Bill's

 

 

I had no fabrication experience going into it. I had never even held a torch. I started by taking a class with Jacques Gallant. Jacques is a local metal worker who's well known in the bike scene. There probably aren't too many people in the city who have built a frame without being helped by Jacques in some way or another at some point. This was before he was offering frame building classes. It was "Introduction to Brazing for Bicycle Repair". So he taught me how to braze with an oxy-acetylene torch using brass and silver (a way of using heat to join metals. It's not technically welding, and if we call it welding then actual welders will come for us in the comments). From there it was a lot of trial and error. I bought a few books and videos about framebuilding, but honestly, nothing was more helpful than Brian Chapman's instagram page. 

 

At first, I wasn't sure if this would just be a one off project. So I decided to go all out on it. After all, if I was never gonna make another frame again, I had to make sure this one was really nice, right? Eventually I got really into it. Planning all the details became really fun. It was sort of liberating that I could just do whatever I want. Rather than being limited by what the industry is pushing or what happens to be available in the used market, I was only limited by my imagination, and, you know, physics. 

 

 

 

Aside from the fabrication side of things, this project also forced me to think about frame design and geometry in ways I never had before. I wanted something stiff enough for loaded touring, while also more maneuverable than a tank. I had to think about tubing diameters and wall thicknesses, and different alloys. I had to make decisions about headtube angles and fork rake, all while trying to wrap my head around confusing concepts, like the difference between mechanical and pneumatic trail. And wheel flop!

 

Let's talk about the build spec a bit. To my mind, a touring bike needs parts that are robust, reliable, easy to service without specialty tools, and that are widely available wherever you might end up. 

 

This was years ago, when 650b was still a niche product. And I've never really liked the monster truck feel of 29ers. 26 inch wheels, on the other hand, are probably the most universal wheel size in the world. The smaller diameter is also more durable and more agile, maintaining that "roadbike" feel. Smaller diameter also lowers the gear ratio, always helpful on a touring bike. Who cares if I'm tall? (As a side note, when I designed this bike, tires over 2 inches wide on a "road" bike was still extreme. The Rat Trap Pass tires had just come out, and if you look closely, you'll see that these are "Compass" tires,  from before the René Herse rebrand).

 

 

 

In the rear I've got the Velo Orange touring hub. I like sealed cartridge bearings on a touring bike, because if you're in a situation where you simply can't service the bearings, you can still keep rolling without damaging the hub (ditto for the bb and headset). It's really cool that the freehub, and therefore cassette,  can be removed easily without any tools. This means that a broken spoke could be replaced with only a spoke wrench on the side of the road. But with 36 double butted spokes laced to Rhynolite rims (those modest workhorses), it's unlikely I'll ever break a spoke. That didn't stop me from brazing spare spoke holders onto the non drive side chainstay, just in case.

 

 

 

The dynamo front hub powers my lights and also a usb charger for my GPS or other devices. All of the wiring is internal. This gives a cleaner look, but is also practical, as the wires are all well protected. In the few areas where the wires exit, there are quick release plugs. This means that in the unlikely scenario that one gets snagged, it will hopefully just disconnect rather than be damaged. It also means that the bike is still easily disassembled for service or travel. 

 

 

 

 

I really like my Sinewave usb charger, which replaces the top cap. I made this stem too, and with the integrated Garmin mount, it's really easy to use a short usb cable to charge it as I ride. No fussing with long wrapped cables, while also giving a clean and simple look. Check out the stem and you'll notice some other details; a bell mount, integrated spacers, front brake cable hanger with quick release barrel adjuster, removable faceplate that accepts the custom decaleur, and a semi hidden pinch bolt, just for fun. 

 

 

 

 

 

For me the drivetrain was an obvious choice, and I can't believe it's controversial to say this: a triple! How did these ever fall out of favor? I've got more range than a Rolhoff hub, none of the cadence problems that come with a 1x system, and I have great chainline! Remember chainline??? 

 

I've got a Takagi Tourney XT crankset. Takagi was a Japanese crank maker that Shimano acquired in the 80s to make their cranks, and they adopted some of Takagi's group names, albeit not exactly. So I'm amused to have a Tourney that is also an XT. This crank is old enough to be made for an asymmetric spindle. The way around this is to install a 73 mm bottom bracket cartridge in a 68mm shell, then use spacers to get the offset you need. 

 

 

 

 

I think 9 speed Shimano hits the sweet spot between durability, more compatibility (like mixing road and mountain derailleurs as I've done here), and number of useful gears. I'm a bike mechanic, so I'm obligated to love friction shifting. But unlike many of my colleagues, it's not my preference. I've tried to explain to them, a barrel adjuster is not that hard to use, YouTube can show you how. Usually I like brifters, but on a touring bike, friction can be a real life saver. These Dura-Ace bar end shifters are a good compromise. The indexing is great, but if anything ever goes wrong, I have the option of switching it to friction. It's comforting to know that I could throw on a rear wheel from a beater department store mountain bike with a 5 speed freewheel, pretty much any derailleur in the world, and the bike becomes rideable again. An Ultegra front derailleur and XT rear, (stripped, shaped and polished) complete the shifting system. 

 

 

From the start I knew I wanted rim brakes. I think there are actually very compelling arguments in favour of disc brakes on a touring bike. Not least of all that the breaking surface is easily replaceable, meaning a well built set of wheels could last indefinitely. Having said that, I have yet to find a combination of drop bar levers and mechanical calipers that I like, and I wouldn't mess with hydraulics on a touring bike (remember the build spec!). But the real reason I went with rim brakes, is that if I knew I would regularly spend 8 hours a day, day after day, riding this bike, I didn't want to spend that time

listening to the constant sound of《ding ding ding》 as the rotor rubs the pads. Feel free to change my mind. 

 

These Dia Compe cantilevers, upgraded with salmon Kool Stop pads, are everything I could want in a brake. Not to mention, I *love* the levers. Bonus points for the stylish hangers with integrated quick releases. 

 

 

 

I made all of the racks myself, which was super fun! If anyone is interested in getting into framebuilding, making things like racks is a cheaper and lower stakes way to learn. They're made custom for this frame, so there's nothing adjustable to fiddle with. This makes them stiffer and easier to install and remove. That makes it simple to play around with different configurations, adding and removing racks to suit different needs. For an over night trip, I'd probably be fine with just the front low riders and the handlebar bag. If you've seen this bike around town, probably it was in commuter mode, with just the frame bag and handlebar bag and rack. 

 

Speaking of bags, you can see a bizarre mix here. The only ones I bought new are the Atwater Jellybean saddle bag and the custom frame bag. When touring, the frame bag holds tent poles. When riding around town, it holds my flat kit. 

 

 

 

 

The rest of the bags I bought used, with the vintage panniers being tried and tested classics. My beloved Acorn handlebar bag rounds it all out. I really love the versatility of the rando style bag. It gives me easy access to my phone, wallet, sunglasses, snacks, raincoat, u-lock, a sweater, anything really! That means my pockets are empty and I'm enjoying the ride. 

 

 

For the finish, I wanted to keep things simple. I chose powdercoating for the durability, and Johnny from Insayne Kustomz did a great job of keeping the coats thin so the detail of the lugs wouldn't be lost. I picked the colour using the pandemic era logic of "I'll take the colour you've got in stock", and I'm glad I did.

 

The only decal I've got on the frame is this small graphic stating it's origin: "Made by settlers in Tiohtià:ke, unceded Kanien'kehá:ka Territory". This was sort of my answer to the more common "made in Montreal". I can understand why people are excited about things that are made in their own community, by people they know, and the personal touches that make it so special. So I wanted to acknowledge that without erasing the truth of this land, and the colonial violence that continues here. I think this modest gesture is also an example of how a bike like this can express things beyond just cycling preferences. It can also express my beliefs and values. 

 

 

I spent so much time working on this bike, and there's so much more I could say about all of the details. The double top tube, custom chainslap protector, homemade light mounts, stainless seatstay caps, and we haven't even talked about the hand cut lugs! My favorite thing on the bike? The Palestine flag reflector that Harry from Bikecrud made. Free Palestine!  

 

 

I plan on building more frames, just for fun, and recently completed my second one. And in case you were wondering, yes, the fact that I made it myself does make it more fun to ride! 

 

 

photos by Troy (@killiskii )