Monday, April 20, 2009

The Furry Cub Specifications

The Furry Copper Bee, or Cub (Cu is the chemical symbol for copper), is a custom-sized, quick handling road bike intended for use with fenders, medium width tires, and a semi-upright to athletic riding position. It is fun to ride, with a lively, responsive feel. Unlike most road bikes, the Copper Bee is intended for "V" (linear-pull) brakes (or cantis). V brakes work well and are a good match for a bicycle with wider tires and fenders. When flat or swept back bars are used, the Cub has the appearance of what some call a "City Bike."



Whereas the standard road bike today uses 700C (622 mm diameter rims) wheels with narrow (23 - 25mm width) tires, the Cub uses a range of wheel sizes with medium width (30 - 35 mm) tires depending upon rider height and preference. For medium height riders, we suggest 650B (584 mm diameter rims) wheels for additional foot clearance with wider tires and fenders, or mountain bike 26" (559 mm diameter rims) wheels. The prototype is copperish orange and uses 650B wheels, hence the name Copper Bee.

Because it is a custom sized bicycle, there are no standard sizes, however, here are some guidelines to our thinking about geometry:

sizes 58 cm and above: 700C wheels, 73 head angle, 435 mm chainstays
sizes 53 cm - 58 cm: 650B wheels, 72.5 head angle, 430 mm chainstays
sizes < 53 cm: 26" wheels, 72 head angle, 425 mm chainstays
for all: bottom bracket height around 267 mm

Pricing:

custom frame, fork, 1 coat powder, Columbus Zona or equivalent tubing: $1,450.

Variations:

choice of wheelsize (700C, 650B, mountain 26")
standard or standard oversize diameter tubing
1" threaded or 1 1/8" threadless fork


Options:

extra light tubing: +$150
basic cromoly tubing: credit $115
wavy head rings: +$35
clear or tinted 2nd coat: +$70
premade fork: credit $75 (approximate)
other: ask

More: see FAQ at google group: http://groups.google.com/group/furrybluecycles

Riding with fenders


This past weekend I finished adjusting the rear fender and went for a test ride. There's not a lot of need for fenders around here in the spring, but they do look classy!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Tax Day!

It's been slow progress, but I'm still here. Between sickness, rainy weather, and visitors, well I haven't had a chance to take more pictures and ride the orange bike with rear fenders on. Plan to hit those goals within a week!