NeW FramE Pron: Independent Fabrication Ti Deluxe SS

**Tyrone Shoelaces** · 09-29-2011, 04:41 PM

Out with carbon, in with Titanium...here are some shots of my new frame being born:

beefy titanium tubes strapped to the jig before welding:

Welded with love at I.F.'s new facility in New Hampshire:

Raw. 44mm headtube

Getting finished before heading off to get shot-peened

Super sexy new Team only edition graphics (

). this is the first team frame with the new graphics

new script logo (although I do really like their traditional block style logo). The card hanging off the seat tube is signed by all the I.F. employees who had a hand in getting this frame done.

rear end, chain stays and seat stays, are raw Ti

That's all I got. It's now on a UPS truck sight-seeing the country and I won't have it for another week. Full build shots then

**joetron** · 09-29-2011, 06:17 PM

Sooooo hawt.

**jetski** · 09-29-2011, 08:35 PM

Weight weinies won't be happy with all that paint tanking that frame up...

I have lusted over IF ever since I saw an ad way back when.
Replaceable dropouts to run gears 14 years from now? or SS specific?

Is this your first TI frame? I have only ridden 6 km or so on a ti bike but I am considering getting one as one of my major suppliers I stock is releasing one within 2 months.

Ti vs steel vs scandium thread drift or should I start a new one?
Sick bike. Can't wait to see the build.

**joetron** · 09-29-2011, 08:55 PM

Any dropout pics?

**Tyrone Shoelaces** · 09-29-2011, 09:25 PM

Originally Posted by jetski

Weight weinies won't be happy with all that paint tanking that frame up...

I have lusted over IF ever since I saw an ad way back when.
Replaceable dropouts to run gears 14 years from now? or SS specific?

Is this your first TI frame? I have only ridden 6 km or so on a ti bike but I am considering getting one as one of my major suppliers I stock is releasing one within 2 months.

Ti vs steel vs scandium thread drift or should I start a new one?
Sick bike. Can't wait to see the build.

Yep first Ti frame. I'm a little worried about the weight (I'm coming from a carbon bike), and also the stiffness (I'm coming from a carbon bike)...but I am very much looking forward to the durability (I'm coming from a carbon bike!

).

I told I.F. all my concerns throughout the build process, and they're aware that I broke/cracked my carbon frame in the BB bracket area, and assured me that this thing will be plenty stiff for power transfer (beefier than normal chain stays and the 44mm headtube), but yet be alot more compliant and longer lasting that my carbon frame.

I've cracked my last two frames...an aluminum one (Ventana), and a carbon one (Niner A9C)..so hopefully this one lasts a bit longer...

Originally Posted by flowtron's ghost

Any dropout pics?

Not at the moment. Dropouts are just standard paragon sliders however. I was going to go with some rocker style dropouts just because I like the look of them more over paragon's, but right before I.F. welded them in, they gave me a call and said that they were concerned with the rocker drops. They said that they seemed "thin" to them and were worried that I would torque the crap out of them and would be a potential point of failure on the bike. They said the paragon's should be much stronger....so I trusted them and went sliders.

And yep, with the sliders, I can always hang a derailleur in there. I was tempted to make this SS specific all the way through and through, but then I came to my senses and had them weld some cable stops on the bottom of the downtube for when I get old and osteoarthritic

(probably not too far away from now...heh).

It's a beautiful frame no doubt...but this thing is gonna get ridden and raced hard and often.

I don't expect the paint to look this pretty in a year from now...

**skinnyskier** · 09-29-2011, 10:21 PM

Beauteous.

**creaky fossil** · 09-29-2011, 10:28 PM

That's rad.

Interested to hear your first ride reports, especially regarding the BB area's behavior under torque & power.

**chaka** · 09-30-2011, 11:53 AM

Love it Ron, welcome to the family

Weigh more than your niner carbon? sure... but still a lightweight frame (my IF nearly as burl as yours is around 3.5lb) and with your geo/build BOMBPROOF

Let's get it dirty in my backyard soon?

**buttahflake** · 09-30-2011, 12:49 PM

that is fucking schweet! really glad too see those guy's, carrying on the legacy of high end East Coast builders. and wicked happy to see them relocated into NH!
i'm still rocking my twenty-plus year old slimCHANCE. it's set up for dirt roads currently, although it has not seen much use lately.i'm the original owner. wish i still had my Yo EDDY.
killer art deco graphics/tig weld Columbus TSX tubeset
built in Somerville, Massachusetts.

**VTskibum** · 09-30-2011, 04:10 PM

Nice!! Ti has treated me great this year racing expert SS. Just rode with a buddy today who just cracked his 2nd 2011 Superfly this season.

**ACHTUNG** · 10-01-2011, 12:40 PM

Never heard of these guys and I lived in Newmarket for years!? I'm going to have to visit their shop since it's not too far from where I am now.

Looks like a quality frame Tyrone!

**willmtbike4food** · 10-01-2011, 01:13 PM

Drool. Do want.

A close friend of mine (and current single speed state champion) went from a carbon Niner to a Ti Eriksen and finds it plenty stiff.

And I have to applaud the call on Paragon drops - they're really well made and should be plenty strong for ya. Enjoy it!

**HankScorpio** · 10-02-2011, 06:12 PM

Beautiful frame. I love still seeing frames still hand made in New England.

**DAFTC** · 10-02-2011, 06:48 PM

Like the block lettering, but the script is kind of classy in a "no sex in the champagne room" way...

sweet bike

**JeffreyJim** · 10-03-2011, 11:19 AM

Gorgeous frame. Curious how stiff Ti can get...

**PeachesN'Cream** · 10-03-2011, 11:20 AM

What color fork Tyrone? Still need to get you a mudflap in the mail -- may need to do a custom graphic kit

That's a damn sexy frame, a work of art really. 1x frames really showcase the beauty and craft of a hand built frame.

**Tyrone Shoelaces** · 10-03-2011, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by PeachesN'Cream

What color fork Tyrone? Still need to get you a mudflap in the mail -- may need to do a custom graphic kit

.

The fork will just be a Fox F29. So white, with the usual blue Fox logos. The paint scheme that I.F. came up with included a custom painted rigid fork that is mainly white with the team stripe colors piped on the lower fork legs....it would look pretty cool. I have Niner carbon fork that I could send to them and they'll strip and paint it up...maybe I'll do that next year. Still don't have this frame in my hands yet...UPS delivery scheduled for Thursday.

**Conundrum** · 10-03-2011, 04:18 PM

Very cool. Man, those guys can lay down some beads.

**schuss** · 10-03-2011, 06:34 PM

Originally Posted by ACHTUNG

Never heard of these guys and I lived in Newmarket for years!? I'm going to have to visit their shop since it's not too far from where I am now.

Looks like a quality frame Tyrone!

They just moved there in the past 2 months I think.

**teleee** · 10-04-2011, 08:46 AM

Very cool. Man, those guys can lay down some beads.

My thoughts exactly! If a weld could be sexy, that would be one sexy weld.

**simple** · 10-04-2011, 09:54 AM

Did you ask IF to send you photos? I've had two custom frames built now (Sycip and DeSalvo) and I didn't get photos. I didn't request but I also think they wouldn't send anyway because they are busy. So curious if it is IF standard to document the build. Thanks!

**Tyrone Shoelaces** · 10-04-2011, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by simple

Did you ask IF to send you photos? I've had two custom frames built now (Sycip and DeSalvo) and I didn't get photos. I didn't request but I also think they wouldn't send anyway because they are busy. So curious if it is IF standard to document the build. Thanks!

The pictures of the raw frame..i.e. in the jig, the welding, and in the finishing stand...were sent to me by IF without me asking. It was a nice surprise, although it was mainly because I had been waiting awhile for my frame and they sent them to assure me that they were working on it. My situation was abnormal in that when they moved from Boston to Newmarket in July, my build got caught behind the move...so everything basically shut down and stacked up for them in July and my frame got delayed because of that. Their communication through that was pretty good.

The teaser pics of the painted frame I had to ask for. In fact they didn't even want to send them...they said they didn't want to send me any pics of the frame before they boxed it up and shipped because they didn't want to ruin the "moment" for when I opened the box. heh...so I basically pleaded with them to just send me a few teasers. So that's why there's no complete shots of the finished frame....they want my first time seeing the entire frame to be when I pull it out of the box. Pretty funny.

**icelanticskier** · 10-04-2011, 10:58 AM

i saw yer frame being built. i live about 150 yards from the new IF factory. my 7+ yr old deluxe
ti 29er has been great. mine was one of the 1st ones they built. it has vert dropouts and a phil wood ebb. works like a charm. it also has a der hanger and stops. i did break the frame a yr and a half ago, but they hooked me up big time all the way. never broke a steel, alu, or carbon frame tho. kinda weird. careful with that paint, paint and decals don't stick too well to the shot peened ti, imo.

i run a vicious cycles fork painted to match my pink/white decals. doods don't like being passed by a dood that's proud of his pink!

http://www.team-pinnacle.org/gallery...tart=97&m=1291

enjoy the new ride!!!

rog

**simple** · 10-04-2011, 11:47 AM

Thanks for answering my question! Checked out your blog also. Nice work!

If you are at SSCXWC look for the belt drive DeSalvo cyclocross bike. Only one in existence and it is mine