I love how you go out of your way to make something so simple into something so complicated and odd. I only do odd bicycle setups but not nearly at this level. Inspiring
Nice job! I’ve been trying to find a 22.2mm layback pivotal seat post with no luck. They do make 22.2mm straight posts, then I though of welding a steel pivotal top on an oldschool 22.2mm steel or cro-mo layback seat post. So I found the same S/S black ops you posted but was worried the top was aluminum, which thanks to your video I found out it is. Lol. Now I am looking for a top steel pivotal piece or was thinking about cutting the 22.2mm pivotal to have the layback angle. 🤷🏼♂️
Animal Bikes used to make these a couple of years ago but only in 25.4mm ,nowadays they're nearly impossible to find.Cool to see you bringing the idea back outside of bmx.
I made a wedge-post using a 1" (25.4mm) steel "pipe type" seatpost, the top cap from a department store-style 22.2mm quill stem, and the wedge and bolt from a 25.4mm quill stem. Only works on the shittiest or most vintage bikes, but was a great hack for a frankenbike I had.
Isn't the bottom part supposed to be drilled of center to be able to lock the seat in place? I really like your work but I can't see how this can be working.
+Kristofer Jonsson yes you are correct. But in this case I machined the wedge to fit snug, so the play on the hole where I drilled out threads on the top part is enough. Hope that makes sense.
I may be misunderstanding your question - The threaded hole on the wedge is drilled at center. The hold on the saddle end of the seatpost is also drilled at center. It's true the wedge will offset when tightened down due to the wedge. However it would offset the screw no more than .5mm I'm guessing less. There is some play on the hole drilled at the saddle end, I think this provides enough room for the screw to slant itself due to the offset. Really getting into it though, what's important is that the as much of the surface of the wedge is touching the sides of the ST. The longer the screw the less the screw needs to angle itself. Because my mod is so short, it's probably causing more angle on the screw. Whew! Thats a lot of typing for a silly seatpost :)
I would be worry of fatigue cracks that might appear on the seat tube just above welds. It happened to me on an aluminum frame and I finally had to build a gusset and weld it. Also, to distinguish aluminum from steel, I think you can use a magnet.
Hi François, Thanks for the cautionary tip. I'll likely make another seat post at some point with a longer post to avoid the chance of cracking. Out of curiosity, what was your seatpost setup and how thick is the wall on the seat tube?
The bike is a Viking Saratoga tandem and I used a 400 mm seat pin but tightened well under max height limit. The thickness of seat tube I could measure is 2mm but I think the issue as more to do with the protubing seat tube. This is probably a design failure as most of serious frame design are either with seat tube ending 10 mm above seat stays/top tube or a gusset is added. The crack only appeared after 2 years of daily use (this is the bike I use to take the daughters to school), I first had the tube rewelded by a professional welder but it the weld started to crack after two months and I built a gusset using some aluminum plate I cut with dremel tool. It was my first aluminum weld, heat treated aluminum is even harder to weld and the result is not so good looking but after nearly one year it seems to hold so far. Aluminum is probably likelier to crack than steel but I also add a steel frame that cracked because of light cable hole. I could hear some click noise while climbing for some time (I rebuilt transmission) then nothing and a year later down tube broke while in a roundabout. That taught me a lesson.
+François Gasnier thanks for the Info. I have a feeling I'll learn a lot of lessons one is start riding my frame. :) I honestly don't. Know what to expect!
I would probably have gone the easy way and choose thomson elite, or sthg similar, but this one carries panache. :D have you considered going for an integrated tube solution when planning the whole venture? I mean the one seen on some modern roadbike.
For this frame I wasn't really thinking about the components. I just kind of decided as I was building it. The seat tube was the most undecided part of the bike :) I'm still not sure what to do with it lol. I most likely will ream it and throw on a more road like saddle. I guess it depends on how the current saddle feels to ride. This being my first start to finish build, I knew there would for sure be something about the final result I wouldn't be satisfied with. So I thought I'd go conservative on my spending for components. Maybe several frames down the road I'll go all out!
Question: In hindsight, rather than buying the CE mini lathe & mini mill, would you have rather gone with a Grizzly G4015Z - Combo Lathe/Mill (or equivalent)? I have no experience with milling / lathing, so I am curious what you think. The combo unit takes up about the same shop space as the two CE units combined, but has a bigger capacity (19-3/16"), and is beefier / heavier overall (475 pounds) so it should be more stable & resist vibration more than the mini version. Also, the cost is comparable (Combo unit is $1575 after taxes and freight). Anyway, your input would be greatly appreciated!
+Dirk Dhulst I was looking at the combo setup in the beginning but decided against it. Mainly because I heard the mill column was not that rigid. In the end, I liked the idea of dedicated machines. The other reason is that there is a lot of info and videos on both the minimill and mini lathe. It also left me with the option of a cnc mod, which I won't do. But the option is always there. Thanks for the question! Hope it helps.
the ST is at its highest for my height and for the purpose of the frame (track freestyle) There's a little room for foot on pedals stand over height. This is for bunny hops and stuff. If its too high, I'll need to cut the tube down. Thanks for the question!
I thought the same thing, but he turned it to be a snug fit, so most likely the hole where he drilled out the threads has enough play to allow the quill to work.
This year for my school grade project I made a frame transformation and a custom bike, if you'd like to see some pictures tell me and i send you the likk!
Lol, I totally agree. Some other folks commented about the short seat post length causing stress on the ST. I agree with those comments as well. When I get some funds together I'll get a reamer, most likely the adjustable kind. Thanks for watching!
I hadn't realized that warping of the tube could be so problematic. Wonder if the professionals use some sort of heat-resistant mandrel or insert during welding to minimize ovalization...
I did have a heatsink in there but still it distorts. I think the best way to counter ovalization is a really good miter cut and fit ups. But still it will distort I think. But! I'm not super experienced, I've only welded 2 frames now.
great vid as always man! This is prob one of my faves. I can't remember if you've mentioned this in your earlier vids, do you intend to build the fork? How much will the frame + fork weigh in the end? Are you going for something lightweight?
I did mention it but no worries at all :) I'm not building a fork for this frame. I do plan to build a fork some day but its not in my immediate plans. I haven't weighed the frame yet, but based off feel, it's the lightest frame I own at the moment. This is due to the tube sizes and the thin wall. That and it's not a big frame. I'm not too concerned about weight. But if you're curious, I'm happy to weigh it :) Let me know.
Gosh, I really haven't given that much thought. I've been doing this over a year pretty much every weekend. Shooting video makes everything take twice as long.. And cost is probably somewhere around 15k. I'm including all the camera stuff, classes I took on machining and welding, metal working tools, etc. But I hope that figure doesn't scare anyone. A frame can be built pretty cheaply. Especially if you're building a standard lugged frame.. where time is most of the cost. Filing sanding etc.
Thanks for that. Just wondered if you were keeping track. I'm doing something similar and I can vouch for at least 15k. My wife may have a much higher number...but we're chasing dreams...and thank you...your journey has been parallel to what's been a very challenging year and bit for me and my family. Your videos have made a real positive dent in my life. Cheers.
Keep it going. It sounds like we both have families that put up with our nonsense. ;) And it's not my vidoes, its YOU who acted on it. Lots of people watch videos on youtube, but you did something.
Good thing you're a skinny guy lol....I'd be scared to only have that little bit of seatpost inserted in the seat tube...not much support, could bend the seat tube above the seat stays/top tube....
Hahaha yeah, most of the tubes are pretty thin. But thanks to David (Veteran Bicycle Co.) I got a thicker wall ST for just this reason. Remember when I swapped Seattubes? That was why after David's suggestion.
For me, I think you've created a really significant stress riser, regardless of the slightly thicker ST... I use an adjustable reamer set to 27.2mm (I have one like this: www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/ADJUSTABLE-REAMER--RANGE-1-1-16----1-3-16---H12--MEDIUM-SET--83465.html but mine was HSS so a little more expensive) and I'd imagine that the pain of the purchase, to allow a proper length seat pin, far outweighs the pain of a snapped ST and/or the long ride home "out of the saddle"... Just my two pennies, keep up the good work, an excellent channel :)
I don't think it'll be much of a stress riser at the end of the post when there's none exposed (there's not enough leverage, it'll effectively be coupled to the top of the tube.), unless you're talking about the one that will be created at the seat stays. He will be relying on the fairly thin steel tube, but it's fairly short. I agree though, that I wouldn't risk it. It would be a shame to kink it at the seat stays and turn it to junk.
+nwimpney +nwimpney as the seat pin appears to be so short it doesn't extend as deep as the TT/SS joints, therefore the end of the pin will exert considerable stress on the unsupported ST, i am quite sure the pillar itself will survive when the ST kinks/folds/snaps... there must surely be a reason why manufacturers don't sell such short posts (they'd save a lot in materials if nothing else) just my two pennies :)
Yeah, definitely. I just meant that it wouldn't be a problem in the same way as with a long post, and insufficient depth in the frame (kinking at the end of the seat post, often at the keyhole for the seatclamp), but that the next weakest point will be the stress riser caused by the TT/SS joints. I think it would probably survive, though, as there's little leverage there, with the post all the way down. The reason manufacturers don't sell posts that short, is because there would be no adjustability, and because you can always cut it down if you're going to have it bottomed out anyway. All that said, I would still just find a way to ream it properly. Better safe than sorry. It would be a huge shame to ruin a frame over such a small detail.
I don't know if this counts.. but my first memorable encounter with a meme like thing was this th-cam.com/video/FiARsQSlzDc/w-d-xo.html and this is unrelated but its fascinating. th-cam.com/video/G9FGgwCQ22w/w-d-xo.html
Hi, long time subscriber and lurker, first time comment. Wanted to thank you for the time and effort you put into your videos and your work, it's been a real inspiration and convinced me that I need to stop thinking this is the stuff that other special people do and that anyone who puts the time and effort in can achieve anything. Looking forward to see what is coming soon on the PB channel.
Thanks man! Yeah, all those people we think are special, very well may be special. But that's not the reason their creations are special. It's hard work :) Those people devoted their whole lives doing something they love, and what we find special in their work is the outcome of years of work. Thanks for being a long time subscriber! Glad you finally commented. :)
![[#2024MAMA] G-DRAGON - 무제(Untitled, 2014)+POWER+HOME SWEET HOME+뱅뱅뱅+FANTASTIC BABY | Mnet 241123 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ox29z5Nf1Uk/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank You for helping so many people to be empowered.
You are FUNNY!! Love watching this over and over...Great job!!!
I love how you go out of your way to make something so simple into something so complicated and odd. I only do odd bicycle setups but not nearly at this level. Inspiring
+bicyclesandsunshie Mail I can't tell if this is a complement lol! Someone one said to me, "you don't do anything regular do you.." :D
You're building a beautiful frame, man! Your work is great!
+Raúl Buenaposada thanks. I'm getting sooo close now. Can't wait to ride it!
And I can't wait to see it finished!
Love the ending, I'm a Lathe player myself and I was really impressed with your performance :)
I'm a little better on the upright mill but sometimes I jam on the lathe from time to time.
:D
Nice job! I’ve been trying to find a 22.2mm layback pivotal seat post with no luck. They do make 22.2mm straight posts, then I though of welding a steel pivotal top on an oldschool 22.2mm steel or cro-mo layback seat post. So I found the same S/S black ops you posted but was worried the top was aluminum, which thanks to your video I found out it is. Lol. Now I am looking for a top steel pivotal piece or was thinking about cutting the 22.2mm pivotal to have the layback angle. 🤷🏼♂️
Always look forward to your videos. Nice work.
Thanks for watching :)
Nice work man.
Thank you!
that's awesome man
Animal Bikes used to make these a couple of years ago but only in 25.4mm ,nowadays they're nearly impossible to find.Cool to see you bringing the idea back outside of bmx.
I saw those and was bummed they didn't make a 27.2. Could have saved me some work ;)
Beautiful work brother!
Thanks!
Hi , Ive been watching a lot of yours video's lately. They are all nice to watch and very well made., im learning a lot. Thanks!
this looks so clean
TY!
WOW it's amazing, blowing my mind
Congratulations, very good
Sweet lounge act :)
I missed my calling.
I made a wedge-post using a 1" (25.4mm) steel "pipe type" seatpost, the top cap from a department store-style 22.2mm quill stem, and the wedge and bolt from a 25.4mm quill stem.
Only works on the shittiest or most vintage bikes, but was a great hack for a frankenbike I had.
+Alex Paulsen thos post i made started to creak. I wasnt surprised when it started. :(
Isn't the bottom part supposed to be drilled of center to be able to lock the seat in place? I really like your work but I can't see how this can be working.
+Kristofer Jonsson yes you are correct. But in this case I machined the wedge to fit snug, so the play on the hole where I drilled out threads on the top part is enough. Hope that makes sense.
Nicely done.
+Crivo152 thanks!
Hey, not sure if I missed that bit, but should the wedge hole not be drilled off centre to make it actually wedge when thightened?
I may be misunderstanding your question - The threaded hole on the wedge is drilled at center. The hold on the saddle end of the seatpost is also drilled at center. It's true the wedge will offset when tightened down due to the wedge. However it would offset the screw no more than .5mm I'm guessing less. There is some play on the hole drilled at the saddle end, I think this provides enough room for the screw to slant itself due to the offset. Really getting into it though, what's important is that the as much of the surface of the wedge is touching the sides of the ST. The longer the screw the less the screw needs to angle itself. Because my mod is so short, it's probably causing more angle on the screw. Whew! Thats a lot of typing for a silly seatpost :)
I would be worry of fatigue cracks that might appear on the seat tube just above welds.
It happened to me on an aluminum frame and I finally had to build a gusset and weld it.
Also, to distinguish aluminum from steel, I think you can use a magnet.
Hi François, Thanks for the cautionary tip. I'll likely make another seat post at some point with a longer post to avoid the chance of cracking. Out of curiosity, what was your seatpost setup and how thick is the wall on the seat tube?
The bike is a Viking Saratoga tandem and I used a 400 mm seat pin but tightened well under max height limit. The thickness of seat tube I could measure is 2mm but I think the issue as more to do with the protubing seat tube.
This is probably a design failure as most of serious frame design are either with seat tube ending 10 mm above seat stays/top tube or a gusset is added.
The crack only appeared after 2 years of daily use (this is the bike I use to take the daughters to school), I first had the tube rewelded by a professional welder but it the weld started to crack after two months and I built a gusset using some aluminum plate I cut with dremel tool. It was my first aluminum weld, heat treated aluminum is even harder to weld and the result is not so good looking but after nearly one year it seems to hold so far.
Aluminum is probably likelier to crack than steel but I also add a steel frame that cracked because of light cable hole. I could hear some click noise while climbing for some time (I rebuilt transmission) then nothing and a year later down tube broke while in a roundabout. That taught me a lesson.
+François Gasnier thanks for the Info. I have a feeling I'll learn a lot of lessons one is start riding my frame. :) I honestly don't. Know what to expect!
Sooo beautiful!
Thanks! Not bad for a temporary solution ;) if i say so myself.
I would probably have gone the easy way and choose thomson elite, or sthg similar, but this one carries panache. :D have you considered going for an integrated tube solution when planning the whole venture? I mean the one seen on some modern roadbike.
For this frame I wasn't really thinking about the components. I just kind of decided as I was building it. The seat tube was the most undecided part of the bike :) I'm still not sure what to do with it lol. I most likely will ream it and throw on a more road like saddle. I guess it depends on how the current saddle feels to ride. This being my first start to finish build, I knew there would for sure be something about the final result I wouldn't be satisfied with. So I thought I'd go conservative on my spending for components. Maybe several frames down the road I'll go all out!
+Pithy Bikes fair enough! whichever road you'll take next, please shoot and upload! :)
Question: In hindsight, rather than buying the CE mini lathe & mini mill, would you have rather gone with a Grizzly G4015Z - Combo Lathe/Mill (or equivalent)? I have no experience with milling / lathing, so I am curious what you think. The combo unit takes up about the same shop space as the two CE units combined, but has a bigger capacity (19-3/16"), and is beefier / heavier overall (475 pounds) so it should be more stable & resist vibration more than the mini version. Also, the cost is comparable (Combo unit is $1575 after taxes and freight). Anyway, your input would be greatly appreciated!
+Dirk Dhulst I was looking at the combo setup in the beginning but decided against it. Mainly because I heard the mill column was not that rigid. In the end, I liked the idea of dedicated machines. The other reason is that there is a lot of info and videos on both the minimill and mini lathe. It also left me with the option of a cnc mod, which I won't do. But the option is always there. Thanks for the question! Hope it helps.
Outstanding
Thanks for watching :)
What's the name of the machine you used to thin out the diameter post
My God you read my mind. Only thing I need the OD to be 16mm
what about adjusting saddle height for proper fit?
the ST is at its highest for my height and for the purpose of the frame (track freestyle) There's a little room for foot on pedals stand over height. This is for bunny hops and stuff. If its too high, I'll need to cut the tube down. Thanks for the question!
shouldn´t there be a sligt offset in the lower part to actually create some clamping force when tightening the bolt?
I thought the same thing, but he turned it to be a snug fit, so most likely the hole where he drilled out the threads has enough play to allow the quill to work.
This is correct :)
This year for my school grade project I made a frame transformation and a custom bike, if you'd like to see some pictures tell me and i send you the likk!
I'd love to!
instagram.com/p/BAnfdOtkzcz/?taken-by=itspinya +PithyBikes
Man, that was a lot of work to avoid reaming that seat tube!
Lol, I totally agree. Some other folks commented about the short seat post length causing stress on the ST. I agree with those comments as well. When I get some funds together I'll get a reamer, most likely the adjustable kind. Thanks for watching!
Loving the vids though. Keep 'em coming!
I hadn't realized that warping of the tube could be so problematic. Wonder if the professionals use some sort of heat-resistant mandrel or insert during welding to minimize ovalization...
I did have a heatsink in there but still it distorts. I think the best way to counter ovalization is a really good miter cut and fit ups. But still it will distort I think. But! I'm not super experienced, I've only welded 2 frames now.
great vid as always man! This is prob one of my faves. I can't remember if you've mentioned this in your earlier vids, do you intend to build the fork? How much will the frame + fork weigh in the end? Are you going for something lightweight?
I did mention it but no worries at all :) I'm not building a fork for this frame. I do plan to build a fork some day but its not in my immediate plans. I haven't weighed the frame yet, but based off feel, it's the lightest frame I own at the moment. This is due to the tube sizes and the thin wall. That and it's not a big frame. I'm not too concerned about weight. But if you're curious, I'm happy to weigh it :) Let me know.
Sure! It would be real interesting to compare it to something commercial like the Cinelli Mash Work frame, which I just purchased recently.
its 1.6kg or 3.4lb
cheers!
nice!
TY!
What do you figure it's cost you so far? how many hours have you put in?
Gosh, I really haven't given that much thought. I've been doing this over a year pretty much every weekend. Shooting video makes everything take twice as long.. And cost is probably somewhere around 15k. I'm including all the camera stuff, classes I took on machining and welding, metal working tools, etc. But I hope that figure doesn't scare anyone. A frame can be built pretty cheaply. Especially if you're building a standard lugged frame.. where time is most of the cost. Filing sanding etc.
Thanks for that. Just wondered if you were keeping track. I'm doing something similar and I can vouch for at least 15k. My wife may have a much higher number...but we're chasing dreams...and thank you...your journey has been parallel to what's been a very challenging year and bit for me and my family. Your videos have made a real positive dent in my life. Cheers.
Keep it going. It sounds like we both have families that put up with our nonsense. ;) And it's not my vidoes, its YOU who acted on it. Lots of people watch videos on youtube, but you did something.
Great job and good idea, just the saddle migh not be the prettiest in my opinion but great idea anyway.
I agree, these types of saddles are kind of ugly. But they're really comfy! Thanks for watching :)
Good thing you're a skinny guy lol....I'd be scared to only have that little bit of seatpost inserted in the seat tube...not much support, could bend the seat tube above the seat stays/top tube....
Hahaha yeah, most of the tubes are pretty thin. But thanks to David (Veteran Bicycle Co.) I got a thicker wall ST for just this reason. Remember when I swapped Seattubes? That was why after David's suggestion.
For me, I think you've created a really significant stress riser, regardless of the slightly thicker ST... I use an adjustable reamer set to 27.2mm (I have one like this: www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/ADJUSTABLE-REAMER--RANGE-1-1-16----1-3-16---H12--MEDIUM-SET--83465.html but mine was HSS so a little more expensive) and I'd imagine that the pain of the purchase, to allow a proper length seat pin, far outweighs the pain of a snapped ST and/or the long ride home "out of the saddle"... Just my two pennies, keep up the good work, an excellent channel :)
I don't think it'll be much of a stress riser at the end of the post when there's none exposed (there's not enough leverage, it'll effectively be coupled to the top of the tube.), unless you're talking about the one that will be created at the seat stays. He will be relying on the fairly thin steel tube, but it's fairly short.
I agree though, that I wouldn't risk it. It would be a shame to kink it at the seat stays and turn it to junk.
+nwimpney +nwimpney as the seat pin appears to be so short it doesn't extend as deep as the TT/SS joints, therefore the end of the pin will exert considerable stress on the unsupported ST, i am quite sure the pillar itself will survive when the ST kinks/folds/snaps...
there must surely be a reason why manufacturers don't sell such short posts (they'd save a lot in materials if nothing else)
just my two pennies :)
Yeah, definitely. I just meant that it wouldn't be a problem in the same way as with a long post, and insufficient depth in the frame (kinking at the end of the seat post, often at the keyhole for the seatclamp), but that the next weakest point will be the stress riser caused by the TT/SS joints.
I think it would probably survive, though, as there's little leverage there, with the post all the way down.
The reason manufacturers don't sell posts that short, is because there would be no adjustability, and because you can always cut it down if you're going to have it bottomed out anyway.
All that said, I would still just find a way to ream it properly. Better safe than sorry. It would be a huge shame to ruin a frame over such a small detail.
Are you selling this bike?
I'm keeping it for myself. It's going to be my fun daily commuter.
hope i was ith u making that frame :(
I guess watching the videos is the next best thing? :)
FBM!
fuck yes
pls don't pls don't pls don't keep that saddle ... for your selfmade bike there must be better ones ... :/
memes
indeed
Pithy Bikes what is your favorite meme?
I don't know if this counts.. but my first memorable encounter with a meme like thing was this
th-cam.com/video/FiARsQSlzDc/w-d-xo.html
and this is unrelated but its fascinating.
th-cam.com/video/G9FGgwCQ22w/w-d-xo.html
Pithy Bikes those are pretty good memes
Hi, long time subscriber and lurker, first time comment. Wanted to thank you for the time and effort you put into your videos and your work, it's been a real inspiration and convinced me that I need to stop thinking this is the stuff that other special people do and that anyone who puts the time and effort in can achieve anything. Looking forward to see what is coming soon on the PB channel.
Thanks man! Yeah, all those people we think are special, very well may be special. But that's not the reason their creations are special. It's hard work :) Those people devoted their whole lives doing something they love, and what we find special in their work is the outcome of years of work. Thanks for being a long time subscriber! Glad you finally commented. :)