Drum Roll Please...Da da da da da da...!!!

FINAL "FINAL" FRAME DESIGN:

Well...here is my new custom frame (in brushed ti finish) that should be in the process of being built right now!

After more than a one month of research, thinking, calculating (different moment of inertias, weight distributions, stem lengths, fork lengths, rakes, trails, etc., ect.), staying up to 1:00am every night, designing and redesigning and redesigning another 10 times, here is the lowdown on the changes from my previous "final" design:

1) Because I like to sit waaayyy ---> way back, I extended my chainstays from 410 on my Look KX Light, to 415 on my previous design, to 423 on my final design. Why you may ask??? I took a scale and measured my weight distribution and found that I had roughly 63% on the rear tire. From everything I've read, it seems that anything between 60/40 to say 55/45 is the best for handling...so extending the chainstays will transfer a bit more weight to the front.

2) I changed my bottom bracket drop from 70mm on my Look and previous design to 73 on this new design. From what I can tell, there is no "correct" BB drop. On one hand we have world famous Serotta with about 80mm drop, most other companies at 70ish, and say Scott at 67mm. Since I use 170 cranks and have luckily not yet ground a pedal racing, I figured dropping the BB by 3mm should be better???

3) Since I increased the BB drop, I also shortened my headtube from 123 to 120.

4) I slacked my head angle from 72.5 to 72 degrees. Since I kept the same front-center (~556mm), this shortened the top tube to 537mm vs. the previous 541. If my Look had a 71 degree seat angle, it would have a 544mm virtual toptube - which I feel is just a tad long. Bringing it back by 7mm in this new design should be really good. I just hope the steering is not too "slow."


FINAL SPECS (not shown in picture):

Tubing: 3/2.5 Ti, 0.035mm Straight Gauge, Grade 9, Cold Worked Stress Relieved (CWSR)
Down Tube: 1-1/2" Diam.
Top Tube: 1-3/8" Diam.
Seat Tube: 1-1/4" Diam.
Head Tube: 1-1/2 Diam. (center area machined for lightness)
Chainstays: 7/8" Diam. (slight s-bend)
Seatstays: 3/4" Diam. (slight s-bend)
BB Drop: 73mm

Unlike steel pipes, for some reason, Ti tubing specs are usually stated in inches.


PARTS:

Other than finally upgrading to 10-speed - yipppeee!!!, I plan to scavange most of the other parts off my Look. So far I've bought a 10 speed 12-27 DA cassette and 10 speed DA shifters off of e-bay. And since I already have an extra 10 speed chain, a knowledgeable "bicycle insider" told me that's all I would need for the conversion - hopefully said insider is correct!

I'm still searching for a new fork and headset though. Ideally, I need a fork with a 372 length since this is what my frame is designed around. If I go shorter, my head angle will increase by a little and vice-a-versa. (Here's a great artice on changes in fork length and its effects: Sheldonbrown-fork lengths.)

FORK DISCRIMINATION??? (Integrated VS Non-Integrated):

Now...talking about forks...there have been a ton of good integrated forks on e-bay that I've just been passing up since said "bicycle insider" told me that you can't mix an integrated fork with a "regular" headset. Well...like some home brewed lights I heard about, we just can't always take said "bicycle insider's" knowlege as gospel anymore! See these pics below and attached link:


Discussion that goes along with these pictures!
So...I "guess" maybe I CAN look for integrated forks now - right??? But...if I can't find a fork in time, I'll just use an OuzoPro that's on my TT bike.

Now all I need to do is wait . tic . tok . tic . tok.
Hopefully I'll be posting up the real thing soon!

ttyl...