I've finally been able to put some miles on it and I love it. Shuotout to ridingfixed for the assist in finding the frameset.
Frame:
56cm Griffen Vulcan B4C (Made from Boron Carbide reinforced 6092 aluminum Metal Matrix Composite)
Fork/Headset:
Reynolds Ouza Pro Aero / Chris King 1" threadless
Crankset/Bottom Bracket:
Dura Ace 7710 track / 105 Octalink BB
Pedals:
Look Keo 2 Max
Drivetrain/Cog/Chainring/Chain:
Dura Ace 7700 (12-23) / Dura Ace 51t / Ultegra chain
Derailleurs/Shifters:
Dura Ace 7700 / Dura Ace 7700
Saddle/Seatpost:
Specialized Toupe Carbon / Ritchey WCS One-Bolt
Brakes:
Dura Ace 7700
Front Wheel/Hub/Tire:
Reynolds SDVC 66 tubular / Reynolds branded DTswiss 240 hubs / Vittoria 700x23
Rear Wheel/Hub/Tire:
Reynolds SDVC 66 tubular / Reynolds branded DTswiss 240 hubs / Vittoria 700x23
Accessories:
Titanium bolt on skewers, titanium chainring bolts, titanium bottle bolts, titanium seat binder bolt, titanium stem bolts and Reynolds carbon bottle cages.
More Info:
Griffen was owned by Tony Free and was in operation for 15 years before shutting its doors in 2009. Their frames were handmade in Decatur, Texas USA and were limited in production, costing around $3500 new. The mix of materials in Griffen frames, known as Boron Carbide Metal Matrix Composite, is not melted; but rather sintered. The raw material is a fine powder squeezed together and formed into shape under extreme pressure. After the Boron Carbide was made, it had to be packed, shipped and fabricated into a bike within one week, or it became unusable. The microscopic structure created by this process is like a honey comb, which absorbs shock and vibration while maintaining a rigid structure. When the frame is finally finished, it hardens and becomes as strong as steel, provides the comfort of titanium, the stiffness of aluminum and has a fatigue life 100’s of times greater than aluminum alloys. The frames were said to be 38% stronger than aluminum alloys and 40% lighter than titanium alloys while also being stiffer than titanium alloys. "Because of the powder metallurgy process, the material has inherent microscopic pores, which is absorbent to vibration. This results in a smoother ride. Also, because we use more material by volume as our competition (our material is one half the weight of normal aluminum by volume), we achieve better comfort, lateral stiffness and power transmission all at the same time." - Griffen Bikes
Added by dietrootbeer. Last updated about 9 years ago.
As of about 9 years ago, dietrootbeer has indicated that they no longer own this bike.
17 Comments
How are you running a track crankset and 1/8" DA ring with a road chain? Ever have any problems with the chain falling off over fast bumps? I had problems when I ran a single outer ring on my commuter and shifted in the back, but that was ramped for shifting, not straight teeth.
Posted over 9 years ago
The chainring is actually a 144bcd 3/32" Dura Ace ring. Not sure if i was designed specifically for track riding but I've been running the same 1x9 setup for several years now and have never dropped a chain . I considered a Paul chain keeper at first but never found a need. The 144 3/32 rings seem to be a bit hard to find though. I had to shell out some cash for the NOS 51t one im running now.
Posted over 9 years ago
why the bolt ons?
Posted almost 10 years ago
Theyre lighter and (in my opinion) look cleaner than the quick release skewers. And with the tbular wheel doesnt matter if I can get the wheel off or not im still calling for a ride if i get a flat hah
Posted almost 10 years ago
gotcha.. makes sense, I'm using the qr from my dad's janky walmart mountain bike right now cause my wheelset didn't come with one
Posted almost 10 years ago
Looks awesome!!! Like these decals better.
Posted almost 10 years ago
thanks man, yah im definitely a fan of the white decals. saw you came off the Cannondale. Whats next?
Posted almost 10 years ago
Going to step up the bmx game then when spring comes I'll buy a downgraded version of what I had before. One that I don't care about scratches or dents. I just can't get myself to ride around in spandex when it's 20° out and snowing.
Posted almost 10 years ago
i feel you. the snow is piled up here in 4-5ft in some places with no end in site. Not to mention the closest indoor skatepark is about an hour away in Rochester. Good luck on the new build, many a cool 90's/2000's frames can be had at really good prices.
Posted almost 10 years ago
I used to work for a shop in Denton, TX. One of the guys who runs it actually ended up buying the Griffen brand and assets recently. They're actually still selling some of the leftover frames and things and have even built a few bikes under the Griffen name. They aren't using the Boron Carbide mix though.
Posted almost 10 years ago
Thanks for the info! Know if they have any track frames left over?
Posted almost 10 years ago
They just might. The shop is Sprocket's in Denton. It might be worth looking into, I honestly haven't been over there in a really long time.
Posted almost 10 years ago
Haha thanks for the shout out! Looks great, I'm super jealous, straight to favorites
Posted almost 10 years ago
Photos
neokaonashi says:
Just bought a Griffen Vulcan B4C frameset, looking forward to the build! Love this one.
Posted almost 5 years ago