Prog Balance Bike

[fjohn860]

Frame - Custom 316 Stainless Steel - 1/2", 3/4" and 1" tube. Tapered headtube.
Front shock/fork - T6 Aluminium steerer and crown. 316 Stainless steel legs.
Handlebars - 316 Stainless steel flat bars 3° backsweep initially. Changed to 316 Stainless steel 75mm riser bars with 7° backsweep.
Stem - T6 Aluminium
Headset - Custom
Grips - Whirlwind. Now MCS LH mini bike grips
Saddle - Whirlwind
Seatpost - Whirlwind
Front brake - Foots
Rear brake - Foots
Cranks - Nope
Front wheel - Whirlwind
Rear wheel - Whirlwind
Tyres - Solid
Tubes - Also solid (and non-existent)
Total weight - Dunno

This project was born out of my passion for machining and making things.

The end goal was to learn a bit about frame building and to give my Niece a one off balance bike.

This took quite some time to complete as it was mostly done after work, utilising the access I have to lathes and a mill (on the rare occasions when life didn't get in the way).

Overall I am pretty happy with how it turned out. I learnt a few things along the way that I would do differently if I ever did something like this again.

 

[fjohn860]

Having access to a lathe and mill (through my work) was how this "little" project came about and started with a ultra technical drawing!

The frame is made from scrap/discarded annealed 316 Stainless tubing. These pieces were already bent and just provided a little proof of concept (sort of).

The donor bike was a $5 farcebook marketplace purchased Whirlwind balance bike for the wheels, grips, seat post and saddle.

Rear thru axle, steerer, stem and seat tube clamp were machined from aluminium I had left over from previous MTB PARTS I've made.

Fork crown was machined from a scrap aluminium lubrication pump housing out of a Sundyne P3000 centrifugal pump.

Frame is brazed mitred joints using 45% silver solder.

 

[wesdadude]

Well it's long, low and slack. And there's no pedals to take off before weigh-ins! Looks pretty bonza!

 

[nzhumpy]

Axles look different, I hope they're not another bloody "new" standard...

Looks good in all seriousness.

 

[rockmoose]

She. Will. Be. FROTHING.

 

[fjohn860]

Well it's long, low and slack. And there's no pedals to take off before weigh-ins! Looks pretty bonza!

Cheers mate

Axles look different, I hope they're not another bloody "new" standard...

Looks good in all seriousness.

Thanks!

The rear is "12 x 76mm thru axle" lol.

Front is "Whirlwind/Shimano" hahaha.

She. Will. Be. FROTHING.

Hoping so!

 

[kten]

That is awesome mate!

 

[fjohn860]

Some of the machined parts.

 

[link1896]

Lovely work dude. Mini Grim Donut.

 

[fjohn860]

That is awesome mate!

Cheers

Lovely work dude. Mini Grim Donut.

Thanks mate, it is a Mini Grim Donut!

I think it was @fatboyonabike that coined the term "Mini Grim Donut" in the machining thread.

 

[Rorschach]

The Grim Donut of balance bikes

 

[cokeonspecialtwodollars]

Grom Doughnut?

 

[Rorschach]

Grom Doughnut?

That works much better

 

[fjohn860]

Grom Doughnut?

Perfect!

 

[hellmansam]

Awesome

 

[Chriso_29er]

Looks so good John, awesome job.

 

[beeb]

You all think this is going to get his niece into MTBs.

All I see is this:

 

[fjohn860]

Awesome

Cheers!

Looks so good John, awesome job.

Thanks Chriso

 

[nzhumpy]

The rear is "12 x 76mm thru axle" lol.

Front is "Whirlwind/Shimano" hahaha.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=3429999397030761

 

[fjohn860]

My Niece has found the flat bars a little too low, so I knocked up these risers. Grips are MCS brand LH side mini bike grips. Won't match the wheels now but much better grips than the hard plastic "whirlwinds". Spec list updated.