Another Rinard article updated: his page of links to information, sources of materials and software for amateur frame builders.
Framebuilder information from Damon Rinard
Tag: bicycle
Damon’s do-it-yourself carbon-fiber bicycle frame
Damon Rinard built a carbon-fiber bicycle frame in his garage! And we have just updated his pages describing how he did it, including sources for materials and tools. He points out that it’s actually much easier to build a carbon fiber frame than a steel frame.
Check spoke tension by ear when building a wheel
Check the level of spoke tension by ear — unless you are tone deaf, a musical pitch reference (pitch pipe, tuning fork, smartphone app etc.) is all you need to tell whether you have brought spokes up to the appropriate level of tension when building a wheel. It’s faster than using a tensiometer!
Spocalc revised
The page for Damon Rinard’s spoke calculator has been revised, with an updated list of online spoke calculators, several comments and links, and better formatting. Now also includes links to spoke-calculator apps for iOS and Android smartphones!
SunTour Perfect, Pro-Compe and New Winner freewheels
New page on SunTour Perfect, Pro-Compe and New Winner freewheels. These are no longer made, but there are a lot of them around and they offer many options including the ability to work with older frames that have smaller overlocknut distance than current frames. We have information on choosing, maintaining and customizing these freewheels.
Cyclecomputer and GPS accuracy
New page about the history of distance and speed measurement on bicycles, and the limitations of accuracy in measurement. Did you know that GPS readings wander, so you can rack up some distance even if you are standing still?
Cyclecomputer database
Our pages of cyclecomputer instructions have now been brought completely up to date, with links to user manuals for almost every make and model, including GPS. These pages are a unique resource.
Additions to the Gear Calculator
New crank lengths have been added to the Gear Calculator and Internal Gear Calculator, so they can calculate gain ratios for children’s bicycles with cranks down to 100 mm (less than 4 inches).
More hubs in cable-pull cribsheet
Added information on four hubs to the internal-gear hub cable pull cribsheet:
Shimano Alfine 11-speed
SRAM G9
Sturmey-Archer S3X
Sturmey-Archer ASC
Thanks to Jeff Meredith and Michael Wilson for the measurements!
Measuring tricks
We have a new article on how to perform the precise measurements needed to determine whether bicycle parts fit each other, without expensive and fragile tools. There are a number of clever tricks — for example, you can test the width of the square taper of a cotterless crank with an ordinary open-end wrench!
