Ahrens Bicycles Blog

Aluminate Prototype Parts

2012-01-18T09:08:00.000-08:00

I picked up the prototype batch of CNC parts for the Aluminate project and all I can say is they turned out awesome. The dropouts are lower yoke are stout but not overly heavy. Interest in track frames has been increasing since I started posting about this project - looking forward to next steps in getting some frames built!

Aluminate Prototype Dropouts and Yoke

2012-01-13T19:48:00.000-08:00

Today I was stoked to pickup the Aluminate prototype parts. All of these parts were used to validate CNC tool paths and won't be used on an actual bike frame. The fit checks between mating parts went very well and I hope to have a small batch ready early next week. Next step is gathering the 7005 aluminum frame tubes and getting some frames built.

The aluminum-bronze insert slides tightly into the 7005 aluminum dropout body for a snug fit. This design provides an all-encompassing wear surface for the rear track hub...if the insert gets chewed up it's easy to replace - this means a longer lasting frame. I've sourced M3 Torx head screws for attachment - these are difficult to find in the US and special thanks to my contacts at Pencom for the hookup...these little metric screws came straight from Singapore!

The lower yoke is dainty but will provide ample clearance for a 35mm rear tire. I slid the yoke over a 37mm high air volume tire and it was snug getting past the yoke entrance, but after that no problem. My feeling is that it will also work well for some criterium frames I plan to build later this year.

The AHRENS engraving also turned out nicely - great job to the machining masters at Alta Design for their fast turnaround and high-quality work. I will never get bored of designing parts in 3D and watching billet get transformed into highly functional products. F*cking awesome.

Aluminate Project

2012-01-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

For the last five years, I've worked very closely with Jason Montano, owner of Montano Velo in Oakland, on a variety of steel track frames under the Broakland brand. In this role, I took design direction from Jason Montano, the architect of the Broakland brand. Jason's vision for his track frames came from many years of riding experience and the desire to build a well-balanced bike with very specific ride characteristics. I came into the picture by offering computer-aided design (CAD) skills to translate the initial hand-sketeched concepts to the computer and ultimately onto paper. I must emphasize that Jason Montano communicated his vision to me, in terms of geometry, tubing selection, and aesthetic. In turn I used my engineering background in product development to model the track frame concepts into manufacturable form. I truly value the working relationship that has evolved with both Jason Montano and Jason Grove in developing so many unique frame designs.

The high-end Broakland frames became popular immediately due to their precise geometry, neutral balance, distinct aesthetic and nearly flawless craftmanship by Jason Grove of El Camino Fabrication. While studying the nuances of track frame geometry I knew I wanted to design my own version using aluminum as the base material. I absolutely love steel but I also love the challenge of designing new frames - I knew this one would be special.

My main challenge would involve a new rear dropout design that was functional and durable since rear wheel swaps can chew up even steel frames after a while. After sourcing some aluminum dropouts with questionable origin, I knew I could design something vastly better. The 'off the shelf' dropouts had stainless outer plates that I knew would slip under heavy load - obviously not good. The next issue is that they were very thin and the inside surfaces of the dropouts were raw aluminum which would wear for sure.

To alleviate the wear issue, I designed an insert that cups all critical surfaces of the dropout. This insert is made from aluminum-bronze, a common material found in ship building due to its excellent corrosion and wear resistance. The material is harder than aluminum yet soft enough for the axle bolts to bite and remain tight. If the insert gets worn out after dozens of wheel swaps, it can be replaced with (2) M3 bolts located on the inside dropout faces. The dropouts measure 9mm across the faces and weigh in at 130 grams per pair.

Last fall I met with local rider Nate to bring him into the project. Nate had direct experience riding production aluminum track frames and I wanted to pick his brain. It's no coincidence that Nate also home brews craft beers - thus the ALUMINATE name was born.

Nate's frame is a 55.5cm with 55.5cm top tube and parallel 73 degree head and seat angles. The BB drop is 50mm and the overall geometry is snappy but not too aggressive. The horizontal dropouts have a sweet spot at 395mm but can be adjusted in either direction easily. We plan to run an 1-1/8" Wound Up fork, King headset and a bunch of custom bits to round out the build.

The lower yoke is similar to my other yoke designs but smaller to meet the needs of this application. It has a hollow box-section behind the bottom bracket to provide added stiffness during pedaling. The angled surfaces accommodate 25mm tall rectangular chainstays commonly found on my mountain frames. Why rectangular? Because the shape is stiff as hell and minimal power output is lost while pedaling.

This approach also provides enough clearance for 175mm cranks (Nate plans to run 172.5mm) and 46T front chainring. Larger chainrings will require the chainstay to be shaved slightly, but since they are fairly thick walled, I don't see any strength issues at this point. This approach also allows for a fairly large 32mm rear tire to be used - and I think a 34mm may be possible with some subtle tweaks to chain length.

This will be a busy month getting the Aluminate parts machined and the frame fabricated. Looking forward to seeing this project materialize into a highly functional bike!

Nebraska Girl

2011-11-10T08:51:00.001-08:00

This has been a busy week getting the Nebraska Girl completed for Joie. I'm very pleased with the results even though this project took a long time - thanks Joie for your patience!

The frame is custom-designed with compact geometry suitable for both training and racing. Raw material is steel and the tubing is a mixture of True Temper S3 and Columbus Spirit. The end result is a light but durable frame weighing in at 3.15lbs. The precursor to this bike is a mountain frame I designed for Joie's husband Isaias, a long-time college friend of mine and bike geek like me. Joie had a chance to ride that bike many times and was sold on the S3 ride quality...as a result this project got started.

The frame was fabricated by Jason Grove at El Camino Fab using Anvil tooling for tube mitering, fixturing, etc. This is close to the 100th frame Jason has built for me and honestly they keep getting better. Jason understands my design style and overall design intent which makes it easy to communicate every last technical detail.

The S3 down tube is bi-axially ovalized which means there is more material at the bottom bracket and head tube to spread the load. This tube provides excellent ride quality and a distinct look unmatched by other tubes.

The frame is powdercoated white by Mass Bros, clear coated with gold pearl, stickered, then clear coated again in pure-clear to protect the stickers. The end result is classy and the gold pearl picks up the sunlight nicely.

Graphics are custom by VC Graphix and include black logos with gold outline to match the gold Nokon cables. The Enve carbon fork is wet painted to match the frame by Flyworks in Soquel,CA. The SRAM Rival drivetrain, Chris King headset, King Cage stainless cages, and Chris King R45 hubs laced to Mavic Open Pro rims with Sapim CX-Ray spokes round out the build.

Rear dropouts are Paragon 'micro-hoods' that mate very nicely to the Columbus Spirit rear triangle tubing. These dropouts feature a replaceable hanger machined from 7075 aluminum. For that added custom touch, I had 'Nebraska Girl laser marked onto Nokon cable housing...subtle and I'm still waiting for Joie to discover this little gold nugget!

Special thanks to Ryan Bontrager for the wheel build and final assembly. Ryan also understands my design intent with these projects and brings everything together in the cleanest way possible. The wheels on this bike were built, tensioned, re-tensioned, and tweaked until they are as perfect as they can be. I ran out of time to weigh the complete bike but my guess is 16.75lbs - respectable for steel and definitely light enough to hammer on!

Movember Projects

2011-11-08T09:07:00.000-08:00

Movember will be a busy month for Ahrens Bicycles with the start of (2) new steel road frames and my continued effort for stellar facial hair growth. Movember is changing the face of men's health awareness as they say. My daughters recently told me that I looked like an old-man with the facial hair and that was funny because I felt like an old man when they said that!

The first road frame is for my long-time college friend Scott and the second is for myself of course....it's not too hard for me to find a reason to build a new bike. Both will receive a mixture of Columbus Life tubing, Paragon dropouts, Paragon BB shells and of course custom geometry.

Scott's frame will be built up with Campy Ultra Record 10-speed from a previous project and will be rounded off with handmade DT Swiss/Mavic Open Pro wheels and an Enve carbon fork.

My frame gets an extra-tall Reynolds 853 seat tube for added stiffness plus it looks cool. I plan to swap Dura Ace 7700 parts from my existing road frame with the exception of the cranks...special thanks to Ryan for hooking me up with some brand new Ultegra 34/50T compact cranks...much easier on the knees for this old man.

I'm also developing a very new, ultra-stiff aluminum track frame for NAHBS....very stoked about this project but too early to show anything so stay tuned.

Holiday WiseCracker Pre-Order

2011-11-01T11:52:00.001-07:00

I woke up today and realized the holiday season is rapidly approaching. To get into that special holiday spirit, I'm offering limited edition WiseCracker bottle openers with a special message. Drop me an email to pre-order one because they will go fast. Cheers!

Torx Upgrade Kit for Sliding Dropouts

2011-10-26T10:47:00.001-07:00

Ahrens Bicycles is now offering a Torx upgrade kit for our sliding dropouts. The upgrade kit replaces the (4) M8x20 Pan Head/Socket mounting screws with (4) M8x20 Pan Head/Torx mounting screws. Why? Because Torx screws have much larger surface area at the head for improved load spreading.

Local racer and 324 LABS business partner 'Timmy C' requested this upgrade since he races a Rock Lobster 'cross frame with sliding dropouts (and disc brakes with 324 Labs adapters!). After numerous rear wheel swaps, the standard M8 pan head bolt heads started to strip - obviously
not good.

Special thanks to Pro Stainless for helping me source these babies! You can use a T40 Torx bit when torquing them down.

The upgrade kit contains (4) M8x20 Torx screws and will run you $10 including domestic shipping. Send an email or Pay Pal payment to 'mike at ahrensbicyles dot com' to order a set.

15QR Fork Dropout Concept

2011-10-12T12:13:00.001-07:00

I've been developing a 15QR steel fork dropout with some local frame builders for a while. Why? Because most of our customers already have 15QR suspension forks on one of their bikes and it makes sense to re-use front wheels between bikes. Not to mention that thru-axle systems provide excellent steering precision. Since the economy is in the tank, saving money on bike parts is always a good thing.

I just finished off the conceptual design and have teamed up with Paragon Machine Works to prototype the concept. Special thanks to Rick Hunter at Hunter Cycles for design feedback over the last few weeks. The design features 32mm-wide 'hooded' dropouts that accommodate the Rock Shox Maxle 15mm thru-axle. The hoods allow the frame builder to construct various fork geometries easily....as shown this design can be used for 26", 650B and 29" rigid forks. If the frame builder decides to use tapered fork blades, excess dropout material can be easily removed using conventional machining methods.

The Maxle Lite's skewer handle can be easily clocked (to clear the fork leg when tightening) without having to clock the actual nut it attaches to. In this case I was able to eliminate the clocking hardware normally found on Fox forks to keep things simple. I do like the Fox/Shimano system but it is more difficult to source and requires more parts than the Maxle system.

The 15mm axle threads directly into an aluminum nut that is 'keyed' directly into the dropout body. The opposing flat surfaces on the nut will prevent the it from spinning freely when tightening down the axle. On the drive-side, a simple aluminum spacer is used to position the axle perfectly.

Mass Analysis:

Left Dropout Body = 58g
Right Dropout Body = 52g
15mm Keyed Nut = 14g
15mm Spacer = 14g

Total = 136g

Direct Mount Components from Hit N Run Designs

2011-09-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Ahrens Bicycles shared a booth at Biketoberfest with Hit N Run Designs out of Scotts Valley, CA. Travis Kaschalk is the owner of HNR and he is responsible for CNC machining thousands of WiseCracker LITE bottle openers for me. I've been on some great shuttle runs in the Santa Cruz mountains with Travis and developing a line of gravity components is right up his alley.

In addition to Fox 40 Upper Crowns and the D-VISE seat clamp, Travis has been working on a unique direct-mount stem system for single-crown forks. After many months of testing, he is now releasing the AXIS Direct Mount system into the market (patent pending). I saw these parts first hand last weekend and was very impressed with the design and execution.

The stack height of the AXIS direct mount is only 19mm! This is less than half of most 1-1/8" stems on the market. For example, all Thomson X4 stems have 40.64mm stack height. For long travel forks and big wheels, lowering the stack height is always of key importance to keep the front end low. This is one of the main reasons I can't wait to install the system on my 650B hardtail since running larger wheels automatically lifts the front end of the bike.

The design is straightforward, very light (187 grams combined) and extremely stiff. By spreading the handlebar clamps further apart, the loads are spread over a wide area to minimize flex. If you like to run wide bars, you will love this setup.

Installation is easy and the system uses (1) M8 primary pinch bolt to secure the AXIS Direct Mount to the 1-1/8" steer tube. The Direct Mount stem clamps are then attached using (4) M6 stainless steel mounting bolts at all corners. One added bonus is that the real estate in the exact center of the bar is now open for your night light, GPS, etc.

The stem clamps work with 31.8mm bars and are offered in 45mm length (measured from the center of the steer tube to the center of the handlebar) to keep things as flex-free as possible. If you already own a direct-mount stem, it will fit right into the standard Boxxer bolt pattern these parts utilize. I'm pushing for Travis to offer 35.0mm clamps to accommodate that emerging standard.

Weight Breakdown:

AXIS Direct Mount = 76.5 grams
Direct Mount Stem Clamp, 45mm = 110.5 grams

Total System Weight = 187.0 grams

Introductory pricing is shown below and act soon because prices will increase next January 1st! All components are CNC machined in the USA, with pride, using domestically sourced 6061-T6 aluminum. After machining, each part runs through a detailed inspection procedure, is anodized and then laser marked with the HNR logo.

AXIS Direct Mount MSRP: $120 PROMO: $90

Direct Mount Stem Clamp 45mm MSRP: $100 PROMO: $70

FOX 40 upper crown MSRP: $150 PROMO: $110

D-VISE seat collar clamp MSRP: $40 PROMO: $25

Contact Travis at hitnrundesigns@hotmail.com for more info.

Alter Cycles 29er with Ahrens Sliding Dropouts

2011-09-14T11:18:00.001-07:00

Check out this unique Alter Cycles 29er frame featuring sliding dropouts from Ahrens Bicycles. The down tube can be swapped out to adjust ride characteristics!

More info to follow...

Biketoberfest 2011

2011-09-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

Come see Ahrens Bicycles at Biketoberfest 2011 on September 25th in Fairfax. We will have plenty of WiseCrackers on sale so come enjoy bikes and beer at this great fundraising event!

Garmin Authorized Reseller

2011-09-14T11:11:00.000-07:00

Ahrens Bicycles has just been approved as a Garmin Authorized Reseller - sweet!

More 324 Press & Progress

2011-07-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

Special thanks to Mountain Bike Magazine for their recent STRAIGHT DIRT blog post about the 324 Brake Adapter System. Our first batch of fifty, yes five zero, kits are in process and don't wait to get onto the pre-order list. Email 'timmyc@324labs.com' for ordering details. These kits are moving fast even though they slow you down!

I've been working closely with our machinist to optimize run times on this first batch of split clamps and actuator arms.

Raw aluminum bar stock is pre-cut to size using the band saw. Once order volumes increase, these blanks will be pre-cut ahead of time to save time.

Machining takes place on a Kitamura Mycenter 1 machining center. Although this particular machine is nearly 20 years old, it cranks out these parts with ease. Three adjacent vises are used for each setup. Left vise is Setup 1 for profiling where material is left on the underside for the vise to tighten against. Right vise is Setup 2 for the mounting hole and lightening window. Center vise is final Setup 3 to remove support material from the back side of the fully-profiled part.

After Setup 3 is complete, each completed part is removed from the center vise and deburred by hand. Key features such as the pivot hole diameter are measured against the technical drawing for accuracy and quality control.

People always ask me why machined parts are so expensive - here is a small glimpse into the number of steps it takes to produce a simple clamp. And this doesn't include plating, assembly, laser marking or final packaging! To produce quality designs, I never cut any corners and the difference is clear when compared to some imported components that cost nearly the same amount!

Vans Cult Grips Are Dope!

2011-07-09T15:14:00.001-07:00

Just got these babies from Neal at Cult Bikes and they are sick!

324 LABS Brake Adapter System > Now Accepting Pre-Orders

2011-07-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

Over the past month I've been working with 324 LABS to develop a new version of their Brake Adapter System. The brainchild of this system is local racer Tim Cannard (aka Timmy C) and I am very excited about this unique product. A handful of the prototype systems were developed by Tim and another smart tinkerer named Denzil. The first generation systems have been undergoing real-world testing since last fall and the performance is stellar.

OVERVIEW:

This unique system enables cable-actuated road brake levers to operate hydraulic disc brakes commonly found on mountain bikes. It is currently aimed at the cyclocross market and I also have plans to build a custom, dual-disc road frame to demonstrate the advantages of this system.

PRE-ORDER NOW!

324 LABS is now accepting pre-orders for the system and introductory pricing is set at $140 which includes the following:

1X Left Split Clamp, 31.8mm, Hard Anodized 6061 aluminum
1X Right Split Clamp, 31.8mm, Hard Anodized 6061 aluminum
2X Actuator Arm, Hard Anodized 2024 aluminum
Stainless Steel Mounting Hardware
4X Wheels Manufacturing Alloy Brake Ferrules

Please note the system does NOT include the Formula R1 brakes - only the mounting clamps, actuator arms and mounting hardware. This system does NOT work with the Formula RX brake due to different handlebar clamp geometry than the R1.

NEW! Added image of 'kit' contents on 7/11/11:

Pre-orders should be ready for shipment towards the end of this month if not sooner. The current system works only with Formula R1 Brakes with other brand compatibility to follow. Why Formula? Because it is the lightest disc brake system on the market and utilizes a low-profile master cylinder that is straightforward to mount.

To secure your pre-order, please contact Tim at 'timmyc@netmagic.net' and online transactions are expected to be working at the 324 LABS website shortly. Dealer and frame builder inquiries welcome.

DESIGN DETAILS:

My new design contains left and right 'split clamps' that secure the system to a 31.8mm handlebar, very close the stem. This frees up space across the flats of the handlebar where the first generation design mounts.

The split clamps are 12mm wide and provide a rigid mounting structure for the Formula R1 cylindrical-shaped hydraulic reservoir. Initial tests of this design show zero flex at the mounting clamp which translates into better braking.

I've selected Wheels Manufacturing machined brake ferrules since they are much stiffer than plastic ones commonly used. As the brake cable enters the split clamp, it travels in a straight line to the actuator arm to provide superior lever feel. The brake cable is secured to the actuator arm within a cylindrical housing that contains opposing set screws that pinch the cable on both sides.

After installation, the left and right clamps are nested very close together while still leaving access to all key mounting bolts, stem bolts, etc.

PRELIM MASS ANALYSIS FOR FRONT BRAKE:

Formula R1 Brake (Caliper + Lever Only) = 277g
Subtract R1 Brake Lever, Bar Clamp, Mounting Hardware = -26g
Add Brake Adapter System from 324 LABS = +30g

Total Mass Gain = +4 g

This analysis does not include the disc rotor since many options are available to the end user (Rotor diameter, ISO mount, post-mount 74mm, etc). The message here is that the 324 LABS Brake Adapter System adds less than 10 grams total (left + right) to the original Formula R1 Brake setup - sweet!

More Bikes and Beer

2011-05-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

Come see Ahrens Bicycles in Petaluma on June 26th! We will be selling a variety of items including frames, wheels, tires and of course our new selection of WiseCracker bottle openers.

From Bruce Gordon's website:

This is basically another good excuse for framebuilders, component makers, soft goods craftspeople, and bike riders of all types from the great state of North California to get together and have a good time.

There will be food from local caterers, beer from Lagunitas, plenty of bikes and bike-related things to look at (or even.. purchase), perhaps a Whiskeydrome, a framebuilders' garage sale (which is basically a swap meet with less yahoos and more good stuff), beer, perhaps a group ride earlier in the day, lots of bike stuff, and plenty of beer from Lagunitas.

Hydraulic Disc Brakes for 700c?!

2011-04-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

This is a great article about converting cable-actuated road brake levers to work with hydraulic disc brakes for 'cross. And a shameless plug for Ahrens sliding disc dropouts being used by Rock Lobster!

CLICK HERE FOR CX MAGAZINE ARTICLE

Sweet 7005 aluminum sliding dropouts from Ahrens Bicycles!

WiseCracker Family Reunion

2011-04-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

The WiseCracker, Because Beer Can't Open Itself

It's been five years since the first WiseCracker bottle opener was machined and introduced to the bike market. This unique product enjoys continued success and ships all over the world to beer drinking bike riders everywhere. Just in time for warm weather riding, I've decided to offer a more complete range of WiseCrackers for your alcohol consuming enjoyment. Each version of the WiseCracker is proudly manufactured in the USA using only domestic materials and processes.

As Henry Ford said, "It's offered in any color - so long as it's black." Why not other colors? The aluminum bottle openers are hard black anodized for durability; this plating process builds a thick oxidation layer that penetrates the part to protect it from damage during use. Hard anodizing produces a surface ~10X harder than conventional, colored anodizing. Hard anodizing colors range from light brown to black, so I use black since it matches nearly everything. Colored anodizing creates a very thin oxidation layer and although this finish looks attractive, it offers no long-term durability in terms of wear. And for a small company like mine, there are just too many anodizing color choices to inventory. Each version of the WiseCracker can be custom laser-marked for your shop, club, team, event, etc for a reasonable price.

Product Range
WiseCracker PRO, 1.5" clamp, Bike Repair Stand Version
WiseCracker ORIGINAL, 27.2mm clamp, Seat Post Version
WiseCracker LITE, 1-1/8" Headset Spacer
WiseCracker SOLO, 1" Headset Spacer

New for 2011

WiseCracker LITE Stainless, 1-1/8" Headset Spacer

This version is water-jet cut from a sheet of stainless steel. It is low profile and weighs the same as its aluminum cousin, 16 grams.

FACT: (1) 12 oz beer = 340 grams = (21) WiseCracker LITE openers

MuttCracker Dog Tag

The MuttCracker will turn your pet into a mobile beer-opening mammal. It's permanently laser marked with your pet's name, contact number, etc. The MuttCracker is the brainchild of my very smart dog-owner friends, Lee and Donna, and both are also proud owners of handmade frames from Ahrens Bicycles. This version is also water-jet cut from a sheet of stainless steel and weighs in at a svelte 18 grams.

Cadalyst Article

2011-04-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

Last year I was interviewed by PTC, the parent company of Pro/Engineer CAD software, about designing bike frames. Yesterday I got a hard copy of their trade magazine...my name is on the front cover and the article is on the last page...sweet!

A Ruota Libera: A San Francisco Bicycle and Pizza Show

2011-03-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

Special thanks to Sean at Soulcraft Bikes for inviting Ahrens Bicycles to A Ruota Libera, a unique handmade bicycle show in San Francisco on March 20th. Pizza, bikes and beer are three of my favorite things and this will be a great event. After taking a hiatus for the last six months, I'm glad to be back in action. Hope to see you there!

Una Pizza Napoletana and Soulcraft Cycles Present A Ruota Libera: A San Francisco Bicycle and Pizza Show.

Date: March 20 2011

Location: Una Pizza Napoletana 210 11th St and Howard St. San Francisco, CA 94103

The greater San Francisco Bay area is home to numerous world-renowned bicycle frame builders. On March 20th many of them will converge at Una Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco for 'A Ruota Libera', a bicycle and pizza show designed to showcase and celebrate the rich culture and history of frame building that exists right here in our own backyard.

Anthony Mangieri, owner and pizzaiolo of Una Pizza Napoletana, is an avid mountain biker and owner of several custom made bicycles. For Mangieri, the event represents an opportunity to invite fellow craftsmen, who share his appreciation for detail, into his own 'workshop' where he will happily churn out his signature Neapolitan pizzas for the show.

Sean Walling, owner and frame builder behind Soulcraft Cycles, immediately saw the value of bringing local builders together for the show and partnered with Mangieri to bring A Ruota Libera to life. "The frame building talent we have within a 50 mile radius is an embarrassment of riches," says Walling, “and Anthony has the same obsessive approach to pizza that we have to bikes, so why not get together and give the locals the opportunity to experience this all in one place."

Walling and Mangieri both agree that A Ruota Libera will be a great venue for all, whether frame builder or fan, to appreciate what results from years working toward mastering a craft.

A Ruota Libera will also showcase a live musical performance by the internationally praised duo, The Mattson 2 and a screening of 'FROM STEEL': The Making of a Soulcraft' by director Michael John Evans.

The name “A Ruota Libera” is Italian for “Freewheel.”

Moretti Beer and Mr. Espresso coffee will also be available.

Admission to the event is $10 (includes pizza)

Free on site bike parking will be provided.

Tickets are available at the door the day of the show.

Doors open at 1pm and close at 7pm.

General Lee

2010-07-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

We just finished putting together Lee's new steel road frame. The finish is raw steel, bead blasted and finished with clear powdercoat. Stickers were applied and then the whole frame was liquid clear coated for protection.

Built with a mixture of high-end steel tubes, this frame is remarkably stiff and agile. It features Columbus head tube and chainstays, Reynolds 853 seat tube, True Temper S3 down tube, True Temper OX seatstays, Breezer stainless steel/hooded dropouts and a Paragon BB shell.

The frame features internal brake routing, braze-on front derailleur mount and rear rack mounts. The down tube has threaded cable guides and brass adjusters from frame builder Dave Kirk.

The extended seat tube is Reynolds 853, 32mm OD, with a short Thomson 30mm diameter post inside. The main reason this frame is so stiff is due to the massive seat tube mast.

Front end geometry is based around an Edge Road 1.0 carbon fork with 45mm rake. The fork was sanded down to remove all decals and the factory clear coat. A matte liquid clear coat was then applied for protection and stealth look.

Future upgrades include a custom King R45 wheelset and Nokon silver cables. Mmmmm, steel is nice.

Learning to Ride

2010-07-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

Both of my twin daughters learned to ride recently....very exciting and nerve rracking at the same time because they can't always stop when they need to! They started off with wooden bikes from Skuut and learning to balance was easy for them. Pedaling and braking not so easy. When they grow tall enough I plan to build up some very light 20" frames with baskets, bells, short-reach brake levers and of course custom paint. Seeing my kids ride bikes is awesome.

I remember vividly the first time I rode a bike...it was an early 1980s 20" AMF Hawk and I'm pretty sure my parents bought it at Sears. The color scheme was basically the opposite of this one I found on BMX museum....it was a darker blue with white or silver accents.

Bottle Cap Board

2010-07-06T14:12:00.001-07:00

Greg from Carmel (Indiana, not Cali) sent me a picture of the 'bottle cap board' he's creating. I love it and if I was making one, it would be full of Newcastle caps! Cheers.

In Process Now

2010-05-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

I'm currently working on a steel road frame for my friend Lee. This frame will have some unique features including an extended seat tube, internal cable routing and of course full-custom geometry. Here are some in process pics from builder Jason Grove in Grand Junction, Colorado. Looking good.

David's Apex 120 Hardtail

2010-05-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

I'm lucky to have local rider David as a customer. This is his third custom frame from Ahrens Bicycles, the first one was a custom single speed prototype with sliding dropouts. The second was a similar raw-finished hardtail to this one that was unfortunately involved in a traffic accident and needed replacement.

So now we've built up a modern hardtail capable of handling a 120mm travel fork. This bike is equipped with a handmade King mango wheelset with Sapim CX-Ray bladed spokes, Mavic 819 UST rims, Fox F32 120mm fork, 15QR front thru axle, Hope Tech X2 brakes with gold accents and braided stainless steel lines, Race Face Deus cranks and bars, Thomson stem/post, Crank Bros egg beater SL pedals and full XT drivetrain. As shown it weighs in at 24.6 lbs...not too bad for a stout hardtail.

This frame is outfitted with the limited edition white WiseCracker LITE bottle opener. Stickers are color-matched; the native material is silver metallic with custom digital printing (white base coat with gold and mango perimeter outlines) from VC Graphix....sweet.

The rear triangle contains all of the signature machined components. The tapered chainstays are straight gage and provide excellent cornering and climbing stability.

David opted for 'direct mount' shifters to keep the bars looking clean...

Ryan and David putting the final touches on the build.

Tony's New Revolver 29er

2010-05-26T10:17:00.001-07:00

I recently delivered a high-end 29er to local customer Tony. Full XTR, Hope brakes, Fox fork, Race Face bar/stem/post, this bike has the best parts money can buy....sick.

Sterling silver head badge is bolted directly onto the head tube.

Signature rear triangle with upper and lower yokes, standard QR dropouts and wishbone seatstays.

New WiseCracker Colors

2010-05-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

I'm now offering the popular WiseCracker LITE in natural silver, black anodize and limited edition white. Silver and black run $12 plus shipping and white will run $17 plus shipping....I expect to update the webstore shortly to reflect these choices.

WiseCracker Video

2010-03-23T11:20:00.001-07:00

Here is a funny WiseCracker video sent to me by Cycle Jerk who says it's "A forehead slappingly brilliant idea! Great Job." It's really the simplest upgrade you can make to your bike...

Steel 29er Single Speed

2010-03-19T11:19:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos of Tim's new 29er steel single speed. It features 4130 chromoly tubing from Nova, Paragon sliding dropouts and a Paragon BB shell. Geometry is setup for a Fox F29 front fork and a 'tall baseplate' from Chris King to aid in fork crown clearance at the down tube. Cable routing is straightforward with hydro-stops only for the rear brake. The seat tube slot faces forward to keep water and mud from getting trapped inside the seat tube. It ships out today to beautiful Boulder, Colorado and stay tuned for the first ride report...

MTB Hawaii

2010-03-19T11:16:00.001-07:00

One of my customers just sent me this beautiful pic....this bike was built for him a few years back when he was living in Hawaii. Funny thing is this photo was taken on Mount Tam!

More BSNYC

2010-03-08T21:17:00.000-08:00

Sorry to hear that the Bike Snob's bars/stem/etc were stolen earlier today.....fortunately the thief left the WiseCracker intact. Click on photo for the post...

Some bastard stole my wife's bike last Fall - karma will come back to haunt these thieves.

Alcohauler Single Speed w/Dual Citizenship

2010-03-07T15:32:00.000-08:00

I'm just finishing up a single-speed race bike for a local customer John and it turned out sweet. As shown it weighs in at 22.5lbs and has a mixture of high-end parts from White Industries, Phil Wood, Hope, King and Fox. At the start of the project, John and I worked with Karl at Silicon Valley Cycling Center to optimize the 'race fit' required for this new machine.

John has dual citizenship in the US and Britain and this theme comes to life in the unique color scheme and buildup of this bike. The frame is designed and built in the USA using the finest Easton Ultralite tubing available. It features an American flag on the seat tube and a British flag on the top tube along with black ENO cranks from White Industries and Hope Pro 2 hubs and Tech X2 brakes.

The rear triangle features my signature sliding dropouts which makes it easy to change rear cogs depending on the race course, conditions, etc. Look for John and this bike at upcoming Bay Area races....

Hardtail for Ryan

2010-03-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics of my mechanic, Ryan Bontager's new hardtail. It's setup for a 120mm travel fork and will be adorned with pweter King components throughout. Stay tuned for more pics once it's fully assembled....dope.

Sixteen Pounds of Sweetness

2010-03-06T20:41:00.000-08:00

The first two months of 2010 have been hectic. Balancing work, family and my passion for bikes has never been this challenging! This blog has suffered as a result but now I'm finally getting back on track.

Pictured below is Nigel's brand new steel road bike. As shown it weighs in at a svelte 16 pounds. The frame is built with a mixture of steel tubes from True Temper and Columbus. The heart of the frame is the True Temper S3 front triangle with its bi-ovalized down tube. Front end geometry is setup for the Edge Road 1.0 carbon fork. The paint scheme is inspired by the new Lexus ISF sports sedan's Ultrasonic Blue Mica color. Nigel designed the custom graphics and overall pro-look....and it looks sweet. Fitting and pro-build by Shama Cycles in Houston, TX.

Bike Snob NYC

2010-02-09T13:18:00.000-08:00

I recently sent a WiseCracker LITE to the Bike Snob for review....as usual his commentary is classic and you can check out the full posting here.

My favorite line is below:

"Yes, I am now the proud owner of bottle opener with a bike around it."

Oregon Manifest Video

2009-12-09T12:30:00.000-08:00

Here is a great video from the Oregon Manifest event in October. Info about our entry, The Donna, can be found here.

OREGON MANIFEST CONSTRUCTOR’S DESIGN CHALLENGE from oregon manifest on Vimeo.

Titanium WiseCracker LITE Bottle Opener

2009-11-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

We're teaming up with Paragon Machine Works to produce a very limited run of titanium WiseCracker LITE bottle openers for the holidays. These will be sized to fit any 1-1/8" steer tube and will come with a lightly polished finish.

Price will be set at $35 per unit including domestic shipping. Send an email to 'mike at ahrensbicycles dot com' to pre-order yours today!

SF Bike Expo

2009-11-22T21:29:00.000-08:00

Great day yesterday at the SF Bike Expo at the Cow Palace and special thanks to my sister Elizabeth for helping out. Our booth was right across from the indoor dirt track used for the 'cross races. We brought three bikes to the event....a white monster 'cross frame, red 650b hardtail and gray urban 'cross bike. Customer turnout was good and we will surely do it again next year!

More Pics of Kristy's SS

2009-11-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

Here are some more in process photos of Kristy's single speed hardtail. The head tube rings are machined on the front side of the tube only....this leaves more material on the back side of the tube for strength. Machining rings into head tubes is common across the industry...but machining eccentric (off-center) rings is more difficult and is rarely seen on production frames.

Small vent holes inside the frame allow the inside tube surfaces to be purged with nitrogen; this gas runs through the red flexible tubing which is attached to the welding fixture. This means no impurities will be present after welding which is important since inspecting inside the frame is nearly impossible with conventional tools. Prior to welding, all key joint surfaces are thoroughly cleaned and deburred.

The Easton Ultralite 'pear shaped' down tube is bi-ovalized for strength and maximum weld area at the head tube and BB shell. This tube is so tall it accounts for more than half the real estate of the head tube! As a result, the top tube receives an interference cut to 'cup' the down tube and head tube for the ideal mating fit. The top tube is also bi-ovalized to maximize joint strength at either end.

The rear triangle components are pre-assembled ahead of time in a special fixture designed by Anvil and then integrated into the main Anvil fixture to create a complete frame. The rear dropouts are spaced slightly wide at 137mm to account for slight spring-back which can happen when welding bike frames. In this case, the spring back is minimal due to the shape and rigidity of the upper/lower yoke components.

During fabrication, the sliding dropouts are positioned all the way forward which translates into a 16.5" chainstay length (measured center-to-center). Once the bike is assembled, the sliders will be re-positioned between 16.5-17.2" depending on the desired riding characteristics. I usually set this distance to ~16.8" to strike a balance between climbing and descending ability. Too short and the bike will be unruly during high-speed descents. Too long and climbing response is reduced. Since the dropouts can slide, it's very easy for the end user to dial in their ideal chainstay length on their home turf.

When working with aluminum, material availability can become an issue since it's imported in very small quantities to the USA. As a result, I've started to develop frames using round rear stays (in lieu of rectangular tubes) that are hand-formed for the ideal fit before welding. In this case, the chainstays are 25mm round and then swaged near the dropout joint. The seatstays are 22mm diameter tubes with similar treatment as the chainstays. The ride quality of the round tubes is excellent and on par with the classic rectangular stays used up to this point.

I expect this frame to weigh in under 3.6 lbs which should provide an excellent platform for single speeding!

Happy Friday

2009-11-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

First email I read this morning.....

Received my Wise Cracker and it’s ready to go!

Looks awesome and works great!

The El Mariachi is a “complete” bike now.

Thanks, Bill

Belt Drive Dropout Conversion

2009-11-19T22:34:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics of a belt drive dropout conversion created by frame builder Chris Kopp. The dropouts are split in the seatstay zone and then attached back together with a simple backing plate. Looking forward to seeing the completed frame...

Current Projects

2009-11-18T09:38:00.000-08:00

I have quite a few frames in the queue right now and I'm excited that business has been picking up this quarter. This year has been slower than normal due to the economy and it's nice to attract some new customers!

Since my wife's bike was recently stolen, we decided to replace it with a step-thru, single speed townie frame. This frame will be outfitted with a Shimano Alfine drivetrain, dual disc brakes and fat 26" city tires. We also plan to install a front basket for quick trips around the neighborhood.

Next up is another single speed mountain frame for Kristy in the mid-west. This is a smaller frame that will be setup with a Fox F32 80mm travel fork, King wheelset and Race Face components...here are pics of the pre-cut tubes before welding the entire frame together.

More pics to follow as these projects (and others) near completion. And if you're in the Bay Area, be sure to stop by our booth at the SF BIKE EXPO next weekend! We'll be selling some old inventory and of course the ever popular WiseCracker bottle opener just in time for the holidaze.

New CX Commuter

2009-11-01T17:33:00.001-08:00

I just finished assembling my new commute bike and I can't wait to log some saddle time on this baby. As shown it weighs in at just over 22 lbs with dual disc brakes and mostly MTB drivetrain including XTR shifters and rear derailleur, XT 12-32 cassette and dual-pull front derailleur, and Shimano R600 compact cranks with Race Face 36/46 chain rings.

The front end geometry is setup around a Wound Up CX disc fork and tallish head tube for a more upright body position. The bars are the FSA Metropolis model; basically a modern mustache bar with 31.8mm center diameter. They are flipped over to hit my hands in just the right spot.
Frame geometry is derived from the standard Whole Shot 'cross lineup which has been evolving over the past few years.

The left side/ISO disc dropout is triangulated with a support tube welded between the seatstays and chainstays. Sliding dropouts are used for extra flexibility in case I want to convert this bike to one speed. The front/rear brakes are Hope Mono Minis with Scrub metal matrix rotors.

Special thanks to Paragon for supplying the brass 'jam nuts' used on the sliding dropouts...way better than the standard ones I've been using.

Kenda Kommando cross tires mated to Velocity VXC rims (painted to match the frame) and Sun Flea disc hubs round out the whole package.

Caitlin @ Pilarcitos

2009-10-26T09:45:00.001-07:00

Just received this snapshot of Caitlin (Team Sheila Moon) tearing it up last weekend at Pilarcitos on her chocolate brown Team VK 'cross bike....sweet!

Photo Credit Paul Guerra

And from last week....Caitlin $1 richer!

Photo Credit Slonie

Cross Racing & Cable Routing

2009-10-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

Last year I sent a frame to East Coast racer James and he recently broke the rear derailleur hanger due to muddy course conditions. It's an easy fix with dropouts from Paragon Machine Works...the hanger will be replaced with a stiffer 7075 aluminum version. Over email I told James about our new Euro-style cable routing and some subtle changes to the lower yoke. As a racer, his feedback is very valuable to me as a designer...see below:

Photo Credit Marco Quezada

BTW, I love the frame. It’s a well designed bike. I hope to be able to add a second one for the next year’s season. I’ve seen a few of the Vanderkitten issue frames here on the East Coast. Those I’ve talked with have high praise as well. The attached photo is of me racing in a Nor’easter at the Granouge CX race last Saturday. I snapped the hanger shortly thereafter.

The frame changes sound cool. I noticed the Euro style frame on the blog this summer. Very nice frame. My older bikes [steel IF Planet X's] all have top tube routing. In all honesty, I dont think there is much difference between top tube vs. downtube routing. I've found that the collection points for mud are the brakes and front derailleur itself. The yoke dosen't catch any more stuff than other designs. I think the yoke design gives more clearance betwwen the crank arms, chainrings and stays towards the BB junction. I race in both the New England and the Mid-Atlantic areas. Mostly dry to damp conditions overall. When we do get mud it mixes with grass and makes things clog up quickly. That's what happened when I snapped my hanger. In retrospect, I should have swapped bikes midway through the race. Again, thanks.

Here's another useful thread on 'cross cable routing from the Mud & Cowbells site:

http://www.mudandcowbells.com/blog/2007/7/6/cx-cable-routing-debate.html

Which type of routing is better? Everything on the top tube? Ultimately it's the rider's choice and Ahrens Bicycles is happy to deliver your preference.

American Pride

2009-10-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

A new batch of WiseCracker LITE bottle openers is on the way.....100% made in the USA.

SF Bike Expo Next Month

2009-10-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

Last week I signed up for the SF Bike Expo at the Cow Palace - check out the press release. Last time I was at the Cow Palace was for a Metallica concert - funny. Looking forward to displaying a new Monster Cross frame and our usual assortment of road and mountain bikes. Plenty of WiseCrackers will be on hand just in time for the holidays.

Builder Feedback from Oregon Manifest

2009-10-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

Two weeks after the event, many builders are talking about their experiences at the Oregon Manifest event....great feedback can be found here. I definitely agree that the design criteria, race and final judging were not well aligned. After investing a fair amount of resources on this project, I'm a little frustrated by the results (or lack thereof) for Ahrens Bicycles. Some award winning bikes clearly had construction issues which is pretty surprising given the 'constructor's challenge' event theme.

On the flip side, the purpose of events like these is to garner exposure while providing participants a chance to learn some new things. I saw innovative design solutions all over the place and this by itself is inspiring for my own future projects in the commuter/utility space. My bike was the only entry made from aluminum which shows how slanted events like this are towards steel frames. My main takeaway is that The Donna is a versatile bike that works well for my customer and meets her needs nicely.....and hopefully this success leads to more frame sales to keep the business moving.

Bikerumor Pic of The Day

2009-10-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

This is sweet! Vanderkitten team rider Caitlin grabbing some coin on her chocolate brown 'cross bike...

Oregon Manifest & The Donna

2009-10-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we traveled to Portland, OR for the Oregon Manifest Constructor's Design Challenge. This event involved designing, building and racing a commuter bike in and around Portland. My friend Donna raced her bike, aptly named The Donna, nearly 77 miles over varied terrain including road, gravel and dirt. Below is a picture from the start....Donna was one of only two women racing. I am very proud of her for tackling this event only one week after her wedding! Big props to newlyweds Donna and Lee from Ahrens Bicycles! The second woman to race was Natalie from Sweet Pea Bicycles racing on a custom Ahearne commuter bike.

The first starting group was Donna, Natalie and a guy racing on the nearly 60-lb Metrofiets cargo bike. After about 25 miles, the real hard part began with a challenging gravel fire road climb that was relentless. Not too many photos are available because during Donna's climb, Steve Rex, another racer/frame builder was injured with a broken collar bone and I took him to the hospital! Luckily Steve is OK and recovering back home in Sactown.

Here is a video of the gravel climb before the beer stop.

The Rapha beer stop was at mile 38. Donna's husband Lee and I enjoyed a couple of beers at this check point...this is where I found out Steve Rex had injured his collar bone. Curtis Ingliss from Retrotec called the Rapha race coordinator from a farm and relayed the message.

Here's our crew at the finish including college friends Chris and Henry and of course Donna and myself. Not sure where Lee is hiding...probably scoring us some more beer.

There were many aspects of turning The Donna into a true commuter bike from its origin as a single speed . I prototyped a rear rack with some cardboard and a fabric bag from Andronico's market. This exercise helped me determine the rack proportions before actual fabrication began.

Four solid aluminum struts support the rear rack and these are hard-mounted to the frame. Adjustable eyelets were sourced from Bontrager to allow height adjustment and final leveling of the rack. One special feature of this bike is the integrated lock. A custom seat clamp was developed to include a Thule lock core and a coil lock. Turn the key and the lock releases the cable which can then be used to lock the bike. I'm really proud of this feature because it's truly unique and someone even asked me "where did you buy that lock?" at the event.

The front rack is cantilever-mounted to the head tube using WiseCracker extruded aluminum mounts. The upper mount is a tall headset spacer and the lower mount cups the fork crown and is installed with a star nut on the underside. Wooden slats were stained black and mounted to both racks to achieve a classic look.

Special thanks to Princeton Tec for supplying the lighting solutions for this project. Light and bright, these babies are sick.

All these extra features added some weight to the overall bike but it was still manageable to ride. Special thanks to everyone that made this bike and event possible...there are way too many to list here.

SSWC Race Report

2009-09-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

The mint green 29er was recently raced at the Single Speed World Championships in Durango. Here is a great race report from Anthony:

Hi Mike,

The SSWC race in Durango was awesome! The course was very challenging. The hike a bike sections were long and steep with near vertical sections on the elevation profile below at mile 7. The section on top of Raiders Ridge was a unending rocky technical roller coaster with big exposure on the right. Throw in some nasty descents and a enthusiastic crazy crowd and you get the picture. Oh, and they were handing out gumdrops, twinkies, bacon and whiskey at the top of the last hike a bike at mile 16 and a beer at the finish. These people know how to put on a show. I don't know exactly where I finished because they did not post full results. I think I was somewhere in the top 10 to 15 percent.

The bike was flawless! The geometry change was spot on. It holds a line better than the chocolate one without loosing any high speed stability. The rear end is plenty stiff for aggressive singlespeeding. Combined with the 20mm through axle fork and the whole platform is incredibly stable at speed and in the rough. It felt like there was no feeling lost between ground and rider due to flex. I managed to hit 33mph at some point and was very confident at speed. The King parts worked as expected, faultless. All in all I am very satisfied and wouldn't change a thing. Lots of positive comments on the paint.

I wish I got a chance to take more pictures during the race but except for the backed up part of the hike a bike I was "all in". Average heart rate of 167 for me was an all time high. Thanks for getting it done on time for the race. Im sure I will enjoy it for years to come. Sincerely, Anthony

Rectangular chainstays/seatstays keep the rear end stiff and on track.

Sliding dropouts keep the rear disc brake aligned to the rotor and tension the chain at the same time. The dropout hoods can accommodate a variety of frame sizes and geometries.

Tire clearance at the upper yoke is ample even when running large air volume tires.

Same goes for the lower yoke.

The bike's stance is oriented towards aggressive XC riding with a slightly slackened head angle and adjustable wheelbase.

A Tale of Two Niners

2009-09-01T21:59:00.001-07:00

================ALUMINUM REVOLVER 29er================

First off is a sea foam green Revolver 29er for Anthony in New Mexico. This is a replacement frame for a single speed 29er prototype that I built for myself and then sold to Anthony earlier this year. The first frame was just too light and the rear triangle is tweaked....I won't know what went wrong until I have a chance to measure the original but my instinct tells me the tubing was not beefy enough to handle single speed 29er loads. So back to the drawing board to design and deliver Anthony a new frame in time for the Single Speed World Championships this month in Durango. Fully built pics just added below!

I went back to my roots with Anthony's new 29er and dug up some stout rectangular bmx-style chainstays that were used throughout the rear triangle. I've been saving these specific tubes for a project just like this and the rear triangle on this bike is STIFF. The upper and lower yokes are machined from 25mm thick 7005 bar stock with an emphasis on lateral rigidity, not lightweight. The rear sliding dropouts have also been beefed up for 2009 and I finally sourced a fully-threaded M5 tensioning bolt! I've been looking for this type of bolt for a long time and finally someone offered some affordable custom ones for me! Rounding off the rear triangle is a the wishbone tube....no-nonsense 1" square material with straight wall thickness.

Huge ass tire clearance was a request easily met with the machined yokes. Also notice the slit in the seat tube faces forward to keep water and dirt out of the Chris King bottom bracket.

The front triangle uses Easton Ultralite material including a 32mm seat tube, 38mm top tube and 44.5mm down tube which is extra long for the 29er application. The front-end geometry of this frame is a little slacker than what most builders are using but for the high-speed descents that Anthony rides, a little wheel flop while climbing steep stuff is an acceptable tradeoff. More images to follow one this new Revolver is built up.

================STEEL REVOLVER 29er================

The second 29er project is for local rider Will. It's important to note that Will is an experienced brewmaster...that's right, he makes beer for a living. Needless to say I was more than happy to get this project rolling! After a few conversations at the start of the project, Will settled on a steel 29er with a build kit anyone would love. Fox F29 fork with 80mm of travel and new FIT cartridge. Full XTR. New XT 29er wheelset. King, Thomson, Race Face, Crank Bros and WTB round off the rest of the parts.

The steel tubeset was sourced through Nova Cycle Supply and it features s-bend rear triangle tubing for ample tire clearance. Rear dropouts are Paragon hoods with a replaceable hanger - not so common on steel bikes! Geometry is sized just right for Will based on fit measurements he provided at the start of the project.

I'm looking forward to Will's first ride report which will be coming soon....

Pro/Engineer Customer Voice

2009-08-24T14:28:00.001-07:00

I've been working with PTC, parent company of Pro/Engineer software, discussing my experiences with this unique CAD tool. They wrote up a nice article that I wanted to share here....very cool. The original post can be found here.

WiseCracker Press!

2009-08-21T22:18:00.000-07:00

The WiseCracker LITE (1-1/8" version) and new WiseCracker SOLO (1" version) made it into the Quick Release section of Mountain Bike Action (October 2009 issue). Just in time for Interbike next month, the timing is excellent for extra industry exposure. The best $12 you'll ever spend on bike stuff. Prost!

Biketoberfest 2009

2009-08-03T21:11:00.001-07:00

That's right...Biketoberfest is right around the corner in Marin. October 10th will be a day for bikes and beer, two of my favorite things besides my family. Ask my twin daughters what time it is and they automatically say "beer o'clock daddy!"

Oregon Manifest

2009-07-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

Last week I received an invitation to the Oregon Manifest Design Challenge, a unique event taking place early October in Portland, OR. After reviewing the application packet, I decided to sign up for the event since it's like nothing I've ever done before. The challenge is to design, build AND race a commuter bike on the road, offroad and in an urban setting....definitely a unique set of requirements! The bike must be capable of carrying light loads and must perform well in a variety of conditions common to the everyday commuter. My friends and family have already started helping get this project off the ground and I can't wait to unveil the bike! Click on the logo below to visit the website.

Ahrens Socks...Finally!

2009-07-22T18:25:00.001-07:00

I've finally received my shipment of custom Sock Guy socks! Earlier this year I worked a trade with Sock Guy for some custom WiseCracker LITE bottle openers and it's taken some time for these babies to arrive.....needless to say I'm glad they are here.

There are two styles available:

3" Standard Cuff
6" Tall Cuff

Both styles are sized L/XL and they run $12 including domestic shipping. Send Pay Pal to mike at ahrensbicyles dot com if you want to place an order.

Whole Shot Eurostyle

2009-07-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

This custom Whole Shot cross frame was recently built for my friend Ryan, the man behind the Stanford Frameworks class I've written about before on this blog. Ryan wanted a custom, eurostyle 55cm race frame and the results are sweet! What makes this frame eurostyle? Slightly higher bottom bracket and top-mounted cable routing. This means no cables run under the down tube....as a result there is no chance of anything getting caught up during the race.

Seat tube measures 55cm from center-to-top and the effective top tube length is also 55cm. The bottom bracket drop has been reduced to 69mm which is 3mm less than my normal 'west coast' style, low bottom bracket geometry. The frame features a bi-ovalized Easton Ultralite Race downtube without any water bottle cages whatsoever. With this unique ovalization, extra material is present at the head tube and bottom bracket shell for superior rigidity. The rest of the Easton Ultralite tubes have round profiles like the stock Whole Shot.

This tubing selection should work well with the top-mounted cable routing and inline barrel adjusters for the front derailleur and rear brake. The front derailleur also receives a pulley on the back side of the seat tube for true european flair. The cross-specific lower yoke has also been tweaked for additional mud clearance. Chainstays are standard, 19mm straight wall tubes that are hand-formed for proper heel clearance when pedaling. Stay tuned for more pics of this desert camo beast soon. Special thanks to Dave at Vanderkitten and VC Graphix for the custom stickers.

The Donna

2009-07-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

I'm so stoked to have recently finished The Donna, an urban version of the race-proven Whole Shot cyclocross frame. My friend Donna was looking for something to ride to work, around town and for bar crawls. This frame is a custom size 50cm with special touches like sliding disc dropouts (spaced at 135mm), dual-disc brakes, revised lower yoke, hand-formed chainstays and weld-on rear rack mounts. The frame was built by Jason Grove at El Camino Fab and is one of the last ones to come out of his Oakland shop! The steel fork is hand built from Rock Lobster in Santa Cruz (395mm axle-to-crown with 45mm rake)...thanks Paul Sadoff!

The build kit is a mixture of light and durable parts with a little carbon thrown in for flavor. Wheels were hand built by Ryan Bontrager and include White Industries MI6 disc hubs laced to custom powdercoated Velocity VXC Disc rims....black in the front to match the fork and green in the rear to match the rest of the frame. Rounded off with urban tires from Michelin, this unique ride will definitely turn heads.

We used a spacer kit from Wheels Mfg to position the chain line exactly where it needs to be. And if Donna wants to run this bike with gears - no problem. Cable guides are already in place and will accommodate this setup.

Of course this frame comes stock with a WiseCracker LITE for convenience....because beer can't open itself. FSA carbon bars provide front end stability and bolt-on ODI grips are the bomb.

Belt Drive Dropout Concept

2009-07-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

I'm toying with the idea of building a 29er single speed demo frame with a belt drive system from Carbon Drive Systems. The trick is creating a breakaway frame component that allows the belt to slip through during installation and/or removal for servicing. For a quick-and-dirty prototype, I'm going to modify a sliding dropout assembly as shown in the images below. The back side of the dropout body will have a circular machined recess to accept a seatstay attachment; this attachment can pivot around the hood's centerline to accommodate for different frame sizes more easily. The mating parts are held together with an M8 screw that will be torqued down with blue Loctite. I may opt for an even shorter seatstay component that 'nests' directly with the adjacent hooded surface on the sliding dropout body. Belt driven bikes are fun to ride and offer another reason to try something new.

Shannon's VK Hardtail

2009-07-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

Just finished a beautiful frame for Vanderkitten racer Shannon who will be competing in numerous endurance events this season. Built with sculpted Easton 7005 Ultralite Race tubing throughout, this machine is race ready! As shown it weighs 3.4 lbs (1542g) and should easily build up to 23 lbs complete.

NAHBS 2010

2009-07-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

I just registered for the NAHBS 2010 in Richmond, VA next February. Needless to say I'm excited about the show since I missed last year's event due to family reasons. Now is the fun part...figuring out what to display and how to get it there! Be sure to check out the NAHBS website which has been fully redesigned.

www.handmadebicycleshow.com

WiseCracker SOLO for Fixies

2009-05-22T12:25:00.000-07:00

We're running a test batch of WiseCracker LITE bottle opener/headset spacers for 1" forks. These will be called WiseCracker SOLO and should be available on the website shortly. Aimed at the popular single-speed/fixed-gear market, I've already received a few dozen pre-orders which bodes well for future production. Here are the key features:

Machined in the USA from 6061-T6 aluminum
1" [25.4mm] headset spacer
0.197" [5.0mm] stack height
Weight 18 grams
MSRP $14

Here are some pics from the manufacturing process. The part's inside and outside profiles are CNC-machined out of a 1/4" thick sheet of material on one machine. Both surfaces of the sheet are machined to meet the final part thickness requirement of 0.197" [5.0mm].

Individual parts are then loaded into a second machine to add the chamfer feature onto the lip of the bottle opener. This step is critical to guarantee the bottle opener works every time you want to open a beer!

Parts are then sanded and deburred to remove any sharp edges left over from the machining process. Damn I love metal working!

Neo Retro Road Frame

2009-05-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

Inspired by classic Ford GT40 graphics, we recently built up a 60cm aluminum road frame for Nathan in Washington state. As shown the frame weighs 3.39 lbs and is built from Easton Ultralite tubing throughout.

This bike will be equipped with Campy's 11-speed drivetrain so stay tuned for more pics! Special thanks to Maas Bros for sky blue powdercoat, VC Graphix for the panel stickers, and Alan Neymark for clear coat.

29er Threads on MTBR

2009-05-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some great Ahrens 29er threads on MTBR:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=514569

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=513912

One question that came up regarding this frame is the 70 deg head angle which is pretty slack in the 29er world. With this frame I wanted stable front end geometry that wouldn't be too twitchy in singletrack....I found that steeper head angles with big-wheeled bikes are just too aggressive for my riding style. Although the 'trail' dimension is more optimized with a steeper head angle (closer to 71.5 deg), that is only one aspect of the frame geometry that affects handling. The others are BB height, chainstay length and front-center which all combine to provide distinct, more-controlled handling characteristics and combine to place the rider's weight where it's needed for optimal traction. In this case,overall stability and slower turning were desired and the trail dimension shifted out of the 'accepted norm' for 29ers. In the end all that really matters is how the rider feels and in this case the response has been totally positive. Here's the rider's response after a few initial rides:

The head angle is perfect. The trails out here (Santa Fe, NM) have dried up and are hard as concrete. They are very fast right now. The Chocolate Revolver SS descends like its on rails. I know that's an overused quote but it's true in this instance. I have only ridden it four times but it feels like a year. The slacker head angle maybe slowed it down just a touch in really tight switchbacks but thats a tradeoff I'm willing to make. The geometry in conjunction with the Reba's Maxel light make for a very stable platform. Not twitchy at all, just point and shoot. Me likey!

Revolver 29er SSweet

2009-04-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

I love happy customers -- here's an email I received this morning from Anthony in Santa Fe regarding his new chocolate-covered Revolver 29er single speed:

Hi Mike,

The frame came today. We opened the box and built it up. The guys at Mellow Velo helped me put it together and then we all went on the Tuesday evening ride. It totally rocks. After about a hundred yards it felt like an old friend. I couldn't be more pleased. It came out at an even 24 pounds. SSweet.

And by the way it's also incredibly fast!

Thank you, Anthony

Special thanks to David at Mellow Velo bike shop for getting this project off the ground!

MTBR Coverage of San Diego Show

2009-04-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

DOPE!

Off to Sunny San Diego...

2009-04-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

We're off to San Diego for the bike show this weekend....should be a good one from what I can tell. Here's a pic of a show bike we're bringing down there with fresh paint and new parts. This bike is for sale so contact me if you're interested and I'll provide all the details.

Stay tuned for a sh*tload of pics from the event.

Rock Lobster SS

2009-03-27T11:26:00.001-07:00

Paul Sadoff and I have worked together on numerous projects and this one came out great. In the small frame building world, there are only a small number of builders specializing in aluminum and each year we get better. Check out the thread below on MTBR:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=501439

Why aluminum? This question comes up frequently in the forum....yes it is stiffer than steel but with the combination of yokes I've designed, the rear triangle provides a certain level of compliance with the aim of minimizing chatter while maximizing traction. Of course aluminum will never be as silky as steel but it's great for raw power transfer and of course reduced weight. Both of which are key on single speeds!

My signature rear triangle is shown below and my design strategy was influenced by Klein and Manitou for sure. Since aluminum is so light, more material can be used where it's needed to achieve specific design goals. In this case, oversized yokes and rear stays create a stout rear end without a large weight penalty. For many years I've continued to tweak the rear triangle components to further improve ride quality. In addition, these components provide design modularity which can accommodate different wheel sizes. As shown, this concept can be used on 26", 650B and 29" wheel sizes. Damn I love bike design!

650B Show Bike Fully Built!

2009-03-01T18:06:00.000-08:00

Special thanks to everyone that made this show bike a possibility - come see it in person next month in San Diego!

Design: Ahrens Bicycles
Fabrication & Photos: Devise Solutions
Materials: Easton, Nova, Fairing
Finish: Maas Brothers Powdercoat
Graphic Design: Vanderkitten
Custom Decals: VC Graphix
Custom Head Badge: Jen Green
650B Tires: Kirk Pacenti
Wheel Build & Final Assembly: Ryan Bontrager

Big Wheels & Plaid

2009-03-01T17:44:00.000-08:00

Here are some shots of a new 29er hardtail going out to a customer in Memphis. Weight as shown is 4.36 lbs...size large. Special thanks to Dave @ Vanderkitten for the plaid graphics artwork!

Soft Goods

2009-02-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

Ahrens Bicycles is proud to offer a small range of soft goods! In addition to what's shown here, we also expect to have custom socks from Sock Guy arriving next month!

650B & BB30

2009-01-26T20:31:00.000-08:00

Working with emerging standards is always challenging and we've decided to build up a new 650B demo bike around the BB30 platform. Sourcing 7005 aluminum can be tricky and time consuming which is the main reason we didn't prototype this concept earlier. Luckily we recently found materials suitable for this approach and we're off and running to build something new.

BB30 is marketed as stiffer, lighter and more durable - who could ask for anything more? Klein used a similar approach with press-fit bottom bracket bearings (and square taper spindles) decades ago and Cannondale developed the BB30 approach many years ago. More recently FSA started offering a variety of cranks in this format and we're excited to try it out.

Here are some photos of our prototype frame built over the last few days. This 650B hardtail is made from 7005 Easton Ultralite aluminum and Ahrens signature rear triangle components for a more compliant ride quality. Special thanks to the folks at FSA for helping out with this project!

Useful Links:

BB30 Standard
FSA & BB30
Velo News Article

Here are pics of the BB30 shell mounted to an Anvil fixture (end cap tightening bolt removed for clarity from these photos). A special insert was machined from a standard BB shell to adapt the Anvil fixture to BB30 compatibility. This insert minimizes distortion due to welding and makes the frame easier to machine post-heat treating.

San Diego Bike Show

2009-01-07T09:52:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Ahrens Bicycles is excited to participate in the San Diego Custom Bicycle Show this coming April. We're looking forward to this event and plan to display some new frames!

Dually Travel Analysis

2008-11-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

In developing the new Ahrens Austin dual-suspension design, I set out to achieve a few broad goals for the suspension system.

GOALS:

Minimum rear wheel travel ~5.5" [140mm]
Shortish chainstay length for good handling and climbing ~16.9" [429mm]
Neutral BB height that's just tall enough to avoid cranks/pedals hitting the ground under full load ~13.5" [343mm]
Rear axle path traveling upwards/rearwards for optimal traction
Leverage ratio ~3:1 or less to minimize shock overloading

In analyzing and refining the design, it became apparent very quickly that achieving these goals would not be easy! But with some diligence and great 3D modeling software, pivot placement was continually tweaked until all of the original goals were met. Below is a graph which details only the swingarm motion (from zero to full-travel). It does not take into account front fork motion at this time.

FINDINGS:

1. The rear axle path moves in an upward/rearward fashion without any abrupt direction changes. Smooth travel upwards, smooth travel downwards with progressive damping in both directions - simple and effective.

2. As rear wheel travel increases, so does BB height and crankarm/pedal clearance. This trait is unique in that most frame designs exhibit the opposite; more travel typically yields lower BB height and less crankarm/pedal clearance. And since the front fork will ultimately be part of the overall system, the BB height should hover near 13.5" which has been my sweet spot for many years.

3. The leverage ratio on the rear shock is 2.97:1 which is acceptable for this frame style. The frame will accept shock lengths of 7.875" x 2.0" stroke and my plan is to offer both Fox RP23 or DHX 5.0 options depending on the application.

4. Chainstay length is fixed at 16.9" and with a concentric rear axle pivot, no chain growth can occur which means pedaling efficiency should be excellent. This setup also minimizes 'brake jack' to some extent although the ideal solution is a fully-floating setup which hasn't been designed yet!

5. Overall travel tops out almost 6" (151mm) which is a nice bonus since it's more than originally planned.

In summary, the main objectives listed above have all been met and in some cases exceeded. When I envision riding this bike, I want the suspension to do it's job in a clean, quiet and effective manner. This design will inspire confidence with its stout construction, lateral rigidity and frame geometry that's proven to handle well in a variety of terrains.

Where is the NC Dually?

2008-11-09T21:34:00.000-08:00

This is an email I get about once a week....when are you building the 'NC Dually' prototype and 'when can I order one?' Well, that time is almost here. And we're not sure of the name yet...but we are sure that it will have AHRENS AUSTIN on the down tube. The AHRENS part is obvious but the AUSTIN is my business partner Brandt's middle name. Without Brandt, this bike project would have died off for sure and since he'll be fabricating these frames in-house, his name is on the bike too! Through continual brainstorming and countless hours of design time, our team effort will yield a unique trail bike that incorporates many of the ride characteristics my bikes are known for.

As I mentioned above, I've partnered with people that share my passion for design, manufacturing, metal working and process control. We've setup a new shop in Livermore, CA to streamline operations while keeping all frame building tasks under one roof including heat treating. Our new venture is called DEVISE SOLUTIONS and since I'm a partner in the new company, I have a vested interest in its success. This new company will ultimately handle day-to-day operations of Ahrens Bicycles by acting as a primary distribution channel for the brand. Over the last two years, the company has seen explosive growth and this strategy should enable the brand to grow more cohesively moving forward. And hopefully the economic situation will deliver a new influx of cyclists! We've invested in very accurate Anvil machinery for tube coping/mitering with a dedicated Cincinatti horizontal mill that's central to this operation and truly vintage. There's also a new Miller Dynasty 350 TIG welding machine on the floor, huge granite surface plates and also a programmable Despatch heat treating oven. I even scored a 36" wide HP Design Jet plotter last week for free which is a great tool for printing out 1:1 scaled drawings.

So back to the NC Dually project This bike will be hand-built at the new shop using a process that emphasizes quality every step of the way. We are working closely with our network of high-end machine shops to produce the CNC parts required for the new dually....and there are almost two dozen parts that need to get made! Needless to say there is still a bunch of work ahead of us but in the end it's all worth it. I dream about carving down coastal singletrack on a this highly-engineered, handmade machine that's been optimized for performance. The first frames I ever designed were duallies and I'm VERY EXCITED to get back to my roots with this project.

Here is a brief overview:

Constructed with 7005 aluminum alloy
Compatible with both 26" and 650B (27.5") wheel sizes
150mm rear wheel travel achieved through modified four-bar linkage
Rear axle path moves in an upward/rearward direction
Zero chain/chainstay growth is achieved through 'Semi-URT' design
Low BB height also achieved through 'SEMI-URT' design (as rear wheel moves through its travel, the BB height increases for additional crankarm-to-ground clearance)
Concentric rear-axle pivot minimizes brake jack
Designed around Fox 15QR front fork in 140-150mm travel range
Compatible with Fox RP23 and Fox DHX 5.0 rear shocks (7.875" overall length and 2.25" stroke)
ISCG-05 mount comes standard
Shimano Direct-Mount front derailleur (uses ISCG-05 mount)
Front derailleur follows swingarm path for superior front shifting
Shimano Press-Fit Bottom Bracket shell > 92mm width
Shimano Press-Fit bearings used within Main Pivot housing
Rock Shox MAXLE 12mm bolt-thru rear axle system for superior stiffness
135mm rear hub spacing
Rear 'international standard' disc mount
Hand-formed rectagnular chainstays maximize heel clearance
Front triangle has low standover height and low center of gravity
Widest bearing spacing possible at every pivot point; ENDURO MAX bearings used throughout
Interrupted seat tube enables rocker arm to pass through for shock acuation
Swingarm components easily serviceable
Replaceable rear derailleur hanger

DRIVE-SIDE VIEW:

CHAINSTAY SUB-ASSEMBLY OVERVIEW:

Enjoy and if you've read this far, thank you!

Beer Logo Generator

2008-11-09T16:19:00.000-08:00

My wife found this 'beer logo generator' on the web....click here to try it out for yourself!

Sliding Dropouts

2008-11-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

Recently displayed at the Rocky Mountain Bicycle Show, this Chris Kopp townie prototype features Sliding Dropouts from Ahrens Bicycles....click here for more info.

More Biketoberfest

2008-10-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

This was our first year at the Biketoberfest event in Fairfax and it was great. Perfect weather, relaxing atmosphere and of course lots of great beer and food. We built a new display stand to show off some bikes including an aluminum/carbon road bike as well as a brand new aluminum 'cross bike. The 'cross bike received the most attention....and we even met Gary Boulanger, US editor of Bike Radar - dope!

Here's a detailed picture of Brandt's new road bike. Built up with Dura Ace 7900 and Zipp 404 wheels, this high-end machine weighs in at just over 16 lbs - not bad for a 57cm frame size! The pics from Biketoberfest don't give this bike the justice it deserves...

Cross Pics

2008-10-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of local racer, Isaias Job, on his new 'cross bike. White sex all over the place on this baby!

BIKETOBERFEST 2008

2008-10-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

Bikes and beer - my favorite! Come see Ahrens Bicycles at the 2008 Biketoberfest event in Marin on October 18th....we've even made a special batch of WiseCracker LITE openers for the event. Click on image below:

Off to Vegas

2008-09-21T19:16:00.001-07:00

We're off to Vegas for the Interbike trade show and to experience the Outdoor Demo, see tons of bikes and enjoy the one and only Las Vegas. I'm especially curious about the 650B offerings since I've really been enjoying this wheel size on my mountain bike for this past year. Expect to see new 650B products from WTB, Kenda, Schwalbe, Kenda and more....even though some of these companies told me last year they weren't interested!

When we get back from the show, it's 110% effort on the NC DUALLY suspension bike project. All of the 'cross bikes have been assembled for this season and it's time to finalize the dually! Prototypes will be built this fall and then the real testing begins. Here's a preview of the design features:

Full 7005 aluminum construction front/rear triangles
Low standover height
Frames are mitered, welded, aligned and heat-treated under one roof
26" and 650B wheel size compatibility
Zero chain growth for efficient pedaling
150mm true rear wheel travel
Rear axle path travels upward/rearward for superior traction
Maxle 12mm thru-axle compatible swingarm
Intelligent cable routing
Sub-30lb complete bike

Gate Slammers Galore

2008-09-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

Here are pics of a recent Gate Slammer frame built for Gilles in Switzerland. This is his THIRD Gate Slammer frame in three years and is ultra sick. Final weight 19.6lbs as shown with carbon everywhere...yum.

WiseCracker LITES are Coming!

2008-08-15T09:22:00.001-07:00

After recent WiseCracker press in Mountain Flyer magazine and Cycling News, orders have been streaming in for the WiseCracker LITE. Weighing in at less than 16 grams, it's "worth it's weight in gold" according to one rider.

As a result of this peaked interest, we're in the process of machining a huge batch of parts.....the box below is packed full with over 1300 parts! The profile of each bottle opener is cut using a water jet at Aqua Jet in Livermore, CA. This method aims at minimizing waste during the machining process by 'nesting' as many parts as possible into one sheet of material. After water jet cutting, the parts are then tumble-deburred, hard anodized, laser marked and packaged for shipment.
If you've been thinking about ordering custom parts for your club, team or business, please contact 'mike@ahrensbicycles.com' for more info. Below is a sample produced for Charlie the BikeMonger, a single-speed shop in the UK.

CyclingNews Reviews WiseCracker LITE

2008-08-04T09:26:00.001-07:00

Scroll down to the bottom....

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=tech/2008/newarrivals/08-04

And special thanks to James Huang for the hookup!

PRESS!

2008-07-06T22:06:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited about the recent press Ahrens Bicycles has been receiving. Inside and outside the bike industry, people all over appreciate the benefits that only handmade frames can offer. I guess so many years of hard work are finally paying off!

San Francisco Chronicle
July 5, 2008
"Cyclists Favor Handmade Frames" article by Nancy Davis Kho
SF Gate Video Link Here

========================

Mountain Flyer Magazine
Issue #9
"Understanding Aluminum" article by Mike Ahrens
Alcohauler Singlespeed Frame Review by Brian Riepe

========================

Dirt Rag Magazine
Issue #135
Whole Shot Cyclocross Frameset by Shannon Mominee

BC Bike Race

2008-06-26T19:51:00.001-07:00

My friend Steve Woo is racing the BC Bike Race....here's the first pic. Good luck Steve! Check out his website for race updates.

Speed of Light

2008-06-10T09:31:00.001-07:00

Back in my days of designing fiber optic products, I worked with a firmware engineer named Min. We share a similar interest in cycling and late last year Min signed up for a new road frame. This project has taken many months to complete and the final results are gorgeous - thanks Min for being patient! Special thanks to Jason Grove (El Camino Fab) for building this beauty to exacting standards. And special thanks to Ryan Bontrager for assembling it overnight for me!

Frame Details:
Columbus Spirit Steel Tubeset
Paragon BB Shell
Breezer Dropouts
Finish by Cycle Fantasy

Build Kit:
Reynolds Ouzo Pro fork w/50mm rake
King headset of course
Reynolds Attack Carbon Clincher Wheelset
SRAM Rival drivetrain/brakes
FSA carbon bar/post
Ritchey 4-axis stem
Fizik saddle/bar tape
Michelin Pro3 tires

As shown 16.25lbs without pedals. Holy sh*t that's steel too!

BC Bike Race Entry Available

2008-06-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

My friend, Steve Woo, has a team entry for the BC Bike Race available. Please see his message below:

I'm selling my entry into the BC Bike Race, the 7 day Mtn Bike Stage race (June 28-July 4) in beautiful British Columbia (Victoria - Whistler). This is one of the "Epic" endurance stage races as featured in the April 28th VeloNews. This one is different than the Cape Epic in that is much shorter, however, more technical terrain and single track (fun!). The trails and scenery are supposed to be spectacular. Check out the website.

[LINK: http://www.bcbikerace.com/] www.bcbikerace.com

The entry is $4000 for the 2 person team (includes food and accommodations). The race is sold out and limited to only 200 teams. If you're remotely interested please let me know ASAP.

Steve
415.672.8086

.22 Caliber with Gold Package

2008-06-04T16:17:00.000-07:00

If you live in Marin, keep an eye out for this raw beauty which weighs in at 22 lbs. Look quickly because the bike's owner, David, is one very fast rider and he's bound to blow by you...uphill or down! It's one sweet ride equipped with high-end components from Fox, Shimano, King, Hope, Kenda, Race Face and Thomson.

Hayes Bicycle Group Hardtail

2008-06-02T22:12:00.001-07:00

Below are pics of the Hayes Bicycle Group showcase frame. It's built from tried-and-true Easton tubing and our custom dropouts and upper yoke. The frame will be outfitted with the latest components from HBG including Stroker brakes, Sun-Ringle wheels and Manitou R7 fork. Weighing in a 3.5 lbs, this race bike is sure to turn some heads. Special thanks to VC Graphix for the custom decals.

WiseCracker LITE Now Shipping

2008-05-22T09:49:00.001-07:00

I now have inventory of the WiseCracker LITE bottle opener. This device fits onto any 1-1/8" threadless steer tube for a very clean installation. Unit price is $19 including domestic shipping via USPS. Preferred payment method is Pay Pal (mike@ahrensbicycles.com). Cheers!

Dirt Rag Whole Shot Review

2008-05-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

Check out the stellar review HERE

Trails and Beer

2008-05-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

No blog posts for a while since I've been busy riding and enjoying post-ride beers as much as possible. Trying to get into shape for summer by running twice a week on top of cycling as much as possible. Rode yesterday in Santa Cruz for a min-epic through UC Santa Cruz and Wilder Ranch - very fun a very fast descents. Damn I love mountain biking!

I was recently interviewed by the SF Chronicle about handmade frames - stay tuned for a link to that article in a couple of weeks. There are also two upcoming bike reviews in Dirt Rag (Whole Shot Cross) and Mountain Flyer (Alcohauler Single Speed)!

Team VK at Sea Otter

2008-04-24T15:31:00.001-07:00

Here's my only racing pic from Sea Otter - VK Team member Patty tearing up the short-course on her new hardtail.

Mmm...Neapolitan VK Ripper

2008-04-07T17:33:00.001-07:00

The 2008 Team Vanderkitten moutain bikes are here! This is the first one and look for it at Sea Otter...

Revolver 29er Review

2008-04-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

I recently built up a 29er frame for my good friend Greg Keller out in Boulder, CO. Check out his review here.

WiseCracker CLOSEOUT!

2008-03-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

I have a bunch of extra WiseCrackers for 30.9mm and 31.6mm seat posts in stock. I'm closing out these sizes only for $15 each including USPS shipping (50% off MSRP). If you own a shop and want to order more I'll reduce the price even further. If you're a college student or shop mechanic and have no money, send me an email and I'll hook you up for only $10.

Great gift idea for Specialized and Santa Cruz bike owners!

Pay Pal your order to 'mike@ahrensbicycles.com' and I'll get your parts shipped the following business day. Cheers, Mike

Wooing the Cape Epic

2008-03-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

I've been working with my friend and local racer, Steve Woo, to develop a new aluminum hardtail for the Cape Epic race. Steve races locally for Fusion Sport and is an all around great guy...in fact I met him at Interbike while he was working the Accelerade booth a couple of years ago. Steve's new bike is built from Easton Ultralite tubing in the front triangle and Columbus s-bend chainstays with my signature upper yoke at the rear triangle.

Steve's new frame is built for speed and should be a nice replacement for his trusty titanium Dean frame. Since the Cape Epic is a multi-day stage race in Africa, the components need to be durable and appropriate for the terrain. Stan's NoTubes will outfit Steve's WTB Laser Disc Lite wheelset and we're even using Velocity Veloplugs in the nipple holes in case a real tube is ever needed. Kenda Kozmic Lites and spare Karma DTC tires for differing terrain.

Below is an in-process photo and stay tuned for more blog udpates as the bike nears completion. Still waiting for a set of Hayes Stroker carbon brakes and then the bike should be complete! And be sure to check out Steve's blog.

3D Racing 29er

2008-03-04T22:04:00.000-08:00

Chris Herting at 3D Racing in Durango, CO was looking for some sliding dropouts for a 29er frame he was building. He modified our standard 'sliding dropout body' with teardrop windows and they look sick! And he even machined his own slider with a built-in derailleur hanger!

Here are some pics of the finished product: