Until I am actually living in Italy and riding my old bikes through the hills and gorging myself on local produce, I will have to look forward to attending L’Eroica. It’s on again this year, from the 30th September to 8th October and Peloton Cycling Tours can take you there with a great package. Book yourself a spot, take some photos, then come back and tell me how awesome it was.

From the Press Release: L’Eroica (‘The Heroic’). It’s recognized as one of the most significant and unique cycling events in the world. There’s nothing else like it. Vintage bikes (pre-1987), gravel roads, hills and the best scenery in all of Tuscany. This is not a race, but a festival and celebration of all the things you love about cycling. The spirit of the event and the riders is overwhelming.

There’s no sports drinks here, it’s coffee and wine. There are no energy bars, it’s cheese and meat. There’s no talk of personal bests, average speeds or wattage. There’s no STRAVA, no Garmins or any of that malarkey. You put on a wool jersey and a stupid hat and go for a ride. A ride back in time.

All 5000 riders are encouraged to dress in classic wool jerseys, wooly shorts, goggles and leather shoes. If you don’t own your own kit prior to the ride there’s a vast bicycle market in town selling a huge array of vintage clobber. To hark back to the glory days of Coppi, food stops are buffets of fruit cake, stews, and wine. All these details conspire to make L’Eroica the best catered and the most handsome ride in the world.

Fun, that’s what L’Eroica is all about. No one was taking this even remotely seriously. If you’re racing it, you’ve missed the point. It’s a chance to ride a classic bike, dress up in retro clothes and have a laugh. Some people match the vintage of their clothing to the vintage of their bike but for others it’s more of a hotchpotch. The main thing is that it falls into the broad category of ‘old stuff’.

Peloton Cycling Tours can guarantee entry into the event so you avoid the complicated entry system. We can organize modern classic and vintage road bikes. We take care of everything so you can enjoy this incredible event.

Tuscany is more beautiful than what you expect it to be. Explore rolling hills as you follow cypress-lined, winding roads. Sleepy hilltop villages hidden behind medieval walls. Peaceful farmland with age-old vineyards. The flavors of a cuisine that is as simple as it is delicious. Remarkable wines made with pride, following centuries-old recipes. The colors of a landscape that changes with each season. The rhythm of a life, still tied to traditions.

Tuscany has a magic that captures you and makes you slow down and enjoy the moment. Join us for a taste of this region, its wines, its food, and its people. Exceptional riding, beautiful landscape, delicious food, great wines and the locals’ charm will all blend together to create a trip of lifetime. Learn how to live la dolce vita.

This is your chance to ride the same roads as the greats, Coppi and Bartali. You’ll see parts of Tuscany that regular tourists will never see, but wish they had. If you’re made of sterner stuff, learn to appreciate the feel of Merino wool. If you happen to own a good-looking, pre-1987 steel-framed machine, the randonneur that is L’Eroica might be what you and your bike have been waiting for.

Get a group of mates together or bring your wife or partner. It’s not all about the bike, we have other cultural tour, including walking tours, visits to wineries and cooking lessons.

What’s included:
• 8 nights’ accommodation in a 4 star converted castle with Buffet Breakfasts & Dinners
• Superb guided rides with knowledgeable & friendly locals
• Visit the Tommasini workshop in Grosseto and see how traditional steel frames are made.
• Visit Crisp Titanium and see a new artisan creates beautiful titanium frames.
• Visit traditional Chianti winery estates to learn about the wine and do some tasting
• Take traditional Italian cooking lessons
• Walking Tours of Siena and San Gimignano
• Guaranteed entry into L’Eroica – (L’Eroica bikes can be organised)
• Visit the L’Eroica Fair. An amazing market filled with every vintage part or clothing you can imagine.
• (For those with larger feet (45+) if you don’t have vintage/retro cycling shoes, we suggest you source some before you get to Gaiole. You can buy shoes at the fair, but the larger sizes are hard to find.)
• All evening meals at the hotel or surrounding villages, plus 2 free nights to explore Siena and San Gimignona on your own
• Transfers to, and from, the train station
• A Tour cycling kit valued over $250: Jersey, shorts, vest, cap, socks and neck buff.

Contact Ashley Petit at Peloton Cycling Tours to book your place. Head to the website for more information and pricing.

Cycle EXIF supplies a daily dose of commuter bicycles, custom bicycles and classic bicycles.

Luca Campanale just emailed me with news of the movie he is just about to release about the story of Lino Messori, one of Modena’s master builders. The concept for the film lies with Paolo Chiossi, whose beautiful Italian bikes we’ve featured before. Have a look at the trailer, the full length film will premiere on September 22nd 2012, with a subtitled version being released soon after.

Cycle EXIF supplies a daily dose of commuter bicycles, custom bicycles and classic bicycles.

The Husqvarna motorcycle brand is now a subsidiary of BMW Motorrad, but can trace its lineage back to 1689, where it began life as an arsenal for the Swedish army. The first motorcycle rolled out of the factory in 1903 but as usual with motorcycle manufacturers, it was preceded by the production of bicycles. Husqvarna biciclettes are quite prolific in South America and this one, located in São Paulo, was fortunate enough to be given an exhaustive resurrection.

Paulo Zapella runs a bike courier business that serves the metropolis of São Paulo and whose base is conveniently located at the bike shop that performed the restoration. The Husky’s frame, forks and fenders were stripped and repainted with fresh pinstripes, while the head badge now gleams proudly underneath the capital H ‘hood emblem’. This bike belonged to the customer’s father and can be pre-dated to 1954, according the registration plate which was obligatory in São Paulo at that time.

No bolt has been ignored — the dynamo lamp was rewired, bars and hubs re-chromed, fresh wooden grips have been installed and a fully-sprung Brooks B135 saddle completes the look. Once Paulo photographed the final result, it’s ready for another 60-odd years on the streets of São Paulo.

Cycle EXIF turned two years old today and I’d like to thank everyone for coming along on the ride. It’s been a helluva trip so far, none of which would have been possible without the support of the sponsors, builders, riders, photographers and readers. Here’s to the next two years and more beautiful bicycles!

Cycle EXIF supplies a daily dose of commuter bicycles, custom bicycles and classic bicycles.

M. Kint is a Belgian marque who offer a fairly ubiquitous range of fiets, but few of their customers, even Cycle EXIF readers, will be aware that the founder of the company, Marcel Kint, was actually the longest reigning Road Cycling World Champion. Peter Gilissen, himself based in Belgium, lovingly restored this specimen that’s still more beautiful than any of the current lineup.

Marcel Kint started his own bicycle business in 1950 after writing himself into the record books as the longest reigning world champ. He won the series in 1938 and due to the second world war, was not contested until the event was again held in 1946 — a dastardly situation that, for Marcel, turned out to be most fortuitous.

Usually preferring the clean look of a more ‘naked‘ bike, Peter Gilissen went all out on the fully-dressed M. Kint. However, the frame, forks and the completely-rewired Bosch headlight are the only original parts. Peter maintained the clean lines of the bike by installing an Sturmey Archer S2C hub, offering two speeds without shifters and cables. Thanks to Peter for the scoop.

Cycle EXIF supplies a daily dose of commuter bicycles, custom bicycles and classic bicycles.

On Friday the 18th of May 2012, a 85 year-old man named Alan Oakley died after a long battle with cancer. While you may not recognize his name, you will surely be familiar with the iconic bicycle from the seventies that he designed: the Raleigh Chopper.

Mr. Oakley was 85 years old when he passed away in Nottingham, England — the home of both Alan and the Raleigh Bicycle Company. He was cared for by his wife, Karen, who fondly remembers the influence that Alan and the Chopper had upon Raleigh and the legacy of English cycling.

Patented in 1967, the original Chopper Mk1 was Raleigh’s attempt to woo the American youth market away from the Schwinn Sting-Ray. The Chopper’s precursor enjoyed a lukewarm reception in the US and Alan was sent on a reconnaissance trip to investigate the slow sales.

Alan concluded that a completely new design was required and on the return flight, penciled a sketch on the back of an Airmail envelope that was to become the phenomenally popular Raleigh Chopper. Initially inspired by Peter Fonda’s Easy Rider chopper, sales exceeded 1.5 million units in the UK alone which was enough, it was purported, to save Raleigh from bankruptcy.

The Mk1 was modified later to become the Mk2: the shifter changed from a knob to a T-bar, the seat was moved forward to resist ‘involuntary wheelies’ and the handlebars were welded to the stem. Apparently kids were adjusting them aft, which rendered the bike nearly ‘unsteerable’.

The Chopper ceased production in 1981, but not before appearing in the opening scenes of On Any Sunday and providing inspiration for the forthcoming behemoth of bicycle motocross.

This particular Mk1 was first owned by Gerry Lauzon, who found it in a dumpster and restored it to the condition seen here. He then sold it to a bike shop in Montreal and within minutes was purchased by Peter Schwar as a present for his son. He photographed it beautifully on film before selling it on eBay — to a buyer in the Chopper’s spiritual home, England.

R.I.P. Alan Oakley — Cycle EXIF salutes you! Special thanks to Peter Schwar for the fine photography. See more in his flickr set.

Cycle EXIF supplies a daily dose of commuter bicycles, custom bicycles and classic bicycles.

Well, here it is: The final result of Paul Brodie’s step-by-step tutorial that we’ve had the pleasure of reading over the last week. Right now it’s located in the Sacramento Convention Center for the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, exhibited as part of the University of the Fraser Valley’s booth. Paul teaches Framebuilding 101 at UFV. For more information on the course, where you can learn how to build a hardtail steel bicycle frame using Paul’s original jigs that have built over 4000 frames, visit the UFV website, or have a chat with Paul and the guys at NAHBS.

Now, I’ll let Paul’s good friend, Mike Freda’s photos do the talking:

Previously:
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #1
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #2
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #3
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #4
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #5
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #6
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #7
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #8

Cycle EXIF supplies a daily dose of commuter bicycles, custom bicycles and classic bicycles.

We’re approaching the last episode in Paul Brodie’s instructional series as he takes us through the steps involved in rebuilding one of the most complicated classic bicycles you’ve seen. By the time you read this, the North American Handmade Bicycle Show at the Sacramento Convention Center will be a roaring throng of boutique bicycle lovers, and in the middle of it all will be Paul’s re-created 1888 full-suspension Whippet.

“I have quite a few photos of the Whippet sitting in the Ottawa Museum of Science and Technology. It’s under plastic, sitting up in the mezzanine — not on display. I do not, however, have one photo that shows an entire crank arm. So, here is the lower section, held to the BB axle with a tapered cotter pin. The top of the crank arm featured an adjustable slot for different crank lengths. Isn’t that perfect for a cyclist that has one leg longer than the other?”:

“The starting point was a bar of 954 bronze that cost me $100 several years ago. 954 bronze has a higher tensile strength than 4130; perfect for strong crank arms”:

“There was a bit of extra material, so that got milled off”:

“Machinist blue for layout, as usual. Critical holes have been drilled and bored. Now it’s just a matter of getting the shape right”:

“A facemill was used to make a very slight taper from top to bottom”:

“The sides were still parallel, so it was easy to hold the arm in the mill vise and slot for the pedals”:

“A carbide insert in a Boring Head is used to mill a flat for the washer and pedal nut to tighten against”:

“See the arc scribed in the lower machinist blue? I need to machine a radius very close to that line”:

“A large endmill is used to do that. See how one crank arm is held in each side of the vise? This keeps the vise jaw even and square”:

“Now the sides are milled at a slight angle. See how the crank end is C-clamped to a right angle plate? This stops vibration and tool ‘chatter’”:

“Crank arms are taking shape, but I think the top and bottom surfaces would be better with a slight radius…”:

“This is my porting tool. You can see the electric motor in the background, and the hand grinder up close with a carbide burr. A cable connects the two, and a foot pedal (not shown) controls the speed. The speed isn’t that high. This great tool is now being used to radius the top and bottom”:

“A hand file is used in the corners for blending”:

“Back into the rotary table for machining the radius around the bottom bracket axle. I don’t know if Whippets really had bronze crank arms, but why not? The late 1800′s were a time of great bicycle (and tricycle) experimentation, and bronze was used in other cycle parts, such as hubs. I enjoyed making these crank arms, and they polished up quite well”:

“Done!”:

Paul teaches Framebuilding 101 at the University of the Fraser Valley. For more information on the course, where you can learn how to build a steel framed bicycle using Paul’s original jigs that have built over 4000 frames, visit the UFV website.

Previously:
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #1
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #2
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #3
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #4
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #5
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #6
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #7

Cycle EXIF supplies a daily dose of commuter bicycles, custom bicycles and classic bicycles.

If you’re fortunate enough to make it along to the North American Handmade Bicycle Show in Sacramento this weekend, make sure you stop by the University of The Fraser Valley’s booth. On display will be the 1888 Whippet full-suspension bicycle that Paul Brodie has re-constructed by hand, from scratch. It demonstrates his skill as a master frame builder, which he imparts to the students who enroll at UFV’s Framebuilding Course. If you want to own a real piece of history that’s as much a rolling work of art, bring your checkbook. It’s for sale.

Here’s Paul: “The Whippet bottom bracket is not so simple. It holds the lower spring mount, and also incorporates the swing arm pivot. On the far right is the ‘spoon’ brake, used against the rear tire. The Whippet has no front brake. Good luck if you’re going downhill in the rain!

More metal: Two chunks of steel, a thick walled tube, and a couple of sealed bearings. I decided it would be easier to make a 3 piece BB, rather than carve it from solid metal…”:

“This setup is on the milling machine. The vise holds the blocks and the digital readout (not shown) makes it easier to locate centers for the bearings and swingarm pivot”:

“After bandsaw visit, the bottom bracket was profiled on the rotary table, filed and sanded smooth”:

“The bottom bracket got an internal seat tube lug TIG welded on. This way, when the seat tube is brazed on, there is no warping to the shell”:

“Start of the spring mount. I roughed out a shape on the lathe, and then cut the sides on the bandsaw. I didn’t have a drawing, just an idea of the approximate size”:

“Seemed to work out OK. Sometimes I just grab a piece of metal and start making something. I don’t always know the final shape, but it evolves as part of the process”:

“The spring boss was machined from 4140 steel which has quite a high carbon content so it’s not the best for TIG welding, perhaps. It was easy to braze on with nickel silver”:

“The next step is a lathe job. We need a ‘spigot’, a tube is machined so the bottom bracket can be ‘lightly tapped’ on, and the ends machined. This makes the ends parallel with each other”:

“This is where it all comes together. A few very small TIG tacks will hold the three piece bottom bracket assembly for brazing with the nickel silver rod”:

“Right after brazing and obviously still very hot. It’s sitting on a heat brick; best just to let it cool slowly. Never quench it in water”:

“Back in the lathe to bore the holes for the bearings. In Machinist Talk, ‘size on size’ would be good here. This means using a micrometer and a telescoping gauge to measure the inside diameter of the BB to make it EXACTLY the same size as the bearing. This would result in a ‘light press fit’, meaning the bearing could be tapped out without too much trouble”:

“That’s it for now. You can see the swingarm as it fits in. The shaft is 7/16″ diameter”:

Paul teaches Framebuilding 101 at the University of the Fraser Valley. For more information on the course, where you can learn how to build a steel framed bicycle using Paul’s original jigs that have built over 4000 frames, visit the UFV website.

Previously:
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #1
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #2
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #3
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #4
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #5
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #6

Cycle EXIF supplies a daily dose of commuter bicycles, custom bicycles and classic bicycles.

The North American Handmade Bicycle Show is just around the corner, a true highlight of the year for the builders, suppliers and riders. The pressure has been on to complete booths, products and projects, so the weekend of the 2nd to the 4th of March will be a massive relief and an environment conducive for a party. Paul Brodie will be there, with the reproduction of an 1888 Whippet bicycle he has been revealing step by step to the readers of Cycle EXIF over the last week.

He goes on: “The Whippet rear hub was made of bronze on this original bike, and also had radial spoking, which I did not expect at all. I ordered a short bar of bearing bronze, and took a few cuts. I did make a quick drawing on a piece of cardboard”:

“Here, the shape is being “roughed out”. This is Machinist Talk. Also, if you can use a lathe, but are not too skilled, you’re a ‘rough turner’”:

“The hub shape is finalized, and the thread cut for the freewheel”:

“I took a short piece of 6061 aluminum, and cut an internal thread to go onto the freewheel threads. This will allow me to hold either end of the hub in future operations. Here, the threads are being cut with a very small tap. I start the mill, and switch it off. When the spindle has almost stopped, that’s when I bring the tap down and start the thread. The mill head has been angled to 6 degrees”:

“The first side is done, so a machinist square is used to layout where to start drilling the holes on the other side. You can see the fine red felt pen marks. One side is offset from the other”:

“For each hole, you center drill, tap drill .600″ deep, go half way with a plug tap, then all the way with a bottoming tap. If you break a tap, you will never get it out, it’s too small. Best just to take a break and order more bronze… It’s a very time consuming process, and with 2 hubs there are 64 threads to tap”:

“Cutting off the excess bronze in the vertical bandsaw”:

“The 6061 aluminum is now holding the hub in the 3 jaw, and a small carbide tool bores the hub for a sealed bearing. The dial indicator is my ‘stop’”:

“The finished hub looks a little lonely without a freewheel”:

“How exactly do you put a BMX micro drive freewheel into a custom block chain sprocket?”:

“First step is to bore it out”:

“Second step: the freewheel was 14 teeth, so I cut 14 notches using a 1/4″ carbide endmill in the rotary table. If I remember correctly, that’s one cut every 25.714 degrees…”:

“I belt sanded down the sprocket teeth a bit, and then I had a good fit”:

“I made a little stainless steel cover, held on with 5 Allen screws. This will secure the freewheel and sprocket. You can’t space 5 screws equally around a 14T sprocket, in case you wondered”:

“Mounted in the rear stays of the Whippet frame”:

“Felt good to finally get the wheels built. My list is slowly getting shorter, as NAHBS gets closer…”:

In an email last night, Paul quietly let slip that the finished Whippet will actually be FOR SALE at the Show, but I will assume that any of the world’s bicycle museums, collectors or eccentric millionaires will realize the worth of this creation and snap it up before I can write out a check.

Paul teaches Framebuilding 101 at the University of the Fraser Valley. For more information on the course, where you can learn how to build a steel framed bicycle using Paul’s original jigs that have built over 4000 frames, visit the UFV website.

Previously:
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #1
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #2
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #3
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #4
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #5

Cycle EXIF supplies a daily dose of commuter bicycles, custom bicycles and classic bicycles.

Paul Brodie has taken us on a step-by-step lesson in how to build a full-suspension 1888 Whippet over the last week, and it’s proved to be very popular. If you take a look at the drawing that Paul has used as reference (and the various header photos of one of the few Whippets in existence), you will see that it’s one of the most complicated velo-contraptions you’ve ever seen. It’s been a fascinating journey to watch Paul break each part down and rebuild it from scratch, and you’ll see the final result of his efforts at the 2012 North American Handmade Bicycle Show in Sacramento.

Paul continues: “The Whippet Chainring was my next project. This is a 17 tooth chainring, but I made mine 18 teeth because it was so much easier to hold in a 3 jaw chuck. The chain is a 3/8″ block chain. It was hard to find; I finally located one in England. Notice the 2 ‘stops’ on either side of the crank arm.

This is how I figured out the length of the chainstays. I knew approximately the size of the sprockets, and the cardboard cutouts worked fine for this”:

“I used a scrap 1/4″ aluminum plate and cut a circle on the bandsaw. Then I mounted the disc on a spigot and slowly made the OD smaller. See the two almost vertical scribe lines in the bluing? When I had 9 chain links perfectly between the lines, that was the base outside diameter for my sprocket”:

“I had a chunk of 3/8″ steel plate lying around, so the bandsaw cut out a circle”:

“The disc was partially “skimmed” in the lathe, and the tooth pattern accurately scribed on Machinist Blue. Back to the vertical bandsaw to carefully cut away between the lines. Now it’s mounted on a spigot, held in the chuck on the rotary table, awaiting a 1/4″ carbide endmill”:

“Now you can see the shape of the teeth. All block chain sprockets have a 1″ pitch. Block chains are often used in industrial applications, such as conveyors. Block chains are heavy, but very strong”:

“This is why I chose an 18T sprocket: very easy to hold for the 1888 weight reduction program”:

“Back in the rotary table on the mill, where a holesaw cuts out 4 holes”:

“A holesaw leaves a rough edge, so a borer and carbide insert tool was used for the final holes”:

“Getting close, but I still have to make the “stops” to hold the crank arm, remember?”:

“The stops were a bit complex. I put the mill head at 20 degrees, and cut out this shape. In the other end I machined a mirror image, because I needed a left and a right”:

“From that I traced my cardboard pattern, and used the bandsaw to cut out these 2 shapes”:

“After some filing and polishing, these were the final shapes. I used a tiny c-clamp to hold each one to a flat bar when I worked on them”:

“I fitted the crank arm and BB axle to determine the position of the stops, then TIG tacked them into place. Took it all apart, and lit the oxy-acetylene torch. This is right after silver soldering the stops to the sprocket. It’s resting on a heat brick. I figured there would be less warpage of the sprocket with the (lower heat) silver soldering”:

“The flux was soaked off in hot water; the sprocket was bead blasted and sent out for a 1/2 thou electroless nickel plating. Lots of things were nickel plated back in those early days, because chrome plating wasn’t invented until the 1920′s”:

“Thanks for taking the tour!”

Paul teaches Framebuilding 101 at the University of the Fraser Valley. For more information on the course, where you can learn how to build a steel framed bicycle using Paul’s original jigs that have built over 4000 frames, visit the UFV website.

Previously:
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #1
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #2
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #3
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #4

Cycle EXIF supplies a daily dose of commuter bicycles, custom bicycles and classic bicycles.

Paul Brodie has been taking us through, over the last week, the steps involved with recreating an 1888 full suspension Whippet bicycle. Paul is a master framebuilder who has been part of the Canadian MTB scene since 1985.

“I call this part of the Whippet the Scissor Linkage. The linkage should not be fully extended, as in the photo below. When working properly, it’s more like a fish mouth viewed from the side, opening and closing. This bike has been through some abuse, and some part of the frame is either stretched, or bent. This linkage is from an early Whippet, as later models hinged on ball bearings.

I’ve taken some 5/8″ flat cold rolled steel, marked out the shape, rough cut it in the bandsaw, drilled two holes, and now the ends are having a smooth radius cut with an endmill. The holder is mounted in a three-jaw chuck, on top of the rotary table”:

“The ends are now smooth, I’ve drilled three holes and marked material to be removed with a red pen. The piece of cardboard is my template — all I’m working from. No fancy Autocad drawings to get this bike done! Next step is to carefully use the vertical bandsaw to remove the metal between the lines”:

“Each linkage piece is now put back in the mill vise and a 1/4″ endmill used to finish the slot. It needs to be quite precise as the two linkage pieces have to fit together exactly”:

“A larger endmill is used to shape the other end. Note the feeler gauge being used with another small piece of steel (not seen), to prevent the end from being ‘squeezed’. This allows the vise to hold the linkage securely. When making parts, the first thought is always ‘How am I going to hold this?’”

“This is the finished Scissor Linkage after a bit of filing and polishing. It will get bead blasted and sent out for Electroless Nickel plating, which is a very nice finish. I hope you have enjoyed this installment of how things get made in my shop!”

Paul teaches Framebuilding 101 at the University of the Fraser Valley. For more information on the course, where you can learn how to build a steel framed bicycle using Paul’s original jigs that have built over 4000 frames, visit the UFV website.

Previously:
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #1
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #2
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #3

Cycle EXIF supplies a daily dose of commuter bicycles, custom bicycles and classic bicycles.

Paul Brodie talks us through the third episode in this series, fabricating an exact reproduction of an 1888 Whippet full-suspension bicycle. You’ll be able to view the amazing result at the 2012 North American handmade Bicycle Show.

“Building the seat collar was a fun job. Pretty simple, and only one days work. First step was to figure out dimensions. I drew on cardboard, and made the correct amount of space for the bolt. Starting with 1″ mild steel, the drawing was transferred by scribing on layout dye”:

“The rotary table really was invaluable when building the Whippet. The combination of lathe, mill, rotary table, and digital readout is REALLY quite powerful”:

“OK, there were a few steps in between these two photos. After milling the radius (above), the seat collar went into the lathe, and the centre was bored out, leaving a step. Then back into the rotary table, and a 1/4″ endmill relieved the radius (top and bottom) to be used as a guide for hand filing. Next the slot, followed by the bolt hole. Radius around the bolt hole. File and shape to suit. The hard part is the blending from radius to flat; that’s where you need patience”:

Paul teaches Framebuilding 101 at the University of the Fraser Valley. For more information on the course, where you can learn how to build a steel framed bicycle using Paul’s original jigs that have built over 4000 frames, visit the UFV website.

Previously:
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #1
Paul Brodie and The Whippet #2

Cycle EXIF supplies a daily dose of commuter bicycles, custom bicycles and classic bicycles.

Welcome to the second installment in Paul Brodie’s framebuilding dissertation, where he recreates a Whippet full-suspension bicycle frame from 1888, which will be presented at the 2012 North American Handmade Bicycle Show.

“I call this part of the Whippet the ‘Front Linkage’. The pivot is wide, because it has to keep the seat tube from rubbing the inside of the rear stays. I can’t really call them seatstays, because they don’t attach to the seat tube. The Front Linkage was a bit of a challenge, and I enjoyed making it.

I machined a short tube in the lathe, and then filed a curved outer surface so it looks like a casting”.

“Here I’ve setup a little bending fixture in my vise. The rod is 4140 machined at a 2 degree taper, heated red hot, and bent to a right angle”:

“Because I tapered it from big to small, the end of the now bent and tapered rod is still perfectly faced, and sits perfectly on the tube’s spot faces for TIG welding”.

“After TIG welding, it reminds me of cattle for some reason…”:

“Here it sits over the frame tube, positioned for TIG tacking, using spacers and masking tape”.

“Right after fillet brazing, still quite hot”:

“After cooling slowly, the flux is soaked off with hot water”:

“A little bit of polishing… no problem”:

The drawing below is one of Paul’s references for The Whippet rebuild, which should give you a fair idea of his expertise. Stay tuned for more updates on the project, leading up to the NAHBS on the 3rd and 4th of March in Sacramento, where the finished bike will be exhibited.

Paul teaches Framebuilding 101 at the University of the Fraser Valley. For more information on the course, where you can learn how to build a steel framed bicycle using Paul’s original jigs that have built over 4000 frames, visit the UFV website.

Cycle EXIF supplies a daily dose of commuter bicycles, custom bicycles and classic bicycles.

Paul Brodie is one of the godfathers of modern off-road cycling, being heavily involved in the early days of the Canadian scene. He started Brodie Research and Technology in 1986, eventually building some of the most highly sought after frames in western Canada and the US. Paul is now teaching Framebuilding 101 at the University of The Fraser Valley, passing on his skills to the next generation. You can catch up with him at the 2012 NAHBS, where you can also view a true indication of his skill: a reproduction of The Whippet, one of the first dual-suspension bikes — built in 1888.

Over the next couple of weeks, Paul will take us through some of the steps in fabricating this incredibly intricate machine, culminating in a full preview of the finished bike at the NAHBS. For now, here’s an advance preview of the frame to give you an idea of what’s involved:

Paul teaches Framebuilding 101 at the University of the Fraser Valley. For more information on the course, where you can learn how to build a steel framed bicycle using Paul’s original jigs that have built over 4000 frames, visit the UFV website.

Cycle EXIF supplies a daily dose of commuter bicycles, custom bicycles and classic bicycles.

How many of us can remember our first bike? For many of us, learning to ride is one of our earliest acquired skills, so it’s not surprising to be able to recall small details about that first bicycle. Sasha Strickland, from Melbourne’s Pony Bikes, was presented with this 3-speed dragster by a customer who wanted her to restore it to it’s former glory and, ironically, it’s virtually identical to her firstbike.

Pony Bikes has now been established for over three years, and has developed a reputation for reliable, no-bullshit restoration and repair work amongst Melbourne’s cycling fraternity. I’ll assume Sasha had a special fondness for this customer’s order, which was in a sorry state when it was brought in for her attention. A cracked left-hand crank required welding, the forks were replaced, as was the sissy bar and banana seat. The hubs were rebuilt and shined, including the 3-speed rear hub, and thankfully the shifter was still in good working condition.

If you’re in Melbourne and need any repair work, mechanical assistance or custom work, contact Sasha through the Pony Bikes website. You can see another example of her work in the 2012 Cycle EXIF Custom Bicycle Calendar – her ‘Night Rod’ is Miss November.

Cycle EXIF supplies a daily dose of commuter bicycles, custom bicycles and classic bicycles.