What's the Easiest First Bike to Build? | Framebuilding Tips

When you're building your first bicycle frame, consider setting yourself up for success by choosing one of the easier types of frames to build. Then you can add complications or move onto more advanced approaches from there. And what are these easiest types of frames to get started building? That's what I cover in this video!
Note: Another benefit I forgot to mention about starting with a single-speed bike (or especially a fixed-gear bike) is that the overall bike build will be cheaper.
Website: cobraframes.net
Instagram: / cobraframes

Пікірлер: 34

  • @jeanjeudi1111
    @jeanjeudi1111 Жыл бұрын

    Lugged frames are so much more beautiful than tig welded frames. My magnesium bike frame is bonded into aluminium lugs, it's gorgeous. I ride it all the time here in Taiwan, built this up in 2005

  • @andrii.konkov
    @andrii.konkov3 жыл бұрын

    Your channel is making me eager to braze my first frame. Thanks for a ton of good info!

  • @clavo0421
    @clavo04214 жыл бұрын

    Brilliant! I mig, I tig, I love the artistry of bicycles. I will never be building a bicycle; where to begin! You are giving me the inside info on construction. That’s what I need if I suffer a breakage.

  • @jedschleisner8960
    @jedschleisner89608 ай бұрын

    Very cool that you’re taking up the torch. I like to see the younger generation, keep these skills alive!

  • @phmiii
    @phmiii2 жыл бұрын

    Excellent Advice! You make bicycle frame building look a lot less intimidating.

  • @jdillon8360
    @jdillon83602 жыл бұрын

    Great video. Thank you so much.

  • @leemundoMadDog
    @leemundoMadDog Жыл бұрын

    Great video 👍

  • @Radnally
    @Radnally5 жыл бұрын

    Id like to start with a lug steel frame. Making a normal road bike frame that could accommodate a 40mm wide tire. Im thinking using 650b wheels would be a safe way to go?

  • @balanrouge1227
    @balanrouge12272 жыл бұрын

    hi, I am looking to add disc brakes to my old frame, I was wondering if you could signpost me to the right video that shows me how to attach the correct type of dropouts (not sure if I am saying it correctly)?

  • @4115steve
    @4115steve Жыл бұрын

    I'm setting up my garage for metal fabrication. I'm buying a plasma cutter, air compressor, tig and mig welder. I want to build a recumbent bike with square tube. What tools and machines would you get for a 20ft x 12ft space with $10,000 besides what I mentioned

  • @noahblum2583
    @noahblum25835 жыл бұрын

    Another worthwhile one! Im assuming rear dropouts with integrated disc mount is the way to go for noobs too, BUT one other thing i have been pondering on my next one is "hooded" style dropouts versus "tab" style which then require the SS/CS to be slotted and plugged, or capped. looking for a preference.

  • @cobraframebuilding

    @cobraframebuilding

    5 жыл бұрын

    I love hooded dropouts for a couple reasons, but I have found them to be a headache in practice when not every part of the process is dialed in. If you have great mitering setups for every step and you have all the locating and phasing blocks and stuff to get the miters. I think the benefits of hoods would really be realized when you have more of a production oriented process. For home-gamers getting started on a budget and with less experience, I think most people would find the slot and tab method to be a whole lot more forgiving. With a tool like the miter buddy you could use a holesaw to do the dropout end miter of a stay very easily, then set up those stays in a dedicated stay mitering fixture. If you have great setup rigidity, sharp saw, everything is aligned just right etc, you could get great efficient results that are very accurate, but it's tricky. With hoods you really want tight miter fit up at the weld joints and you really want tight symmetry so the wheel centers and the frame is straight. When you cut two tubes at once the setup is not actually symmetrical because the holesaw rotates clockwise and pushes the tubes both in the same direction, which has the effect of making one just a touch shorter and the other a touch longer. All of these fussy things can be dealt with with enough experience and screwing around, but it's just not the easiest thing for home gamers and those newer to things. In a production setting though, hoods are fast and elegant to fabricate with.

  • @josefzagorski9954
    @josefzagorski99544 жыл бұрын

    Excellent video! I am starting the build process for my own bike, and I was wondering where you sourced your tubes and lugs from. Is there a good kit for sale online that includes all of the necessary tubes and lugs?

  • @cobraframebuilding

    @cobraframebuilding

    4 жыл бұрын

    I made some videos all about frame tubing and brazeons and I lost suppliers in the description below. Check out paragon machine works and Bike Fab Supply for starters.

  • @BeerZerkeraidean
    @BeerZerkeraidean2 жыл бұрын

    So no tempering or heat treating on bike and motorcycle frames ?

  • @syl_diy
    @syl_diy5 жыл бұрын

    What sort of welding/fab jobs would help develop the skills needed for framebuilding?

  • @cobraframebuilding

    @cobraframebuilding

    5 жыл бұрын

    If you're talking about the hard stills of frame fabrication, I think TIG welding work with thin tubing would be good practice.

  • @JZRNyt
    @JZRNyt2 жыл бұрын

    Where can I get a good blueprint?

  • @zackzeko
    @zackzeko4 жыл бұрын

    Amazing ! where can I buy these lugs from please ? What is the thickness of the frame steel tube? steel type/number ? frame weight ? please

  • @hifartingoctopuss

    @hifartingoctopuss

    4 жыл бұрын

    just search for frame building tubes there's websites that stock loads like this one www.bikefabsupply.com/

  • @simonm1447
    @simonm14477 ай бұрын

    That's surely a more realistic approach than starting with a full suspension titanium enduro mountainbike ;-)

  • @AntonioMartinez-yc6qj
    @AntonioMartinez-yc6qj2 жыл бұрын

    I love tig welding!

  • @zebulonmiller4529
    @zebulonmiller45294 жыл бұрын

    How cheap can u build a frame jig?

  • @user-xz7jk6ip6z
    @user-xz7jk6ip6z3 ай бұрын

    Can you teach me how to build some bike frame

  • @maxwellspeedwell2585
    @maxwellspeedwell25858 ай бұрын

    I’m thinking it might be fun to build a lugged steel bike. I cut my teeth on aluminum. What was I thinking??? The bike came-out absolutely incredible but what a way to start!

  • @AAALECCC
    @AAALECCC5 жыл бұрын

    how do you make the lugs?

  • @cobraframebuilding

    @cobraframebuilding

    5 жыл бұрын

    I just buy them. They are generally castings. Some folks tig weld tubing and carve it up to look like a lug but most of them are castings from bike framebuilding suppliers.

  • @mrMacGoover
    @mrMacGoover5 жыл бұрын

    Have you ever made a cargo bike before ?

  • @cobraframebuilding

    @cobraframebuilding

    5 жыл бұрын

    I have not!

  • @charlesmansplaining
    @charlesmansplainingАй бұрын

    For me the easiest frame was the one I paid Carl Strong to build for me. 😁

  • @charliedevine6869
    @charliedevine68693 жыл бұрын

    But I don't want a fixed gear track bike. I don't have a velodrome.

  • @arne_mh

    @arne_mh

    3 жыл бұрын

    First of All to bad, but second you don't need to ride a fixed gear bike on a velodrome, they are really fun to ride on the streets, just drill the fork so you can mount a front brake

  • @alfreddominguez2750

    @alfreddominguez2750

    4 ай бұрын

    Get a Sturmey-archer hub. 3 to 5 speeds and drum brake all in one. That a very clean fun bike.

  • @maxwellspeedwell2585
    @maxwellspeedwell25858 ай бұрын

    “Fixie”? PISTE’ !!

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