The Roberts Cycles Handbuilt Bicycle Owners Club

I had similar disappointments with Colourtech, though it'd been commissioned through Barry Witcomb, so no idea how my brief was passed onto them... I wanted my Dave Russell re sprayed like for like and ended up with something completely different, though neatly executed.
Yes Mario can do that, they share the same building so it's a one stop shop. And Winston can probably guess who might have built the frame. PM me if you need contact details.

Yes David Crowe at Colourtech, I think that he was always rushing to get frames done. He told me that Barry Witcomb would be fitting my bottle cage bosses. I had recently watched an old film about an art student from Trinidad who was studying a very young Barry Witcomb at work and going to places like Hearne Hill. Really England at its best and a wonderful film. So I was chuffed to bits for Barry to work on my frame, but I doubt that he would have bodged the bosses like that.
I imagine that Winston knows his trade very well though I'm not a fan of the Varohna frames that he is building now.
I read some years back that Mario's paint is not that good, say compared to Argos or Rourke.

If I knew for sure if it was Winston or Geoff that built it, that would sway me to who to approach for the repair.

Winston will do a brilliant repair for sure, whoever built it, and paint isn't compulsory. I'd only ever powdercoat a bike these days. Aurum is good.

Thanks for posting the pictures. Very hard to tell the builder because the seat stay finish, lugs and fork crown were commonly used. Winston only joined Roberts in the mid 80s and was not likely to have left a builders mark. Geoff apparently "squeezed" the rear stay ends but they are not visible. Nice frame either way. Winston, Geoff and Phil are all legends.

Love it! Seeing this makes me feel my restoration was justified.

What a gorgeous bike!!!

My frame is now with Winston Vaz for repair. My solicitors have suggested that they arrange for a valuation to be carried out on the bike as it will be a write-off. I imagine that the market value will be around £600 which is less than the cost to repair the frame. Seems unfair to just offer me market value as the frame is unique and cannot be replaced with an exact copy.
After the repair I will need to get the frame blasted and then chromed at Fox Plating in Dartford. Then I need to find the correct RAL code for the original blue.

I would be arguing that the market value for a Roberts be something like that for a Mercian so far more than £600

Happy to have joined this Roberts group with my new-to-me tandem. This late seventies tandem was purchased near Toronto with a decal from a local shop named Bicyclesport. The owner talked about how his Dad purchased it from Mike Barry Sr. (also of Mariposa Bicycles). The tandem has been in their family ever since and was last ridden in the mid-eighties. Beautiful fillet brazing, TA, Mafac, Suntour and Campagnolo components, and a Phil Wood disc brake set up as a drag brake. Looking forward to working on it through the winter for spring adventures.

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That’s a nice Tandem, welcome.

Great condition for a 70s tandem and it looks like all original kit with the Mafacs and Stronglight. Assuming it's the original paintwork the head badge (Trewsbury Road address) would make it pre 1976 because they moved to Penge and changed the decal to reflect new address. What's the frame number and where is it stamped? Might help with dating.

I haven't found the serial number yet but will keep looking. Geoff Roberts confirmed on Facebook that it was one of his Dad's frames. I've been working on getting it ready for spring and just bought some new chains today. It's a real time capsule of a tandem and I'm looking forward to seeing how it rides. I'm thinking about removing the fenders to fit some wider tires but they look so right as they are.

Just found out horses like Roberts bikes...

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I’m likely purchasing this frameset/headset quite soon. Owner has a nice collection of handmade British bikes and is willing to let go of this one. The top tube appears bent, but no other visible damage anywhere on the frame which is strange. If it tracks straight once built, I imagine it will be OK. May look into having that tube replaced down the road. From what I understood from conversation with the seller, the price will be too good to pass up.

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Check for a corresponding kink under the top of the downtube, it's probably had a head-on prang.

Looks like something’s happened up at the top head lug for sure. What size do you need? I might know of a similar frame / full bike available (same colour), based in UK.

I had a similar misfortune with my Mercian recently (following a crash with another cyclist), it's as subtle as on this Roberts, except visible on both the DT and TT.
I rode the bike without noticing anything for couple of weeks after the crash, it was definitely rideable.
I wouldn't personally buy and ride that Roberts without fixing it straight away, so I hope you can get it for really really cheap...

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That’s the first thing I’m going to look for when I see it in person. It’s also the first question I asked the owner when he was describing the situation. He claims no other indication of damage anywhere on the frame.

I’m across the pond, but looking for a 61-63cm moat likely. Saddle height from BB center is 82cm. I’m looking for a traditional fit

The owner mentioned something in the range of $100. I'm willing to part with that to have the frame, even if only for a future repair.

I had a chance to handle the frameset in person. It’s certainly been in a front end collision, as we all expected. I passed on it for now at $150. The price is still tough to pass up, but it would mean having two tubes replaced and a repaint. Still very interested in a handmade British classic, but I think the search continues.

You did the right thing. Seller sounds like a chancer really.

He seems to just be from a different time. I don’t think he was trying to pull one over on me. Claims to have been the first American to do the LEL ride back in the 90s. I think he comes from the “bash a tacoed wheel against the ground until it pops straight” School of cycling.

Hah. I think the value of a crashed bike is a personal thing. Depends if you have a great framebuilder who will do the work.

Finally getting this built up after repair and repaint.

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