Now for sale! Argos fillet brazed space rocket audax bike of my (broken) dreams

That's bad news! 23c and Audax is not a great combination. Is it not possible to use 28c tyres and find a different solution for mudguards?

Jealous of the iPod

Nah it’s all good - would much prefer the comfort of staying dry from road spray by having proper mudguards rather than an extra 5mm of squish in the tyres, if I have to choose!

Carrying on with the build in the absence of tyres, I had the sudden idea to test the rear clearance with a 23mm trainer tyre I had kicking around. Lo and behold the clearances are perfect - designed around 23s as I suspected. Have chucked in an order for a £15 pair of Schwalbe Luganos on Amazon in case they turn up before I find a local pair - Sunday’s first ride might still be on!

(promise I won’t find out the hard way why trainer tyres shout FOR INDOOR USE ONLY at you…)

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A prime 650b conversion candidate!

So much this

The bike is done. No photos as it’s dark and rainy, but one test spin round the block is enough to tell me this thing wants to go fast.

Approx weight is 10kg, so entirely fine. Photos to follow in the morning. 650b is an interesting idea, may explore in future.

Side note: have discovered there’s room for a 28mm up front, so will run this with the cheap 23mm Lugano on the rear for now. Business in the front, party in the back, amirite?

That means a constant uphill, no?

Shit, you’re right…

The standard thing was to trim 2-3cm off the ends of the bars when using barend shifters to regain the clearance lost to the shifters.

Ah man, this thing feels good

Quick spin in between horrible rain showers here - gears need a bunch of fettling but otherwise it’s banging. Front 28mm tyre might be a bit tight for comfort so will sort that in due course.

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Lovely build that! 👌 classy + functional

Cheers! Feeling pretty chuffed how it’s come out given the tight budget I was on.

Still to do:

1. Swap tyres out for better/matching 23/25 pair (got some cheap black Paselas on order)
   
2. Get touch up paint from Argos
   
3. Ride to Bath and back along the railway path on a quiet morning - there’s a stretch of smoooooth tarmac along the railway line I like to zoom on, so will be good to see how this flies
   
4. Choose a name - preferably masc, must be dumb.
   
5. Test out hashtag bikepacking mode - Carradice Super C on the back (the big one - may need a Bagman), lil Restrap frame bag, tent strapped to handlebars) in preparation for a summer end-to-end
   
6. Failing that, test fitting a rack
   
7. Try not to slip out on the ice doom that the lovely Somerset lanes are about to become, and to have fun in the meantime
   
8. Eventually replace the slightly dying front wheel - TB14 same as the rear, and either matching 105 hub or a SON if I can find the money for it
   

So this bike is a total delight - still can’t quite believe it’s mine.

The only snag is the skinny skinny tyres - turns out they’re bloody uncomfortable on all but smooth roads.

So a 650b conversion may be in the making - likely SJS own-brand rims (like Pacentis but way cheaper), SP Dynamo front hub, and Shimano-whatever rear. Would love to squeeze a 40mm ish in there but tbc. Will hang onto the 700c set but this is crying out for a more rando vibe. To be updated.

Oh, and the Brooks might be the comfiest saddle I’ve ever had - who knew?

I have a spare 650B wheelset. 105 hubs on velo orange rims, complete with grand bois tyres. I'm in Bristol too, if your nearby?

650b

Ah yes this makes me happy

Woah that sounds perfect - PM coming

Smashing set of 650bs just picked up - thanks again @Mucker

42mm tyres are too tight for the seat stays in test fitting just now, but only by a bit. Have got some 35mm Schwalbes on order that should fit nicely

@passhunting any updates :)

So the update is that this is back down to a frame and fork again - beautiful thing, and rides like the wind, but I'm just not in a place to be riding anything fast and uncomfy right now. Will revisit it in the future so not going to do anything silly like getting rid, but this is on a long pause basically

That's sad.
Wouldn't it ride very different with the 650b's?

True, and I had made it work okay, but a very specific touring frame that I've been looking for for years has come up locally, so rather than trying to adapt this frame beyond its original scope I've decided to put it to one side for now. Basically, I can only afford to build up one or the other (having burnt all my money buying a house), and comfy touring is more my bag for the time being.

I'll start a new thread for the new build, as it's gonna be a long one, and will revisit this in due course if my circumstances change.

Soooo this frame may be up for sale soon, given other projects that have come up and also the fact I’ve realised it’s a crying shame for this not to be ridden. Classifieds thread likely to follow but give me a shout with any prior interest

It’s a gorgeous frame… how long is the top-tube…?

Just measured it up - centre to centre the top tube is 58cm, and the seat tube is 59cm. Fits me well at a leggy 5ft 10 but ideal for anyone either side of 6ft