Could you, um, and I mean this in the nicest possible way, provide some better photos of the thing?

I'm sure everyone would love to have a look, but you haven't given us the greatest starting point :)

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Eliot
blog thing - strava thing

I definitely get that. I'm excited to get it finished, however want to hear any initial impressions or critiques before I finish it up and give it sic paint, then show it off. Also since this pic it has a tail from seatpost down to wheel crest

all i have, tires aren't inflated in any pics, but assume they are tight with frame

It really does need a better photo. It's pretty much a silhouette in this one.

ok, tomorrow. Ill try. I want to show it off in detail, but I want to finish it first. I just wanted any "anything" critique wise before I finish it up (even cosmetic). This is a good place to get critique from.

Looks a lot like an MCR.

Nice work

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My Blog - http://leegoocrap.blogspot.com

So it is a BP stealth (or one of the others sold from the same mould) with some fill-ins? Did you get the trailing edge with a good contour based on a line the wind would see?

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I believe my local reality has been violated.
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Happiness = Results / (Expectations)^2

That didn't take long. Yes, but its more complicated than that. The frame was large and I chopped it, head tube several cm to be longer and lower (out does P4 geo). My biggest concern is if I compromised the resilience of the head tube. Would slow off road trails be the best way to test strength?

Also, can you explain your second sentence. Not sure Im following

So I'm getting from this that you made the cutout to integrate the stem with the frame?

Looks to me like you have ticked a majority of the boxes.

Improved head tube leading edge, behind stem, behind fork crown.


The key will be the narrowness you can achieve with the seatpost.

Until the force from hitting a bump rips the fork from the frame...

For the OP, I don't know what the specific layup or material the frame is made of, so maybe it'll be ok. However, if you've done what I think you have, I would not ride it until some serious testing is done and I wouldn't be on it while you test it. Even if you're not moving fast, broken carbon is very sharp.

Two things I can think of for testing, large impact resilience and cracks forming from microfractures induced by the cutting process. For testing high impact, I would find a pipe of the same diameter as the steer tube. No use in damaging the fork or a wheel if you don't have to. I'm honestly not sure how to go about applying a load in a way that won't risk damaging the bike unnecessarily. I'll think about it.

For the second thing, basically this is how carbon fatigues. What did you use to cut It? Are there frayed edges around the edge of the cut? To test in this way, basically think of the minor loading cycles that it goes through as you ride on the road. You'll want to simulate this as best you can. Best way I can think of is to put something that weights a large percentage of what you do, ideally upwards of 50% on the handlebars and then to put something that vibrates pretty hard under the front wheel. Kinda like riding over a rough road type of vibration. And then leave it for a while, as in many hours, overnight or something. Inspect it carefully after for any sign of a crack. Proper testing would take a very long time, but that is better than nothing. If it's undamaged, then this won't hurt it.

Those are the best two suggestions I can think of right now. The biggest problem I can think of is doing it with things you might have around the house. Maybe someone else would have some ideas. Either way, I really wouldn't ride it while you test. That could go very unavoidably badly for you.

Wow, I think this is my longest post ever on here.

Pretty sure that there is a BP Stealth in there, so structurally it should be fine. Looks like carbon has been added, but not removed.

"I chopped it, head tube several cm to be longer and lower (out does P4 geo). My biggest concern is if I compromised the resilience of the head tube. Would slow off road trails be the best way to test strength?"

This doesn't sound like adding material to me. Other than that, it looks great, but people messing with structural bits that they don't understand scares me. The consequences are dire.

The original head tube is aluminum wrapped with carbon, and extending quite a bit taller than necessary. The carbon does swoop up, providing some triangulation, but not much. Chopping it should not have caused much structural carbon to be removed.

Those photos look like they were shot with a 90's cellphone...that can't possibly be the best you can take.

Im not currently going to post more pics. I think you answered what I was asking. The headtube safety is what concerned me. Although the inner carbon headtube is fully bonded to the frame by cutting 5+ cm it obviously loses some strength (as you said the triangulation is worse). I put an overboard amount of composite to repair hole between headtube and frame. Doesn't necessarily mean much though. All cuts made were very rounded (no angles) and well sanded. All VERY smooth. I felt like this was most important of all.