After you're comfortable driving your CAD software, and you've got some idea of what it is you'd like to build, the next step is to decide what to make the frame out of. As a first-time builder, unless you have heaps of brazing experience, I'd counsel strongly against super-duper lightweight tubing. Yes, your bike is going to weigh a few hundred grams more than it could. You'll have to get over that. Better a little weight penalty than fried tubes. Really thin tubes heat up very quickly, and are really easy to overheat.
Columbus make a couple of tubesets that are just perfect. My first recommendation is Thron, with 0.9mm thick tube ends, or Zona, with 0.8mm thick tube ends if you've got some prior experience with brazing.
Here's a list of tubes suitable for building our medium roadie:
- Top tube: Columbus Thron CRMM11. 28.6mm dia by 600mm long, 0.9/0.6/0.9 walls.
- Down tube: Columbus Thron CRRL11. 31.7mm dia by 650mm long, 0.9/0.6/0.9 walls.
- Seat tube: Columbus Thron CRMI13. 28.6mm dia by 635mm long, 0.9/0.6 walls.
- Chain stays: 2 x Columbus Thron CRM114OV. 30mm by 16mm, 430mm long, 1.0/0.7 walls.
- Seat stays: 2 x Columbus Thron CRM615. 16mm dia, 560mm long, 0.8 walls.
- Head tube: Columbus Thron CRMI18. 31.7mm dia, 600mm long, 1.0 walls.
Next step is to choose lugs. In this case we're building with "oversize" tubes, so we need to choose lugs to suit. The angles that our example frame uses are quite ordinary, so are well served by quite a number of standard lugsets. For example:
I've so far built with Long shen lugs from Ceeway, Llewellyn, and Henry James. Most all modern investment cast lugs are really good.
Here's a typical list of lugs and fittings you'll need for a basic road bike. This is adapted from a recent build of mine:
- Brake bridge: Silva art 189 with art 362 reinforcement diamonds (from Ceeway).
- Dropouts: Llewellyn LRD68/SS stainless, 68 degree angle.
- Front derailleur tab: Richard Sachs.
- Bottom bracket: Llewellyn OS.
- Lugs: Llewellyn Custodian OS.
- STI bosses: Llewellyn LL-09-31.7 with Ceeway brass deluxe STI adjuster screws.
- Rear brake cable braze-ons: 2 x Silva art 110 with art 141 (from Ceeway).
- Rear derailleur cable boss: Silva art 152 (from Ceeway).
- Bottle bosses: Silva art 471 with art 361 reinforcement diamonds (from Ceeway).
