We do not do "quotes" for shipping anymore. Things change so quickly these days with shipping rates that we've run into problems with customers when we try to quote shipping six months ahead of time. We can't say what it will cost until we book the shipping. That said, we use whichever is more affordable; UPS or U.S. Postal.

UPS and U.S. Postal ship big boxes (like frames and bikes) based on the size of the box. Most frames will fit in our standard frame box (41"L x 25"H x 8"W) which fits within the 107 inch limit (combined length and girth) and a boxed frame and fork weighs about 15 lbs. To get an idea of what it might cost you feel free to go to the USPS site or the UPS site and use our box dimensions and weight to generate a quote. Be advised we insure the shipments for the full retail value which adds to the cost. We also add $13 for the box. If the frame has to be shipped in a bigger box because it's a big frame (21" or 60cm) then it will cost even more.

Shipping a complete bike costs a lot. Inside the U.S. it can be $100 to $200. Outside the U.S. it can be $350 to $500. We don't do quotes on this. Just be prepared to be reamed. Not by us, by the shipping companies.

If you're running a crank with an "integrated" spindle and crank (where the spindle is bonded/welded/pressed into one of the crank arms), then you don't have a choice on spindle length. If you're running a square taper crank/BB then it depends on the brand of crank and size of chainring. We recommend the White Industries ENO crank with either a White Industries or Phil Wood BB. Keep in mind all Soulcraft BB shells are 68mm wide.

White Industries designs their rear hubs around a 47.5mm chainline (centerline of frame to center of freewheel teeth). To match this they recommend a 113mm spindle on their cranks to get the chainlines to match. That crank and spindle combo gets a little tight on our frames so we recommend a 116mm or 121mm spindle. This throws your chainline out slightly but it's negligible and in our experience isn't noticeable when riding. Keep in mind that most other singlespeed hubs are designed around a 51.5mm chainline so if you're running a White Industries crank with a Paul hub, you will want to run a 121mm spindle to get the chainlines to match. If you're running a cassette type rear hub with a single cog and spacers then you have free reign on chainline as you can adjust the cog side to side with the spacers.

The other consideration is chainring size. With the wider 51.5mm chainline you can run at least a 34t and many times a 36t ring. If you're trying to keep things tight and go with the 116mm spindle you might be able to run a 34t at most but will probably have to go with a 32t.

When using any other square taper crank than a White Industries, we can't really help you. We're just not familiar with all the brands, chainlines, offsets, etc. Your best bet is to see what their specs are for chainline and choose the appropriate length spindle to achieve your target chainline.

It can never be said too many times: Steel rusts. Soulcraft frames are steel. Soulcraft frames can rust. We’ve spent a lot of time figuring out ways to make our frames more rust/corrosion resistant: sealed tubes, forward-facing seat tube slots, stainless braze-ons, double-coat powder paint, rust inhibitor inside the seat tubes, and o-rings seals for your seat post, to name a few. But, there needs to be a certain amount of responsibility on your part to help make your frame last.

The single worst thing we see is corrosion inside the seat tube. Yes, water will get inside there and if you ride in the rain or there is significant moisture being flung off your rear tire and onto your seatpost, then here’s what you need to do: After wet rides, remove your seat post and turn your bike upside down to drain and dry. Pay attention and watch how much water runs out. You’ll never not drain it again. Let it dry for at least a few hours before you grease and re-install your seatpost.

After every 2 or 3 times you do this you should re-apply some sort of rust inhibitor like LPS #3 or Weigle’s Frame Saver. Spray the stuff liberally into the seat tube, then wrap a rag around the antenna you broke off your neighbor’s Impala. Spray the rag with rust inhibitor, then insert the antenna with the rag on it into the seat tube and push up and down to coat the walls of the tube. Use a flashlight to see if you’ve got everything covered and to periodically check things out. For dry climates re-apply once every 4-6 months. We use the LPS stuff here and every frame has a bunch of this sprayed into the seat tube when it leaves the shop. This will keep you safe for a while but after that you’re on your own.

To help you even further, every Soulcraft frame comes with a little black o-ring which looks like a rubber band. It’s supposed to go around your seat post and be slid down against the top of the seat post clamp. We’ve seen these o-rings sitting a bit above the seat clamp on some customer’s bikes and if there is any gap between the o-ring and seat clamp, you may as well not have the o-ring on there. The purpose of the o-ring is to create a seal around your seatpost to help keep water from seeping into your seat tube. Make sure there is a little grease on the o-ring so it creates a better seal and keeps the o-ring pliable. A hot tip is to spin the o-ring as you push it down against the seat clamp. This will help it “seat” better. If you don’t have an o-ring or lost it or whatever, just go to your local hardware store or auto supply and ask for a #20 o-ring. That should do it. You can actually do this for any bike you own. Also, if you are using a 27.2 seat post shim (supplied with most Soulcraft frames), make sure the shim slot is positioned slightly offset with the frame slot (put shim slot at 11o’clock). This will prevent water from seeping into the seat tube.

Sweat is another thing to watch out for. Obviously you’re going to sweat on your frame, hopefully while riding it. Some people have what we call “toxic sweat” which can eat its way right through even the most durable paint. If you ride your bike on a stationary trainer you are asking for trouble. The sweat just drops straight down and sits on, and more specifically under, the tubes of your frame. Take whatever precautions you must to keep sweat off your frame on a stationary trainer (we are currently out of stock of the Flash Dance headbands). Make sure you wipe the frame down afterwards with some type of cleaner like Simple Green and make sure it’s dry! Same goes for general riding. You’ll get way more life out of your frame if you wipe it down after a ride and get all the sweat off. Problem areas are any sharp edges like the top and bottom of the head tube, braze-ons, and anywhere you see bare metal. Keep in mind that if you ever call us saying your frame has rusted to the point of needing tubes replaced, we will not warranty it. Sometimes things rust despite your best efforts but you need to take care of it right away or call us for the best way to deal with it.

A tip for scratches that go down to bare metal is to visit the touch-up paint section at your local auto parts store or model/hobby supply. They have a wide selection of colors and it’s your best bet to match the powder paint on your Soulcraft (powder paint is baked on at 400 degrees so there isn’t any touch-up paint available). A free t-shirt to anyone giving me part #’s for paints that match Soulcraft colors. Any by “match” we mean “looks just like”.

While we would like to say that we have never seen a broken Soulcraft frame, it happens once in a great while. The great thing about steel is that is gives you a lot of warning before it breaks, but you need to look for those warning signs in the form of small cracks at or near any joints. So check around the welds of the frame and fork for small cracks. If small cracks are left to widen, they could over time allow a catastrophic failure to occur. Bottom line; check your equipment at least once a month if you ride a lot.

For all you folks with Soulcraft frames that have singlespeed Slider/Rocker Dropouts, throw a little “blue” LocTite 242 on the threads of the mounting bolts. This will keep them snug longer. Also, do not use anything bigger than a 160mm rotor with our frames or forks. They are not designed to deal with the bigger torque loads and brake geometry of the bigger rotors.

[3/14/2006]