I catch crap all the time from my fellow mtb friends when I show up at the trail with my bike looking like it just rolled off the factory floor. I think I started with the whole clean bike thing way back in the day when I first started riding/racing bmx bikes at the local track. My dad use to make me wipe the bike down after every heat and I couldn't put it in the car to get it home until it was clean (tires and all). I guess that just stuck with me. Hell every once in a while I think back to those days when I'm cleaning the bike (as well as think about my dad and the great memories he gave me). Man, in all reality, that is all we can ask for.

Berk, get out there and ride your bike whenever you get a chance (in between customer orders of course)

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09 Pinella w/ Record 10spd
http://1spd.blogspot.com/

1spd, it's nice to hear that story!
When we were younger (10 years old) we get all the equipment in our team and we respected that. They also teached us how to work with a bicycle, how to clean it, some basic mechanical work etc.,...and if you're used to do that since you're a child it really "stays in you".

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Berk PROTO-TYPE Composites - Handmade In Slovenia
Berk Composites

I agree. I spend a lot of time on my bike, spent a lot of money on my bike and do everything on my bike to keep it in tip top shape so yes it is clean all the time.

No different than someone owning a nice care and making sure it is clean all the time.

I think a clean bike that is ridden a lot shows more appreciation than someone that just leaves it dirty and not in perfect condition but rides it a lot. I take care of my stuff that I really like.

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BIG DADDY B FLOW
AERO & LIGHT is RIGHT

Cervelo SLC 5890g/12.98 lbs

Hi there,
again a small update. I realized that I don't really share some more work that I do - repairs. So here is just a repair that I just finished:



Before and after:


The rider hit a car and the headtube broke. Anyway, the next time I'll make some better photos, this time I was in rush.

I repaired around 30 frames/composite products this year, and if it's interesting I can share some more photos with you as soon as I get some more work


And another photo, from the "backstage":



For each prototype product I first make a model. Quite a lot of prototype models are made in this corner of my modest workshop. It's of course separated from the lamination room/workshop, where the carbon work is made. On the photo it's less than 1/4 of the workshop, but that's all that I can show you at this moment. Some more prototype projects are waiting for me, and as soon as I'll be financially able I'll for sure start with them, I promised that to myself

Anyway, also in that workshop you can see some carbon - some of my prototype frames are on the left side, watching new projects that are in process..

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Berk PROTO-TYPE Composites - Handmade In Slovenia
Berk Composites

I am constantly amazed by this thread, so much beautiful work!

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Looks like I made a new 90 Proof friend

Jure does fantastic stuff one of the best threads on here .
It is quite funny though that I am looking at a photo of someones shed
I need to get out more

Thanks to both

Well, it's really more a shed than a workshop from that photo the other workshop that I have only for the carbon work is a room where only the lamination is done. Still from the times when I made rocket fuels, I made there much more dangerous work than now when I'm working only with a few chemicals

Most of the photos of my products are from my small lamination room:


The most important is that I have all the informations that I need in front of me, so I have quite a lot of drawings etc. anywhere. Also for the layup it's important to me to have all the informations in front of me on a white table, to make sure that everything will be like it should be...

There is most of the equipment that I need for the carbon work. From that room there is another place where I store some more prototype/test products. Here is just one example, unfortunately still didn't managed to make the right mould based on that model, but I'm working on it:



It's a saddle that I designed to add some more comfort, and most probably I'll make my own combo like that. I already made the "standard" saddle shell for my combo, but as long as I'm not in that big rush I'll most probably first make a new mould with that shape and then make my own combo (for all those who are asking me why I don't have one yet, it's in process..) . It's winter here and if I can go on my bike once peer week I can already be very happy, so I really don't have to rush with my own combo.
Otherwise a very special combo is in proces, and it will be finished during the weekend, I'll share some photos with you as soon as it's finished

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Berk PROTO-TYPE Composites - Handmade In Slovenia
Berk Composites

Fantastic repair work. I know a lot of folks around my way would be crying if something like that happened to their bike. It's good to know that a lot of this stuff can be repaired. Man I gotta get some money socked away so I can order my combo! Beautiful work!

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09 Pinella w/ Record 10spd
http://1spd.blogspot.com/

Repairs or pieces of art??
Great job man!
Love this thread.

@1spd & jb

Thanks for the compliments!

I'll keep posting photos and hopefully it will be interesting for you also in the future .
Regarding the repairs - as long as I'm able to make a complete frame it's no problem to repair almost any damage, as long as it makes sense.

Otherwise in most cases I don't just "cover" the damaged part like most companies who repair carbon frames. It's not a secret how I repair the frames, but you need the knowledge and skills. Otherwise here is how I make it, and I think that it's right for the customer that he knows how it's made: I literally cut the part of the tube that is cracked/broken and glue inside the tube a carbon insert that I make before the repair. That already repairs the structure and is again 100% usefull - basicly it's similar like a frame made with lugs. You could already ride with it, but then the next step is that I put some more carbon on the area where the damaged tube was (to fill the gap) and that allows me to almost completely hide the repair (clean surface without any "bumps" if you know what I mean). If I have the same beauty layer I can also make it cosmetical quite perfect. I would only need a good airbrush in case that there are some graphics and it would be perfect...so hopefully I'll afford an airbrush in the future, that would be great..

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Berk PROTO-TYPE Composites - Handmade In Slovenia
Berk Composites

Here is another example:


Before:
(cracked toptube and also some damage on the red line)



After the repair, but before the clearcoat (after the clearcoat you couldn't see the edge of the new red line, you can see on the right where the new red line starts):


I know, the quality of some photos are realy bad, sorry for that, but usually I'm a bit in rush and just made them with my mobile phone. I'll have to leave my camera in the workshop the next time

Unfortunately I can't found the photo from the finished repair. But you can see on the last photo that it's possible to repair it quite perfectly (also to match the carbon look), I also paint some of those lines if possible (depends from the colour). But as long as it's not a complicated graphic it's no problem...

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Berk PROTO-TYPE Composites - Handmade In Slovenia
Berk Composites

I have just spent the last 3 hours reading through all 70 pages of this thread, once i started i couldn't stop......it was like a really addictive book!

The products you produce are truly amazing - but you know that already. The saddle and seat posts combos are frankly incredible and IMO have significantly more appeal than any other combo on the market at a really great price too. What incredible weights!!!

Having read about a few of your projects through this thread i too would love to see other small parts like the carbon shifter clamps or have you seen weeracerweenie's barrel adjuster and nut on page 1 of this thread: (viewtopic.php?f=3&t=109794) Something like this in your venture into carbon bolts???

Your frames are an inspiration and i look forward to seeing your first monocoque frame.

Any plans for a Berk Fork to match so that you can produce complete frameset modules?

Also looking forward to seeing the weight of your own combo for the PT5.

Keep up the fantastic work and stay true to your roots with those clean lines and no frills components.

FANTASTIC

I always had the goal of finishing to read through the whole thread but in 2012.
I am in time and have today finished to read all pages.
Just want to thank you to have you at WW because its not only the make but the wonderful documentation of your work.

BTW I recently purchased a pair of AFCBike s lightest pulleys and was interested what they do charge for a Sram Red RD complete tuning.
I have been informed by Selcuk that his craftsman who is tuning the RD's down to 90 grams is very busy right now and can not take orders.
But this is not the story.

The (first) name of the AFC craftsman is Berk,too.
What a coincidence!
These Berk's must have something in common.

Wish you all the best for 2013.

What I would like to see from Berk is not what everyone else is doing but special items. Post/Saddle combos are great, maybe soemthing like carbon shifter clamps that only a few are doing and other items that not a lot of people are doing. Pulley's are a dime a dozen these days.

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BIG DADDY B FLOW
AERO & LIGHT is RIGHT

Cervelo SLC 5890g/12.98 lbs

@lo5707
Wow, really?! I'm very glad to hear that you like it, thanks for your compliments!

Yes I already made some experiments with the lever clamps, and it was exactly for weeracerweenie, but unfortunately I didn't managed yet to make a real product for use, only some prototypes, and until I'm not 110% happy with it I won't make them for sale. So it may take some more time that I really make it like I want it..

Thanks! For the fork - as you all probably know I'm limited with my financial status, so it unfortunately makes more sense to buy a fork instead of develop my own one. The moulds for it would be very expensive and at this moment I just can't really realize that. But there are quite a lot of options (Enve, 3T Rigida,..) and you can also get it for a reasonable price.

I already made the saddle shell and the seatpost tube, but didn't made yet any more work. If possible I'll make a new saddle shell with a groove in the centre (similar like the prototype model in the post above). The weight should be similar like most my combos, depends from the seatpost lenght (I'll make it with 350mm long seatpost, that I can still adjust it in case that I give my bike for a test ride to someone else - I have quite short legs for my 185cm, my saddle height is 755mm).




@bura
What can I say, I'm really glad to hear that and thanks for your time!
I'll give my best to keep you updated also in the future

Hehe interesting, didn't knew that! Although it's my surename, it's very rare here in Slovenia and if there is anywho with that surename it's most probably a relative..but hey, Slovenia only has 2 million inhabitants

Thanks! I wish all you guys the same, all the best for 2013



@BmanX
I really like your approach or better said the general ideas! It's for sure also more interesting for me to offer something that isn't really possible to get anywhere else. The only "problem" for those smaller parts is that I want some bigger challenges and I never really focus on projects like these. Probably that's because I really want to try each time something new, try to make it different, etc.,...that's what I love in carbon work the most - there is a lot of experiments and a lot of challenges! And I just can't help myself and I each time start with something new, of course if it's possible. But I'm also really happy that I somehow stick with the integrated saddles, and during all that time I also try to improve it, try to make something new etc.,..hopefully the combo for my own bike will turn out nice (with the groove), I'm really interested how it will be ride with it compared to the "standard" saddle shell.

Otherwise, for the monocoque frame, I'll make the moulds with an ISP, so I'll be able to bond a saddle directly to the ISP. It would be really light and would also look very special, just like I made it on PT3. And I have to admit that BmanX convinced me to make it like that for PT3 . I just pormised to myself that I'll make it again like that, and I will.

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Berk PROTO-TYPE Composites - Handmade In Slovenia
Berk Composites