Zen and the art of bicycle maintenance

Super KLEIN PALOMINO by BCB

2011-12-16T00:20:00.000+01:00

We love this type of "underground" projects... Before it was our litescalpel (posted in this blog), now we have this hybrid Klein/Cndl by BCB, a funny and surprising project that started when we involved the wife of one of our customers and friends... We knew how much Robert loved his Palomino, he had put lots of miles on it, and then stored the frame in a dark and hiden corner in his garage. He couldn't sell it, of course it is not the type of things that you do with your wedding presents coming from your wife, but when a new frame came to home, he couldn't avoid to cannibalize the parts needed to assemble the new "plastic" acquisition. Has passed some years and the frame has been there all this time, the old Palomino appeared from time to time in some discussions over the table during many Sunday afterride brunches...

After "stealing" the frame with the help of Anna (Robert's wife), and decide a tight budget, we started the process to have ready the bike for a new anniversary present... Isn't it funny? the same gift in a disguise!!

We had clear what we wanted to do, so:

- Frame preparation: V-brake pivots shaved, rear disc brake mount welded instead bolted, headtube comming from a Cannondale donor frame that was broken time ago and was laying in the workshop with a thick layer of dust, new monolink coming from Maverick with bearings instead bushings, refreshed rear shock with cleaning, new oil and new seal.
- Fork: fatty ultra refurbished with a brand new cartridge (the one assembled in the broken donor frame).
- "Mission Control" XXI century :-) Cannondale steem mitered and welded to a Kore light OS handlebar.
- CK hubs on FRM tubular rims and tufos front and rear.
- Hope mini pro brakes
- 2x9 transmission (SRAM + FRM 36 cog + Stork Powerarms with Titanium White Industries spindle)
- Easton EC90 seatpost with SDG I fly titanium saddle.

Everything topped with a fantastic GATOR paint job (to me the best ever in the classic Kleins).

The nice thing here is that the whole thing was quite cheap at the end, since we had most of the parts used in the project around, and are refurbished/second hand items. The only stuff is brand new and specifically bought for the project are:

- Spokes and nipples (DT revolution and alloy nipples)
- Pedals (CB Candy)
- Saddle
- Cables and hoses
- Maverick Monolink
- FRM 36 tooth cog
- Chain
- Fresh GATOR paint

This project has come true thanks to:

- Tomas Perezagua (ALKON)
- Aimar Fraga (AMARO)
- Click&Run (Paint job)
- Maverik USA

P.S: By the way, Robert and Anna were absolutely amazed when they saw the result... Isn't it lovely?

BCB cycling apparel

2011-12-15T23:18:00.000+01:00

Our preparation for next season starts with a nice set of competition clothes, we are very satisfied with the result...

Mini R&T and how to prepare the children for real life

2011-12-15T22:56:00.000+01:00

Christmas is the magic season for the children, that's why we will produce this one off mini R&T for a future mtb racer.
Hybrid carbon/steel (columbus) frame, stiff carbon fork, 1x9 speeds 24" light wheels and some more nice details.
We like the adaptative geometry that we have designed, so it is a quite suitable bike for a rider from 5 to 8 years old.

The 11 cogs and slenderness of Bellucci

2011-11-25T22:54:00.000+01:00

When our good friend Aimar from AMARO told us that he was puting together his first 29er TIG welded by himself, we didn't doubt and joined the party... What about 1x11 transmission, campy and gripshift combination? here you have it... Easy to fall in love, enjoy!!

more here: http://www.amarobikes.com/
and here: http://amaroblog.wordpress.com/

Ramblin' & Tumblin' MKII

2011-10-20T23:25:00.000+02:00

Some work done that we'd like to share:

- Ultra Compact Geometry (very short wheelbase and chainstays, step angles for race performance)
- Stiffer and lighter than R&T MKI
- PM rear brake
- BBPF30
- Direct Mount FD
- Tapered ZS hedset
- Increased rear tire clearance for ultrawide tires, ISO 56mm still offers 15mm clearance
- Integrated seatpost binder
- Full Ti or Ti-C construction
- 4 sizes
- Hand crafted on demand

Italian Blues (7.86 kg)

2011-10-03T23:25:00.000+02:00

Our friend Eliflap has created a very impressive 29er rig around a Lucy fork and a lot of high end material... Very fresh!

More at: http://eliflap.wordpress.com/2011/10/03/ltk-part-7/

e-Grip

2011-09-21T23:37:00.000+02:00

We have finished our PhD in Applied Electronics for MTB. Keep it going!!

Interbike 2011

2011-09-21T23:33:00.000+02:00

Fairwheel has presented an amazing 29er last Interbike, Crumptom frame, special Di2, and a lot of other interesting bits. Enjoy.

http://fairwheelbikes.com/cycling-blog/custom-bikes/crumpton-di2-mountain-bike.html

Campagnolo Vince!!

2011-08-30T18:46:00.000+02:00

We remember when back in the 90's Campy had mountain gruppos, those old good times!!

Yeti was supposed to race with Campagnolo on Furtado's rig, but things were wrong and japanese stuff was available in the right moment, but we are 100% nonconformist with the history, and we believe Campy deserves a much better presence in the pain, mud and dust universe. We have been waiting very long, and the hopes for things changing in the Italian palace of cycling dreams are veeeery low, in BCB we have decided a straight forward path. If Campy doesn't show interest in MTB, we do... And there are a lot of reasons for this that we explain later on.

Oooops!!!

2011-08-30T00:16:00.000+02:00

We at BCB, mainly love two things:

2011-08-06T00:33:00.000+02:00

Tinkering with bikes:

And riding bikes...

R&T has got a plush front end...

2011-08-06T00:22:00.000+02:00

We are puting miles on the frame, and decided also to increase the speed downhilling, so a lefty is a must and the dust is taking ages to come back to the ground after the Cat treads the trail.

The result is ready to hit the trails at 8.6kg everything included

2011-07-15T09:57:00.001+02:00

White Lightning

2011-07-14T14:19:00.000+02:00

Pure moonshine, the type of gasoline you need...

The cat watches you

2011-07-13T16:56:00.000+02:00

Minor details make the difference. Aesthetic combined with the small things that we all wish but don't confess (BB30, PM, tapered headset)

Po' boy workshop...

2011-07-13T16:50:00.000+02:00

Gluing carbon tubes into titanium lugs... Alignment checked

The genesis

2011-07-13T16:35:00.000+02:00

Everithing starts after the design is ok... the frame construction is the first step, cutting, grinding, brushing, TIG welding, gluing, riveting, drilling, painting, all the processes neded for a R&T frame (not in right order thought)

The cat is ramblin' and tumblin'

2011-06-07T00:40:00.000+02:00

Radical racing geometry, that's the key issue of our 29er HT project. Combined with our Lucy fork it will put any peak under your tires faster than ever you have experienced. Each frame will be handcrafted to the highest end standard with some customer choices...

The final result

2011-05-25T23:28:00.000+02:00

The ones waiting are desperated, I know it... Judge if it is worthing.

I told you, we are close!!!

2011-05-18T23:32:00.000+02:00

Red or Black currant, are you ready to bring it to the woods...

Lucy

2011-05-05T23:41:00.001+02:00

We are close to launch a first limited serie of our Lucy fork. This fork combines a custom butted carbon tube with sweet CNC aeronautic aluminium alloy parts to match the wishes of the cndl and monoleg lovers... More info pretty soon.

Hybrid Lacing System (Black Magic Spokes)

2011-04-27T01:11:00.000+02:00

We are one step further on our own concept for a complete wheelset, after some tests and lacing few wheels, we will get some more conclusions on the behaviour and reliability of the design. The stiffness looks superb and that will allow us to decrease the number of spokes in the wheelset, probably it will be possible 24 spokes for 26er and 28 spokes for 29er. We like the 24 spokes option because that will allow us for a specific lacing patern that will enhance the properties of our Hybrid Lacing System. Black Magic Mama!!

Vinyl test report

2011-04-27T00:57:00.000+02:00

They are working nice at the moment, just adding miles...

Greetings.

Carbon flex pivot "air moulding" (aka mouldless process)

2011-04-24T12:00:00.000+02:00

Our friend David got broken his Yeti 575 frame. One of the carbon flex pivots showed a deep crack transversal to the seatstay, only a thin carbon layer remained intact but it was very close to split apart the pivot. We decided to try a fast reparation via "air moulding" a new flex pivot. The process starts by cutting and preparing the original one, then a small piece of UD carbon sheet is bonded, the carbon fiber is arranged lengthwise to take the flexion stresses once in service. Some extra carbon properly layed up and the new flex pivot is refurbished and ready to be reattached to the frame.

News about Vinyl rotors

2011-04-17T21:16:00.000+02:00

Here you have them, as I promised, the pictures of the freshly produced last prototypes, in some days we will have something more to post... First version combines a 6 bolt IS standard custom carbon spider and a stainless brake race with aluminium rivets, both, at 2mm thickness, are too beefy and we will cut down some weight in the production version being 1.8mm. Weights are for 180, 160 and 140mm.

Litescalpel and the love for scrap

2011-04-16T16:13:00.000+02:00

I post you a good example of what is possible to do with your loved old frame, which after thousands of pleasure miles, got forgoten in a basement, with the rear triangle broken and waiting for a scrapyard... or a totally new life!!

The owner of this bike is a crazy customer that decided to bring back to life his litespeed obed FS from the nineties, we appreciate the freedom he gave us, and the final result, after a generous budget for what was suposed to be a death piece of metal, 9200 grams of scrap.

Vinyl rotors

2011-04-15T23:18:00.000+02:00

After some time designing and testing, we have found a good way to solve the problems that we detected in the two first prototypes that we tried. I post you a render, very soon real pictures and also the first comments after tested in a bike.

Lefty steerer

2011-04-09T22:49:00.000+02:00

We like to give the best, that's why we present this third version of our lefty steerer. Three different configurations ara available, depending on your frame, cannondale onepointfive, traditional 1-1/8" and tapered frames, so you can now enjoy the lefty performance and use a 1-1/8" stem independently of your rig. We use custom carbon tubes, with studied fiber orientation and a kevlar inner layer that gives an extra improvement in stiffness and anticollapse beheaviour of the super-stiff tube.

Machined 7075T6 rings with lightness in mind complete the set that also makes possible to use XL lefties thanks to the 250mm length. Sub 90gr for 1-1/8" headsets and uncut tube!!