Bournemouth Cycleworks offers precision frame preparation for most types of bicycle frame, road or mountain. We do this to every custom bike or frame we sell and include it in the sale price at no charge. The fees listed below are for servicing frames that do not come prepped, and are not purchased from us.
Why is it important to Prep a Frame before it is assembled into a bike for the first time?
If you are buying a premium bicycle and your frame is not prepped as we have described above, your first few miles on the bike will begin to do irrepairable damage to the frame. The stresses that occur on the headset and the botton bracket of a frame while riding are incredible. If headsets and bottom brackets are not installed properly they can ovalize the frame tubes they sit in causing many problems. If you are buying a premium frame and you want it to have a premium lifespan and have premium performance…it needs to be professionally prepped before it is assembled for the first time. In the case of brake surface cutting, it should be obvious that you would want your brakes to be at their highest performance and reliability!
Which frames are candidates for Frame Prep?
All steel and aluminum frames are candidates for frame prep. Some carbon frames are also candidates. MOST titanium frames we have seen come in a raw finish (no paint) and usually don’t need the work. Our tools will cut ti if necessary. We do not Recommend the reaming of ti tubes…only facing where necessary.
Frame Prep involves the following procedures (Extra charges will apply if bike needs to be disassembled):
Headtube Facing and Reaming. £20
This procedure cuts the two ends of the head tube perfectly parallel to each other. It faces the walls of the tube ends to be flat and free of paint. It also mills and reams the inside of the head tube for precise installation of the headset to maximize performance and lifespan as well as limit potential ovalization of the head tube. The risk of corrosion is minimized as well with use of proper lubes at the time of installation.
Bottom Bracket Facing and Chasing £20
This procedure cuts the two ends of the bottom bracket perfectly parallel to each other. It faces the walls of the tube ends to be free of paint. A thread chasing tool is passed through the bottom bracket shell to clean and optimize the threads and remove paint and other finishing materials. This allows for precise installation of the bottom bracket to maximize performance and lifespan as well as limit potential ovalization of the bottom bracket shell. The risk of corrosion is minimized as well with use of proper lubes at the time of installation.
Chasing of Water Bottle Mounting Studs, Rear Derailleur Hanger, and all other Threaded Studs in the frame. £20
This procedure uses a thread chasing tool to clean the threads of these areas. This cleans out any paint and other finishing materials and reduces the chance of cross-threading and stripping threads while installing components and accessories. The risk of corrosion is minimized as well with use of proper lubes at the time of installation.
Disc Mount Facing £14
We use a tool made by Hope that faces the surface that your disc brake adapter mounts. The facing procedure removes clumped up paint and allows for the precise installation of your brake calipers. This ensures that the brakes function properly and that irregular wear of the pads and rotors does not occur. The tool has a depth setting that allows us to make sure that the two faces, or adapter “legs” are in the same plane. Ultimately, this ensures that your rotor and caliper are PERFECTLY alligned and functioning in the same plane. If you have disc brakes that rub and make a lot of noise, you can improve their performance dramatically by having the disc mount surfaces faced and adjusted to the same depth.
Cutting, Facing and Milling of Fork Crown Race £20
The fork crown race is a part of your headset. Just like the cups of the headset are press-fit into the frame, the fork crown race is pressed onto the fork crown. This service ensures that the bottom bearing assembly sits perfectly parallel to the top one. If you are having your headtube cut, you may NEED to have your fork crown race cut. These days, this is done more often on road forks than on mountain bike forks…but it depends on the specific fork…so bring your fork with you!
Call the workshop to enquire on 01202 424945 – or get in touch
