JK Cross:
Anatomy of the Kirk Frameworks cyclocross frame

Part Five
Final assembly

In this the final installment of the series and I’ll be going over how the frame is prepared for assembly after getting it back from Joe Bell’s paint shop, and sharing some photos of the finished product.

I prepare the frame the same way whether I’m going to assemble the frameset into a complete bike, or send it out as a frameset. I start by unpacking the frame and going over it inch by inch to be sure everything is right. I then prepare the seat binder area. I use different types of binder bolts depending on the frame design. All types require careful cleaning out of the threads and installing the stainless bolt that clamps the seatpost into the frame. With this done I can clamp a post into the frame and then hold onto the frame by the seatpost.

With the frame held securely by the seatpost I can now go onto the other parts of the prep. The big thing now is cleaning out all the threads in the frame (bottom bracket, bottle bosses, derailleur hanger, etc) so the parts can be installed. Since the threads were chased before sending the bike to paint this goes very quickly. This is also the time when I run a reamer into the headtube to get any paint out of there so the headset can be pressed into place.

Now that the threads are clean I install bottle bolts and cable adjusters and sundries of that sort. All the bolt threads get a good coating of grease so they will torque up properly. The holes are now filled and it’s time to spray in the Framesaver. With the frame in the stand I can swivel and turn it to the best position to spray in lots of goo. The Framesaver starts relatively thin but in short order dries leaving a waxy coating that will prevent corrosion issues for a very long time. I spray and spin and plug the openings with rags to be sure all the internal surfaces have a good coating. I then turn the frame so it can drain out any excess and let it sit for a time to fully dry.

The final preparation step is wiping the frameset down with Griot’s Garage Speed Shine (I love this stuff – works great and smells like bubble gum) getting rid of fingerprints and any excess Framesaver goo.

From here it’s carried downstairs into the photo booth. I take photos of the bike for my own records and to send to the new owner so they can see what they’ve got coming.

If I am shipping it as a frameset it now gets packed for shipping. Each tube is wrapped with fresh bubble wrap and then the whole frame wrapped in a strip of cardboard before finally being placed into a new box padded with lots of recycled paper packing (after Christmas you get used wrapping paper!). It then goes into the Fed Ex truck and off to its new home.

If the frameset is going to be built up and shipped as a complete bike it then goes back into the shop to go through the full assembly process. Every part is assembled with care, cables are stretched and bars are wrapped. The saddle height is marked with tape on the post and the proper number of stem spacers are installed to get the right fit. It takes about 3 hours to assemble and test the bike before it gets broken down just enough to go into a box for shipping. When the bike arrives at the door all the rider needs to do is install the front wheel, slide the stem onto the fork and tighten, slip the seatpost in to the proper setting as marked and install the pedals. The bike is then ready to ride.