Steel Allroad Frame with Campagnolo Ekar
6. December 2024
James took our frame building course in the summer of 2024. He got his bike built up and sent us some pictures. Turned out really nice! James had some time to answer our question about his course:
How did you come up with the idea of building your own frame?
I read an article on Bikepacking.com
Why did you choose this frame? What do you plan to do with it?
I was more interested in the process and experience of building my own frame than I was with making my dream bike. However, I knew I wanted a 29er mountain bike. From there I just copied the geometry of a bike that I liked.
I plan to ride the bike a lot! This is my go-to bike for short daily rides. I put race tires on it and rode in a 12 hour relay race. It was the right tool for the job.
What is special about the frame you built yourself?
I have a 4.5kg wired haired Chihuahua, that I love taking everywhere. She is my trail dog, but she can’t run as far as I like to ride. My frame has mounts for a rear rack. I can easily pick up my dog and put her in a basket attached to the rack whenever I need.
What was your experience like in the frame-building course?
I learned a lot. Rob has a jig for just about everything. It’s harder to mess up things when the system is so dialed in. There was more than enough time to complete my frame. I’d like to do it again.
How does your finished bike ride?
There’s room for improvement. I’m always thinking about what could have made it better. That all comes down to the choices I made about the geometry. It’s mine, it’s awesome, I like it. I have a couple of more capable mountain bikes, but I feel like I’ve bonded with this one. It’s a special feeling riding a bike you’ve invested so much in. It’s fun too!
