Bruce Gordon bike puzzle

[FMS_rider]

From the photos of Bruce Gordon's award winning NAHBS bike in the March 10 VeloNews (pages 63 and 71) it appears that a single polished "lug" covers the entire head tube, and that the seat tube lug is continuous with the seat stays. Are the lugs joined to tubing with nearly invisible, polished welds? Are they stainless steel finished with a polishing process that makes it look like Ti? Is there a paint that can give the appearance of polished Ti? (It certainly does not look like paint.) Can lugs be made of Ti and welded to steel tubes? or to Ti tubes? At the top of the seat tube it appears that there may be a relatively thin Ti layer that is somehow fitted over a lug --is that the case, or is it a result of very skillful thinning?

I sure wish I could have gone to the show so I could have asked these and many other questions directly.

Thanks in advance for any information.
Lew

[Steve Hampsten]

Bruce wouldn't tell how the frame was made, and there has been some debate as to whether it was actually ti or not. Assuming that it was, one theory I've heard is that he made the ti lugs, welded them to the HT and ST, then bonded the TT in the lugs - no reason why this shouldn't work, right?

All the welds were polished and the surface was brushed; it did look like brushed stainless but probably wasn't. It was a beautiful, crazy frame that made my head hurt just trying to wrap my mind around it.

The other thing that hurt almost as much was Joe Bell's photo of Bruce and e-RICHIE kissing: deeply disturbing, imho.

[bgcycles]

From the photos of Bruce Gordon's award winning NAHBS bike in the March 10 VeloNews (pages 63 and 71) it appears that a single polished "lug" covers the entire head tube, and that the seat tube lug is continuous with the seat stays. Are the lugs joined to tubing with nearly invisible, polished welds? Are they stainless steel finished with a polishing process that makes it look like Ti? Is there a paint that can give the appearance of polished Ti? (It certainly does not look like paint.) Can lugs be made of Ti and welded to steel tubes? or to Ti tubes? At the top of the seat tube it appears that there may be a relatively thin Ti layer that is somehow fitted over a lug --is that the case, or is it a result of very skillful thinning?


Here is the deal.
I wanted to make a lugged titanium frame with all the same aesthetics of my lugged steel frames.

The Frame and Stem are ALL Titanium, the fork is a Reynolds Carbon Fiber one.

The Lugs are made of Titanium tubing that was welded, filed and polished. The Seatstays and Chainstays are welded, filed and polished. The Lugs are bonded with an epoxy. There are many things going on inside the epoxied joints that you don't see. The fabrication method for the epoxied lugs was Ross Shafer's Idea (Founder of Salsa Cycles). After finishing the frame I asked Ross if I should make the methods public?? HE said that he would prefer that I keep it our little secret, so I have to respect his wishes.

The best thing about this bike is that it is mine - and after working all weekend - I'm going for a ride on it.
Regards,
Bruce Gordon
www.bgcycles.com

[CNY rider]

Here is the deal.
I wanted to make a lugged titanium frame with all the same aesthetics of my lugged steel frames.

The Frame and Stem are ALL Titanium, the fork is a Reynolds Carbon Fiber one.

The Lugs are made of Titanium tubing that was welded, filed and polished. The Seatstays and Chainstays are welded, filed and polished. The Lugs are bonded with an epoxy. There are many things going on inside the epoxied joints that you don't see. The fabrication method for the epoxied lugs was Ross Shafer's Idea (Founder of Salsa Cycles). After finishing the frame I asked Ross if I should make the methods public?? HE said that he would prefer that I keep it our little secret, so I have to respect his wishes.

The best thing about this bike is that it is mine - and after working all weekend - I'm going for a ride on it.
Regards,
Bruce Gordon
www.bgcycles.com


Very cool.
It's great to have such excellent builders on this forum.
I hope we see you round here more. :beer:

[dave1215]

is this the bike we're talking about?

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=493520&postcount=56

[Steve Hampsten]

Is this not a Great Place or what?

[SPOKE]

all i can say is BG hit a home run IMO! i thought it was the best piece of work displayed at the show. i'd really like to have him build one for me but the price he quoted for the frameset was more than two Meivici framesets. i hope he was just kidding but..........

[J.Greene]

Is this not a Great Place or what?

He didn't deny the existence of the picture did he?

JG

[smudgecycles]

it's a pretty fantastic looking bike. I'm wondering how that stem works.

[FMS_rider]

is this the bike we're talking about?

That is the one, but you can't see the most interest part (for me): the seat tube/ seat stay junction.

Does anyone have a link to more shots?

Thanks to Bruce(!) and others for the information.
Lew

[bgcycles]

There are a lot of pictures from the show on "Flicker"
Disregard the first photo - it is another "Bruce Gordon'
You have to page down to see pictures of the Lugged TI bike

Try this link:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=%22bruce+gordon%22&s=rec

Regards,
Bruce Gordon

[big shanty]

That BMX cruiser makes me warm and fuzzy inside.

[FMS_rider]

There are a lot of pictures from the show on "Flicker"
Disregard the first photo - it is another "Bruce Gordon'
You have to page down to see pictures of the Lugged TI bike

Try this link:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=%22bruce+gordon%22&s=rec

Regards,
Bruce GordonHere is a closeup of the headtube taken from the Flickr image (with a contrast adjustment in Photoshop).

For the incredible workmanship on the fused seatlug-seatstay take a look at page 63 in the March 10 VeloNews. It is a stunning full page closeup; unfortunately not identified as Bruce Gordon's bike.

The link in the above post by dave1215 includes an equally stunning closeup of the stem.

Maybe one of these days you might add some images of that bike to your web site? (Please?)

Lew

[rphetteplace]

that bike was is soooo much cooler than the Villian that won best of show.

[bgcycles]

[QUOTE
Maybe one of these days you might add some images of that bike to your web site? (Please?)
Lew[/QUOTE]


It took some time but, my web guy just got the professional photos by Jessica Lifland of SF up on my page.
Here is a link:
http://bgcycles.com/NAHBS08.html

Thanks for looking.
Regards,
Bruce Gordon
Bruce Gordon Cycles

[FMS_rider]

Wow!

[fiamme red]

http://bgcycles.com/TitaniumTownBike.html