please get as depressed as you only desire, make the best of it
In response to your points I think in recent years, with the U.S. having a president known for saying equally outrageous things, it has also unfortunately become more acceptable and commonplace for people to suggest things like this. People may also not be engaging with RoadStain aside from you because they know these things are wrong and absurd. Trying to reason with crazy usually just results in more craziness.
4 hardtails built and 3 full suspension frames done. Currently working on full suspension frame #4.
Obviously you are i independently wealthy and have all the free the in the world.
JUST IN CASE.......sarcasm.
Pics here
m.vitalmtb.com/community/Tony2125,46264/setup,40325
m.vitalmtb.com/community/Tony2125,46264/setup,40262?cpage=2&csort=desc&fbclid=IwAR2hxZvhX84cyFd1CkvPZkyDaE8q_zMSm3DDwsA6pcHgVKuWpSMuUvhk53I&page=2&scope=newest
static.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/sawyer031.jpg
www.instagram.com/p/B737HeMncAV/?igshid=1bc516j03mptn
I "helped" my Dad build a boat over a couple years when I was a little kid, it was an experience that has shaped my life. 45 years later, my Dad is gone but I still have quite a lot of the tools we used and a wooden roller tool cabinet he built. I have built quite a few things and always try to repair or rebuild my own stuff as much as possible. I have owned a 51 GMC and a 51 International pickup and run an old jeep as my main vehicle.
For me building and working on stuff yourself is really valuable, and I would like to try building my own bike.
I may have to wait for the appearance of the Grim Donut to get specs for a frame I really want though!
Now I ordered some kit for acethylene+oxygen brazing, and a TIG kit as well...
Most of you have no idea how hard this job is. "Oh you get to work your own hours", yeah, as in, I have a full grasp of all the tasks involved, and if my body allowed it, I would work 16 hours a day. Unfortunately that's a good way to get sick. Unless you have an extensive engineering or fabrication background, you WILL screw up your first ten frames. You will be keenly aware of every mistake. There are many days where I think, "man I should just go back to my regular job, that was so dang easy compared to this". The reason I keep going is I genuinely have a long term goal that has never been explored before, I have a certain style I'm aiming for that I have not yet fully realized. There aren't enough gearbox bikes and I'm making a new design that isn't new at all, it's based on seriously old technology. With a dash of carbon fiber thrown at it. "I'll just have to make the frames myself", is what I said to myself so innocently at the time. Oh, wait, turns out making carbon stuff is really hard to do consistently and safely.
If you have the motivation to build a frame anyway, what I can promise you that is positive is that you WILL learn something. You might learn a lot of somethings. That sense of rapidly expanding your mind is pretty stimulating.
I started by building hobby bamboo bikes, and as I was getting better I decided to cut one of my frames apart and look at the carbon lugs cross section. It was HORRIBLE. Fast forward many years, and now my cross sections look super snazzy when cut or viewing by X-ray, but that progress didn't just happen. Swear words were uttered, sweat was shed, blood was leaked, tears and fury and the realizing that just because you have mastered one career doesn't mean you know the first THING about another specialty.
All in all it was an eye opening experience, I learned to be way less judgmental of other people's jobs, I don't know what their life is like. If I was basically civil to low paid employees before, I'm downright kind to them now.
If you think your time would be better spent riding your bike rather than designing them... you're *probably* right. I press on for now because I have a purpose, and that purpose might evaporate at some point and I'd use my skills to make high priced race car parts or something.
There are so many awesome bikes out there that I'd like to ride that I don't see as much of a reason for 1 and even with bikes being reasonably expensive, it is still much cheaper to buy than build. So I doubt I'll ever build a bike.
Frame should be done by next year.Ha.
Reality says that to most, it's just not a priority.
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