44 Bikes Frame Shop

[fortyfour]

@jalbrecht55: No problem. I ride SS selectively (mostly in the spring and occasionally through out the season.) Fun and simple, but a great challenge.

@TargaGreg: She's a rescue actually and from the south (found her litter on "pet finder" and got in touch with the rescue association bringing them in to New England). We were told she's Catahoula and Lab mix from test results? I think there's some Terrier in there too... She's just on the edge in terms of size for the smallest Catahoula female. Head and body profile seem fitting to pics of Catahoula's. Whatever she is though, she's a sweetheart and that's all that counts!

 

[Faria]

Hi again, Kris!

First of all, thank´s for the "expert" advise on SS gearing!
The bike I'm building is in fact a 26'', and as I have a 38t front chainring hanging around I've ordered allready a 20t cog, once I will climb more often them going down!!!!I hope that with this setting it wont be to hard to go up!

After finishing it maybe I 'll send you a pic or to of it!

Cheers mate and keep showing us your amazing work!

 

[fortyfour]

38t up front sounds steep. Good luck! I'd recommend 32t or 34t with 19 or 20t cog. But give it a try!

In other news, around the shop recently...

Ti Practice :





Fat Bike :



650b recently built for a client in NH :









29er headed to Canada Eh!













Oh... And apparently the first day of Spring is tomorrow? Spring you say? Never heard of that. 16" of fresh powder today and still falling...



Monster Cross event I designed the poster for...

 

[YoungMedic]

Oh... And apparently the first day of Spring is tomorrow? Spring you say? Never heard of that. 16" of fresh powder today and still falling...

Har! I sweated my happy *** off today laying down some Milorganite cause it was 85 today and Im hoping for some spring rains this week

Nothing a Three Philosophers wouldnt fix

 

[bdkw1]

I was cruising craigslist today in search of a new TIG for the garage. There was some Ti rod for sale. 5#'s for only 450$

Holy **** man, better you than Me! The only time I have had to weld Ti was at work so I had no idea the rod cost that much.

Keep up the good work!

 

[fortyfour]

bdkw1: Ti is not cheap. You can get very small amounts of Ti filler :here: if you ever need some. That's reasonable for small jobs and practice. Titanium Joe's also carries various types too.

 

[benmoo]

Ti Practice :

That is absolutely gorgeous. This may sound cheesy but that weld took my breath away. Never seen Ti welded up close in its raw form.

Also I just realized this is my first post. I've been reading this forum for years and have read every page of your thread - one of my favorites!

 

[fortyfour]

Thank you Benmoo. More to come and it will be back purged!

 

[jfcasey]

I don't know how I missed this thread for so long, I lived one town over for almost 9 years AND rode a bike almost daily for most of them

Nice shop, and welds! Cool to know there was something that cool near by!

 

[80WTI_55_CHEV]

Can i just say your attention to detail is unbelievable, everything you do is really nice. thankyou

 

[erasmus]

Kris,
I have to say I find this thread extremely inspiring. I'm a hobbiest builder and I've admired your work on a few of the frame building forums; but the level of detail of both your shop and your build process in this thread is phenomenal.

Just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to do this.

 

[Buzz Lightyear]

Without wishing to sound like too much of a ****-kisser - I love looking at the picture of your frames. The attention to detail and care put into each one is awesome.

Have you shipped any frames to the UK?

One of these days my lottery numbers will come up and I'll order a nice round dozen frames but until then I will continue checking everyday for updates.

 

[Boostmeister]

Love your build, a lot, very inspiring as mentioned above....I have always had a dream of owning a little timber shed in the woods to tinker on bikes, cars and stuff, this ticks a lot of boxes for me thanks for sharing.

 

[oldldh]

Did you find that "cheap" lathe, yet???

 

[HellaFab]

I feel like it was mentioned here at one point, but do you mind sharing the font you use in your crest?

I very much am feeling the style of it.

 

[fortyfour]

Thanks to all for the kind words.

@Hellafab: The font is actually a heavily modified version of "Rotor". I have subsequently updated it even further:



@Buzzlightyear: I do ship worldwide if you are so inclined...

@oldldh: No luck on a lathe yet - but I'm patient. One will turn up when the time is right.

Been busy with some builds recently which are kind of Cyclocross like Commuter rigs. Here's one headed to NJ:













And another headed to Washington D.C. :











Fat Bike back from paint :









And of course, a public service announcement from your friendly 44 Bikes Dept. of Hand Labor...

 

[Faria]

Hi Kris!

Very nice weldings on TI (as usual)!!!

Remember my SS "project"? Well, today I finaly test drived it: it's not finished yet,but I could fell allready how it will behave!

The 38/20 setting seams cool, but I couldn´t pedal on a seat position in order to have a better feeling because I dont have the seat tube yet!!!!

One thing that took me a bit of time to sort out was the rear brake calliper mounting: as i dicided that i didn't want a chain tensioner, i had to get a sloted frame to allow me adjusting chain...

The problem was how to mount the brake calliper in a sliding position and also in a way that allows the wheel to came off without having to unbolt nothing more than a quik release axel...

After a bit of try and error, finaly a got to this:

Hope you dont mind the picture...

Chears!

 

[JimVonBaden]

Without wishing to sound like too much of a ****-kisser - I love looking at the picture of your frames. The attention to detail and care put into each one is awesome.

Have you shipped any frames to the UK?

One of these days my lottery numbers will come up and I'll order a nice round dozen frames but until then I will continue checking everyday for updates.

You are one of many for sure!

Jim

 

[JimVonBaden]

Seems a shame to paint your Ti frames. What would happen to them if you din't?

Jim

 

[Bib Overalls]

Your welds rock! I'm thinking about fabricating some stainless steel headers and valve covers for a Buick 300. Can I sub out the final welds to you?

 

[Bricen18]

Nice shop, Great bikes, and amazing skills. Makes my big *** want to go for a bike ride. Again amazing work !!

 

[horizontallyopposed]

What would happen to them if you din't?

Nothing. Titanium is one of the most stable metals out there - I have a 15 year old titanium frame in my garage, and a little ScotchBrite and that thing looks as good as new.

Cheers,
Keith

 

[fortyfour]

Hi All. Been busy over here with design, bike builds, new website development and of course... shredding. It just dawned on me that this year's New Hampshire 100 (Local race that has been getting bigger - 100k and 100 mile long distance death ride) I will have 7 bikes racing... So that pretty much makes me HAVE to do the race! So I've been starting to "train". Got back the other night from a 25 miler feeling good. Going to slowly start ratcheting things up to 30, then 40 and so on for miles on dirt and trail. Once I do a bunch of these longer rides, I'll have a better idea of what I'm up against and then pay my entry fee. And of course, most likely halfway through the race think to myself "What have I gotten myself into?". Should be fun.

But here's a few recent builds back from paint and under construction:


Damon's Huntsman CXSS by 44 Bikes, on Flickr


Damon's Huntsman CXSS by 44 Bikes, on Flickr


Damon's Huntsman CXSS by 44 Bikes, on Flickr

And built:


Damon's Death Mobile by 44 Bikes, on Flickr

This one recently just came back from paint, but here it is all finished up :


Chris's Huntsman : Ready for Powder by 44 Bikes, on Flickr

Chainstay bridge detail : I've been silver brazing the bridges in place of late and have A LOT less distortion at the dropouts now. Typically when you weld these in place, it pulls the dropouts together. Especially if they have a curve. Brazing prevents that.


Chainstay Bridgery by 44 Bikes, on Flickr

Singlespeed 29er headed to Mississippi - this ones currently at powder...


Paul's pieces parts by 44 Bikes, on Flickr


Dropouts tacked + welded by 44 Bikes, on Flickr


BB Welds by 44 Bikes, on Flickr


Paul's 29er Tacked by 44 Bikes, on Flickr


Weldery by 44 Bikes, on Flickr


Clean-n-Curvy by 44 Bikes, on Flickr


Paul's 29er BB Welds by 44 Bikes, on Flickr


Paul's 29er ready for powder by 44 Bikes, on Flickr

New site is up and running - fine tuning things as I discover incompatibilities but here's a screen shot...


44 Bikes 2013 Web Update by 44 Bikes, on Flickr

And of course, this is guaranteed...


That's GAH-RON-TEED by 44 Bikes, on Flickr

 

[Tone-NY]

Awesome work, some folks are going to be riding works of art!

 

[horizontallyopposed]

And built:


Damon's Death Mobile by 44 Bikes, on Flickr

Kristofer, this bike gives me naughty, naughty feelings.

Cheers,
Keith

 

[Rockuf8]

This thread rocks. Dude, your bike builds are beautiful, especially like Damon's Death Mobile. Great photos too.

I'm a visual designer who specializes in iconography/logo design and really have enjoyed your visual design as well, very well done sir.

 

[Unit]

Wow, I never seen like this before, sometimes I wondering how they do bikes. Absolutely talent what u have. Sorry, its huge thread, and my language its not so good (I am from europe), but what welding you use? Its Argon, TIG, or what? I know, that what u doing need some expirence, but i want learn it.

The best what u have is attention for details, good luck mate.

 

[fortyfour]

@Unit: The welding you are seeing is TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) where Argon is the shield gas to keep the weld site clean and protection from contamination while welding. A lot of practice and patience is how you get good at it.

 

[Unit]

@Unit: The welding you are seeing is TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) where Argon is the shield gas to keep the weld site clean and protection from contamination while welding. A lot of practice and patience is how you get good at it.

Ou, thanks a lot for information, another question is, how to know that TIG is good, because sometimes u can find very cheap ****, can we say full name of your TIG, I just want to look the specification. Thanks.

 

[fortyfour]

@Unit: My machine is a Miller Dynasty 200 DX with a CK Worldwide 130 torch + Flex cable. Air cooled. Let me know if you have specific questions.

 

[Bib Overalls]

Another very artful photograph.


Weldery by 44 Bikes, on Flickr

Is the blue corona a caused by the argon or is it an interaction between the intense arc light and the camera? What ever it is, it makes the picture.

 

[Strouty]

I can't tell if I want to buy your bikes, your designs, or your photos. They are all soooo great. Keep up the good work on all fronts!

 

[fortyfour]

@Bib Overalls: My overhead lights are CFL's. Which by photography standards, can be really tough to shoot with IMO... Couple that with the fact that I have those large windows with all that natural light and the two don't play nicely.

The camera has a tendency to react in certain ways. The best I've found is depending on how the camera is facing, I switch what settings it is (either auto, florescent or natural lighting sources) and take white balance readings off of certain subjects. Shooting with florescent settings tends to give me some blue tones which is what you are seeing (as before I was getting green tones which I did not like). I've learned to just go with it and depending on my settings and what little I manipulate post in photoshop, I play up on those tones and just go with it. So that blueish hue is what you are seeing and I'm definitely working that angle. Depending on the degree of tones, sometimes post I will add a layer beneath that is a black and white version of the same photo with the top layer being transparent. By adjusting some levels, I can play more with the tones so it's a bit more interesting visually.

But that blue corona is a lens flare I believe. The pulse must have just gone off or was coming down in intensity when the shutter went off. It's a combination of the arc and the camera lens / intense flash of light.

 

[CLynn85]

Kristofer, I've been following this thread since the very beginning and have thoroughly enjoyed reading every one of your posts. I've always been more of a "off the shelf" bike guy and this has (in addition to gleaming ideas from your shop build) given me a new perspective on the bike industry.

I have to ask, though, can you post some photos of your early stuff? I mean, you have this artful beautiful coach-built bike thing down to a science, but you couldn't have started there, could you? How about some of your "first time through"/basic builds?

 

[fortyfour]

@CLynn85: Sure! We all have to have a starting point don't we? THIS SET actually catalogs most of the work chronologically as it unfolded.

Here's Proto #1 that Ted Wojcik and I built (mostly Ted-I helped and did a lot of watched):



And all dressed up for pretty pictures:



Proto#2 (2nd build I did all by myself - the first one I did looked similar to the one above, but 26" and I did not load an image of that one to Flickr yet somehow!):





Close ups of welds for you to see where I was...





Compare the above to where I am presently...







Here's a shot of Proto#3



Pieces parts of that proto:



And another that was built around the same time as the 2nd prototype above:





And I do recall "The Weld" that was a turning point for me. That one where a light went on for my body, timing etc. One of those "ah-ha!" moments. My first fork. Not my best weld ever, but it was a place in time that things clicked and discoveries were made. This weld:



That setup this one which I recall distinctly:



Again, maybe not the best weld, but more lights going off on timing, muscle memory and control for the filler/heat input in tandem with everything else that was going on. Things felt more of an extension of me than a tool between myself and the material.

Here's two from last week. My wife's new 650b:





And built:





And one that recently went down to D.C. meant to be used as a clients daily commuter but also with a few quick switches, ready to roll for group rides. Bag designed, built / sewn in house here at 44HQ by yours truly too. Rear fender bobbed:

 

[CLynn85]

Awesome, thanks for sharing. You must have had a superb mentor.

 

[zkling]

You sir are a true craftsman of the new age. Fantastic work and products. I would love to put one of the mountain bikes through their paces.

 

[smsteve]

Kristofer,

Awesome work as usual! You are truly an artist. Though I must admit I was this close to having you branded a witch and calling for your burning. I couldn't figure out how those bikes were all standing/posing for their pictures without kickstands. I finally saw the sticks at the rear wheels. Some of them lined up perfectly with the spokes! Man...that was close. Would have really missed all of your posts.

Looking forward to what you have coming next.

 

[moto367]

Question: what amperage do you use to weld the thin wall tubing and how do you keep the heat concentrated in such a small area? Hell, I have to weld die details that break during production and I never seem to be able to keep the heat in a tight area. Seems to heat a large area of the block or detail. I'm a self taught, learn on the fly, weld it to get it going welder so excuse me if the question is silly. Thanks! Are you doing forks yet?

 

[YoungMedic]

Love it Love it Love it!!! Black is not usually my cup o tea, but that is bad to the bone!