Gromit
Guru
Earlier in the year (May/June 2020) after not having a Cruzbike for some years, I decided to buy a T50 (frameset).
After extensive reading of threads in this forum, I also decided to do an Emeljay conversion on the front-end of the bike and fit a carbon seat.
I also consulted with rx7mark who had done an Emeljay conversion on his T50. Other folks also gave some very helpful advice.
I initially built up the T50 frameset with the factory-supplied steering riser/extension and a reversed 120mm stem plus the standard seat. Folk who are very familiar with the T50 will notice that I shortened the steering extension, above the stem by 100mm (4").
This allowed me to take measurements off the T50 for the Emeljay front-end and the carbon seat conversion.
I rode the bike whilst planning and buying the parts which I would need to do the conversion.
I took the two 31.8mm seat clamps with rack mounts off the T50's seat support bracket and replaced them with a mismatched pair of 31.8mm seat clamps from my cycle spares box.
I filed away the internal lip designed to stop the seat clamp from sliding down the tube that it usually sits on the top of. The two seat clamps with rack mounts would clamp around the 1 ¼" (31.8mm) slider tube in the Emeljay front-end.
The distance between the two clamping surfaces of the rack mounts on the seat clamps when tightened down onto the 1 ¼” slider tube is 40 mm. The rack mounts have M5 threads.
After some research, I got a 50mm long, Giant Contact OD2 (1 ¼" steerer size, rather than 1 ⅛") stem to attach the handlebars to the end of the slider tube.
I bought 700mm (27.6") of 6082T6 1 ¼” 16SWG tubing to make the slider tube. The alloy of the aluminium is very similar to 6061T6.
I also bought a 125mm (5") square of 5mm (0.2") thick 6082T6 plate to make the two plates to connect the stock steering bracket to the two seat post clamps with rack mounts.
Note - Some folks call the part which I call the "steering bracket", the "pivot clamp". Some other folk say it is the "steerer-clamp".
Here is a picture of the two plates which I fabricated.
The width of the steering bracket is 38 mm where the flat plates are bolted. The height of the steering bracket is 42 mm. The steering bracket is 1 ¼" internal diameter as the steerer extension tube normally fits inside it with some persuasion from a mallet and levering with large screwdrivers. The steerer is 1 ⅛" as is standard on most bikes.
I sliced a 42mm long piece off the end of the 1 ¼” aluminium tubing which I bought for the slider tube then split it lengthwise with a hacksaw to make a 1 ¼" to 1 ⅛" spacer/shim to fit inside the steering bracket.
The M8, button head, allen bolts clamping the plates to the steering bracket take a 5mm allen key. They screw into a 10mm sleeve. The sleeve needs to pass through the bracket plates so I drilled 10mm holes then filed them a little bigger for relief.
The distance between centres of the upper two small holes in my 5mm thick mounting plates was 40mm and between each 5.5mm small hole to the large 10mm hole is 35mm.
An 10mm hole size (M10), 1mm thick, stainless steel, flat washer was fitted over the 10mm sleeve, on each side, before attaching the plates to the steering bracket with the M8 allen bolts.
No washers were needed on the stainless steel, cap head, M5 allen bolts (4mm allen key - 20mm thread length) which attach the plates to the 31.8 seat clamps with rack mounts which clamp the slider tube.
The T50’s steerer is 1 ⅛” size. Cutting down the steerer allowed the top one of the two modified seat clamps to be fitted the other way around, supporting the slider tube closer up towards the handlebars and making the whole assembly a bit stiffer.
I cut off 31mm of steerer. A 5mm and a 10mm height, fat (35mm external diameter), CNC anodised aluminium headset spacer was fitted below the steering bracket. The steering bracket slid over the 42mm long, spacer/shim and steerer with some persuasion/levering from screwdrivers. Another 10mm high fat headset spacer was fitted above the steering bracket. An anodised aluminium top cap, star fangled nut and an allen screw, apply tension to the headset bearings.
I fitted the 50mm long, Giant OD2 1 ¼" stem at the end of the slider tube then mounted the On-One Midge handlebars. A black plastic, end plug, nicely finished off the bare end of the slider tube.
I initially rode the bike with the standard, factory seat. The T50's steering felt more positive than the standard set-up.
I will post about the carbon seat fitting in a later post. I will also post a list of the cycle parts used in the T50 build.
Note - If you click any of my pictures in this thread you should be taken to the same picture in my flickr photostream.
Clicking on the pictures in the flickr photo stream view will show an enlarged version of that picture.
There are also a few more pictures of the T50.
After extensive reading of threads in this forum, I also decided to do an Emeljay conversion on the front-end of the bike and fit a carbon seat.
I also consulted with rx7mark who had done an Emeljay conversion on his T50. Other folks also gave some very helpful advice.
I initially built up the T50 frameset with the factory-supplied steering riser/extension and a reversed 120mm stem plus the standard seat. Folk who are very familiar with the T50 will notice that I shortened the steering extension, above the stem by 100mm (4").
This allowed me to take measurements off the T50 for the Emeljay front-end and the carbon seat conversion.
I rode the bike whilst planning and buying the parts which I would need to do the conversion.
I took the two 31.8mm seat clamps with rack mounts off the T50's seat support bracket and replaced them with a mismatched pair of 31.8mm seat clamps from my cycle spares box.
I filed away the internal lip designed to stop the seat clamp from sliding down the tube that it usually sits on the top of. The two seat clamps with rack mounts would clamp around the 1 ¼" (31.8mm) slider tube in the Emeljay front-end.
The distance between the two clamping surfaces of the rack mounts on the seat clamps when tightened down onto the 1 ¼” slider tube is 40 mm. The rack mounts have M5 threads.
After some research, I got a 50mm long, Giant Contact OD2 (1 ¼" steerer size, rather than 1 ⅛") stem to attach the handlebars to the end of the slider tube.
I bought 700mm (27.6") of 6082T6 1 ¼” 16SWG tubing to make the slider tube. The alloy of the aluminium is very similar to 6061T6.
I also bought a 125mm (5") square of 5mm (0.2") thick 6082T6 plate to make the two plates to connect the stock steering bracket to the two seat post clamps with rack mounts.
Note - Some folks call the part which I call the "steering bracket", the "pivot clamp". Some other folk say it is the "steerer-clamp".
Here is a picture of the two plates which I fabricated.
The width of the steering bracket is 38 mm where the flat plates are bolted. The height of the steering bracket is 42 mm. The steering bracket is 1 ¼" internal diameter as the steerer extension tube normally fits inside it with some persuasion from a mallet and levering with large screwdrivers. The steerer is 1 ⅛" as is standard on most bikes.
I sliced a 42mm long piece off the end of the 1 ¼” aluminium tubing which I bought for the slider tube then split it lengthwise with a hacksaw to make a 1 ¼" to 1 ⅛" spacer/shim to fit inside the steering bracket.
The M8, button head, allen bolts clamping the plates to the steering bracket take a 5mm allen key. They screw into a 10mm sleeve. The sleeve needs to pass through the bracket plates so I drilled 10mm holes then filed them a little bigger for relief.
The distance between centres of the upper two small holes in my 5mm thick mounting plates was 40mm and between each 5.5mm small hole to the large 10mm hole is 35mm.
An 10mm hole size (M10), 1mm thick, stainless steel, flat washer was fitted over the 10mm sleeve, on each side, before attaching the plates to the steering bracket with the M8 allen bolts.
No washers were needed on the stainless steel, cap head, M5 allen bolts (4mm allen key - 20mm thread length) which attach the plates to the 31.8 seat clamps with rack mounts which clamp the slider tube.
The T50’s steerer is 1 ⅛” size. Cutting down the steerer allowed the top one of the two modified seat clamps to be fitted the other way around, supporting the slider tube closer up towards the handlebars and making the whole assembly a bit stiffer.
I cut off 31mm of steerer. A 5mm and a 10mm height, fat (35mm external diameter), CNC anodised aluminium headset spacer was fitted below the steering bracket. The steering bracket slid over the 42mm long, spacer/shim and steerer with some persuasion/levering from screwdrivers. Another 10mm high fat headset spacer was fitted above the steering bracket. An anodised aluminium top cap, star fangled nut and an allen screw, apply tension to the headset bearings.
I fitted the 50mm long, Giant OD2 1 ¼" stem at the end of the slider tube then mounted the On-One Midge handlebars. A black plastic, end plug, nicely finished off the bare end of the slider tube.
I initially rode the bike with the standard, factory seat. The T50's steering felt more positive than the standard set-up.
I will post about the carbon seat fitting in a later post. I will also post a list of the cycle parts used in the T50 build.
Note - If you click any of my pictures in this thread you should be taken to the same picture in my flickr photostream.
Clicking on the pictures in the flickr photo stream view will show an enlarged version of that picture.
There are also a few more pictures of the T50.
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