Tom Matchak Cycles

Extreme Makeover: Lug Edition

2012-02-08T16:21:00.001-08:00

For an upcoming mixte (step-through) frame project, I needed a lug set which includes the two special lugs to carry the steeply sloped top tube. Despite the variety of modern cast lugs available for traditional frames, there are no non-proprietary lug sets currently being produced for the mixte format. Searching the offerings of old-stock components, I found a set of vintage pressed lugs which, under all that tarnish, showed some potential.

But I never really cared for this Nervex style, and the sockets for the top tube and down tube are cut too blunt to carve any sort of nice point. This called for a major overhaul....

The first step was to square off the end of the down tube socket, and braze on an extension which can later be shaped into a point. In the photo below, the junction has been filed to reveal the fine brass-colored line of the joint.

This lug-shaped-object then was carved to create a new long point, and to remove most of the original Nervex features.

This new overall profile is consistent with the simple lug styling that I had envisioned for this frame. But I wasn't done yet... the shorelines needed refinement, and this lug needed to be thinned.

The photo below shows the brazed lug, sporting a completely new style for this old lug set. Who would ever guess how this lug started out?

Caramelos de Naranja Mas Hermosa

2011-12-23T07:30:00.001-08:00

It was almost 9 pm when the UPS driver finally pulled up at Jose's house. By 11:30 there was an email on my phone ... "holy cow, what a beautiful frame you have created, up close the workmanship is just stunning as is the paint color, really beautiful and the rack is just a piece of art." Now, that's a bedtime story that I like!

Jose is a tall, lean long time cyclist who, at age 50, is experiencing a resurgent interest in riding long distances in any weather. He owns a lovely high-end Italian racing bike, but that machine simply is not designed for the fenders, front rack/bag and the wider tires favored by randonneurs. And, while he finds this race bike to be reasonably comfortable on century rides, I felt certain that we could make an improvement in that department too.

The result is a 63cm (c-t) low-trail Randonneur, as shown below in its mock-up state before being broken down for shipping. Designed for 700cx32 tires, Honjo 43mm fenders, braze-on Mafac Racer brakes and a dynohub powered front light, we covered Jose's wish list. The frame uses a collection of modern "standard" diameter tubes which were selected to mimic the feel of the classic Reynolds 531C tubeset. The fork blades are NOS Reynolds Imperial Oval tubes, set in a modern Grand Bois crown.

Since this frame features a front-loaded steering geometry, the project included one of my signature racks, built using a one-piece deck and backstop. In this configuration, the rack mounts to the braze-on bosses for the Mafac centerpull brake. Jose elected to do without a decaleur for now, but I always can build a stem-mounted unit if he decides otherwise after testing a stout internal stiffening system in his new bag.

Below is a photo of the Mafac Racer brakes mounted on custom-made bosses. This started out as a dingy used brake, but a few days in the vibratory polisher restored that like-new appearance. I also made a set of hand-wound stainless steel springs, which not only look nicer, but also are softer to provide smoother modulation with modern levers and lined cable housing.

And finally, let's talk about the PAINT. Jose was looking through Keith Anderson's photo gallery of painted frames and picked out a gorgeous burnt orange example. It turns out that he was looking at the result of applying an orange candy over a green-tinted base. Keith did that again, and the result is simply stunning ... even under the shop lights where these photos were taken. Out in the sunlight it is truly the Most Beautiful Orange Candy. But some of you already knew that, no?

Life, Reconfigured

2011-12-04T01:20:00.000-08:00

In my introduction post on this blog, I wrote about how a thoughtfully designed bicycle could, by changing a few key components, evolve along with a rider's changing preferences and abilities. Once the designer has established a good fit between frame and rider, that frame may be usable for a variety of riding styles and venues, with little-to-no performance penalty for the built-in versatility. I just completed one such reconfiguration, on a once-favorite bike that just wasn't seeing much use.

Ten years ago, I built a Road/Sport frame designed to use a simple 1x9 drivetrain and a single shift lever. A few weeks after it came back from getting a durable powdercoat finish, that bike and I began a supported transcontinental ride from Seattle to Boston, with an improvised victory lap around Nova Scotia. I loved that bike. It climbed the Rockies, it turned South Dakota into a blur (well, maybe the heat helped that), it went fast when the big boys decided to play, and it was stable under 20# panniers at the end. Two years later, I used that bike to follow the Lewis and Clark route from St. Louis, MO to the Pacific Ocean, and, once again, it was just perfect - simple, reliable, and comfortable. Back home, it became my favorite bike for group social rides, centuries, and a variety of supported and credit-card tours.

Five years ago, I built a replacement frame, using the same geometry and tube set. But this time I carved a set of Pacenti Artisan lugs (not yet available the first time) and sprung for a gorgeous Joe Bell paint job. The first frame had been a plain workhorse, and, even though the components were all the same, there was something about the new frame's beauty that made the ride even sweeter. This was still going to be the lead dog on my sled.

Shortly after finishing the "beautified" 1x9, and without proper warning, my cycling preferences took a sharp turn toward fat tires, low-trail geometry, riding in "normal" clothing, and adapting to an aging body. I rode my 650B bike the most, and tried out (and liked) Albatross bars on it and on my low-trail 700C loaded touring bike. I bought clothing from Rivendell. I swapped my SPD pedals/shoes for naked cage pedals and sticky-soled Adidas flats, and re-discovered how pleasant it is to ride with free feet. I confirmed that the social riders at the back are laughing lots more than (and often about) the racer wannabes out front. Cycling life was good. In September, it dawned on me that I had not taken the 1x9 off the hook at all this year. Oh no! This called for a makeover.

The photo above shows my 1x9 in its reconfigured state. The component changes include a Nitto moustache handlebar on a shorter 8cm stem, light cage pedals, a lower tread-width classic Dura Ace crank, and a slightly smaller (38T) chainring. The frame was built for standard reach (47-57mm) caliper brakes at full slot, which easily accommodated the new wider (700c x 35) Panaracer Pasela tires. With the same old 9-sp 11x34 cassette, the gearing ranges from 31 to 95 inches.

Equipped as shown, weight is 21lb -12oz. I'll hang a candybar bag on the bar, and there's also a small custom rear rack if necessary.

Medium-trail steering geometry (originally built for 28m tires) seems OK with these new wider tires. The new "head up" body position tends to lighten up the front wheel, and the effect of some extra pneumatic trail seems to counteract that lightness.

I also milled the DT shift lever and its mounting base to change the lever's orientation on the bar-end mount, such that the lever points straight back (instead of 45* up) when the chain is on the largest cog. This gives a much nicer hand position on the shift lever when the bar-end is this high.

After 10 years of riding this drive train without a chain keeper for the single chainring, I finally installed a Paul unit. I need to fabricate a keeper that's not so bulky, and silver.

All together, this new configuration represents an amalgam of my evolving preferences and needs over the past five years. It remains a beautiful bike, and is once again a joy to ride. It has more competition than before, but it certainly is a contender once again for the Favorite Bike title.

The Case for Custom

2011-07-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

"I love the bike, it's really comfortable, and felt that way instantly. It's nice to finally ride something that fits me!"

That's a perfect ending to a story about a classic case for acquiring a made-to-measure frameset.

Being tall, with proportionately long legs, Vivien is the type of rider that bike shops will put on a small stock frame in order to satisfy the reach requirement. The saddle gets jacked up extra high and, with the short head tube and a threadless steerer which typically has been cut short, little can be done to raise the bar to follow the saddle. (Even those popular, ugly clamp-on extenders have their limits.) That's how she ended up owning a Surly that, with a very large drop from saddle to bar, produced a lot of pain on long rides.

Vivien had other requirements which couldn't be found in a stock frame. She wanted an all-conditions rig with wider tires and fenders, but didn't like the toe overlap that comes with this setup on a bike with a shorter front-center dimension. And she would benefit from the use of lighter-gauge tubes in a frame that is resilient enough to work in harmony with her slender build. And, of course, there were all of those braze-ons for lights and racks that make a complete rando bike.

The solution is a big 61cm (c-t) All Road frame, with a top tube length like you would find on stock frames that are 6-7 cm smaller. The contact points design places the handlebar about 4 cm below the top of the saddle. The 650B wheels and the corresponding low-trail steering geometry help to eliminate toe overlap. The tubeset is a custom seletion of tubes from Kaisei, Dedacciai and True Temper, in light gauges overall, and "standard" diameters in the front triangle. A custom front rack completes the package.

Did I mention that Vivien's favorite color is pink? The assembly-day photo below really doesn't capture the stunning paint job, done in a shade called "Two Lips", but you get the idea.

OK boys, if you're out there on one of those dirt roads that figure into most rides in Vermont, and something pink rips past you, that was a girl. Understand?

Silver Bullet

2010-10-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Just the basics ... no racks, no fenders, no lights. And a customer who was clear about this being a tool, not a piece of art, so no fancy lugs. Not exactly my normal type of project, but there were fit issues to make things interesting.

John is a strong, 40-something rider trying to balance family, career, and a love for racing on a bike. In our first telephone conversation, he described his body type as "hockey player", like many of his fellow Canadians. And then he mentioned his short legs.

With my encouragement, John went in for a session with a local fitter, had his current bike adjusted by a bit, and rode enough to conclude that he liked the new arrangement. Using that model for the rider's contact point dimensions, I designed the frame shown above.

The 49.5cm (c-t) seat tube provides the amount of standover clearance which John requested, and the 6 degree upslope on the top tube places the top of the head tube up high enough to keep the stem spacer stack reasonable. The longer stem works with a good amount of saddle setback to balance the rider over a 98.3cm wheelbase, creating this agile little racing machine. The frame was built with the Columbus Spirit for Lugs tubeset, which is manufactured with the longer butted ends that are essential for fabaricating such a small frame. The styling is kept simple with the Llewellyn Mini-6 lug set and the new Pacenti Mitsugi fork crown.

The paint is a high "sparkle" content metallic silver, which is very reflective. With this base, the clearcoat tends to pick up and emit a faint hint of nearby bright colors, which is a pretty cool effect.

Update ..... John sent this photo of the bike, built up old-school style with toe clip pedals, DT friction shifters operating a 2x7 drive train, and a Modolo master pro brakeset. Quality parts throughout, including the Campy Ti seatpost and the beautiful leather Berthoud Ti race saddle. Nice job, John!

Dressed For Work

2010-08-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is Randy's new All Road, completely outfitted for long rides down any road, in any weather and any light. These are a few selected photos from a larger gallery.

Along with the frameset, I also built a custom front rack and decaleur, as shown below. The rack attaches to the brake bosses used by the vintage centerpull brake, using special double-ended bolts. Hidden wire guides continue the course started on the fork blade, and the special mount neatly tucks the B&M LED headlight underneath that big Ostrich bag. In the head-on view, you can see the fixed portion of the decaleur which remains attached to the stem when the bag is removed.

And finally, a bit of rear brake and fender detail. But really, I can't take my eyes off of that stylin' tail light, sitting proud on its dedicated mounting boss.

Racks and Decaleurs

2010-08-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

A recent flurry of rack-building activity resulted is a nice sampling of various approaches to attaching a small rack to a fork, and stabilizing the bags that go with such racks. There's a stream of six photos showing these recent racks and decaleurs that starts here.

Probably the most interesting, from a fabricator's perspective, is the rack shown below. The customer came to me with an expensive new custom (built by a well known Wisconsin outfit) that was intended to combine the center-mount brake with a rack that attaches via one of those "you-bend-it-to-fit-under-the-brake" center tangs. The execution had been muffed, the spec'd rack sat where the fender should be, and his fork simply didn't accommodate the tire and fender that he'd listed on the order form. One part of my solution was to build a rack that features a yoke that mounts on the brake's center bolt, sandwiched between the brake and the front of the fork crown. This took some doing to fly the rack's deck tubes around the brake's working envelope, away from the crown's protruding shoulders, and into the yoke. But it turned out very nice. And, although this was designed around the Tektro R538 sidepull brake, we also know that it works equally well with the new Paul's Racer-M center-mount.

When it comes to stabilizing the bag on these front racks, I believe that there's a valid structural design argument for not using an overly tall backstop supporting an integrated decaleur fixture. Instead, I prefer a design with the decaleur's root placed high and forward, and with short lever arms that carry bag-generated bending forces. The decaleur shown below mounts to a stem with a 4-bolt faceplate, and incorporates my design preferences. With a modular design like this, individual elements can be replaced to fit other bag/stem/rack combinations.

The photo below shows this decaleur design in use. The spine piece is bolted directly to the bag. The linkage is created by inserting the L-shaped retaining pin, which, in turn, is locked in place by the little R-clip. To release the bag, simply remove the R-clip and slide out the retaining pin.
With this particular frame/stem/bag combination, the bag support hangs from the stem on short struts, rather than by the long cantilever arm found on aftermarket steerer-mounted decaleurs. And these struts are easily positioned using bolts, not by bending the structure. My design may weigh a bit more than something integral to the rack, but, as one customer described it, it's "sturdy as all get out". That's the idea, no?

A Green All-Road for the Green Mountains

2010-07-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

After riding a succesion of modern production steel frames which he felt were "overbuilt", Randy decided to have a custom frameset built to suit his stature and riding style. The stature factor called for a large (62cm c-t) frame with enough flex to work in harmony with a fairly light, but strong, rider. The riding style factor called for a bike tough enough for bombing the dirt roads in Vermont's Green Mountains. He's also a part of the low-trail/fat-tire crowd, and this new bike would be built around that type of geometry. The result is the All-Road frameset shown above.

For the frame's main triangle, I used a selection of modern Dedacciai tubes in "standard" diameters, which mimic the flex of the old classic Reynolds 531C tubeset. The oval chainstays provide ample clearance for the 700C x 35 tires, and the lighter-gauge seatstays provide a bit of additional compliance.

The fork is where the beef is. I used the new Grand Bois cast crown, which is designed for Imperial oval fork blades. On the classic Imperial oval profile, the top of the blade has a longer fore-aft dimension than does the succesor Continental oval, which tends to push blade flex farther down toward the tip of the blade. Since Randy likes to ride fast on pot-holed dirt roads, I wanted to use fork blades that are stronger than what I'd normally use for a rando frame. Many thanks to Richard Sachs for providing the NOS Reynolds 531ST fork blades from his personal stash. The photo below shows the Grand Bois crown, along with the custom-made brazeon mounts for the DiaCompe 700 centerpull brakes.

Randy wanted a clean, classic look, and selected this nice set of long point lugs. The Paragon rear dropouts, which are CNC'd 4130 CrMo steel, compliment this look and are uber-tough. The frameset incorporates a full wishlist of fender mounts, rack mounts, light mounts & wire guides, extra bottle cage bosses, and chain catcher. The fender mount bosses are positioned for a generous 13mm of clearance between 50mm fenders and the spec'd 35mm tires. The frameset was designed around a Miche threadless needle-bearing headset, which also compliments the styling by being logo-free.

There's also a custom front rack and decaleur on the way. I'll put up another post later showning this bike fully dressed.

Making a (Under) Statement

2010-07-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

Branding. That word used to describe what ranchers did to identify their cattle. These days, the word has been adopted by the marketing guys to describe an intense competition to get their company name in front of the consuming public. Bicycle manufacturers, with a long tradition of including names and logos on frames, have embraced this new branding ethic in a big way. Walk around most modern bikes and you'll be able to read the company name from almost any angle. Does a bike frame really need to have 8 to 10 decals that all display the same word?

My own sense of style says that the frame's metalwork and paint should define the look, and that look should be an understated elegance. I have no desire (or need) to plaster my advertising on your bike.

All creative works, bicycle frames included, deserve to be signed by the artist. To that end, my frames carry a single, small copy of my builder's "signature" on the top tube. In the full-frame photos on this site, you'll have to look hard to spot this small graphic.

My frames are painted by Keith Anderson, whom I consider to be a valued partner in this enterprise. Keith places his own artist's signature in an out of the way location on the left chainstay.

From the beginning, I have adhered to this understated styling, not worrying if it might turn off potential customers. Recently, to my delight, I am being contacted by customers specifically because of this styling. They've never met me, and likely don't know anybody who owns one of my frames, but they've been searching for a builder who will hold off on the decals. Through the power of the internet, they've found one!

Brakes: Act 2

2010-05-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

When you find a truly great component, you want to keep using it forever. Sometimes, however, that requires a little creativity.

When Randy and I started discussing what he wanted in a new frameset, he was definite about wanting to modify a rare set of DiaCompe 700 centerpull brakes to mount via braze-on bosses. The photo below shows this brake model as it was originally produced, with the beautifully designed caliper arms mounted using a universal-fit yoke and center bolt.

In contrast to Mafac centerpulls which are readily convertable to braze-on bosses, the center-mount DiaCompe 700 uses a spring shape which doesn't allow the original spring to anchor to the boss as it should. In addition, the dimensions of the DiaCompe's pivot are sufficiently different from current brake standards that this brake doesn't mate with stock bosses. The solution was to fabricate a set of hand-wound stainless steel springs. After several prototypes, I arrived at the spring profile shown in the photo below.

This photo also shows the custom braze-on bosses that I made for this project. The dimensions on these bosses are optimized to mate with the DiaCompe 700 brakes' original pivot bushings. And, since bosses and springs were designed in concert, the single spring anchor hole is all that's needed.

The photo below shows the DiaCompe 700 brake arms mounted to the braze-on bosses. Those are 50mm fenders mounted with 13mm of clearance over 35mm Pasela tires. These brakes are both beautiful and well designed, and I'm happy to give them a second life on this new All-Road frameset that I know Randy is going to ride hard.

Update ... After updating these brakes with modern Kool Stop pads, pulley-style hangers and shorter straddle cables, Randy reports "I've never ridden with brakes that stop so well and modulate so nicely. All that work was well worth it."

Rack-o-Rama

2009-11-13T08:42:00.001-08:00

I've been building interesting custom racks, and it's time to highlight a few. In a world where sturdy aftermarket racks are readily available, having a custom rack built for your bike might be viewed as something of an indulgence. When you get down into the details, however, you'll find that a custom rack is a much different beast. Being designed to mate exactly with your frame's mounting points, a custom rack eliminates the clutter of bolt-on adjustable struts found on "universal fit" racks. Clean looks, lower weight and fewer fasteners to possibly come loose. Among my customers, however, the compelling reason for a custom rack seems to be the availability of an infinite variety of dimensions and configurations, and the ability to have all of the "bells and whistles" (light mounts, wire guides, fender braces, etc.) that your heart desires. When designed in concert with a new frame/fork, a custom rack can take advantage of braze-on mounting points which otherwise would not have been designed into the frame/fork

The photo above is of a 3-piece modular rack system, with a small fixed top rack and two detachable lowrider pannier frames. This rack system was designed to go with the low-trail fork in the photo, and the pannier frames attach quickly using three M5 bolts each. The top rack is a little wider than common, which allows the crown struts to fly around the new V-O Grand Cru standard reach dual pivot caliper brake, and provides better triangulation to brace the detachable frames' mast. The customer wanted to be able to attach/detach the pannier frames without disturbing the attachment of the top rack, hence the second mid-fork mounting point. Additional views and details may be found in a photo set on my Flickr gallery.

Commercial rear racks typically are dimensioned for the large-footprint trunk bags that all bag vendors seem to make. Gilles Berthoud also makes a beautiful scaled-down trunk bag that's sized just right for your jacket and lunch, but which looks silly when perched atop a full sized rack. The photo above shows a small-format custom rack that was designed specifically for this little Berthoud bag. The rack also has a braze-on for attaching the quick-release bracket for the LED taillight.

And, finally, here's a simple rack designed for a small touring bike. On small frames like this, the shallow angle of the seatstay positions the rack braze-on quite far forward of the rear axle. You still have to position the panniers back far enough to avoid heel strike, and "universal fit" racks end up with very long adjustable struts/straps to span the gap. On this custom rack, the long reach to the seatstay is still present, but the span now is integrated into the rack's basic structure. With a comparable capability, this steel rack weighs about 2/3 of the aluminum rack (plus steel fittings!) that it replaced. And it looks so much nicer, too.

All of my custom racks are fillet brazed using thin-wall, aircraft grade 4130 CrMo steel tube.

Advanced Materials

2009-11-13T08:19:00.000-08:00

ROSWELL, NM (AP) Following a visit to one of the nation's leading scientific institutions to review the state of the art in Space Age materials, Tom Matchak Cycles is pleased to announce a new line of high-end framesets fabricated using tinfoil and paper maché.

Cherry Cherry

2009-04-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Chris has been dreaming of a custom frame since the 80’s, when he fell for the classic steel frames of that era. His body type (long legs/short torso) doesn’t work well with production frames, and he told a familiar story of riding for “too many years on stuff that didn’t fit right”. It finally was time, he said, to obtain a made-to-measure frame, with a classic sport touring geometry.

Chris is tall, so working out a suitable geometry was pretty straightforward, without the interference issues that can crop up with short-torso’d short people. Built using the Columbus Spirit for Lugs (SFL) tube set, the resulting 62cm frame incorporates the geometry and features to support the style of recreational riding and light touring that Chris envisions. The frame and fork are dimensioned for Tektro R538 standard (47-57mm) reach caliper brakes at full-slot, and there is a full compliment of fender and rack mounts.
Beyond form and function, the dream included a vision of the styling and paint scheme. After I set out lug samples on the workbench, Chris selected the Nuovo Richie set. For paint, he selected a beautiful Cherry Red pearl for the base, with contrasts in a metallic Black Cherry. In these photos, the contrasts appear as black, but, in real life, bright sunlight turns on the imbedded sparkly bits and really brings out the dark cherry translucence. The result is a classic look, with a contemporary twist.

Forks on the Road

2008-12-20T09:26:00.000-08:00

My favorite part of building frames and forks is getting to see the finished products in use. Sometimes I get to see my work rolling down the road next to me, but more often I just get to see photos. I’ve been receiving photos from distant customers of their installed Frame-Neutral Replacement Forks, so I thought that I would share a few.

These customers share a common story. They all had nicely built, good fitting bikes, outfitted with carefully selected components. They all had tried carrying small-to-moderate loads in a front bag, and were unhappy with the resulting handling of the high-trail steering geometry. Each wanted to obtain a low-trail replacement fork, either as a long term fix, or as an experiment prior to committing to a full new frameset.

Randy rides his Rambouillet (shown below) on all surfaces with 700Cx30 tires. The FNRF was designed with a 62mm offset, yielding about 40mm of trail. This fork has lighting wire guides up the right blade, and separate under-crown mounting points for the fender and the VO randonneur front rack. Matching the original orange pearl paint finish would have been a bit pricey, so this fork was painted in the cream color used for Rivendell’s contrasting head tubes. As the lovely young Maia shows us, the installation was completed with a big front bag, and a nice centerpull brake to handle the new 67mm reach.

Bill recently bought the new Surly Traveler (below), which is the well known Cross Check frame with S&S couplers. He also owns a Kogswell P/R with a 40mm trail fork. While he generally liked the Surly, he found that he really preferred the way that the P/R handled with a front load. Bill decided to modify the Surly with a FNRF with 68mm of offset, which yields about 41mm of trail with his favorite 700Cx33 tires. He also requested an under-crown fender mount, and special through-hole bosses on the fork blades for the Tubus Duo lowrider rack. Bill selected a color from the DuPont paint chip book, and reports a “very close to perfect” color match. The fork carries a Nitto M12 front rack, and Jitensha medium bag.

Orin also rides a Rambouillet, as a randonneur and urban commuter, and wants to carry things in a front bag. His FNRF (shown below) was built with 62mm of offset, yielding about 40mm of trail. He also requested a full set of rack/fender mounts, generator hub up-and-over wire guides, a dedicated light boss low on the left blade, and a switch to a threadless steerer. With the photo, he noted that this light wire previously had been wound tightly around a support, and needs to relax to look neater in the fork’s guides. Although the fork was built to use the VO randonneur front rack, Orin later decided to design and fabricate his own stainless steel rack. This bike already was using a front Tektro R556 long reach (55-73mm) caliper brake, which was able to handle the longer reach on the new fork.

My New Favorite Brake

2008-08-29T07:37:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, Shimano’s introduction of a dual-pivot standard reach (47-57mm) brake was well received as a tidy solution for wide(er) tires and lots of clearance. In practice, however, there were some small, but nagging, deficiencies. The quick release didn’t pass tires wider than about 28mm, and the maximum usable brake reach was really about 55mm.

Now comes the Tektro R538 caliper (above), which is a near-perfect implementation of this brake format. The novel long-throw quick release design is wonderful. When adjusted to work with a 19mm wide Mavic Open Pro rim, this release opens up the pads to a generous 33mm of wheel removal clearance. Wider rims yield an even wider opening. This makes a world of difference for users of Shimano brake levers. Couple the R538 caliper with a Campy-style release in the brake levers, and you’ll have clearance to remove any tire that you’d reasonably run underneath this brake.

As a frame builder, I’m excited about the fact that the R538 actually reaches to a full 57mm. I know this may sound a bit silly, but those extra 2mm are meaningful. On a carefully handcrafted frameset intended for standard-reach calipers, I’ll design to use every last millimeter of functional brake reach, and let the owner benefit from the maximum clearance. The photo above shows the R538 over a 700C x 32 Pasela.

I’ve used the Tektro R538 calipers on three bikes recently, and I find that the orbital washers behind the cartridge-style shoes make pad alignment a cinch. The brake’s high quality, graceful styling and lustrous finish compliment a beautiful frame. It’s now my "standard" for standard-reach calipers.

The frame pictured with the brake is Maggie’s new low-trail All-Rounder, built mostly with light weight Dedacciai Zero tubing. The lugs are Nuovo Richie, which are cast with the styling seen below. Once again, color was personal and important, and Maggie selected a gorgeous Medium Iris pearl.

Ah ... Spring

2008-05-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

It was quite a winter, with a record-setting snowfall, but the “good” bikes with beautiful paint are out on salt-free roads again, competing with the early flowers for a place on the color palette. Soon to be among the brightest is Leslie’s new All-Rounder.

From the start, Leslie was sure about wanting a yellow bike. As usual, there were lots of yellows to choose from, and the selection turned into a group effort as the chip charts appeared at skiers’ social gatherings. In the end, we nudged Leslie towards a finish composed of House of Kolor "Lime Gold Kandy" over a "Lemon Yellow" base, then crossed our fingers that it would look as good as that tiny little chip did. Wow, does it ever! In yet another masterful job by painter Keith Anderson, this finish is stunning. In the sunshine, the candy coat’s gold effect explodes atop the screaming-bright lemon yellow. In the shadows, your eye picks up the faintest hint of the candy coat’s subtle lime hue, but your brain still says “yellow bike”.

This frame needed a generous stand-over clearance, and had to accommodate getting the bars up there with a classic quill stem. I also prefer a minimum head tube length of 120mm with lugged construction. All of this was accomplished easily by designing a 6.3 degree upslope on the top tube, and using the new Mini 6 lugset, which was developed by Darrell McCulloch for just this sort of configuration. The lugs were carved a bit to achieve the style that I wanted for this frame.

Designed primarily for all-surface recreational riding, but with capabilities for light touring, this frame is built from a medium-weight selection of Dedacciai and True Temper tubing. Shown here with 700C x 28 tires, but the standard (57mm) reach calipers will accommodate 32mm tires with fenders, or 35-38mm tires without fenders.

And, being custom, Leslie got her wish for a kickstand mounting plate. This is becoming a trend.

Fork It Over

2007-12-24T12:00:00.000-08:00

What happens if receive your Frame-Neutral Replacement Fork™ and really like it? This is the story of a customer who recycled his low-trail fork into a new bike designed around that geometry.

I originally built a low-trail replacement fork for Jay’s Rivendell Canti-Romulus, designed with a 60mm offset that produced about 44mm of trail. Soon after receiving this new fork, Jay telephoned to say that he wanted to commission a new frame, incorporating this fork, if possible. He had some fit issues which could be addressed with a made-to-measure frame. He also had a wish list of small details, including a kickstand plate, which would be easy enough to get just right on a custom frame.

No problem. Every frame that I design begins with the fork. There certainly wasn’t anything to prevent Jay’s fork from being recycled, as long as it passed my inspection for damage or misuse.

Jay planned to strip the components from his Romulus to use on this new frame, which would be built with cantilever bosses. Before those rear cantilever bosses had been brazed into place, he sent an e-mail saying that he’d unexpectedly sold the Romulus complete, and would be buying all new components. I pointed out that brake technology now was an open option, and asked if he might like to consider using extra long reach (55-73mm) dual-pivot sidepull caliper brakes. Jay already was familiar with the beautiful “Silver” model from Rivendell, and jumped at the chance to use brakes which would match so nicely with the style of bicycle he envisioned.

But wait … doesn’t the fork have cantilever bosses? It sure did, but those were removed with some very careful hand work with files and sandpaper. No additional heating on the fork blades, and no trace that the canti bosses ever were there. Spoiling the fork’s paint wasn’t a concern since the new frameset was going to be painted in a different color.

So there it is, a second life for a Frame-Neutral Replacement Fork™ and a happy customer with a new bicycle designed to fulfill a dream. That, I propose, is why I do this.

And, finally, a few details, starting with that mounting plate for a fancy Pletscher kickstand.

Small Details

2007-12-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

This fork started out as a low-trail Frame-Neutral Replacement Fork™ for a Rivendell Rambouillet. As we discussed the customer’s current setup and future plans, the fork’s specification expanded to include some neat custom features.

The customer requested separate under-crown mounting points for both a fender and the new Velo Orange randonneur front rack. This rack, intended to be used with caliper brakes, features a center tang made from a flat strip which attaches underneath the crown. With the limited space available in the open end of the steerer tube, this called for a carefully designed piece to provide two threaded sockets with enough separation to be functional, enough depth-of-thread for a solid connection, and no interference with the brake’s center bolt.

The mounting solution shown above provides a 6mm socket (front) for the rack, and a 5mm socket (rear) for attaching the fender. The spacing between the sockets is maximized, and the socket depth provides 5mm of full contact thread. The bridge that carries the sockets is about 2mm thick, and, with this crown, provides the extra bit of vertical drop required to allow the rack’s tang to pass cleanly beneath the arch of a Tektro R556 caliper brake. With the additional fork length built in to compensate for the added fork offset, all of this stuff underneath the crown won’t interfere with the clearance needed to properly position the fender over a 700Cx30 Grand Bois tire.

The customer will use a generator hub, running the light wire all of the way up the right fork arm, then down the left arm to a low-mounted light. To eliminate that whole unsightly zip-tie and p-clamp scene, this fork received a full set of brazed-on lighting wire guides, along with a dedicated light mount low on the left arm.

Small details like these really clean up the appearance of a bicycle. In doing so, the details themselves tend to disappear from the casual observer. But they’ll always be there, providing a perfect foundation upon which to carry your load, keep you dry and light your way.

Fall Colors

2007-11-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

That's what she liked the best, the Meteor Maroon Pearl that she had selected after spending a few weeks with the House of Kolor chip charts. Nice, but not a color that really jumped out and grabbed me like others do. But that was when the forest still was green.

By the time that this Low-Trail All-Rounder frame returned from the painter, the light here in northern New Hampshire had undergone the seasonal shift from green to golden. When I carried the frame outside to view it in natural light, I was stunned by how elegant the color appeared in the Fall colors.

Standing there, staring at that lustrous Maroon, I was conflicted …. Should I build it up as promised for the next day’s inaugural ride, or should I just keep it as a centerpiece for the Thanksgiving table? Better judgement always seems to prevail, and I realized that our dining table isn’t large enough to hold both frame and food. What a shame.

The next morning dawned clear and cold, and Jackie arrived early for the first ride on her new dream bike. We picked a route to exercise this bike's great versatility, starting with mixed-surface backroads, then later heading for Crawford Notch as the day warmed. Watching her spinning along in the Fall colors made me realize that Meteor Maroon is one of those colors which looks so much better in real life.

Fork Alignment and Bike Handling

2007-09-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

Within bike-tech circles, there has been a growing realization that carbon fiber forks aren’t up to snuff. No, I’m not talking about the “squirrel got caught in the spokes and shattered my fork” stories. I’m referring to the unhappy discovery that many mass market carbon forks – including major brand names – are poorly aligned. So poorly, in fact, that it can have a serious negative impact on a bike’s overall handling. This quality control problem in the manufacture of carbon forks is summarized in a recent article from Calfee Design, a highly regarded builder of carbon fiber frames.

So, why does this concern someone like me, who builds and uses only steel forks? It provides a perfect counterpoint for telling you a little about my approach to building – and aligning – custom steel forks.

Building an aligned fork is more difficult than building an aligned frame. On a fork, there are seven independent dimension and location variables, which must be satisfied simultaneously, in three dimensions. My work process for building a steel fork is based on subassemblies, similar to my approach to building a frame. The crown is brazed to the steerer, and the crown race seat is machined to specification on a lathe. The dropouts are brazed into the raked fork blades. The fork’s alignment variables all come together when these subassemblies meet in the fork jig, where I cut the fork blades to a precise final length, and pin the blades into the crown sockets. The securely pinned fork is removed from the jig and free-brazed in a specially designed rotating fixture, producing a finished fork which is free of residual stresses and very close to its final alignment standard.

Any brazed steel fork will benefit from a final alignment, simply to remove the small displacements which are a consequence of the heating cycle. This is an area where my clock-be-damned approach to framebuilding allows me to be exceptionally picky. Like most builders, I align off of a granite surface plate, using machinist’s v-blocks and gauges. But, by the time that all of the fork alignment tools are out – including custom tooling that I’ve created just for this task - I feel a little like the crazed dentist that Steve Martin played in that movie.

The Calfee article notes that “A diligent steel frame builder can align the fork blades to within a millimeter of symmetry. Certain well known builders align them to within 0.5 mm.“

I routinely confirm the alignment of my forks to within 0.5mm of specification, on each measured variable. Apparently, I devote more attention to fork alignment than many other builders. That’s OK by me. As I see it, your fork is too important for anything but the best in craftsmanship.

Frame-Neutral Replacement Fork™

2007-03-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

The recent excitement about low-trail steering geometry on road/sport bicycles has produced some wonderful new frames which reflect this design approach that was perfected a half-century ago on French cyclotourist bikes. As this interest has grown, discussions have appeared on various bicycle forums, where owners of quality frames are interested in the option of retrofitting with a new, longer-rake fork. Posted responses generally have offered encouraging anecdotal evidence, and at least one vendor has announced a one-size-fits-all retrofit fork. Generally absent, however, has been a useful discussion on the elements of frame/fork interaction, and a quantitative view of the impact of a replacement fork on the frame/steering geometry of an existing bike.

I have developed the Frame-Neutral Replacement Fork™ as an intelligent solution to retrofitting existing frames with a longer-rake fork. This fork is custom designed to provide the new low-trail steering that you seek, while preserving your frame’s original orientation. More than a simple fork fabrication, this is a comprehensive design service, working with you and your existing bike, and advising about workable options.

Let’s look at the interaction between the fork and frame. To help with this, the diagram below defines the key elements of a bicycle’s front-end geometry. The data listed for the original fork (black) and the Frame-Neutral Replacement Fork™ (red) is from a completed retrofit project.

A bicycle frame is supported by its fork, and the design of a frame begins with the fork’s length and rake. In this discussion, the fork length is measured along the steering axis, from the crown race seat to the point where a perpendicular line intersects the axle center, as shown by the FL dimension in the diagram. Fork rake is measured on a line perpendicular to the steering axis.

From the designer’s perspective, the front end of a bicycle frame is located in space by the distance along the steering axis from the lower end of the head tube (point A) to a baseline drawn through the axles (point B). As shown in the diagram, this distance along the steering axis is the sum of the fork's length-on-axis (FLA) plus the headset’s lower stack height. When the headset is a constant, this leaves us with an evaluation where the key variable, fork length-on-axis (FLA), is calculated directly as a function of the fork length (FL), the fork rake (RA), and the head angle.

In order to preserve the frame’s original orientation (head tube and seat tube angles), a longer-rake replacement fork must produce the same length-on-axis (FLA). As seen in this diagram, this requires the longer-rake replacement fork to also have a longer axle-to-crown length (FL). In the case illustrated here, increasing the rake by 22.5 mm required that the replacement fork’s axle-to-crown length be 7 mm longer than on the original fork. This may seem like an insignificant number, but leaving off those 7 mm would have made the head angle steeper by nearly 0.4 degrees. From the perspective of this bicycle’s owner, that much change in head angle would have been unacceptable.

There’s a bit more to this than simply making a longer fork. If you’re using caliper brakes, we’ll have to take a look at the longer brake reach, and how to deal with it by using various crown designs and/or an alternate front caliper. There really are a lot of neat ways to make this work. If you’re using cantilever brakes, you’re good to go with your existing components.

I have my own numerical design model, designed to solve on this specific problem. Using this model, along with a few key pieces of design data from your existing frameset, I can quickly, and precisely, define the Frame-Neutral Replacement Fork™ which best meets your needs.

Introduction

2007-02-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

My name is Tom Matchak, and I am one lucky guy. For the joy of producing something useful and beautiful with my own hands, I get to build handcrafted custom bicycle frames. Working alone, I select every design element, fuss over every metalworking detail, and don’t pay attention to the clock.

I design and build a frame with the goal that it will become your favorite bicycle. The one that you’ll ride hard, rely upon, and lovingly maintain. The one that you won’t worry about taking everywhere, because each scratch in the beautiful paint just reminds you of a great adventure. The one that you’ll outfit with different components as your cycling interests change over the years. The one which you want to last as long as you do.

I work in a single traditional medium, silver-brazed lugged steel. As an engineer, I understand that this is a superior method for joining the high quality steel tubes that are available today. As an artist, I find that this method allows for a level of creative expression not available with other, more industrial, fabrication techniques.

I build frames designed for the types of cycling that I know the best, and love the most … all-day social rides, long distance touring, and exploratory rambles on mixed-surface back roads. For all of these uses, my frames are designed along the traditions of classic road cycles. They build into the type of comfortable, versatile and durable bicycle that you’d want if you could have only one. Sure, you can set them up stripped down to ride fast. But, when you’ve outgrown that and find yourself ready for pure fun or serious adventure, these frames readily accommodate wider tires, higher handlebars, racks and fenders.

My framesets include a custom steel fork, designed to provide the desired handling characteristics. Building a fork is a time-consuming task, but it provides a level of design flexibility that simply is not available with the ubiquitous, but narrowly defined, aftermarket forks. A custom steel fork also allows the use, if desired, of a traditional quill stem, with its inherent advantages for easily adjusting the handlebar height.

Every frame designer should have a bias, and mine is for rider comfort. I believe that comfort is paramount to performance, as well as to the overall enjoyment of the sport. If you’re not comfortable, you can’t pedal efficiently. I rarely ride with skinny young racers, but I’ve cycled on long cross-country tours for years in the company of “mature” men and women, many of whom simply can not achieve a comfortable posture atop the style of race-inspired bicycles currently crowding the showrooms. Over and over, I have observed how simple measures, such as raising the handlebars to near saddle height, can ease the common complaints of neck, shoulder, lower back, and crotch pain. The custom frame which I design for you will consider not just your body measurements, but also your flexibility, your weight and where you carry it, your issues with old injuries and the way that you relate to your current bicycle. Above all, I won’t build anything that I’m not convinced will allow you to ride moderate distances in relative comfort.

For each frameset, I select tubes which will be appropriate for your weight, strength and riding style. Tube selections also correlate to the overall theme of the frame, such as light road/sport or fully loaded touring. My goal in selecting tubes is to present steel’s legendary silky feel, while maintaining strength and durability. My frames are light enough, but never intended to be contenders in today’s frame-weight wars. I’ll mix tube sources to get the right combination, and your frame may contain tubes from Reynolds, Dedacciai, True Temper or Columbus, all of whom make excellent products.

This is a wonderful time to be building lugged steel frames. Modern investment casting technology is available to produce high quality lugs, and the masters are stepping forward to design new lugs and sponsor their production for the framebuilding community. I've worked with modern lugs from Henry James, and the great new lugs from Kirk Pacenti and Richard Sachs. Richard's are designed with classic profiles, intended to be used without modification. For creating something special, I turn to Kirk's artisan lugs, which contain a generous amount of extra material that may be carved as desired. Even though it requires an additional 12-15 hours per frame, I like to use these artisan lugs to express my own style, and make a frame truly unique.

I believe that there’s no point in building a frame which inherently limits the owner to only one style of cycling. It is such a simple mater to provide ample clearance for wider tires, secure attachment points for racks, clearance for fenders, and the easy ability to change the handlebar height. These features greatly increase the versatility of a bicycle, without significant performance penalties for the recreational rider. Once you have achieved a comfortable rider posture, a smartly designed frame can, within reason, be used for a variety of types of cycling by simply swapping a few components.

I have an interest in the bicycle designs, perfected fifty years ago in France, which combined wide, supple 650B tires and a low-trail steering geometry. Largely forgotten by the American market, the 650B tire, and low-trail steering in general, is enjoying something of a revival among riders interested in comfort and versatility. Using my own 650B-based prototype and a set of frame-neutral test forks, I have tested a range of low-trail geometry options over thousands of riding miles. I understand the nuances of this design option and how it may be applied to benefit various cycling styles. The photo below shows a detail of my low-trail All-Rounder frameset, designed around wide 650B tires, extra-long reach caliper brakes, and a long-rake fork.

I also offer a design/build service for bicycle owners wishing to convert their existing high-trail bicycles into a low-trail configuration. Using a special purpose numerical model, I can evaluate the specifics of the retrofit application and design a Frame-Neutral Replacement Fork™ which provides the larger rake and preserves the frame’s original orientation.

When it comes to visual effects, I prefer elegant simplicity. A bicycle’s overall appearance should be like that of a graceful bird, not a rolling advertisement. Paint should be simple and beautiful, but simple doesn’t mean dull. Bright, rich frame colors can appear quite simple, as long as they’re not competing with assorted panels, stripes or logos. No matter what the color, your frameset will receive a gorgeous multi-coat paint finish from one of the masters of the trade. I also feel that the traditional style for frame decals is mostly just cheap advertising, and tends to spoil the innate elegance of a finely crafted, lugged bicycle frame. The only decal on your frame will be my small “signature” graphic near the seat cluster. Such styling is unusual, I know, but this is no ordinary bike.