Good evening,
I’m about to write about the second step of creating a
bicycle frame - the geometry.
Then first approaching this task, I thought it would
be rather simple; type a couple of numbers into the tool bar and POOF! A new
frame is created. But no, it is not a simple as that. The process is rather
difficult, since when you are designing a frame, the measurements need to be to
the closest millimetre.
Since I’m a beginner to frame building, I tried copying a well known
frame called the Ridley X-fire, and adding a couple of personal adjustments to
the frame to make it suit my liking. I used the program bikecad.ca, which is
used by many large-scale bicycle companies when they are designing frames.
After copying in the number and adjusting some measurements, I printed off the
details and save the image on my computer.
After finishing creating my ‘sketch’ on the computer, I uploaded it on a
bike forum called weightweenies.starbike.com/ to gain some impute from some
professional bike companies and professional cyclists. After being told my
calculations were completely incorrect, I took the designs back to the drawing
board.
Finally, after my 4th draft, my ‘sketch’ was completed! Next
stage is the selection of tubing, preparation then finally the construction and
welding of the frame.