Frame Up Titanium LeMond Road Bike built completely from extra parts!

[@davidhudsonbaker2361]

Thanks!

[@mikefleissner4415]

Awesome Dave

[@brockjennings]

It was a relaxing build to watch. Much like Bob Ross painting a landscape before your eyes.

[@lesflynn4455]

Makes me think I should watch it. I'm a little uptight.

[@davidstone8312]

Beautiful work Farmer!!!!

[@ldproc0]

I’d buy this bad boy!

[@bkefrmr]

It’s still available! [e-mail]

[@ClintDowd]

Another great video! Thank you. I started riding regularly about two and a half years ago after getting sober (3 years now). I've spent the last 4 months binge watching all things bicycle on KZbin. Going to the shop for repairs and maintenance was getting expensive so I decided I should learn as much as I could and try doing it myself. I came across your channel about a month ago and I love your approach and practicality. I purchased a stand and some tools to get myself started. In the last month I have refurbished and repurposed a 1992 Trek antelope 800 and I now have about three bikes I plan on flipping. The Antelope is my primary bike and I also have a 97(?) GT Force road bike that I have done a few modifications to as well. Keep the content coming!

[@bkefrmr]

I'm 12 years sober! One day at a time, brother! Good to keep the hands busy for sure!

[@joelweinberger3695]

Good for you! The number of people I have met where their bike became the motivator to stay sober is amazing. Hang in there! I’m sure it’s a daily struggle but having never been in your bike shoes just consider me someone who supports individuals like you. Here’s a bike KZbin that changed my life and motivated me to start a local chapter. Ride on! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWe3mmenisZghbcsi=OmDvEx7sl-YZ0lBi

[@hutchy_4297]

sweet, I got sober in 2008 and I ride a titanium road bike here in NC

[@MacThreinfhir]

I’ve been riding a LeMond Zurich for over 20 years. Love it and consequently, never been motivated to replace it. Great bikes.

[@stevengagnon4777]

My 853 Zurich is really nice . Greg Lemond understood geometry it just does it. Anyway some of those had squar holes for the rivnut water bottle bosses. Mine came to me as a warranty failure. The frame started to crack at the points on the down tube. I brazed new water bottle bosses with those little diamond shaped reinforcements. The down tube I brazed a metal bandaid over the 20 mm cracks and did the same with the water bottle bosses. Still have it and haven't replaced it either. My Bridgestone RB one got out on the road a couple more times and has sat in a garage ever since.

[@Kelekona_808]

Happy little titanium frame with happy little crimps.

[@bkefrmr]

Lol

[@HunterAtheist]

There are no mistakes. Just beautiful accidents. 🗿

[@raykleiner3151]

This kind of retro build proves that rescuing old frames this way can still make for a great bike to ride for years to come.

[@zwicker5585]

Me and my partner have built up bikes from the lates 80s early 90s. They did the first 30 years pretty easily, and I suspect theyll go for another 30 years

[@raykleiner3151]

@@zwicker5585 That is to be commended. Today all bikes are designed to be the same, and full of marketing hype (BS), cost a fortune and depreciate like a stone. Now you can buy a top end rim brake bike for almost nothing! Tell me what can give us more pleasure than riding these bikes from 20 years ago?

[@RolandRides]

There is so much joy in serviceable and durable bikes. The golden age of bike tech from a casual/touring perspective. Good luck changing anything with fully integrated housing and propriety handlebar-stem combos that they want to sell you for over 10.000$

[@bkefrmr]

That is definitely not how currency is notated, but I agree

[@RolandRides]

@@bkefrmr ah well, forgot to convert to imperial 🤪

[@not-a-raccoon]

Ill never understand why bike manufacturers went away from threaded BBs. They WORK

[@mikefleissner4415]

The finest inside deal.Being a friend of the bike farmer

[@TomCollins-c4h]

omg who could crimp such a frame especially titanium that killed me.

[@doughorner5730]

The reason you put a spacer on top is so the top stem pinch bolt is entirely beneath the top of the steer tube. Not dumb and very important when assembling lightweight components.

[@wolfgangweber9924]

Great job. I learn something new with every video of yours!

[@bkefrmr]

Awesome, thank you!

[@marnig9185]

As soon as you do it right, it already works;) nice one

[@codybroken]

"... Watch me not care.." thumbs up

[@delboy868]

I would love a nice titanium frame and forks, maybe one day 😊

[@aggressivemediocrity]

Thanks for the split screen it helped a layman like me understand how the mechanics work a little better. Im an auto tech that just refound the enjoyment of riding again, and the mechanics of a car and a bike are 2 different animals. Don't get me wrong, if you have mechanical aptitude, it's fairly simple to do most of it, but the derailleur system has always been an area I tended to stay away from. I now feel confident i could do it myself after much frustration, lol. Thanks for the videos im really enjoying them.

[@StayZero556]

That’s a gorgeous bike even with the crushed chainstays.

[@AndrewBroadbent-dr8wb]

No matter what gets put on a titanium frame it always looks great.Thank you.

[@kovie9162]

Looks great, rides great, lasts great--Ti is just great. It's as close to a miracle metal as we're ever likely to get. (Graphene's not a metal, right?)

[@rosomak8244]

Drill a little hole in the dented stays and use that to do some unsequashing. It can the be relatively easy welded shut.

[@ferdinandmelchor4242]

very delight full to watch!

[@wileycoyote9201]

That titanium natural frame looks great with the black chainring! Nice build!!

[@sonalmalhotra07]

Lovely Video.

[@thiswontwork]

Great video. I'm such a fan of this channel. Loved, "he was such a wizard his name was Merlin." Time well spent.

[@jasong546]

I love your schwinn wall hanging sign on the back wall. Schwinn gave me so much joy as a kid in the 70’s and through the early 90’s. I wish so much I could have them back, just for fun. Great video sir.

[@Bikemaddad]

That looks legendary man. What a sweet build. I met Greg Lamont once. What a gentleman

[@bkefrmr]

I met him my first summer in a real bike shop in 1996. I agree. He’s one of the good ones.

[@legostopmotionbybarrelprod3523]

My Surly Packrat has a 74 degrees head tube angle and 44 rake.nearly the same as this bike, meaning the bike is optimised for front loaded riding..."twitchy" unloaded (very nimble), stable when loaded. Makes for a great randoneuring or fast bikepacking rig....wich is awesome!

[@Noneofyourbusiness-p9q]

Great vid.

[@dondonner1095]

Really liking this channel. Thanks for the lesson.

[@bkefrmr]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@mikecooper9507]

Wow, nice bike!

[@delboy868]

I built a bike two years ago with a genesis steel frame and forks, external cable routing Shimano 105 parts brooks c17 saddle and rim brakes and what I love about this bike so much is the simplicity of it , it's similar to your lemond build sweet bike.

[@blueherringjw93]

hearing some John Fahey influence in that guitar

[@NickelExpressCycling]

Everything i own is 10 or single speed. This has been fun to watch. All the learning!

[@bkefrmr]

I'm so sorry to hear that! ;-)

[@ryang5441]

One hell of a bike to get back into riding with!

[@lesflynn4455]

Oh the joy. A screw in BB. Standard bar & stem. 1&1/8th headset bearings. I somehow managed to not scream when Mr Mechanic pointed out the home crimping on the chain stays. It's Titanium. It will be fine. I've stopped screaming on the inside now, even though I'm an idiot and I've thought of a better way of attempting the same thing, I don't know if it would end in the desired result, but there's less risk. ANYWAYYYY. I'm looking forward to this build. Have fun, Mr Mechanic. I'm sure it will be a sweet ride. Thanks Mr Mechanic, I'm in a better mood after watching you build this bike. It would make anybody's lift better if they rode it.

[@rienabelazotes7558]

For a real bike lover . To see that titanium frame have that dent on back .they murder the frame for tire to have that space so sad. Thanks you made it alive.watch from ph.

[@seanmadeup22]

Titanium Terrific Tinker!!!

[@timmitchell4701]

Thanks wonderful video I ride Titanium and will never go back to any other frame material!

[@Chrisinvention]

Dude, you making a progress here.

[@wallacegrommet9343]

At least they didn’t grind away the chainstays

[@jbikemoore]

Now I have to go get my Ti Merlin Fortius that I loaned my friend.. lol. Wish there was a good way to get it to take 28mm tires.. there's no way I would attempt to compress the chainstays. Thanks BikeFarmer, very entertaining and enjoyable video.. loved it!

[@LLOPEZJF]

My God..what a bike!! Very useful video. Thank you.

[@waktosha7378]

Honestly, to me that bike is totaled unless you can fix the caved in chainstays! I couldn't live with it like that.

[@jered2177]

Nice equipped shop and skill

[@tongalizia3175]

I was going to take out my Derosa campy 11 speed bike out for a Sunday ride but your video came across ,,, now I’m taking the Merlin titanium with Shimano Dura ace 7 speed shifters with 23 cm tires……old school,,, hell yeah,,,,

[@sci-fyguy7767]

Rim brakes for the win 🏁🔥🚴🏻‍♂️🔥🏁

[@Jaime.Vacado]

Beautiful bicycle 🚴

[@WitchesPuzzle]

I'm so glad I'm not the only person that has trouble fine-tuning that 10 speed 105 set! Oi!

[@bkefrmr]

All Shimano 10 speed road is tricky to setup. Not much wiggle room. Doesn’t like to stay tuned either. It’s the most finicky of them all IMO

[@johnranyak1374]

I like the build! Thanks for the more in-depth drivetrain adjustment. JR

[@jag-v7n]

29:52 put the nose of the saddle down to level while you're at it, it hurts my nads just looking at it! 😜

[@cosmicwav]

pretty pretty pretty pretty good bike

[@dinodaniel2237]

Are you keeping that bike for yourself? Shame about the chain stay. But it is a nice looking bike. Looking forward to your next video. All the best!

[@bkefrmr]

Everything’s for sale! I have too many road bikes!

[@isaactrockman4417]

@@bkefrmrwhere can we buy stuff?

[@adammackenzie]

Another great video, I've been watching some of your older uploads , also all good. Ride safe everyone ! Thanks.

[@rangersmith4652]

Forty lashes for whoever abused that frame!

[@whileriding]

He was a wizard named Merlin

[@No_ReGretzky99]

These tunes remind me of Grandpa tell me bout the good old days by the kids 😅😅😅

[@jamintoday5137]

Awesome bike

[@f1hotrod527]

Ahhhh yes, more proof that 1X is awesome and 2x and 3x are dumb. Also, 1x mullet AXS would really clean this bad boy up. and rent a tig welder and weld a disc brake mount on that mutilated chain stay. Is a very cool looking bike. I wonder if you could pull the dimpling out and then redimple in a better way. Probably 3d print some dimpling dies to hold the chain stay outer shape and a controlled dimple on the inside.

[@davidkittle5344]

Gorgeous!!! I want one!!!

[@No_ReGretzky99]

Wish I had skills like this takes forever to learn thanks for the tips 😅❤🎉

[@felixjackson2670]

Love it…FANTASTIC frame. Even though am-a Campy Record person …just a lovely build. My pet hate is flipped stems…but STILL love this build. Recently built an old Argos (UK built) 531 race frame from 1970’s with 2012 Campy Record 11 speed and also managed to squeeze in some Conti Grand Prix 28c tyres. Really good,smooth,fast,comfortable ride.

[@matthewlewis9356]

Beautiful build 😊

[@bkefrmr]

Glad you like it!

[@vernerjuliussen2071]

Just modern and "user friendly" enough with upright seating position, the goat 105 system and the 28mm tires. And all raw Ti-frames look sweet.🤩 A clean and solid build.😎🙌

[@Tarmaccyclocross]

I think the crimping was done at the factory I’ve seen titanium frames with the same crimping. Titanium is so hard it would be hard to do by an owner

[@billyjo1148]

im a fan of these framesets

[@nicksfishroom915]

Great video. I'm really enjoying your channel. Have ridden and wrenched since the 80s. Watching you work on all the old stuff is great. I play with not so old hard tails and e-ify them. A high end e-hard tail is an awesome thing. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@jackiegammon2065]

Your front derailleur outside cage is not lined up with the chainring, so that is the issue with your shifting The rear derailleur looks as though you need to adjust the b screw. It looks as though you do not use grease or is that something that you did and not show on the video? NO grease on pedals, seatpost, freehub body, and brake caliper bolts, crank and bearings. Lastly, do you really ride with the nose of the saddle like that? Thanks for sharing!

[@bkefrmr]

You’d be surprised at how much brain space I waste on avoiding comments like this, lol. Do you take notes on your nitpicking notebook while you watch? I greased everything you mentioned. I have the nose up on all of my saddles, which is just how I am. Do you always capitalize NO when you right it? The front derailleur cage is perfect. I adjusted your mom’s b-screw this morning! Thanks for the helpful comments! People love this stuff!

[@jackiegammon2065]

I check all of those areas, as that is how I was taught many, many years ago. And will say that I'm glad that you did grease all of those parts, simply didn't see that on the video. My reason for nitpicking is that there are so many sites here on KZbin that truly do not know what they are doing, and yet they are trying to teach folks. And "yes" I do have issues with those sites, as we all get judged by them. So as a shop owner, I would think that you might agree with that. As for your comment about the "B screw" that's just a classless comment and I wouldn't expect anything different from you... very sad.

[@bkefrmr]

It's actually quite funny! But you are a very serious man. Which is....very sad.@@jackiegammon2065

[@horse69outside]

He sounds like he has one a them there plastic tire levers stuck up his ass?

[@darrenstanleysmith5207]

@@bkefrmrbro you ripped into him!

[@1crunchy2]

What kind of chain? Awesome

[@jamesjenkins8373]

Some thing I wanna bring up for anybody in the crowd on titanium you should use anti-seize instead of grease on the threads and components that touch together. Keep the parts from galling

[@kovie9162]

Aren't you supposed to use a specific kind? I think the most common kind, that's kind of bright silvery, forgot what's in it, as opposed to copper or nickel, which are more for high heat situations, like in cars. Aluminum, maybe? Silver?

[@the_nondrive_side]

I set up the hanger alignment as my first pretty much during inspection and cleaning.

[@bkefrmr]

I wonder how much time I’d save if I started doing this

[@the_nondrive_side]

it's been a part of my going to get a bike kit for a few years now. TPU tubes a micropump a multitool kit and the hanger alignment.. most of my broke bikes I ride home@@bkefrmr

[@No_ReGretzky99]

Love your vids keep them up❤❤for learning purposes and bad ADHD ill stick to my single chain ring I don't need no more than 8 to 10 gears lol too much adjusting on front derailleurs and trying to sync them 😅😅

[@kingedwin]

Phillips head screws look similar to JIS screws, but they have a different profile. Using the wrong screwdriver can strip the head. Shimano uses JIS screws in their bike parts, including the limit screws.

[@eternaloptimist2840]

I think Japanese manufacturers generally use JIS for everything that looks like a Phillips. Bicycles, motorcycles, cars, all tempting you to use the wrong screwdrivers - it's worth getting a set of the right ones to reduce frustration with chewed screws.

[@chrisallen2005]

You are confusing me. If I go to the hardware store I can buy a variety of screws that have Philips heads. Are you specifically referring to the thread on the screw? If so, then the bike parts will have a JIS diameter and thread pitch.

[@kingedwin]

@@chrisallen2005 Both heads are cross shaped, but JIS is flat in the center, while Phillips is slightly rounded. If you use a Phillips screwdrivers on the JIS screw, it can't make full contact, causing it to cam out or round the screw head.

[@tonyjennison3199]

I remember being in a bike shop talking to a mechanic years ago, someone took in a Colnago Master frameset, and told the mechanic to take an angle grinder the the mech hanger because they wanted a fixie. He did it, not sure I could do it.

[@joemtbr5052]

I guess I could live with a grinded off hanger, but crimped stays, no way. To me that frame is not worth putting together, but that's just me.

[@joelweinberger3695]

Dang! You make it look so easy! But this isn’t your first rodeo. 😉

[@dblissmn]

TBH with Shimano 10/11 speed it really is quite easy and it's nice that fact is communicated clearly in this video; I was forced into this due to a failed front shifter on Shimano 5600 (the worst shifter ever, designed for both two chainrings and three and bad at both and very fragile), and decided to go all 5800 11-speed and it was the first time I'd ever built up a frame....I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly it went, with a couple of bike repair books and a laptop open to KZbin at my side! 5700 which is what it looks like he has here would have been just as easy, if not quite as smooth-shifting.

[@kovie9162]

I don't know how old that frame is but it looks a lot like the Chinese Ti frame I bought 20 years ago from an outfit called Habanero operating out of Arizona that I built my road bike around. It was way cheaper than domestic and European Ti frames at the time and all that I could afford, and has performed amazingly well for me so it was definitely well made, fantastic ride feel. But I'm guessing that as with so many Chinese products, even the good ones, it was a knock-off, and this may well be the one that it was based on. Even the chain stay "crimps" (although those were part of the design on mine) look the same. I might someday get a carbon road bike, although at my age probably not, but I'm never going to get rid of my Ti bike. Second best thing I own.

[@dblissmn]

Nice job pity about the crimp. I have an '07 Cannondale that I've updated with HED Ardennes+ wheels, quite a wide rim. To accommodate those I needed newer Shimano 105 rim brakes as the original Cannondale brakes didn't have a long enough reach. As for tire size? The limiting factor at this point is the fork; I'm running a Michelin Pro Endurance 25mm, which is a very large running tire; it measures out with this setup at 28mm, but I'm down to about 6mm clearance in front. I could go another size up in the rear. Or I could go with actual 28mm Continentals as those run smaller. Original spec was a limit of 25mm with the brake calipers as the limiting factor.

[@evanswinford7165]

I went old time friction shifters for my main bike and back up bike. I just found getting the clicks to sync with the gears bothersome. I can set up and tune or fix click shift but I only bother with bikes I'm selling. I use a Sun Tour stem shifter on my main bike with upright cruiser bars. Its a bit of pain to always be reaching to the stem to shift but it's what worked when I rebuilt the bike.

[@6479rob]

When you use a torque wrench it’s very likely you are over torquing when going over twice, we checked with very expensive digital checking tools in the automotive manufacturing world. Per government regulations.

[@David-ys4xb]

Kinda wild that someone who had a ti frameset in their possession also thought the best solution to fitting a wider tire was caving the stays in.

[@eternaloptimist2840]

Crimping chain stays is a sound technique, frame builders do it, but you have to know what you're doing; the person who damaged this frame either didn't know or didn't care.

[@David-ys4xb]

@@eternaloptimist2840 Crimping is a sound technique, smashing is less so... those are smashed 🤣

[@martindelgallego5809]

LoL🎉😂

[@matthew3136]

Somebody used it for cyclocross I bet.

[@sci-fyguy7767]

What a shame-what kind of a barbarian does that?

[@titaniumismagical8643]

No brand name lettering needed on a Ti- frame. I've been contemplating on taking my yellow decal Litespeed lettering for a couple years now. I haven't done it yet.

[@thuggoe]

That's an elite frame. Please put elite components

[@bkefrmr]

Lol

[@brikaf6001]

what torque wrench is that? awesome vid

[@louismeluso8633]

Good vid! The running time is 33 minutes. How long did the actual project take to finish?

[@BrettG64]

So, I see you leave the "dork disc" on the rear wheel. Any particular reason? Personally, I don't get the almost violent hatred people have towards those things. They serve a purpose, they don't weigh anything (for the people that obsess over that). I prefer the older metal ones since they look better, but still... Great video. Keep it up hermano!

[@bkefrmr]

I try to use them as often as possible. I easily could’ve ripped this derailleur apart and torn some spokes out with a bent hanger. I see it all the time with the kids on the local mountain bike team. They cut them off, then dump their bikes on the ground, next steep hill…sorry mom! $250 for a new cheapo rear wheel, hanger and derailleur!

[@glen3509]

Have you got to ride any MOOTS Titanium mountain bikes?

[@knife1406]

might be a dumb question, is the grease brush you use something specific or just some random art brush?

[@Primifluous]

That line at the start, "Given the circumstances..." Luckily there's more bikes out there than fools with tools, but it's always a shame to see a frame hackjob like the chainstays on this bike. Why they didn't practice on some $20 Craigslist special first 😭

[@jensbomholt4529]

That guy probably also takes a hammer to his Lambo to make more space for his girlfriends shopping bags 😂

[@michaelpeppersack8599]

COOL!

[@joelopez7459]

Shimano cable, Jagwire housing, my OCD is triggered .

[@jeffbehnke8605]

It would be neat to see you do a fat bike build just saying

[@hibob288]

I was hoping you were a top down guy 😞

[@tonesmith909]

I want that bike 😏

[@FuchsHorst]

JIS #2 ❤

[@calvinrondeau8505]

What bike stand do you use

[@tl2913]

Awesome build, but the poor frame crimp job on the chainstays still makes me cringe! Maybe you can hide them with some creatively placed tape.

[@jeffk2481]

Oh heck yes.

[@tankwrencher918]

Fix the stays

[@kovie9162]

Oh, forgot to mention, spoke protector? For that retro look? Always took them off, never had a use for them, never had a chain slip past the biggest gear, that's what limit screws are for, think they look dorky and ugly plus that unnecessary additional rotational weight. Make nice trivets though.

[@bkefrmr]

So wrong in so many ways…

[@kovie9162]

@@bkefrmr Ok, I'll play, name one. You've monitored the chain on every ride I've ever gone on on my various bikes over the years? And, from Park Tools: What is a limit screw? The main purpose for the limit screw is to prevent the chain from going into the spokes or into the frame. Tightening the H-limit screw restricts the limit as shown. The goal is to dial it in as close as possible to the inward cog, as shown in the previous photo. Limit screw stops derailleur and end of travel.

[@bkefrmr]

@@kovie9162 bikes tip over. Hangers bend. Limit screws become moot. Rider doesn’t know. First shift into granny gear under load while cranking up a steep incline causes catastrophic derailleur, chain and wheel failure. But you’re so confident that everything was set up so perfectly that you can’t possibly believe you could’ve done anything to prevent this from happening to you because you were JUST RIDING ALONG! And MY BIKE NEVER TIPPED OVER AND I’M VERY CAREFUL. We see this ALL THE TIME working in bike shops. You’re not right here, sorry. I don’t have spike protectors on my own personal bikes because I’m very likely to know if things are off before this happens. You might be this aware as well. 99% of riders are not.

[@kovie9162]

@@bkefrmr Well, I'm aware of all that and I DO check such things when my bike tips over or I crash, which is extremely rare, so in my case I AM right in not putting on an ugly spoke protector, even if in most cases it might make sense. Like I wrote, it's never happened to me in my recollection, and if it did it was on an initial slow ride on a new bike as I was still fine tuning it, as of course bikes respond differently under load than on a stand and until you ride one you can't tell for sure if it's set up right. And, catastrophic failure going up a steep incline is usually not going to be that dangerous, unless you're stupid enough to ride on the edge of a road without guardrails overlooking a steep drop-off. You'll just fall, perhaps hurt yourself slightly, be embarrassed, and maybe have to get a ride home. It's catastrophic failure going downhill at high speed that could kill you, but no one should be using a granny gear in such a situation--or riding that fast if they don't know how to maintain and check their bike or can be bothered to. Then again no one should drive impaired...

[@No_ReGretzky99]

I need to find a few friends to teach me none of mine r into mtbing lol 🤣🤣🤣🤣 but I'm more hands on