Fork installed!

So I finally got my X-fusion Enix fork, and got the crownrace installed, the star fangled nut installed, and cut the steering tube! In order to install the crown race, all I did was purchase a 1-1/4"-1' Galvanized steel pipe, I had them smooth out the ends after cutting, and I gorilla taped one end to "soften" it so it would be less likely to damage the crownrace. This thing was so heavy i didn't even have to whack it with a mallet to set the crown race...all I did was put it over the steering tube and slammed it down onto the crown race a couple times, and it was as flush as it could be - perfect! Next was the part that worried me.....having to mark and cut the steering tube... First, I got all the headset spacers I needed (3x10mm, 1x5mm), put everything except for the 5mm spacer on the fork: headset parts, 3 10mm spacers, stem - then I marked with a pencil, took everything off the fork, and went outside and cut it with a hacksaw. Next I had to install the star-fangled nut. After looking online It seemed like the simplest way to do this was to put a topcap on the the compression screw, then put a 15-20mm spacer on it and then screw the star fangled nut onto it. This would allow you to hammer the top with a mallet all the way down and it should "theroetically" be flush and spaced down the optimal 15-20mm down in the head tube. What I did for the spacer was I took an old plastic bar end I had, and drilled a hole through it big enough for the compression screw to fit through it. Next, I cut the bar end to roughly 15mm, and put it all togeher...it looked something like this.. I started to hammer this in, but it started going in crookeed, all I did was take a screw driver and hammer the side down that was higher - no big deal....once it was low enough for good blows to the top cap, it set in flush :) Now all i had to do was put it all back together on the frame, and this time include the 5mm headset spacer and it all was perfect! Now its starting to look like something!

Well....I got the stem!

So I ordered a RaceFace ride stem from Jenson mostly because it was a killer deal, and if it didn't fit on Jen's bike I figured I would put it on mine, and let her have the one from my bike if she needs a longer stem (I've been thinking about shortening my stem to quicken up the steering, but that's a different post :))

This was the RaceFace Ride 70mm stem with +6/-6 degree angle.

I also ordered a Salsa Cromoto 26" canti/disc rigid fork from Jenson, but unfortunately it got backordered and finally they sent me an email saying they were having problems getting one so I was able to cancel that order.   To my surprise I found a *killer deal* for a 2012 X-fusion enix 26"/650b (black) fork on eBay, so I'm very happy the way this fell out :)

$5 DIY Headset Press!

Built my homemade headset press for $5!    I followed the advice in this thread on MTBR: DIY Headset Press

Parts List:
1/2"x1' Threaded Rod - $1.52
1/2"x2" Flat washers (x8) - $1.92
1/2"x1" Flat washers (x3) - $0.60
1/2"      Hex nut (x3)        - $0.60
Total - $4.64

Here is the final product!

Clearly I could have gotten a better picture, but you get the idea :)

Installing the headset was pretty easy, the hard part was getting it to go in straight, but I think I would have had the same problem with the $70 Park tool headset installation tool.    I slowly did it and any time it appeared to be pressing in crooked, I would back off the hex nut, and realign everything to get it to straighten out...the key was to go slowly and take your time.

Looks good to me! :)

Faced and chased!

This past Saturday I went out and got the frame faced and chased by the good folks at Swallow Bicycle Works!    They're a great shop and really friendly - talking to Tom made me even more excited about this build :)  Now that its faced and chased, I should be able to start sticking on parts as I get them.

First order of business will be to craft a homemade headset press :)   Why? Because it will be fun!

I haven't found any *great* posts yet for how to build one but essentially it will be 18" long 5/8" threaded rod with washers and nuts to press it in.   I'll post a follow up after I do some research and find some great links.

Meanwhile here is my new "new to me" road bike!

It has great components so I don't plan on doing any upgrades, however I would say it needs a few things done:
- New tires (current ones have cracking rubber)
- New bar wrap (current one is really beat up)
- New brake & derailleur cables.

That's pretty much it....however I dont really plan on doing much to it until jen's bike is done :)

The Headset Arrived!

Just got the headset for Jen's bike.  I went with the Cane Creek 40 Series, because it seemed like the obvious choice between price and quality - it seems most folks use this headset for typical builds.   The only issue I had to think about was what size of the headset to buy - I didn't know if I needed an EC34 or an EC44, but after taking a look at the specs for the head tube, etc - I'm certain I got the right one.  (Bonus points - it was $20 cheaper on Ebay than anywhere else!)

Now I have a reason to get the frame faced and chased!  Of course without a fork there I can't install the crown race and get it starting to look like a bike...all in due time I suppose :)

Cane Creek 40 Series Headset

So I decided to go with the Cane Creek 40 series headset, as it seems like the best budget/quality headset for the money.   Looking at bottom brackets/cranks I think eventually I'm going to go with Shimano FC-M590, but still looking around for better options.

Mostly for me to refer to later, here are the specs for the Cane Cree 40 series EC34 headset (Taken from the Cane Creek site):

Technical Description	EC34/28.6/H16/K|EC34/30 /H12/K
Top Type	EC - External Cup
Top Head Tube Inside Dia.	33.95mm
Stem Clamp Dia.	28.6mm
Top Stack Height	16mm
Top Bearing Type	Black Oxide, Sealed
Bottom Type	EC - External Cup
Bottom Head Tube Inside Dia.	33.95mm
Crown Race Seat Dia.	30.015mm
Crown Race Type	Steel, Face-Sealed
Bottom Stack Height	12mm
Bottom Bearing Type	Black Oxide, Sealed
Material	6061
Weight	98g
Part Number	BAA0068K

While looking at the Cane Creek website, I found this diagram in the 40 series manual that I think will come in handy when i do the install.

They also recommended in the manual to face and chase, the headset, and fork (facing the fork was new to me.)  Anyhow, looks like I will be on my way to getting the frame faced and chased and start sticking on the parts in the fall/winter! :)

Headsets, Bottom Brackets, and Cranks. Oh My!

I think my head is getting dizzy researching the best "bang for the buck" headset and bottombracket/crankset.

So far, for the headset, I believe I've narrowed it down to the standard Cane Creek 40 series headset. (Found it cheaper on Ebay!)

However for the BB/crankset, I'm totally stumped on was to what would be a great budget set to go with...I know I want to run shimano 3x9, external BB (preferred, not required), replaceable chainrings, and all black - but there are so many to choose from it makes my head spin!  

I did encounter this handy diagram which helps figure out on where to put the BB spacers in a variety of configurations..I'd gladly give credit to whoever created this diagram, but sadly I can't recall the original URL!




Onward to more research!

The first part came today!

The first part of Jen's bike came today!   Its the 16" Sette Reken frame.  It weighs in at 4.04lbs (including derailleur hangar, seat clamp, zip ties, and cable clips that came with it.)   The box felt so light it almost felt empty!

Why did I choose the Sette Reken frame?   Well I've been looking into budget frames for a while, and on MTBR it seems like many people really like the quality of the Sette frames and this particular frame can be setup for 650B wheels.   So for all these reasons, (including the price!) I went for it.

I was a bit concened that 16" might be too small to go with 650B wheels, since most builds I've seen were with either 18" or 20" frames, but I did find one post where someone built one up with a 14" frame, so I should be good to go.

Specs (16"):
Material: 6061 Aluminum
Headset:  1-1/8" Traditional Cup
Front Derailleur: 31.8mm Clamp
Bottom Bracket: 68mm/ English
Max Rear Tire Clearance: 26x2.2  (I'm going 650b on this!)
Seatpost Size: 27.2mm
Seat Clamp Size: 31.8mm Clamp
Color(s): Black
Weight: 4.04 lbs (16")  (My measurement)
Warranty: 5 Years

A	Size		Medium (16"/40.6cm)
B	Effective Top Tube Length		22.6"/57.4cm
C	Actual Top Tube Length		21.8"/55.3cm
D	Stand Over Height		27.2"/69.1cm
E	Head Tube Length		117mm
F	Head Tube Angle		70.5 degree
G	Seat Tube Angle		73.5 degree
H	Wheel Base		41.74"/106cm
I	Chainstay Length		16.69"/42.4cm

Also, this frame and the Surly Instigator fork I plan on using has the v-brake bosses, which I don't plan on using.   What I think I'm going to do it remove the boss studs (they unscrew) and install these (in hot pink) bullet studs from Purely Custom for a little bit of bling!  But that will wait until the end of the build, I think :)

Building a Sette Reken 650B!

In typical fashion I need to have a project or new hobby going on to learn anything and everything about.  Since Jen was in need of a proper bike, and I am starting to get into mountian biking more - I thought it would be a good winter project and something that I could spend some time to learn about while I go through the build process.

So far my plan is to build a 16" Sette Reken with 650B wheels, color scheme being black and hot pink - proper for Jen :).

And so the adventure begins..