Lugged frame vs welded frame - which is best for ME

This little fork detail is of one of most mass produced bikes ever : the Flying Pigeon bike of the People Republic Of China. It's at the top of this BLOG because I am trying to prove a point. The point is that BRAZING a lower temperature metal into the join of a cast piece of steel and a steel tube is the best way to do BIZness.

 

When joining two piece of tubing that are steel (Aluminum and Exotic material latter) the connected cylinder come to contact point. Today most bikes are welded together. Welding creates a seam some times about 1/4" wide. If you look at the shiny chrome lugged joint above on this head tube you will find that they are allot longer than 1/4". The idea is to provide support where you need it most but also spread the stress along and into the tube itself.

 

Here is a bottom bracket Lug. Notice that the connecting area's start out fully enclosing a cylinder that would be inserted into it and then becomes pointy.

By creating a pointy cylinder to fit into the bike tubes are less likely to shear off where the lug ends and only the cylinder remains. Plus don't they look really neat?

 

            

 

A really nice TIG weld on a hand made bike is hard to not like. The problem is that TIG welding is a Job that requires years of skill and a big nice welder. This is a reason why robots are making most of Cannodales frames these days.

 

 

With the PUPUSH bike I am trying hard to make a bike that is made on the spot it is sold. This requires a fast turn around and also the ability to have worker that may sell bikes but also manufacture bikes. Essentially the skill level needs to come down so that almost any one could make there own bike. I figure lugs were good for bikes for 60 years or so until the invention of the welder so lets bring it back into style. We used to can our own veggies every fall, and chickens used to run in the berbs. In the future you will pedal becuase you want be like the guy in SOYLINT GREEN.!

 

 

This Blog is to provide some BASIC knowledge about bikes. It's also not really conforming with most modern idea's on what a BIKE should be. What a bike should be is changing quickly with Three wheel trikes hitting the streets. It's only a mater of time before the high tech design behind HUMAN POWERED VEHICLES (HPV) merge with the daily cyclist. ala :: the PUPUSH BIKE IS BORN!