March 2009 - Final Installment of the JK Cross photo gallery

The documentation of the first JK Cross bike is complete. The process starts with the raw tubes on the bench in part one and concludes with photos of the painted and assembled bike in part 5.

Part 1 - Frame design, fork and seatstays
Part 2 - Tube mitering and lug shaping
Part 3 - Brazing, finishing and braze-ons
Part 4 - Machining and alignment
Part 5 - The painted frame and assembly

February 2009 - The Kirk Frameworks Blog

There is now a Kirk Frameworks blog. I hope that you the reader will find this interesting, informative and at times even humorous. I can’t guarantee any of the above but that’s what I’m striving for... proceed to the blog

January 2009 - The Kirk Frameworks Flexible Delivery Program

I’m pleased to announce a new delivery program for 2009. This program is designed to put you on your new bike when it works best for you. We can arrange to have your new bike arrive on schedule for a special ride, a cycling trip, or when it makes financial sense for you. You can have your new bike in as little as 9 months or up to two years down the road, depending on what fits your life and your schedule. (The minimum lead time as of January 2009 is 9 months, but this will fluctuate over time.)

December 2008 - Introducing the JK Cross

Like it's JK Special sibling, this is a dedicated race bike. This cyclocross frameset is constructed with the same unique blend of lightweight tubes used in the JK Special. Light, nimble and smooth it excels on everything from frozen crud to deep mud and allows the rider to concentrate on the race instead of the bike.

See the documentation of the contstruction of the inagural JK Cross frameset, starting with Part 1 - Frame design, fork and seatstays.

November 2008 - Brass derailleur cable adjusters now available for sale
M5 x .8 thread – will fit most bikes

Add a touch of class to your bike by replacing your stock aluminum adjusters with these non-corrosive brass adjusters. These are machined exclusively for Kirk Frameworks and are used by several top-quality framebuilders.

Barrel adjusters $8 per pair, includes US shipping. Order from the accessories page.

August 2008 - Complete bikes now available

Customers have the option of ordering their frame as a frameset only or as a completely assembled bike. If you would like to have your bike ready to roll when it arrives at your house, then the complete bike option is for you. Complete bikes will be built up by me and adjusted to work properly right out of the box. They will be carefully packed and shipped ready to ride with a bare minimum of assembly on your end.

February 2008 - Kirk Frameworks frame wins best fillet brazed bicyle at the 2008 North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show

The 2008 edition of the North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show was held in Portland, Oregon. The bikes that we displayed at the show were all actual customer bikes whose owners generously allowed us to show them at NAHBS before taking delivery of their bikes. Among the bikes in the booth was the debut of the new JK Special. We also had an unpainted frame on display which provided a glimpse of the craftsmanship that lies below the paint jobs. Of course, Joe Bell’s crisp and creative paint work was a big hit as well.

We enjoyed meeting many customers, enthusiasts and friends, as well as taking in the other fine work represented at the show.

Exhibitors selected their picks for the top bikes in several different categories, and we are proud that a Kirk Frameworks frame won the prize for best fillet brazed bicycle. The custom frame was made to order for a customer in Miami, Florida.

January 2008 - Introducing the JK Special, the Kirk Frameworks dedicated race bike

Want the best of both worlds? This is a lightweight, lively race bike that retains the supple feel that only steel can offer. To achieve this blend of characteristics, each tube was handpicked from several different tubing manufacturers. This frame uses race-oriented geometry and is paired with a Reynolds carbon fork or a lightweight steel fork.

Read more about the JK Special

August 2007 - Photo contest winners

Our contest winners are Grant Cornett and H. Frank Breshear, with a handful of outstanding runners-up: Mary Ann Martin (photo pictured here), Jeff Gardner, Oliver Slesar and David Grey. Thanks to everyone who sent in their photos; we will all get to enjoy them on our website over the coming months.

July 2007 - More payment options
Kirk Frameworks now accepts credit card and PayPal payments. See the prices and ordering page for details.

Kirk Frameworks photography contest

Submit your favorite photos featuring Kirk Frames.
Read about the contest details.

The deadline is July 31, so get snapping!

May 2007 - Faster turnaround time for new frames

In an effort to keep my lead times for a frameset to a minimum I've been focusing quite a bit of time, effort and money over the past few months streamlining my ordering and production processes. My production now includes a number of new tools that allow for the same precision as always, but in less time. I'm now using a brand-new Anvil tacking jig, which allows me to set up each custom frame in about half the time I used to take doing it manually. I have also built new bending tools for creating the curved Terraplane seat stays, and the result is a smooth, consistent bend in far less time. I have also constructed some new machining and denting tools. There are also new order forms and software to reduce my time spent in front of the computer. The net result is that the new production process is a joy to use and now some of my time is freed up so I can spend more time fussing over all the little details like I like to do. It's been an effort well spent and things are flowing through the shop faster and cleaner than ever before. The real benefit to you the customer is the wait for a frame has gotten much shorter. As of late May I'm now projecting a turn around time of just 5 months for a new frameset.

So if you are thinking of a new frame for cross season, a late fall tour or a shiny new bike for this coming Christmas now is the time to place your order.

I look forward to being able to provide you with faster service because if you are anything like I am, once I decide I want something I can't get it soon enough.

Please feel free to give a call or send and email to talk about your new ride.

Thanks for reading,
Dave

March 2007 - Kirk Jerseys are here!

The inaugural Kirk jersey design features our customers' favorite colors of deep blue and burnt orange. The look is classic and understated, while still being stylish and fun.

See the accessories page for all the details or to place an order.

March 2007 - New Terraplane decal

Beginning in March 2007, customers who order the Terraplane seat stays can add a Terraplane top tube decal. The decal is available in all of the same colors as our standard decals. See the decal gallery for complete information on all decal options.

Kirk Frameworks at the 2007 North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show

Dave Kirk and Carl Strong had neighboring booths at the 2007 show in San Jose, CA.

Read Dave's summary of the Handbuilt Bicycle Show.

Grand Opening of the Kirk Frameworks accessories store

Now you can shop online for your favorite Kirk accessories. We have new t-shirt colors, cute women's shirts and baseball caps.

Photos from summer 2005 Giro di Bozeman

Photos from left to right: Playing with Dave's kinetic, bike-inspired sculpture; Tom decked out and ready to ride (photo by Rob V.); "Dave's Angels" Amanda, Karin and Mary Ann (photo by Rob V.); Dave does show and tell in the shop. Click to enlarge.

Article on fitting and geometry

What separates a bike that handles perfectly from an ordinary stock bike? Read about the philosophy of the Kirk Frameworks fitting and design process.

"Designing a frame that will fit you perfectly and handle well is not rocket science but it's not simple either..."
read full article

The article resides on the Fitting page.

Kirk frame wins state 'cross championships

Kirk Frameworks customer E.J. Sigety successfully defended his state masters cyclocross title at the Pennsylvania State Championships. He reports his Kirk frame has weathered the tough season and has endured a few crashes. Over the winter, E.J.'s frame came back to the Frameworks for a little rehab.

photo by KeystoneBiking.com

The Terraplane becomes Kirk Frameworks
best-selling option!

The curved seatstays of the Terraplane allow a small amount of vertical movement and are designed to keep the rear tire in firm and constant contact with the surface. Each set of stays is bent by hand to a given radius determined by the size and weight of the rider and the intended use of the bike. The feel and stiffness of the frame is regulated by the amount of bend in the stays. Heavy riders generally would have less bend to allow less movement. Lighter riders would have more bend and more travel.

With the Terraplane option you'll feel more confident cornering and descending, and you'll enjoy true all day comfort. The Terraplane option is available with both fillet brazed and lugged bikes and with most any type of brake system.

Welcome, Joe Bell

We are pleased to announce that all Kirk frames are now being painted by Joe Bell Bicycle Refinishing. JB is widely considered to be among the finest bicycle painters in the world, and he's a nice guy to boot. We feel that JB's meticulous craftsmanship and years of experience with high-end bikes makes him the perfect match for Kirk Frameworks.

We would also like to acknowledge the fine paint work done by Cycle Fantasy. They provided us with great paint jobs and friendly service, and we wish them all the best.

Frame Flex

I'd like to share my thoughts about frame flex with you, as I believe this is a widely misunderstood topic. These are thoughts and conclusions that I have come to after 15 years of being a professional builder and 25 years as a serious cyclist. Click here to read the article.

This article has also been added to the specs/philosophy section of this website and will reside there permanently.