01
General
arrangement
Steel frames,
two benches,
one drawing each.
We build road, touring and gravel frames in Reynolds 725 and 853, one at a time, from a fit session and a drawing you keep. We also repair frames — including a good many we did not build.
- Frames a year38 approx.
- Lead time14–18 weeks
- JoiningFillet / lug
- Alignment±0.5 mm
02
Method
How a frame gets made
Fit, then numbers
Two hours on the jig with your shoes and your current bike. We come out with saddle height, effective reach, drop, and how far you can actually rotate a hip — not a size letter.
You leave with a drawing. Nothing is cut until you have agreed it.
Tube selection
Reynolds 725 for most riders; 853 where the down tube would otherwise be sized up for a heavier one. Stays and forks are chosen for the load, so a touring frame and a road frame of identical geometry are not the same bicycle.
Brazing
Fillet-brazed as standard, silver-brazed lugs on request. Mitres are cut on the mill and hand-finished; a gap over 0.2 mm is re-cut rather than filled.
Alignment and paint
Checked on the surface plate cold, after brazing, and again after the head tube is faced. Wet paint is done by Aldreth Finishing, four miles away; powder coat is available and is 90 g heavier.
03
Standard
build
What comes as standard
| Interface | Standard | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom bracket | BSA 68 / 73 mm | Threaded, faced after paint |
| Head tube | 44 mm straight | Takes tapered or straight steerers |
| Seat post | 27.2 mm | Binder brazed, not clamped |
| Rear spacing | 142 × 12 mm | 130 mm quick release on request |
| Brake mount | Flat mount, 160 mm | Post mount for tourers |
| Tyre clearance | 38 mm road · 50 mm gravel | Measured with 6 mm either side |
| Cable routing | External, full length | Internal on request; we will argue first |
04
Wheels
Wheel building
Built on the stand, stress-relieved by hand, tensioned to a meter and recorded. We will service a wheel we did not build, and we will tell you honestly when a rim is past it.
Standard spec
32 hole, three cross, DT Competition double-butted with brass nipples. Drive side tension 110–120 kgf, balanced to within 10% across the wheel.
What you get back
A tension chart for the wheel, both sides, printed and in the box. Six weeks later, bring it in for a free re-true — the bedding-in is normal and worth catching.