samuel's track frame

after seeing a few images dotted around on flickr of sleeved/ bi-laminate headtubes this is something i have been dying to do on a frame. for me, this is probably my favorite method of join i have used so far, definitely something i'll be looking to do more of! as much as i enjoyed building this, i can't say it wasn't scary chopping up the head tube of a fully built front end ready to shape it up and silver braze in a regular sized head tube. check out my flickr later to see the step by step madness and why it was a bit scary.

i am actually now thinking of selling off my new frame to be able to have a bike built like this one.

photo's by kayti peschke.

hand carved head tube sleeves

hand cut seat tube sleeve

hand cut bridge

mayuko's 650c frame

this frame was built using prugnat s4 or bocama competition 83 lugs, i cant really see much of a difference between the two. from what i can figure out they would have been made in the late '70s to early '80s. either way, i came across them at haxby cycles, my local bike shop and slowly but surely persuaded nigel to sell them to me. i was stoked when the time came to use these lugs and that they were going to be chrome plated, it gives this frame a really classic british look.

photo's by the mrs.

the vintage lugs

i wasn't to keen on the seat lug from this set so i made a sleeve to match the lugs

the option of running rear gears later in life