Berk PROTO-TYPE Composites

[gumgardner]

This needs promoted to a sticky.

[DuPreez]

Well done bud. It looks the nuts

[Mr.Hyde]

Wow, great bike, outstanding work! Have fun riding it!

[gumgardner]

No time to ride it. Start building a new one

[itsacarr]

+1 on the sticky - congrats berk

I can only imagine what that bike would be tuned out with some $$$ parts ... your bike certainly has plenty of good character as is though. Can't wait to hear about the ride.

[Berk]

Hi!

Thanks again for all those nice compliments!



I already made 7h ride with it (4 yesterday and 3 today). When I came home yesterday I made some more kilometers with my team bike, for better comparison. Here just some photos from todays ride:


Larger image: http://tinypic.com/r/21aefc2/7


Larger image: http://tinypic.com/r/rhq0c0/7


Of course I just removed the bottles only for photographing,..



Yesterday I rode with my training wheels (Mavic Aksium - Continental Ultra race tyres and Shimano Ultegra cassette: 2976g ) because most of the time I ride with them (more than 17000km of training this year only with Mavic Aksium, and a lot of races with Ritchey WCS or Ksyrium SL wheels,...and some more rides with my LW wheels, just for my soul ). First impression about the frame: I love it! The stiffness is very similar like on PROTO-TYPE 2 frame (really very very similar like Scott Cr1 which I rode for 4 seasons in the past years..), maybe just a few % less for the price of lower weight (it would be more than 300g lighter without the integrated seatpost/saddle combo and almost 200g lighter with the ISP and saddle compared to PT2). In princip I changed all the ALU parts for carbon and I also a bit improved the structure of the tubes and it turned out really good.

Yesterday I made a 4h ride with a few longer climbs. First impresion is that it's very smooth and nothing special compared to my Wilier team bike. My team bike is a bit stiffer but the ride is as smooth as with my team bike. For the price of lower weight it's a bit less stiff, but still really nice to ride also for some agresive rides. In descent it's very smooth and I really enjoy the ride with it. Also the integrated saddle isn't as bad as I tought, even after 4h rides and the SLR c 64 is just perfect for me. I rode with Selle Italia SLR for the past 5 or 6 years and just after a few kilometers I get used on the c64 saddle shape. It is a bit harder (similar if you compare tubulars with clinchers) otherwise nothing special, but of course really light.

Most of my rides are in the mountains here in Slovenia (Kamniško-Savinjske Alpe etc.,..). It's just around 20km away from me and I'm almost every day there it's really beautiful, here just a few photos:




...
I FEEL SLOVENIA, I really do


Anyway, back to the bike: in the descent I just didn't had the right feeling with KCNC brakes. For me 100g means nothing if the ride will be more reliable...and after a 85km/h descent yesterday I would rather have Sram Red brakes. I really like the Red brakes that I have on my team bike and somehow I prefer them. KCNC are not bad, but I really prefer some solid rides.. Most probably it's because my racing career, rather a few grams more and that it's solid...of course the same by me with tyres, bars, stems, etc.,... I'll most probably change the brakes and the bike will be perfect for my taste! Otherwise about the integrated saddle - already mentioned that I could still use a 34.9mm stubby or a 31.6mm seatpost, but most probably I'll let it like it is and will make a new frame for a standart seatpost later,... I could change the bottle cages and it would be still a sub 6kg bike with Sram Red brakes.

Anyway, I'm really happy with it and I'll continue riding with it as much as possible. Otherwise I have to ride with my team bike and most probably I'll ride with PROTO-TYPE 3 frame only twice a week, hopefully I'll manage to make around 2000km with it in this season and after that I'll start with some new projects and hopefully in winter there will already be a new product, will see, it depends on my free time..

Anyway, will keep you updated as soon as I make some more km, or some more carbon work...and of course as soon as I make some better photos (a friend of mine will help me to make some better photos) I'll let you know! I'm really glad that you like it and thanks for your attention, I'll sure continue with my work...



P.S. just one more photo, a bit larger:



Large image: http://tinypic.com/r/30aykur/7

[Italuminium]

This bike came out gorgeous. Your aesthetic judgement is good as well - nice understated decals. On a side note, Slovenia looks like a hidden gem for the serious cyclist! Beautiful mountains. Enjoy the ride and keep building!

[KWalker]

I know that you're sponsored by Ritchey, but how do you like the Logic II's compared to their anatomic 'curve' shape

[Berk]

@Italuminium
Thanks! Yes, it really is!


@KWalker
Peronally I prefer the standard Ritchey shape...about two seasons ago I get a curved bar and I changet it after two rides . It's hard to judge what would be better for you, but I somehow prefer the standard shape and ride the same Ritchey shape for the past 5 or 6 seasons...I just won't change it for anything . I had also the "Streem" version of the Ritchey bar for two seasons. I also like the Steem version but we don't ride with them anymore, don't really know why.. Hopefully my answer will help you.

[serbelo]

nice work!

[USofChay]

Berk, this is truly fantastic. I used to go to the FWB forums just to read your old threads, but this first WW thread is even more fantastic. I love watching how you learn from your past projects. I hope that after you are done racing you go into the bike manufacturing industry.

[Ozrider]

It must be an awesome feeling riding a bike that you have built yourself.
You have potential to become a legend like Bob Parlee if you continue and start making frames for customers. I'm pretty sure you would have a number of WW customers.
Keep posting your projects, they are an inspiration.
Cheers

[Berk]

@serbelo, USofChay, Ozrider

Thanks!

I'll sure keep you updated!
I'll go to Germany on Monday for a few days to Eurobike and will meet some people there who already wanted to meet me. I'm really glad that some of you like my work! Anyway, I'll give my best and keep you updated

[jz4nyc]

You know, it's one thing to eat a bowl of pasta that you cooked all by yourself.....but I'd say it's en entirely different UNIVERSE where you go and a ride a bike that you built, as in BUILT, all by yourself!

That thing is awesome. I'm amazed & impressed with what you've done. Bravo to you sir.

[Berk]

Thanks!
It's really very nice to ride something that you made by yourself. Till today I already made almost 500km with Proto-Type 3.

I only changed the KCNC CB1 brakes for Sram Red brakes. Here in Slovenia we have a lot of beautiful mountain destainations and I'm almost every day in the mountains, where the decends are quite fast and I prefer Sram Red brakes..

Here just a few photos from a friend of mine:


http://tinypic.com/r/b9is5f/7












Probably I'll also soon get some new photos, hopefully also during the ride, will see... After some more km I'll start with the design of a new frame, first I have to see if I can improve any detail etc.,..I'll take me time and when I'll be 100% sure how it should be I'll start with a new project, the biggest project till now.
I'm very interested to make a frame for tapered fork, but don't know which fork to choose (to make the frame/fork line look smooth). Probably ENVE 2.0 or the 3T RIGIDA fork, I really like the strainght look of those forks.. Will see, on Monday I'll go to Germany (Eurobike) for a few days and will probably decide there