bike frames

Repairing Stripped Threads in BB Shell

A better title would be how to avoid stripping your BB shell’s frame. It’s always better to leave BB installation to those who have 1) the right tools and 2) experience in using the tools and experience with the process. A customer who obtained one of my ladies’ road frame through an internet reseller went [...]

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Al 7005 and Al 7046 Aluminum Alloy – What’s In the High-End Bicycle Frame Mix?

Al 7005 is the main alloy you’ll find in higher end bicycle frames. An alternative is Al 7046 which is 80% stronger and around 16% lighter. It costs more but not so much more as to make it not cost-effective to use it. Here’s what goes into these alloys in the various % proportions, what makes [...]

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Three Steps to Producing / Accessing a New Carbon Frame

Most cyclists or even discerning buyers would probably not recognize this “brand”. The Fritz Jou booth at Taipei Cycle is, moreover,  not a particularly busy one. This company, though, handles production for very prestigious brands. Busyness, or lack of it, is no guide to business volume or potential. Just around the corner are more flawless [...]

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How Butted Aluminum Alloy Tubing is Produced – the strength of Taiwan’s bicycle component manufacturing sector

Bicycle component manufacturing is highly distributed and specific; nobody manufactures complete bicycles in-house. Bicycle industry SMEs in Taiwan are at the center of multiple highly specific routines carried out and techniques applied. This feeds complex supply chains which all terminate in the assembly of a bicycle, the endpoint of the process. In this post, I want [...]

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Bicycle Frame Making with Aluminum Alloy – Key Processes: T4 vs T6 Heat Treatment, AL 6061 vs AL 7005

Since I have new aluminum alloy model on the drawing board, here is a brief coverage of key considerations in aluminum alloy frame construction behind the production of these frames. Grades of Aluminum Alloy 7005 is the grade of aluminum alloy I use for my frames. Most manufacturers of alloy high-end frames in Taiwan use [...]

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Designing and Manufacturing an Alloy Frame – The Production Process from CAD, to Jig, Decals and Beyond

My company, Primavera Cycles,  is in the very early stages of designing a new butted-alloy frame bike. The frame will be the first and primary part of the process, to be closely followed by the selection of appropriate base colors, appropriate graphics, and decals. It will be a warts and all exposé of proceedings. You will [...]

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