What Frame To Use

[BobCochran]

I’m interested in buying a used frame somewhere, and building a bicycle with it. I want a frame that will let me use wide tires, say perhaps up to 42mm — I really like Compass tires now that I’m using Bon Jon Pass 35mm. Perhaps using 650B wheels?

I don’t know a darn thing about how to get started. This is the first time for me. I lack bicycle repair experience, and will be learning skills from scratch.

What is a good used frame to consider which will take up to 42mm tires? Maybe 650B wheels. I would greatly prefer disc brakes. I have no idea what frame size to plump for. My current bike is an early 2016-model Jamis Allegro Elite with a “19” on the frame. I assume that means the seatpost height is 19 inches. I’ve noticed that Velo Orange sells frames in generic sizes such as “XS”, “S”, etc. Perhaps that means I could buy a frame that is “about right” in size and add components such as a stem and saddle to get the fit exactly right? Sizing suggestions appreciated.

Would it make sense to buy a used frame that has obvious rust on it? That is, could I clean rust off it myself and then bring the frame to a pro for priming and painting?

Thanks

Bob

Topic

[EasyRider]

Since Bob says he wants the color of his choice, no branding … anyone have a frame stripped or blasted and repainted lately? About how much should that cost if done by a professional? Would love to get my RB-T painted a powder blue, black chrome, or maybe a nice olive.

[dkel]

@EasyRider 153187 wrote:

Yes, I’d hold out for the latest version of the VO Polyvalent, if you’re a BQ fan. It’s 650b, designed for drop bars, has disc brakes, threaded low-trail fork, 47mm tires with fenders, rackable, etc. Prob same price as their other frames. The Polyvalent is like a classic French randonneur bike with disc brakes.

I had to go looking for this in the VO blog, since the old version of the Polyvalent is still on their website. This is definitely a better choice than the Piolet I mentioned earlier.

[dkel]

@BobCochran 153219 wrote:

With all that said…I don’t want my bicycle to be an advertisement for Velo Orange, Moots, or other brands. I want it to have a lovely paint job in colors I select and no manufacturer branding.

The 650b Straggler doesn’t come in custom colors, but it does come in a nondescript black, and all the decals are applied after the paint and clear coat, so they are very easily removed.

[BobCochran]

@EasyRider 153225 wrote:

Since Bob says he wants the color of his choice, no branding … anyone have a frame stripped or blasted and repainted lately? About how much should that cost if done by a professional? Would love to get my RB-T painted a powder blue, black chrome, or maybe a nice olive.

Just look at the colors and variety of paint schemes — designs — treatments — that Chris Bishop shows off on his website. Oh my! Maybe he can point you to whoever he sends his frames to. Then again, he might be keeping the person 100% busy…

[BobCochran]

Thanks everyone. I’m giving a lot of thought to the suggestions. I’ll look at the Straggler and Velo options.

Bob

[Harry Meatmotor]

@BobCochran 153233 wrote:

Just look at the colors and variety of paint schemes — designs — treatments — that Chris Bishop shows off on his website. Oh my! Maybe he can point you to whoever he sends his frames to. Then again, he might be keeping the person 100% busy…

I think the V/O frames are manufactured in Taiwan.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@vvill 153223 wrote:

Titanium is really hard to work with in terms of doing welds, etc. correctly. Also, they’re not large companies and they probably don’t get that much in bulk discounts, and nice off-the-shelf bike components are expensive. Probably mostly made in US too, although I’m not sure.

There are different tiers of OEM pricing, mostly based on volume. Smaller framebuilders aren’t getting the same pricing on components as a large bike brand. As far as the difference in cost for titanium frames, there’s a reason you only really see small volume framebuilders using Ti. Raw material costs for tubing suitable for a bike frame are generally about 4x as expensive as plain-Jane 4130 cromo. Ti also requires hot work to be performed in an inert gas, so, welding requires all sorts of fussy business with purging, etc. Ti is also difficult to machine compared to steel – it gums up cutting bits. Coping the tubing eats through a lot more tooling than steel. So, you’re paying for expensive raw materials, more expensive consumables/tooling, and a much more involved welding process.

[Author]

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