First frame of 2026

 This one was supposed to be done before the first but lugged frames always have a habit of taking longer than one would think. This one also threw me curves-unexpected pitfalls which will be covered in depth in my Overopinionated frame builder blog. In spite of the problems the frame and fork are done and I'm happy with the way it all turned out. I used materials from three different departed builders as I have been the recipient of a lot of unused materials . Frame builders have a habit of hoarding lugs, tubes and other stuff and it is quite common that much of it does not get used up before the builder gets to the end of the line. I'm trying to not be that guy but after the last 4-5 years I have accumulated so much stuff I'm sure I'll be dead before it all gets used. I'll try to sell off or give away a bunch of it if I am sensing the end of my time in the world of bike building. As of January , 2026 I'm still at it full time. 

Ok- about the frame: Lugs came from Hugh Enochs

Tubing was originally in Bruce Gordon's shop and wound up in Ed Litton's shop. 

Brazing rod came from Hugh Enochs

Dropouts came from Ed Litton's shop. 

I designed the frame to be slack and long , kind of like a French bike from the 1950's .Not having a frame like that in the shop I guess I'm kind of making it up as I go but the geometry should be pretty different from the bikes I have except for maybe the Ivor Johnson track frame I have . I'll write up a story on it on the Cycles Heroic blog when I get the chance. 

First frame of 2026

 Every year end I take time between Christmas and new years to do a project or two. I'm a bit late starting this one for a couple reasons but hope to have it done tomorrow. It is raining here so if the project leaks into the weekend I'm ok with that. It will be kind of a copy of a French bike from the '50's , not that I know much about them but I do know a bit of the geometry. This one will be long and slack- not a bike for the fast group ride but it could be nice for exploring on less than optimal roads. It should be very smooth riding , or at least that is what I'm shooting for. I'll put up full photos when it is done. Tubing came from Bruce Gordon's shop through Ed Litton's shop and then to me. Lugs came from Hugh Enoch's shop. I guess I'm last man standing from the '70's Nor-Cal frame building generation so it's up to me to turn some of this stuff into frames while I'm still alive. I'm just building one or two of these a year to keep my toe in the traditional style of lug brazing. I don't want to do too much of it- it's a really long process.

Single speed 29er for a local

 I have built a few frames for this customer and this is the second single speed. The first was built some years ago and when he had to move he downsized and sold some of his bikes- the first single speed was one of them. This frame is the replacement now that the customer has space for another bike. 

The chain is tensioned by a pair of Paragon rocker dropouts- the body of the dropout is stainless so it remains unpainted. I hope that this one surpasses the first one I built for him.

Last frame and fork of the year- steel straight bar cruiser

I think this was the 82nd frame of 2025. My goal was to build 70 but I guess I have a problem with downsizing my output- maybe next year I'll cut back to 70. This is a fitting way to end a year, a fun project that is not something I build very often but have done on maybe 5-6 occasions. This one will have a MONE coaster brake and I had to fashion a bracket for the non-drive-side chainstay. Very glad that I had some steel flat stock on hand and a Bridgeport mill. I'll put up photos of it when It is painted. 

 

Cinelli rat rod project

 Collectors will not be happy with this build but I am not trying for period-correct immaculateness . I just want to be the first person to ride this thing in decades. This frame was in a box in the rafters of Ed Litton's shop at the time he died and when all the goods of the shop were being sold off I wound up buying a pile of frame building stuff with this on the top of the pile. I knew there must be something wrong with it , otherwise it would have been restored and in the hands of someone other than me. What was wrong was that the head tube was a bit ovalized from being ridden with a loose headset. I managed to find headset cups that fit into the frame tight enough for my use- mainly riding with a bunch of like minded folks on other old bikes on January 1st. I hope that I can get the last stuff finished in the next few days. It might look like I'm nearly done but bike projects such as this wind up with all sorts of issues and roadblocks the closer it seems to getting completed. You might think that all the difficult stuff is done and sure, a lot of it is but the unforseen is the unforseen and one cannot predict what that will be and if there's a solution in the shop . I should know by Wednesday afternoon if this beat to death 1959 Cinelli 'B' will be hitting the road on the 1st. Wish me luck. The boxes of parts in the loft are seemingly well stocked but a lot of the stuff up there is in boxes for various reasons- der's that are twisted, headsets and bottom brackets with bad bearing surfaces , brake calipers with twisted arms- all manner of maladies. Out of all of this bike-part chamber of horrors I hope to birth a bike that rides ok and that's about all I can reasonable hope for. No repaint for this old warrior-I want it to show its years and evidence of its likely many campaigns .I have not ridden many Cinelli's and I don't remember what special characteristic that they might have that has captured the imagination of bike collectors over the decades. I guess that means I'll be giving a ride report in the future.......... 

Really huge steel all-road frame with a neon fade

 Shades of '90's Klein here- this is a color scheme I have not seen for years, proving that it all comes back if you wait long enough. This is one of the tallest frames of the year and the fork and stem have been painted to complement the frame paint. This fade on the frame is all powder coat - an option I didn't know I had. I think the fade work is legit and the customer thinks so as well. This frame will take up to 700x38 tires so it will be good for bad roads or a bit of dirt as well. I'm thinking that this style of bike will be very popular in the coming year.

 

Full travel bike build for Berkeley, Calif.

This is not the first bike I have built for this customer but it is the first in quite awhile. He had a CX bike from the 1995 batch that he rode the heck out of for many years but it got stolen. This is quite different than his previous bike as it has S&S couplers and is not a bike to compete on. 

The parts are Shimano GRX 12 speed with mechanical shifting- perhaps my favorite parts group of the last 15 years. He had me build some wheels with DT-350 hubs and DT 481-R rims as he was not planning on using really big tires, although the bike will take them. He opted for a double chainring as he will be doing a lot of road riding on this one. I hope that he likes the Thomson bars that compliment the Thomson stem that he provided, along with the saddle and King bottle cages. The bike weighs 22 lb. 11 oz.