Getting a custom frame made

[Bigsharn]

Well this will be highly specialised but I'm sure someone on here will have a decent answer

I'm looking into building a chopper bicycle for local riding (about town meeting friends etc) and I can't find anywhere that'll build one for me, I've been to all of the hand-built frame manufacturers in the UK that I can find... And nobody seems to be able to do it . I was wondering if anyone had something else a bit more specialised they needed building and managed to get a framebuilders to do it for them and where I might have luck getting it built?

Thanks in advance
Sean

 

[Fiona N]

I can't help feeling that any frame builder is wise to avoid getting involved in building a 'chopper-style' bicycle - dreadful dangerous things

 

[Bigsharn]

In honesty I fail to see how they're different from recumbent delta trikes in the safety aspect, using an insanely wide wheel (in my case, two car wheels welded together) can't be much less stable than a 'bent, apart from only turning one wheel and having a harder time going uphill... In any case:
*inadvertedly bumps topic*


EDIT: I just realised, by chopper you could have assumed I meant Raleigh Chopper... I actually mean one of these (or similar)

 

[SteelRex]

If you can afford it, try Orange County Chopper. ;-)

 

[Bigsharn]

Unfortunately the shipping would cripple me, otherwise I would

 

[MontyVeda]

Try the engineering department at York university... I've seen some wonderful innovative bikes built by students.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Unfortunately the shipping would cripple me, otherwise I would

Not as much as one of those bikes.

 

[brodie]

How about a motorcycle chopper builder, just ask them to leave out the engine.

 

[battered]

It looks very good fun, but I suspect that it would cost you a prety penny and the reality of wheeling 2 car tyres around would soon become a bit wearing.

Is there any mileage in making it look like it has a massive tyre but actually running something bike-sized?

 

[ASC1951]

I've been to all of the hand-built frame manufacturers in the UK that I can find... And nobody seems to be able to do it

These lads will do it for you, in aluminium or titanium. http://www.xacd.com.cn If you can send them a technical drawing, the frame will be back within two or three weeks. My custom Ti road frame arrived on time and on budget, well made and well finished. In fact as long as you can read a technical drawing, you can probably just send them the frame dimensions from a website and they will turn it into a full spec for you to approve.

You can do it all by email and their English is perfectly serviceable. They do get very snotty, though, if you dick around with constant changes. I took a week to decide where to site the cable guides and got "Why so long delay? Is very simple!" together with 12 identical copies of the 500k drawing; as I was on a dial-up account, it did have the intended effect.

 

[Bigsharn]

Try the engineering department at York university... I've seen some wonderful innovative bikes built by students.

I'll definitely go in after work next week, see if I can get anyone to give me an idea how much they'll charge me

How about a motorcycle chopper builder, just ask them to leave out the engine.

I was tempted to do that, but again, finding someone that'll build one is amazingly difficult... And then because it's a job unlike they're used to, I'd probably be charged a pretty penny extra over the normal build price.

It looks very good fun, but I suspect that it would cost you a prety penny and the reality of wheeling 2 car tyres around would soon become a bit wearing.

Is there any mileage in making it look like it has a massive tyre but actually running something bike-sized?

Na, it'd just be a single car tyre, if that. In honesty I reckon the rims would weigh a lot more than the remainder than the wheel, hence I'd get a pair of alloys and spoke them or have them billeted from 3/8"-1/2" Aluminium (which isn't cheap but it's much better than going around on 1/2 inch thick steelies)

These lads will do it for you, in aluminium or titanium. http://www.xacd.com.cn If you can send them a technical drawing, the frame will be back within two or three weeks.

Unfortunately I have neither an engineering or CAD background so I have no idea where to start in making a technical drawing, though I've seen their titanium cruiser frame and I like it, it's just a case of having it modified to fit the larger wheel (which I'm sure wouldn't be difficult to get across)

 

[battered]

Na, it'd just be a single car tyre, if that. In honesty I reckon the rims would weigh a lot more than the remainder than the wheel, hence I'd get a pair of alloys and spoke them or have them billeted from 3/8"-1/2" Aluminium (which isn't cheap but it's much better than going around on 1/2 inch thick steelies)

Building a wheel rim is easy enough, it's hardly got to take heavy loading. Just before you spend a hill of money on framebuilding, weigh the tyre you intend to use and a few bits of ally, then decide whether you really can pedal it around town. That's all I'd suggest, it would be a shame to build something that looked great but was unrideable, when a bit more thinking would have got you something a bit different that worked as intended.

 

[Bigsharn]

... it would be a shame to build something that looked great but was unrideable, when a bit more thinking would have got you something a bit different that worked as intended.

I know for a fact it'll be rideable, I've been going around on a 32kg trike for the past 4 weeks

I reckon this will sound daft, but is it much different from obtaining a car wheel, strapping it onto my bike and seeing if I can ride with that? I'm assuming it's not all that different as far as weight goes (and I'll be using a damn wide set of gears on the chopper because of York's many hills)

 

[vernon]

I know for a fact it'll be rideable, I've been going around on a 32kg trike for the past 4 weeks

I reckon this will sound daft, but is it much different from obtaining a car wheel, strapping it onto my bike and seeing if I can ride with that? I'm assuming it's not all that different as far as weight goes (and I'll be using a damn wide set of gears on the chopper because of York's many hills)

There's the rolling resistance to take into account.