Mik’s Got a Problem
DK - 08/10/2010
We got an email over the weekend from Mik Efford, who's in the process of building a bamboo bike frame (and documenting it on his website, Bamboo Bikes). Right now he's working on brake mounts and hit a snag. As he puts it, he was:
"almost done...until I get to the rear brake bosses. I thought I could use these guys which I stole off my Voodoo Wanga MTB:
But alas the offset between the screw holes and the pivot posts is too great. It'd be awesome if there was a range of these available with different offsets so they could be fitted to custom frames with differing seatstay widths."
Problem Solvers doesn't make anything like this (yet?)...anybody got ideas for Mik? Leave 'em in the comments.
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Comments
tavis | 08/10/2010
A machine shop, or anyone with a mill, could knock out a custom set of those in under 2 hours.
DK - Problem Solvers | 08/10/2010
Right on. But Mik, as they say, “comes from a land down under,” which I failed to mention. Any Aussies know a reputable venue?
adam | 08/10/2010
does paragon ship internationally? They are my go to here in California…
http://www.paragonmachineworks.com
Ron | 08/15/2010
If you hold the tension adjuster up to the spot on the bike where you want it mounted, and then take a pic to post, I could come up with several suggestions.
As to my adaptation credentials, I am Spinningmagnets, who built the “full suspension longtail bike” from the website Endless Sphere.
One of your bamboo bikes is featured in the DIY longtail bike thread.
mik efford | 08/16/2010
thanks for your feedback guys. I’ve looked through paragons catalogue and they don’t seem to make what i’m after. i’ve also tried nova cycles and much the same there.
ron - the mounting’s pretty standard. here’s a shot of the piece on the original bike it came from:
http://www.bamboobikes.com.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/DSC_0535-8.jpg
the issue is that v-brakes (and cantis) need between 75-80mm of space between the two posts. if I put these on my hand-built frame they’re only 60mm apart.
i guess the solution will be to buy some standard steel post mounts and then weld them to a steel plate which will then provide enough area for me to wrap carbon fibre over and hold it to the bamboo seat-stays.
Ron | 08/26/2010
Here’s a pic:
http://www.nycbikes.com/images/items/_mid_477_1.jpg
Find a wrecked MTB with a front fork like this one, and cut off the black upside-down “U” that holds the two brake posts.
As to attaching it to bamboo seat-stays, You can easily make a flat aluminum adapter plate to lay on top of the stays, to be held on by 4 U-bolts from underneath.
To keep the U-bolts from crushing the Bamboo tubing, cut a section of plumbing pipe in order to form two saddles for the U-bolts to hold on to, to cover the bamboo from underneath.
If you want to fill the irregular voids under the two saddles and the adapter plate (Bamboo is not perfectly cylindrical), fill two condoms with JB-weld/Devcon, set them under the pipe saddles, and gently snug up the u-bolts.
Leave overnight to harden, then you can tighten the U-bolts with some split lock-washers.