2009 RMHBS Show Bike

This is the aluminum lugged, carbon tubed frame I built for the 2009 Rocky Mountain Handbuilt Bicycle Show. I first started building carbon-tubed frames in 2002, creating road and cyclocross frames with carbon tubes used for the top, down, and seat tubes. Feeling like I needed to create a show bike, I pulled out some carbon tubes I had lying around the shop for years and see what I could make from them. I've been working with BB30 bottom bracket shells since the fall of 2008, so I decided to use that in this frame as well.

I had raced on a carbon-tubed, aluminum lugged frame for a few seasons in the past, and liked the balance of stiffness, comfort and weight. I tend to try different materials in my own personal bikes every year, and I thought I'd go back to this type of frame. The twist to this one was that I would hand carve the lugs for a truly custom finish. I ended up using Edge Composites carbon for the head tube and seat tube, Dedaciaai carbon for the down tube and top tube and Easton EC90 carbon for the rear stays. The seat tube extends up from the BB30 shell, through the seat lug up to the Deda seat clamp. The head tube is carbon fiber and accepts standard press-in 1-1/8" headsets (a Ti Chris King in this case).

This ended up being a summer-long project with well over 60 hours of work into it. All the lugs were first welded together, then hand-carved with Fleur-de-lis symbols. After the lugs were cut, the carbon was mitered for proper fit, then everything onded together using aerospace-grade epoxy glue. After the frame was cured, so additional cleaning up of the lugs was done, and then the process of polishing the lugs began. After reaching a mirror finish, I masked off the lugs and painted the carbon with a metallic white base, then covered that with a deep red and a royal blue-purple colo. All lettering on the tubes show the bare carbon underneath. The end result is simply stunning.

The frame is currently built up with Dura-Ace 10sp and a SRAM BB30 carbon crank. The ride is everything I wanted from the bike. It's light, nimble and extremely comfortable. It turns heads and when I'm on the rivet with my tounge dragging on the top tube,I can see my reflection in the top head lug.

Joe DePaemelaere

owner/builder

PM Cycle Fabrication

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