As I used to be wrapping up my evaluation of the No.22 Nice Divide, an thought struck me. Why not return it in individual and take a look at the way it was made, too?
I’m at all times down for a highway journey, and upstate New York is a stunning space to trip, so a couple of emails later, plans have been set and luggage have been packed. Right here’s how No.22 Bicycles makes their beautiful titanium highway and gravel bikes and produces a number of the finest anodized finishes within the enterprise…
A little bit of backstory
If beginning a hand-crafted bicycle firm from scratch looks like an enormous, difficult course of, you might be shocked to know that they shipped their first bike inside weeks of opening this area.
That’s partly as a result of they began out small. There was solely energy line to the breaker field, which fed a couple of lights and shops.
Whereas co-founders Mike and Bryce got here from the fanatic aspect somewhat than the biking business, they introduced a number of of the designers and builders from Saratoga Frameworks (previously Serrotta). Whereas that founding crew got here from a longtime operation, right here they’d to determine the place to place issues, get energy to them, and create their very own processes that might make No.22 distinctive. (Learn our interview with Mike for a deeper dive on their origin story)
It began with simply 5 folks, in a smaller a part of this area, and everybody was mainly in the identical room. They stored all the pieces shut so that they didn’t should stroll all the best way throughout the constructing. However as they’ve grown, issues have unfold out and extra machines have been added.
Now, they do all the pieces in home besides the 3D printing of their stem and dropouts, these are performed at Silca.
Proven above are earlier machined dropouts (left), however they’ve switched to 3D printed elements (proper) to get extra constant (and ideal) alignment between brake caliper mounts and the through axle.
Throughout COVID, they couldn’t are available and work as a workforce, so that they used that downtime to maneuver the heavy equipment, paint all the inside and add extra, brighter lighting. All of the machines have been put nearer to the place they wanted to be, making everybody extra environment friendly. The result’s the manufacturing facility you see right here.
After they first began, they have been ordering a pair bikes’ value of tubing at a time, as a result of that’s all they may afford. Which meant each tube was from a distinct batch, which meant they anodized in another way, which was a problem.
Now, they’re ordering six months or extra value of tubing, and making extra bikes. It’s nonetheless a comparatively small quantity – at Serrotta, they have been making 12 frames a day. Right here, they make 4 per week.
Skipping Forward to Paint & Anodizing
Whereas we’re on manufacturing quantity, they famous that they used to provide extra bikes per week, however have slowed down somewhat since shifting all ending in-house. Earlier than, they might outsource it, however the high quality and consistency of the work wasn’t at all times what they needed.
In order that they introduced it in-house, and now do all anodizing and Cerakote portray on website. That provides them full management, however takes longer. However that management is essential as a result of Cerakote is laid immediately on the titanium with no base coat or primer, so it’ll present any imperfections within the tube, so that they have to shine and end all tubes and welds to absolute perfection first.
Media blasting cubicles allow them to give some frames (or elements of frames) a matte end, whereas others (or different elements) are polished for a excessive gloss end.
Cerakote is available in all kinds of colours, and so they’re all combined and prepped on website.
They stopped doing moist paint, as a result of Cerakote is healthier, lighter, extra sturdy, and cleaner to make use of. It’s additionally instantly shippable (whereas moist paint must off-gas for a couple of days earlier than it may be bubble wrapped…and oh boy, does No22 like their bubble wrap!).
Their paint sales space is immaculate, and technically Cerakote says you don’t even have to put on a masks whereas spraying. They do anyway.
Ano is tough. The totally different colours are solely coming from totally different voltage. Colours vary from brass to inexperienced, created with voltage starting from about 8 to 100 volts. Getting the fades means various the voltage as they go, but additionally making use of it in layers to get the upper voltage colours.
Including to the complexity is that the colour could be a little totally different between 6/4 and three/2.5 titanium, and any fluctuations within the energy provide can even have an effect on the end result. So, what you see on their frames could be 6-8 hours of anodizing on prime of the prep work!
Masking, sprucing, and blasting lets them get combos of uncooked, gloss, and matte colours.
Vinyl decals are reduce on a plotter to create the designs. They’re mixed with all the Cerakoting, anodizing, sprucing, and blasting to realize the specified final result.
That lets them get very small particulars and logos throughout all the body.
How No.22 Bikes are Made
Mike or Bryce are the primary level of contact. They take the order after which they or Scott do the design based mostly on the match numbers. Scott critiques each one, and he’s received years of expertise coming from match coaching and design at Serotta.
Their prime tubes are principally stage, however they’ll make small tweaks to the highest tube’s slope to get a seatpost brand a couple of mm above the collar. It’s a purely aesthetic effort, however particulars matter.
Buyer order sheets have all of the numbers, then it goes to manufacturing. They don’t do body drawings anymore, it’s all performed by quantity, and it’s shade coded by fixture so it’s simple to effectively run it by means of the system. They’ve machines and fixtures for many steps in order that it could transfer by means of shortly with out requiring a number of further setup steps between totally different tubes.
The Aurora and Reactor have a carbon seat tube and mast, and so they make that with an adjustable insert somewhat than make the bike with a full seat tube then reduce it out, saving tubing.
Each tube is checked for the “excessive aspect”, as a result of they’re not straight, so that they have the excessive aspect pointing straight into the within of the entrance triangle, which retains the tubes aligned. With out this, it might make the body “lean” left or proper and almost unattainable to make excellent. All that stated, we’re speaking about ~0.3mm variance, so it’s only a good instance of the eye to element.
Butting the principle tubes saves as much as 75g per tube, and likewise offers it a springier trip high quality, and permits them to get a constant trip high quality throughout the dimensions vary.
Downtubes are bi-ovalized giving them a wider stance on the backside for a stiffer BB space, and taller on the headtube for a extra streamlined look. The jigs above compress the tube whereas the opposite is held in place at 90º.
Serial numbers are stamped into the body by putting particular person characters right into a plate, then rolling the BB shell throughout it beneath stress. Very handbook, and really cool.
As soon as reduce to size, tubes are mitered, drilled, and in any other case prepped for his or her construct.
Chainstays are welded on with a wider axle spacer, as a result of they pull inward as they’re heated, so that they weld them into spec somewhat than having to bend them into alignment after the actual fact.
Major tubes are tacked, then checked for alignment between every step.
They tack within the jig, however don’t weld in it, as a result of as soon as it’s tacked, it’ll need to pull in a single course or one other. In order that they’ll mark the place they need to begin and end the weld in order that they will actually weld it into alignment. The result’s a greater closing product that doesn’t require handbook manipulation after it’s completed.
All submitting is completed in a separate room in order that there’s no mud, and it’s cleaned between every step. Every body is QC’d by somebody aside from the welder.
After closing alignment examine, it will get reamed, confronted, and the holes bored for cable ports, bottle cages, and many others. Full bikes are then constructed, and all the pieces’s fully coated in bubble wrap and boxed up for supply.
Extra Cool Stuff
No.22’s 3D-printed stems are paired with shape-matched headset spacers with ports for inner cable routing. These give the entire bike a particularly glossy, built-in look (examine my evaluation of the Nice Divide for plenty of pictures)
Whereas the headset cap is one piece and would require a brake line elimination to vary, the spacers are segmented and keyed so you can also make match changes…so, perhaps go for a barely taller fork steerer for those who’re undecided the place you need your stack top to finish up. You possibly can at all times reduce it down…
…however you may’t add steerer size again. The No.22 stem has a stable design, appearing as prime cap, too. It may be anodized to match the remainder of the bike, too, as can seatmast toppers for his or her bikes with the carbon seat tube.
In addition they supply breakaway tubes with a keyed design that permits you to extra simply journey together with your bike in a smaller case.
Enormous due to No.22 for internet hosting me and exhibiting us across the manufacturing facility. Their consideration to element and satisfaction of their work actually exhibits by means of, and their completed bikes are nothing in need of stunning. They trip very nice, too! It’s good to see a titanium model pushing the state-of-the-art ahead, too. Their 3D-printed stems have been a begin, however their future Reactor aero bike takes issues to a different stage.
22bicycles.com
