Cruzbike 2 - The Frame

Should be simples right? Even a merekat could do it right?

Robert of Cruzbike does it in a 5 minute video, how hard can it be?

Not really that hard, but it depends, is the answer. 

Having assembled an M5 about two years ago with zero instructions, I though I was reasonably well prepared.  What was missing in that case however was a need to assemble the headset bearings as well, a new one on me.   Looked pretty simple as per Robert's instructions. 
Grease - check
Bearings - check
Boom swivel - check
Fork - check
Spacers - check

Hmm, not quite right, still seems to wobble up and down. Tighten the top cap, no joy.  Turn a few things by 180 deg, still no joy, but a bit of steerer appears at the top.

Scratch head, scratch beard, scratch @r$e.

Hmm what about that other spacer?  I had 4 spaces of the same diameter and one narrow spacer of a slightly different diameter.  Have another go, slightly bigger spacer on top.  Result - twisty, but not wobbly. 😎

Boom, Slider, rest of front triangle - spot the error

At this point I realised 1) derailleur post backwards and 2) front clamps are directional.  Screw ups on both of these resulted in a bit of a nick of paint off of the nice shiny front legs  - a bit of black touch up paint on that and a weld, no probs.

Main frame assembled

You notice the headrest
1) not fully inserted (nicked rubber as not an easy insertion) and
2) issues with clamp block - spacing of blocks not matching spacing of screw holes in frameset - but easily solved.

Next - component removal from donor and clean up, compare frame weights,
next, next - start reassembly

 

Cruzbike unpacking

I'm going to keeep a record here of the build sequence and results, trials and tribulations of my S40 build. My overall aims for the build are
1) build an audax/touring capable bike, for use on my summer holidays this year on a tour of Scottish Islands
2) minimise the cost base, using components from my parts bin or donor bike
3) learn from it and try not to have a sense-of-humour-failure in the process.

I'll also be recording it here https://cruzbike.com/forum/threads/s40-build.12226/

So lets start with what's in the box and the basic frame assembly.

Main frame - looks very good, colour schemes and detail looking very good in the flesh, lots of bosses to attach things to, and the welds look nice and neat.




Great detail and quality of welds


Disc tabs won't get used for now, long reach calipers for the initial build

Boom, slider and front legs (can't think what else to call them)






I gather I may need to fiddle around with the pulley for optimal cable routing. Luggage tag courtesy of BA whi had the privilege of getting it to the UK undamaged. A great transit box and packing from Cruzbike by the way.


Forks, plenty of space there for the 28mm tyres I'll be running. Only detail issue I've had so far is the disc brake tab - with the mounting holes painted over, but again not an issue for now.


I love that the seat is pre-drilled, and velcro'd, seating position was a major head scratcher on the build of my M5, and I'm still not convinced I have it quite right.


The extras - touch up paint (nice to have), bar tape which will go into my spares box as will become evident later. 2 x headrest clamps, not sure why, and various spacers and fixings. Notice anything missing? Headrest cushion and cover - a couple of e-mails to Cruzbike and it'll be in the post - can't fault the customer service.

Next chapter - Frame Assembly

Oh, adn I ran today, only 7.5km-ish, and in an icy, biting easterly wind.  Not fun, HR way too high, and as a result the adrenalien caused a spike in blood glucose to WAY TOO HIGH, which I've had to correct afterwards.  Probably a combination of a few things - fatigue from the week in Houston and travel back yesterday, lack of recent running, and the weather conditions.

Yoga tomorrow. 

I'm going to keeep a record here of the build sequence and results, trials and tribulations of my S40 build.  My overall aims for the build are

1) build an audax/touring capable bike, for use on my summer holidays this year on a tour of Scottish Islands

2) minimise the cost base, using components from my parts bin or donor bike

3) learn from it and try not to have a sense-of-humour-failure in the process.

I'll also be recording it in my blog here https://adventuresofanathleticdiabetic.blogspot.co.uk/

So lets start with what's in the box and the basic frame assembly.

Main frame - looks very good, colour schemes and detail looking very good in the flesh, lots of bosses to attach things to, and the welds look nice and neat.  

[img]https://i.imgur.com/wsevO8m.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/ZuSO4jU.jpg[/img]

Great detail and quality of welds

[img]https://i.imgur.com/0CjjSUv.jpg[/img]

Disc tabs won't get used for now, long reach calipers for the initial build

Boom, slider and front legs (can't think what else to call them)

[img]https://i.imgur.com/BUEtSfa.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/JrtyuPZ.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/xhTv3wv.jpg[/img]

I gather I may need to fiddle around with the pulley for optimal cable routing.  Luggage tag courtesy of BA whi had the privilege of getting it to the UK undamaged. A great transit box and packing from Cruzbike by the way.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/SaBtyID.jpg[/img]

Forks, plenty of space there for the 28mm tyres I'll be running.  Only detail issue I've had so far is the disc brake tab - with the mounting holes painted over, but again not an issue for now.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/zlxTbFj.jpg[/img]

I love that the seat is pre-drilled, and velcro'd, seating position was a major head scratcher on the build of my M5, and I'm still not convinced I have it quite right.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/jXuUxG8.jpg[/img]

The extras - touch up paint (nice to have), bar tape which will go into my spares box as will become evident later.  2 x headrest clamps, not sure why, and various spacers and fixings. Notice anything missing?  Headrest cushion and cover - a couple of e-mails to Cruzbike and it'll be in the post - can't fault the customer service.

Next chapter  - Frame Assembly

Watch this space

Photos will be coming shortly, I'm too busy with my hands right now.

This morning I returned from Houston with one of these https://cruzbike.com/s40, the frameset option.  I've built up the frame this afternoon, and will be removing most of the components from another bike to build it up.

All I can say is it's a thing of beauty to look at, and both functional and well made as well.

Photos have been taken, and will appear in the next few weeks as I take my time adding bits here and there.

Ressurection?

September 2015 hey! I wonder if my loyal reader has been missing me?

 Let’s face it, after the last entry I needed a bit of time to recover.  I admit 2 and a half years could be considered a bit extreme, but that was a hard year.

 So what’s happening now and in-between, I hear you all asking, don’t I? Well, lots is the answer.  It’s been a hugely busy period at work, at home and in sport and all have taken their toll, in good and bad ways, and to be honest while I intended to put the blog on hold, it hadn’t intended it to be quite this long.

 I’m no longer running anywhere near as much as I was leading up to RAW 2015, in fact that was the last ultramarathon I’ve done, and in all likelihood will be the last I’m going to do.  Firstly I’ve proven what I intended to prove to myself, secondly the training is pretty brutal both on the body and in time and thirdly leading up to and post RAW I was starting to have problems with both calves and feet, toes in particular.  Whilst I could keep the calves at bay with stretching and yoga, the feet less so, to the extent that a visit to the doctors was required, followed by an orthopaedic consult at Addenbrookes. With a diagnosis of bone spurs on both big toe joints and a previous metatarsal fracture in the left foot.  The bone spurs were causing restricted movement in the bog toes and that in turn was resulting in pain and I suspect altering my gait to cause other issues  as well.  Custom orthotic insoles help with the symptoms, but the cure being surgery is a last resort for a T1 Diabetic – infection is a much higher risk, and I still want my feet intact.

 So nowadays I’m running no more than once or twice a week, bit with no pressure on training times, or the next race, it’s all about taking each run as it comes and just looking for a quality run.

In place of the running, I’ve gone back to cycling mixed in with a lot more yoga for flexibility and endurance weights work than I used to do, plus some additional yoga practices based around breathing and meditation.

 Since the last entry I’ve also bought a bike, sold a bike and built another bike from a frameset, and I’ve spent the last two years getting my cycling back up to where it was previously, with 2016 being a good solid year and 2017 being a record year for me at an average 85km per week.  This year is better than that so far.

 I started doing something called Audaxes, planned routes ridden to a target time/speed range, but not as a race, the challenge is completion of the route as self sufficiently as possible, passing through designated points on the way.  It’s a very social way of long distance cycling and so far I’ve been up to a 200km event with thoughts of going to at least 300km.  So whilst the events themselves take quite a bit of time, the training and preparation do not, and they certainly don’t take as much out of me as the running did.  Will I come back to longer distance running?  Maybe, who knows, but I’m enjoying cycling so much it’s not on the radar at the moment. 

 When I can cycle 50km in a morning, with panniers on the bike, pick up shopping on the way home, and still get home before the family have finished breakfast, and then get up and do another 50km the next day and this is enough to keep the training ticking over to allow me to complete an audax each month and still be amongst the first few back home (not that it’s a race – see previous para) that’s pretty good to me.

 Plans for this year now, and I’ll try and report back before another 2 years are up, are 1) carry on cycling, planning a cycling tour to Islay, Jura and through South West Scotland, 2) looking to build another recumbent bike and 3) increase the proportion of my riding on a recumbent – after all it’s so much more comfortable.

 

Photos? You want photos? Well come back next time.