Dyno Limo Glide

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Hello, Gentlemen.
Planning this for a long time i have finally started building my first custom bike. This is not full custom frame, but a customization of my Dyno Glide Deluxe. I am a product design student at School of Form, Poznan, Poland, so thanks to my school i have a good workshop to work at and an experienced teacher to help me with tips. Also thanks to guys from Kahaki Bikes, Krakow, who are helping me with advices as well.
The story of this bike is that someone bought it in 2000's in Netherlands, ridden it a lot, and then wanted to get rid of it. At this point it came across Mies from the Chopperdome, Amsterdam, and he got this bike for himself (not sure if he bought it or got for free, but as i am concerned the bike was not in very good condition by that moment). Somehow, as it happens with people who are in custom bike world, he never have found time to finish working on this bike. One day i was passing by MikeBike in Amsterdam searching for a second hand rear wheel, and Mies told me he probably have got one on the bike he was going to throw away, and told me i can have it. I found this bike with a hole through the frame, where the kickstand should be, it was very bad and unrideable, but had nice parts like springer forks and 346 Basman wheel set. That happens to Dyno Glide often in a climate like Dutch, that after water somehow gets inside the frame (for example through seatpost) it stays in the lowest place of the frame, just where the kickstand is, and after some time the frame rusts through. This time the hole was not only on the bottom part of the tube, but also on top part. However i have decided to take this bike with me to Poland and restore it.
I have built it couple of times this way or that way, but was never really satisfied with that, since i am quite a tall guy and the frame is really small (unless you put the saddle really high, but then it loses all the cool streamlined look) and one day i realized i can stretch it. Here are photos of the bike before. I mean not the state i picked the bike up, unfortunately don't have any photos of that time, but the second test build i have made.
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After some planning i ended up with this sketch.
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So i have started with striping the frame.
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Then i chopped cantilevers off. I thought it may be interesting to see, how it looks without them.
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In the process i have found some rust flakes inside the bike (gosh there were so many of them!)
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The bike is chopped apart.
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Most of the time i am planning to work with straight tubes, since geometry of the frame allows me to. Here is the first one taking its place.
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Made a slight bend on the frame belly and the bottom tube.
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And here it is welded. Had a slightly wrong angle at the seat tube at this point, so had to open the welds and remake it once again.
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Here bottom tube, seat tube and the rest of the frame is welded together. Some welds are cleaned, but roughly, more fine work will be done in the end.
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After that i have widened the chain stays to have 140mm distance in between, 100mm (4 inch) rims would go there together with BOA-G tires.
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The place on the tube where the fender mount thread is welded was really rusty, so here the position of stays also is not really perfectly aligned. I actually found out it was not perfect even before, when i tear the bike apart. Don’t know if it is a production flaw or happened while the bike was being used. Anyway, the imperfection now is little enough for me to be fine with that, but after i will fit the wheel i could say for sure if i keep it that way or remake it.
Now i have to weld the chain-stays to bottom tube and go work on cantilevers.
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Here are the rims from Robs son, it’s great they have discount on imperfectly painted ones, so even a student can afford to buy them. Also my new welding helmet i am using for this bike, i am very happy with it! Very comfortable (even to wear over the hat) and light.
I know my welds are far from being perfect, though, but that’s how you gain skill, right? :)
Any feedback is welcome! I will try to keep posted and updated!
 
Got the progress with the bike!
First i have widened the seat stays in the same way i did with chain stays.
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Then the head of the workshop decided to show a master-class and welded the chain stays to the frame. Thanks for help. He is saying it went out messy, but for me its good :) I'm kind of happy he decided to help with that part, since it is probably the most delicate spot.
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Trying out the wheel position.
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Flipping the tips of the seat stays to match the frame curve. Welding table helps a lot with it!
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Trying out the seat stays position.
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It seems that the frame shape is a bit different from what i have on the sketch, but i'm fine with that :) The curves are a bit more rough, but i hope it would turn out nice and elegant in the end.
 
Started today with the mocking up the cantilevers and seat stays using magnets.
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Welded straight tubes to the tips of cantilevers. Made the left one wrong first, missed the angle, so i had to cut-open the weld and bend it slightly. With the second try went out well. Here the cantilevers are spot welded to the frame.
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After proper welding of cantilevers to the frame i let it cool down.
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Mismeasured the position of the seat stays, as the result i have my cantilevers extended about half a centimeter less then i need. Had to weld extra tube sections inside, because did not want to bend the frame, went out quite messy :happy: On the picture you can see that, the seat stays are taking place.
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Here how the frame looks like, quite alike with the sketch, i'm happy about it :happy:
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Decided to mock up the wheel and that was a right choice.
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The bridge i have made yesterday is too close to the wheel! That is quite noticeable with this wheel, and with wide rims and BOA-G it would be probably impossible to ride.
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As you see, the wheel still have plenty of space in the dropouts.
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So i would have to work on that. The next step is BB and reinforcement steel plate for it. That's what i have at the moment:
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Any advice on how to do the stress-test of the frame, to make sure it would survive any usage scenario? The plan is to go more then 1000km with this bike in the summer!
 
Frame looks good so far!
I would suggest a small piece of tubing between the seatstay bridge and the lower frame tube for added strength, that is where most of your stress will be.

One other thing to check before you get to far along is you chain clearance, check that the chain will not hit the chainstays now that the geometry is changed, it is an easy mistake to make and even catches out experienced builders.
 
Frame looks good so far!
I would suggest a small piece of tubing between the seatstay bridge and the lower frame tube for added strength, that is where most of your stress will be.

One other thing to check before you get to far along is you chain clearance, check that the chain will not hit the chainstays now that the geometry is changed, it is an easy mistake to make and even catches out experienced builders.
Thanks for advice! I don't have my wheels assembled yet, so i don't think i'd be able to check the clearance before painting. But in case it won't work well with just rear offset sprocket (quite a chance) i am ready to use front offset too. Pity no one in Europe makes BB extensions like i've seen on the forums here.
 
I have started with changing the position of the bridge on the seat stays today. Now it's enough space for the wheels and i like the overall looks even more.
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Then i started working on the bottom shell, using a cardboard stencil and two 3mm steel pieces welded together.
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I have cut and shaped the reinforcement elements using a grinder.
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Since i had no large drill the fitting is not perfect, yet fine enough.
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Spot welded the shell for a tryout.
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Then when i made sure it is taking its place nicely and straight i have welded it to a final. Since there would be quite some load on this part i have welded it as well as i can.
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Then i have taken five minute break to take a look at my frame almost finished.
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A bit of grinding and cleaning the welds and here is what i've got. What is left are kickstand and chain-guard mounts. Also couple of tiny spots here and there.
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Now the plan is to mock-up build the bike and do the stress test. Also then i would decide on kickstand. I hope i can find original Dyno chain-guard as well.
In the mean time i have started making a new crown for my fork. I would need it a bit wider, since i'm going to run 80mm wide rims with BOA-G that would make the total width something about 90mm. For a long time i had an idea to use the old rusty piece of pipe i have found in the workshop.
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The sector of the pipe had been cut and brought to "U" shape with hammer and vice.
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After a bit of grinding the crown is taking its shape. Here it is next to original one.
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After drilling the holes i mock-up the fork.
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Looks solid! Looking forward to try it out when i build the test-build of the bike.
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Got about 90mm clearance now, but my plan is to make custom struts. Using nuts as a spacers on the axle now, but may be will use tubing later on.
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So, that was the day.
Surprisingly, the frame looks quite alike with the sketch :)
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Thanks! Failed to bend the struts today, but not giving up :) More updates yet to come!
I am moving to test build of the bike, so can you may be advice how do i do stress-test? A friend of mine recommended me to assemble the bike and just ump on it, the head of the workshop told to find a very heavy guy and mark the geometry on the piece of paper. Are there more ways to do that?
 
Hey again. Have not updated that thread too often lately because of having a lot of other things to do and my studies. Unfortunately i could not work with the bike as much as i wanted, but despite all that i got some progress.
First of all, the dropouts are straightened and the geometry is now near perfect. The other thing is that most of the welds are re-done or fixed and cleaned.
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Today i mocked the bike up for the first time to the condition that i can sit on it. Though it has no chain installed yet i gave it a little test ride :)
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Tomorrow i will put the chain and give it a proper ride. The bike is quite strong and rigid, only bends because of springer fork (and it is very soft and comfy!), quite pleasant to ride, just still need to get used to its length.
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I am also happy about the fact it ended up being light enough to carry it around.
The next things on my plan are making kickstand mount (you could see two holes next to BB), rear rack mount, shifter mount and buying some components, after that i can start painting it. I am a bit off my schedule, since i wanted to finish the painting in may (or at least start) but i guess it is going to be fine if i have no complications in the way.
 
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I have installed the kickstand today. Instead of two necessary holes i have drilled six, three of which i have welded back, two are used for mounting the kicksand and one remain :D And all that considering the fact i was measuring everything twice! I feel a bit stupid because of that, but now the bike stands really well, though i had to cut shorten the stand itself.
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But after putting the chain what Saint-anne and Luke were talking about happened! I found out i have missed the chain line a bit. Luckily just a tiny bit and that easily could be fixed with just a skateboard wheel.
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So, people, last week of working on that project was VERY hot, and that's why :
I've bought a skateboard and decided to make a chain tensioner, not just a roller. I have built a simple piston with a spring, which i have planned to use with the axle and skateboard welded on.
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It came up nice and worked perfectly, the only thing is that a bit possible it could rub the ground. Then i decided to consult with the head of the workshop which solution is better, the tensioner or the simple roller. Szymon is perfectionist in the field of functionalism, so he said none of ideas are any good and that i have to redo the geometry, and that he won't sleep well until it is done perfectly. I agreed and the almost ready bike got chopped apart.
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Bent and re-welded with the new angle.
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After that i got the chan line perfectly clear! But it became so ugly that i got very very upset that i have ever done it. Like a cheap copy of a cheap copy of a cheap copy. I didn't even took any pictures so you won't choke if you are eating now (enjoy your meal if so).
Then i decided to chop it apart again and remake chain-stays and rear end.
Here is me making new chain-stays:
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Here i have nicely closed the end of the bottom tube:
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By the way, that part got a little crack-opened later, like a very tiny crack. When i powder coat it, would the coating close the crack? There will be no tension and i won't be able to re-weld it nicely, since it is now in the middle of the frame and hardly accessible for nice clean grinding.
Here new chain-stays are taking their place little by little:
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And here they are:
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And here the remade bike is finally rideable! Took it out for a ride for the first time this friday. It feels soo great and soft! Love this bike, even though i would have to get used to it's length.
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Now i have to clean some welds and finely align the dropouts.
Next comes the rack mount and the fake tank. I would probably switch the forks (temporarily?) for the Deuce original triple tree, so it gets more rigid. After that i need to buy good bolts from hard steel and some more parts for final assembly.
 
Hello, everyone!
Finally i have got some time to post the updates on my bike, and i have got some!
The rear triangle geometry have been straightened, now it is perfect (probably ^^). The holes are welded up (except the one in the BB plate, i am leaving it as it is), the welds are re-done where it is needed and cleaned as well as my patience allowed me to. Honestly saying some of them are quite ugly, but i have got no time left to make such a major changes as required to make them all beautiful. The fork struts have been exchanged for other ones. The original Dyno Deuce chain guard is bought and brought from Netherlands. The funny thing is that i had to buy the whole bike, that is still waiting to be picked up there. So i welded the mounts, put the guard on and then the next day i have decided not to use it and cut them again. I wanted to extend it and make it longer, but that is quite hard to do and since my time is very limited i decided to leave it with original bike. I've made the rack mount attached to the fender-mounting point but changed my mind on that too and for the better looks made the extension for the rack and attached it to the saddle:
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Made a fork bolt with a lathe, since i could not find the needed size in the hardware store, one of the struts has thread inside. Now the fork is wide enough for the wheels it is going to take, and it is also quite rigid.
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Got some parts for the bike delivered, i am not going to post the pictures, you will see them all when the bike is done. Made a list of the bolts and nuts to be bought.
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So finally i have taken the bike apart and brought it to the paint shop for sand blasting and powder coating.
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Now i have to pick it up next week, put the secondary color for the frame with a rattle can, make decals and i can start my cruise. The other quest i have got is to lace the wheel. I have never done it yet and don't want to try on freshly painted expensive rims, so probably i have to find someone kind with enough free time.
That's how it unrolls at the moment.
 
Got it from powder coating yesterday!
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It is well done, just few flaws, i guess even not because of the painting process but because of not high quality transportation packaging. Funny, some of my welding an building flaws got hidden under the paint, and some other just became way more visible :)
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Brought the frame to the bike shop and prepared for painting the second color. The vinyl is being cut to be used both as a masking layer and simply as a sticker. I found also some kind man who will lace the wheels for me. Unfortunately none of above would be finished before monday, so i have to change my cruise starting date to wednesday.
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The color is awesome! Two layers of powder, silver metallic underneath and transparent red on top. I love the looks of it. I have started to assemble the bike little by little, so i have less to do next week.
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The fork.
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I have made a couple of rubber spacers, the rear one did not work out well and to be removed. Used plastic washers everywhere i could.
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The axle bolt had to be pushed quite hard, since a bit of powder got onto the thread, and because of that some paint come off the bolt head. I had to paint it since it was raw steel. I do not know much about anodizing them, but i know chrome is not cheap. May be for my next build i can check out how is it with zinc or other surfaces.
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Overall the fork is ready, only the stickers and brake lever mount are left. Tomorrow morning i am going for the stickers and to paint the frame, then to pick up the wheels. After tomorrow i pick up the frame with the paint already dry and assemble it, aslo hopefully manage to take some nice pictures.
Peace.
 
I have picked up the stickers and prepared the frame to be painted with second color.
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I actually wanted to put a thin outline on the edge of two colors, but now i am not sure. May be because of a slight mismeasurment (though i have always left some extra) or just because of the tough reality i could not stick them as perfect as i expected. May be just a lack of experience. I think the result will be nice since i was able to compensate many imperfections, but not the shape is not ideally symmetrical and i guess that means there is quite a chance i will not be able to lye down an outline sticker. Anyway, tomorrow i am getting the ready frame to assemble the bike!
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I have picked up the wheels. Now i am hoping the sprocket offset would be enough for the chain not to rub against the rim.
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I have recieved all the parts except the light. And realized i have forgot about some kind of horn or a bell, so i would have to use what i find. Hopefully tomorrow i become the owner of my first really custom bike built by myself!
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:banana:
 

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