RADBMX.CO.UK
Technical & Reference Section => Tech and Restoration => Topic started by: dinglem on May 28, 2015, 07:33 PM
-
Over the past couple of years I have heard several people mention that there was a titanium WHEELS frame made BITD; Big Trev Robinson has talked of this in the past also. I dug a little deeper and after much hunting I have finally managed to track it down :daumenhoch: I collected it from the Brum WHEELS team manager this afternoon.
It's an odd-ball being of Expert geometry (18.5inch TT length), but has a Euro BB. The head tube has been machined to accept the headset cups as well.
I can't even begin to believe how light it is :shocked:
It needs a bit of work, but here's a quick preview taster showing some of the lovely welds... :smitten:
Well chuffed to have found it!!
[attachment=1]
[attachment=2]
[attachment=3]
[attachment=4]
-
Wow, just when it was looking a little quiet in here.... BOOM!
Stoked for you mate, ace find :daumenhoch:
More pics please :D
-
Wow
-
That looks lovely... show us some more. :)
-
The big question is.... Will it fullfill its destiny and be built up or is it to be a display piece? :chin:
-
The big question is.... Will it fullfill its destiny and be built up or is it to be a display piece? :chin:
Well I was proper chuffed to discover it wasn't a 17.5inch TT Mini; that means I can ride it!!
I bought it on the promise it would be finished and built up, so that's what I am going to do! I've already discussed this with Tim March who has already agreed to help me with this project so more pics will follow once we've made some progress.
-
I'd guess it was easier to find a ready made Ti euro bottom bracket shell than a US one, more road bikes built using Ti than BMX.
Great find whatever the BB!!
MM
-
The big question is.... Will it fullfill its destiny and be built up or is it to be a display piece? :chin:
Well I was proper chuffed to discover it wasn't a 17.5inch TT Mini; that means I can ride it!!
I bought it on the promise it would be finished and built up, so that's what I am going to do! I've already discussed this with Tim March who has already agreed to help me with this project so more pics will follow once we've made some progress.
So glad to hear that, super looking forward to this build :4_17_5:
-
That looks well cool! lets see some more pictures :daumenhoch:
-
Boom :4_17_5: there it is right there :daumenhoch:
-
Oh yes
-
Wow, you do keep digging them up Martin "wantit"
-
Haha... Yeah. Got plenty of free time when I'm away working so spend a lot of time researching and hunting around online. I've tracked down a fair few ex-WHEELS riders now and they have provided me with loads of info (and frames!)
I've been chasing the Ti prototype for around 12 months but now finally have got my hands on it. Amazingly I was also given custody of the WHEELS scrapbooks (x2), which have a fully documented history of the WHEELS Project, including the original track development plans (both tracks), heaps of newspaper cuttings, many many photographs, letters asking for funding, and a whole heap of previously unseen negatives and colour slides showing races, team meetings and so on. Will take me aaagggeess to go through it all, but well cool!!
-
Few pics.
[attachment=1]
[attachment=2]
[attachment=3]
[attachment=4]
[attachment=5]
-
wow that's an awesome find!
And those scrapbooks.
Do uo know if there any new BMX plans for wheels?
A shame that old track just sits derelict behind some old fence
-
These thread keeps getting better. And no better custodian for that historical goldmine :daumenhoch:
-
Great stuff... this is turning into a pretty exclusive collection you're gathering here Martin. :daumenhoch:
-
Wow ... Awesome stuff 8)
-
Awesome indeed :coolsmiley:
This demonstrates the ability of the UK manufacturers to build far better quality stuff than their American counterparts pity we where mostly all swayed by the power of marketing.
-
Amazing stuff here!! :bow: Real, old school :Great_Britain: BMX history worthy of a book!! Now there's an idea!! :daumenhoch:
-
Amazing stuff here!! :bow: Real, old school :Great_Britain: BMX history worthy of a book!! Now there's an idea!! :daumenhoch:
Hmmm.... Now that IS a good idea....
-
I reckon so! I've no idea of the practicalities and costs involved but you'd have a readymade market on here and if you could get some sort of tie-up with Birmingham BMX Club (are they in any way connected with Birmingham Wheels?) then you could sell it through them as well. Maybe Birmingham City Council would be interested too, preserving a bit of city heritage and all that, though I guess involving them would mean more red tape. Worth investigating me thinks!
PS Put me down for a first edition copy! :daumenhoch:
-
I think this is something I could actually do, especially given the amount of info I've gathered and the Team WHEELS contacts I've made so far. Now you've mentioned it I might have a look into it.
Here's a few random shots taken from the pile of slides I have.
[attachment=1]
[attachment=2]
There are a few sheets of negatives from a US trip made by the team, which include shots outside the Bicycle Harbor shop. The team manager tells me they went there to purchase some of the Harbor Lite nylon headsets for their lightweight builds. I know they still have one of these now rare headsets so I'm chasing that for the Ti build....
[attachment=3]
-
Just looked up them headsets, very cool :daumenhoch:
If you draw a blank on finding one I have an engineering chum who may be able to turn you one or our kid could 3d print one :)
-
One of the original team members still has one - I've seen it - and I'm supposedly going to see him and collect it next week. We shall see....
[attachment=1]
-
great stuff there mart :daumenhoch:
-
Great piece of history you have there. Its nice when you have a bundle of information to go through. Makes it more interesting. Looking forward to see how it all develops. :coolsmiley:
-
Wow! What a great and rare find. Loving this thread :4_17_5:
-
I'm hunting for lightweight parts for this now. There is a link to Harbor Lite already, and having tapped up a few contacts over in the US I've managed to dig out a super rare set of Harbor Lite aluminium Pro sized bars for it. Should be on their way to me right now. This is the only pair I've ever seen :slayer:
Harbor Lite also marketed their own lightweight stems; they were plain, unstamped DK Mini items which later on were drilled out. If I can't source an original I already have a DK Mini stem given to me by Scott Beaumont from his WHEELS days, so that might work. Other than that lot I'll be hunting for parts with Ti components where possible. Lightweight cranks and pedals.... Any suggestions guys?
[attachment=1]
[attachment=2]
[attachment=3]
-
[attachment=1]
-
great stuff there mart :daumenhoch:
Phil has just Philled his pants on this thread 8) 8) 8) 8)
-
Super rare (and super light weight) Harbor Lite bars and head set arrived today :coolsmiley:
[attachment=1]
[attachment=2]
-
Nice :daumenhoch:
Is the lock nut nylon too?
-
Yup, the entire set is nylon. Weighs fook all!
-
Ace. Surprising they didn't become popular.
-
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Not sure what the weight-saving is over the metal items, but for the ultimate light weight (Mini) build it has to be a must-have. Plus I'm following the route the WHEELS team took in purchasing these items from the Bicycle Harbor shop when they visited. I guess originating from a small, independent BMX shop they weren't really mass marketed.
It's been interesting researching Harbor Lite anyway. I'd never heard of them previously.
-
I've been doing a little further research into light weight parts for when this build starts to move forwards. I've been looking into some of the O.M.A.S. Ti offerings and have picked up a titanium Euro BB and a Ti brake bolt kit. The BB is insanely light and is a real work of art.
[attachment=1]
[attachment=2]
I have also read that a few of the infamous 'lightest ever' Mini builds over in the US from BITD used plastic compression release levers as brake levers so I have sourced one of those also.
[attachment=3]
[attachment=4]
Wheel rims and hubs have been interesting to research also; I've settled for some Nisi tubular rims (crazy light) which will be laced using Ti spokes to a pair of Hutch Ti and magnesium hubs. It took me a while to find a set of the Hutch hubs which didn't require a remortgage but I got there eventually. I also found a NOS pair of Comp V sew-ups after much hunting. This wheel set mirrors those offered by Harborlite (Barts) back in period.
Cranks will be Campagnolo as favoured by Dean Bateson - whom the frame was made for - and taken off the Rebecca Maiden team WHEELS Mini. I have also sourced some black Ti chainring bolts.
[attachment=5]
Still struggling for lightweight pedal options but have a few ideas now... plus I have an experimental drilled-out seatpost clamp which will be based around pics from trimmed down Mini builds from BITD.
-
Barts Nisi rims.
[attachment=1]
Took a while to locate a pair like this...
[attachment=2]
The hubs are going to take a bit of effort to clean up; the usual magnesium pitting but should hopefully tidy up ok. They haven't actually arrived in the post yet though but here's a quick 'before' pic.
[attachment=3]
-
Brilliant thread this!!
Looking forward to seeing this build progress 8) :daumenhoch:
-
Some lovely looking bits n bobs there, looking forward to seeing it come together :daumenhoch: how thin are those tyres! :shocked:
-
This is gonna be one lightweight build. Looking forward to seeing it come together. :daumenhoch:
Is it gonna be done for MK. ???
-
Mart, I might have something special for you on the seat clamp front that I would be happy to loan you for how ever long you need it. It's literally the size of a wedding ring and weighs nothing.
Its hand made and I have no idea as to its age but it's a sweet little clamp. Will get you a pic up today :)
-
This is gonna be one lightweight build. Looking forward to seeing it come together. :daumenhoch:
Is it gonna be done for MK. ???
I popped round to see Steve (animal) yesterday and we were talking about MK. I can't make it, but hope to bring my WHEELS next year and maybe set up a bit of a display...
It will be interesting to see what this one weighs in at; perhaps a charity weight guesstimate will be in order??
-
great thread this :popcorn:
I'll get my guess in now ... FOOK ALL!
-
Mart, I might have something special for you on the seat clamp front that I would be happy to loan you for how ever long you need it. It's literally the size of a wedding ring and weighs nothing.
Its hand made and I have no idea as to its age but it's a sweet little clamp. Will get you a pic up today :)
Ooooh sounds interesting matey!! 8) Look forward to the pics!
-
Here you go. It's obviously some sort of high grade steel or perhaps Ti as its pretty thin at the front. Deffo hand made and most probably British. I can weigh it for you if it helps :daumenhoch:
(http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x455/oldschoolace/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_1990_zpslrej4yoa.jpg) (http://s1182.photobucket.com/user/oldschoolace/media/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_1990_zpslrej4yoa.jpg.html)
-
That's well cool mate. Where's it from? Any idea on dating?
-
No idea bud, wish I did. It came with a rare speedwheels spinner rotor I picked up, took me a good half an hour to work out it wasn't part of the rotor system :LolLolLolLol:
-
Just checked and it's deffo stainless steel and weighs 20.1g :)
-
Here you go. It's obviously some sort of high grade steel or perhaps Ti as its pretty thin at the front. Deffo hand made and most probably British. I can weigh it for you if it helps :daumenhoch:
(http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x455/oldschoolace/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_1990_zpslrej4yoa.jpg) (http://s1182.photobucket.com/user/oldschoolace/media/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_1990_zpslrej4yoa.jpg.html)
I'm pretty sure I know what this clamp is . Just need to get the little grey sells working to recall >:(
-
Get the thinking cap on buddy!
-
That would be ace Steve :daumenhoch:
It works surprisingly well given how slender it is and how small the grub screws are. Similar principle to a GJS clamp
-
Any thoughts yet Steve? :)
-
I've been thinking about the seat for this build, and as it is going to remain in unfinished Ti with black decals i have been looking for black components. As such I was thinking about using a light weight UNI seat with integrated seat post, but prices are crazy for those at the moment.... I recently bought a NOS one for the Scott Beaumont build, but for this one I want to drill it out a little and maybe modify it to swap out the seat post for a graphite UNI item I already have. I believe it is a slightly larger diameter than the usual UNI items (meaning I won't require the shim) but it will mean chopping the seat about a bit. I didn't really want to do that to an expensive NOS seat.
I have kind of settled on a pair of rare black and white Akron BMX grips (my faves) for this, as i have been waiting for a build to put them on, and then last week a NOS Akron seat with integrated post came up for sale on the 'Bay for very little money. Bingo, i grabbed it. Probably considered 'low-end', but I won't be so afraid to cut and drill that now, plus it matches the grips :coolsmiley:
I wonder how easy it will be to swap out the seatpost though???
Here's a bit of seat lightening i am using for inspiration....
[attachment=1]
The UNI seat post and the AKRON seat.
[attachment=2]
[attachment=3]
[attachment=4]
[attachment=5]
-
:daumenhoch: love the drilled out bits
Conjures up images of dads doing 'shed engineering' to help their kids go just a bit quicker
-
:daumenhoch: love the drilled out bits
Conjures up images of dads doing 'shed engineering' to help their kids go just a bit quicker
I've enjoyed looking through some old pics of lightened and drilled-out Mini builds from BITD - there are some pretty extreme examples and i have found quite a few articles on light weight builds too. Makes you wonder what difference a few holes drilled in a seat post clamp could really make, but i guess it all adds up and a 1% saving on each of the components soon adds up.
I found this shot of a drilled-out Campy chainring which i liked the look of, but the one i have with my set is much smaller and thinner (probably lighter too).
[attachment=1]
The backs of the arms had been milled out also.
[attachment=2]
Lightened stem (DK i think?)
[attachment=3]
Seatpost clamp.
[attachment=4]
-
And here's a full article about a lightweight GT race build.
[attachment=1]
[attachment=2]
[attachment=3]
[attachment=4]
-
Cool pics :daumenhoch:
I think drilling is quite an art form if done properly. Unfortunately alot of what you see compromises structural integrity and isnt straight or symetrical. If its so weak it cant be ridden then its a bit of a joke part :(
Ive seen stems with a 20mm or so diameter hole drilled right through the top cap and base between the four bolts exposing the knurling on the bars. Looks cool if done well :daumenhoch:
-
I know Harbor Lite marketed a lightened stem which was in fact just a DK Mini stem with a hole drilled through the cap as you described above.
[attachment=1]
-
So curiousity has got the better of me and ive just been to do a bit of drilling >:D
(http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x455/oldschoolace/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_2082_zpsyvzyy9pj.jpg) (http://s1182.photobucket.com/user/oldschoolace/media/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_2082_zpsyvzyy9pj.jpg.html)
Yes i know they are not straight, i just eyeballed it :-\
Given that the holes are about as large as you dare go the original weighs 48.1g and the drilled 38.4 so around a 20% saving in weight. Could start to add up pretty quick on a complete :daumenhoch: