How to - drill a hole in your bike

[Mook]

8 minutes ago, MTBRIDER1234 said:

You should know that pretty much every bike that doesn't have routing for a dropper is long out of warranty. Hence why they have nothing to loose

 

Then I would recommend doing it yourself if it makes you feel more comfortable, as long as you have a drill, a file and a steady hand, it is really easy. Just make sure it is in the right spot.

Attempt to secure the frame in a drill press in order to execute pressure at right angle to the tubing. Pilot hole first with a sharp 3mm bit before going 5 or 6mm. Apply tape to protect your paintwork and needle punch the spot if possible. The tape makes it easier for a sharp bit to stay on the mark.

Good luck 👊

[Hendel Clase]

Thanks for all the replies. No surprises on the variety of them as well 😁

I am not worried about warranty claims etc, none left anyway. 

I have taken note about the stresses and issues that can be caused, specifically with the heat build up - I think the safest option (apart from not doing it) will be to start with a small hole and work your way up, with a round file if possible. Then also to make sure its as water tight as you can get it, perhaps get a rubber grommet for the hole.

It will also be on the bottom of the seatpost, don't want to change anything on the BB area. 

Once I decide to pull the trigger I will post pics here 😀
 

[Hendel Clase]

26 minutes ago, Jehosefat said:

https://www.on-lynecomponents.com/collections/dropper-posts

They have externally routed dropper posts for R3,400.

I think someone else mentioned them as well

I know about this one. Apart from the price (yes, I am a cheapskates), the cable just looks like it will catch somewhere, perhaps on the bike rack etc. Dont like the look. 

might consider one of these two or similar:

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/dropper-seat-posts/630171/x-fusion-manic-dropper-post

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/dropper-seat-posts/625117/syncros-25-dropper-150mm-travel-316

Edited March 29, 2023 by Hendel Clase

[MTBRIDER1234]

29 minutes ago, Mook said:

Steel, yes ........ I have personally installed many rivnuts on forks and down tubes. Loaded my bike with panniers and cargo cages over rough terrains without having any of my DIY's fail on me.

Alloy, naaaah ....... I believe that you create multiple fine hairline cracks in the metal around the hole which are not visible to the naked eye. Alluminum is prone to crack under stress especially where heat is introduced. Yes, there will be many success stories - probably since the riders are not aware of the hidden damage they have done to their frames. Simply not worth the risk for me.

Carbon, hell NOOOOOOO

I have seen and ridden all 3 of those materials with holes drilled in them. All 3 rode beautifully and lasted years. You must know what you are doing, as if you drill it in the wrong spot, it is game over. And carbon is risky, as it is very easy to get wrong.

[Barry]

29 minutes ago, Hendel Clase said:

Thanks for all the replies. No surprises on the variety of them as well 😁

I am not worried about warranty claims etc, none left anyway. 

I have taken note about the stresses and issues that can be caused, specifically with the heat build up - I think the safest option (apart from not doing it) will be to start with a small hole and work your way up, with a round file if possible. Then also to make sure its as water tight as you can get it, perhaps get a rubber grommet for the hole.

It will also be on the bottom of the seatpost, don't want to change anything on the BB area. 

Once I decide to pull the trigger I will post pics here 😀
 

An oval or ellips hole in aluminum is better than a round hole. Ok i won't get into the physics of that but same would be for the windows and doors on a plane etc. Maybe someone with the time could give an explanation.

Edited March 29, 2023 by Barry

[SwissVan]

4 hours ago, MTBRIDER1234 said:

You should know that pretty much every bike that doesn't have routing for a dropper is long out of warranty. Hence why they have nothing to loose

I must be Special(ized)…having 6 bikes in my bike room which came with a lifetime warranty on their frames.

Obviously this is subject to the manufacturer’s conditions, hence my original comment.

Stand easy

 

[dasilvarsa]

Had a look at the frame holes on 2 Alloy Meridas and the holes all have Inserts in them. They are not just drilled holes. Also noticed that the tubing is very thin.

Edited March 29, 2023 by dasilvarsa

[love2fly]

I drilled my Adrenalin carbon frame last year just behind headset area into the downtube. As a past post stated, use tape, start smallish and at an angle, then I finished with a round file to get the angle. Done. The frame is so over engineered I don't give it a second thought...

[100Tours]

I have drilled T6 aluminium and titanium frames for bottle cages and Di2 cables with no issue, and even taken a grinder to the Alu frame to take off some unwanted mounts. The Ti bike has done well over a thousand k's on gravel, and about 4000 on tar for the Alu frame.

My drilling approach is to start with a small dremel to make a pilot indent and then follow with a larger drill. I also prefer to use a cutting paste on the drill to keep things cooler. Just don't slip when you start the hole, and as everyone says, at your own risk.

[PhilipV]

I e done this with an old On One 456 carbon frame. 

Drilled it at the bottom of the seat tube, slightly off set to the side,  at an upward angle so that the cable enters with less than a bend. Finished it with a small round file. 

That was three years ago. That bike gets treated like a red-headed step child and I've forgotten about the hole I've drilled into the frame. 

[FondyMig]

The early Campagnolo EPS battery required a hole in the frame to mount the charging port. I'm not aware of many frames having this, so we had to make a plan to accommodate this. 

I nervously drilled a 5mm hole into a brand new Bianchi XR4 frame to mount this, check the the pic. It's 5 years, and no problems to date.  It looks like the carbon is well engineered for small things like this. 

[Me rida my bicycle]

If the bike has internal cabling just run it through the frame. It's a little bit of a pain, remove the bb and fork and run it out where the front derailleur cable would go. 

If it's got external at the bottom and it's aluminum at the bottom of the bb on most bikes is a small hole where the water can run out. I would just very carefully make it a bit bigger. 

[Jewbacca]

I have done a few, steel, alu and carbon... Steel I would just ask Dave Mercer to do it and add a port.. Probably cost about 400zar and will have a port welded around the hole.

Alu I strip the paint, bend another piece of alu over where I want to drill, then drill tat 1st, then epoxy press that to the frame and drill using the pilot hole with a brand new/sharp drill bit. Neaten with file.

I do similar with the carbon frame as above except I lay up some carbon over a piece of foam shaped like the tube, then epoxy press that onto the carbon frame and neaten with a file. 

Very doable and also very easy to make it look pleasing and be functional

[RobertWhitehead]

I am slightly confused, I have only installed one dropper before but you need to get the cable from the handlebars over to the seat but I can almost guarantee that you currently run a 1x setup so run the cable as if the FD and when you get to the point where it goes through the piece of plastic underneath the BB then unscrew the little screw and run the cable in there without having to drill. If you're currently using said piece of plastic for the rear mechs cable then drill next to it. There's no way that the BB shell area will crack or get damaged, just remove the crank and BB before drilling the hole. Easy peasy 

[Mamil]

I ran a Lynn external dropper on my last bike for years. Performed immaculately, never caught on anything at all. Neatly ziptied external cable in place ... No hole in frame, no worry about what that might mean for integrity of frame, passed it on to the next owner knowing that it was in no way compromised. 

Of course I've also plugged a mismatched speaker into an underpowered amp and cost myself money cos I wanted to play but at least I wasn't riding it down a rocky mountain path.

#riskaverse

[betaboy]

2 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

I have done a few, steel, alu and carbon... Steel I would just ask Dave Mercer to do it and add a port.. Probably cost about 400zar and will have a port welded around the hole.

Alu I strip the paint, bend another piece of alu over where I want to drill, then drill tat 1st, then epoxy press that to the frame and drill using the pilot hole with a brand new/sharp drill bit. Neaten with file.

I do similar with the carbon frame as above except I lay up some carbon over a piece of foam shaped like the tube, then epoxy press that onto the carbon frame and neaten with a file. 

Very doable and also very easy to make it look pleasing and be functional

Anybody in Jozi that can lightly braze or make a small modification? Any recommendations gents?