Big Bob

I’ve wanted to switch out my Isen for something a bit bigger for a while - if anybody is interested in a 57cm all season let me know. I like rim brakes, as they’re simple and I know how to set them up. I also have rim brake wheels.

My lemond is great but it doesn’t have any room for mudguards and wider tyres so it’s not great for winter. It also can’t take a rack.

So I’ve bought this. It’s big (25inch) and it’s a Bob.

1 Attachment

I’ve yet to see this frame in person, will pick it up soon I hope. Seller didn’t seem to know too many specific either so from what I can tell:

• it’s probably quite newly built from the location of cable stops
  
• I’m guessing it’s an end to end mode from the braze ons but it might be the standard audax.
  
• If it is the end to end, I think that should mean 72 head angle, 73 seat and nice long 435mm chainstays. So nice and stable and won’t handle weird with a big saddle bag or anything panniers.
  
• Not sure on head tube diameter. 1 1/8 would be ideal, but think 1 inch is/was standard. Either way it’s got a shiny Chris king headset so that’s pretty sweet.
  
• Chain pip, pump peg - both of which are nice additions
  
• Hopefully will take mudguards plus 30mm tyres. I’ve got a set of mid reach brakes, shimano br-650s, but have no idea how these play with modern 11 speed levers.
  

In terms of parts, it’ll be a mishmash of shimano bits:

It’ll be sitting on a nice set of wheels I picked up very cheaply a few months back. Dura ace 9000 hubs built to Ambrosio extra light 28/32 rims and built up by Harry rowland.

Shifting and braking will be mixed 11 speed bits with r650 brakes. Hopefully these will work ok when I put on some koolstop pads, despite differences in the cable pull they were designed for.

Bars will be a set of ritchey evocurves. They’re a personal favourite, with a nice back sweep on the tops and a very slight flare.

Seating will be taken of care of with a Thomson post and smp vulkor. This is a very very firm set up, but my rear has got used to it and the Thomson allows fine tuning of the smp’s angle really easily and which makes a huge difference to comfort.

Things I need to sort:

130 -17 degree stem, ideally a kalloy uno one.

30-32mm tyres. Something fast and grippy ideally, though not sure what to go for. Corsa controls or the nexts?

Nice, looking forward to seeing this come together

gotta pic of the Isen?

This is it - few chips and scrapes to the paint from being leant on things. Paint is beautiful but fragile, as prob previously documented on isen workshop thread. This is one of the OG ones with 12mm front qr rear. Currently in Dorset but will pick it up when I pick up the frame.

1 Attachment

could be interested, let me know if you bring it to London so I can have a test ride?

Will do. I’m based in Bristol now, but still have family in London. Likelihood though is by the time it’s in London I’ll have stripped it of all bits that would allow a test ride

Gave these a little polish this am. Ebay special I’ve been hanging on to waiting for the right frame. Fitted some koolstops which should look after the rims and work well in the wet, although I’ve found them quite squeally on my rourke. Need to get a second set of cartridge shoes though.

1 Attachment

These I’m very pleased with. I’ve owned a couple of sets of 6800 hubbed wheels and found the freehub can wobble a bit. Dura ace ones have an extra bearing somewhere to prevent this. Picked them up for just over £100 and after a quick service of the rear at Ben’s cycle workshop by castle park, they’re as good as new and super smooth. Tyres are vredestein senso open tubulars which I really like, but will put something a bit bigger on as with a narrow rims 25mm are firm.

2 Attachments

What has happened to you.

Bottles cages: Arundel stainless are best, fight me. Do I want to pay for them, no. So Planet X copies it is.

Theme will mainly be black and silver.

F&F black, headset silver. Bar and saddle black, Stem and seatpost silver. Buuuuut all that is boring. So loud bar tape it is. Suggestions for anything brash welcome.

I’m also rack curious.

I use a saddle bag daily for commute to work, and I love my Carradice camper. It’s convenient to remove and acts as a mudguard, plus crucially swallows shoes, lock and treats from the bulgarian shop when I cycle past. But it’s a bit awkward and swings and bangs all over the place. Which means I don’t put my laptop in it, have to wear a backpack and then this is annoying.

For actual long distance commuting/light touring then a rack makes more sense I’d imagine. Thoughts at the moment are for a lightweight rack and to buy some front panniers for use at the rear. Something like a tubus vega or tortec ultralight tour + ortlieb roller plus or similar. My questions are:

Will these take a 14inch laptop?
Could I strap a tent to the top of the rack?
Would I be better off getting big ortlieb rear panniers and just rolling them down more?

In with the old and out with the new as they say…

1 Attachment

Picked up frame from Bournemouth over the weekend and had a quick measure to see if it’s as I thought. Head angle a smidge steeper and rear tyre clearance might be tight with 30s but very pleased with it. Steerer is 1inch which means a shim but should be more comfy.

1 Attachment

Next question. Is it possible for this to have white cables and not look shite? I’ve got a set of gore ride on gear cables for this and trying to figure out if that could work with the black and silver given the logo is white.

white cables

Would be nice combined with the white decals

Will give it a go. Some white tape might be nice too. Or pink. Or blue. Still not sure.

Few pictures in the flesh

4 Attachments

Very pretty already

Cheers man. It’s def one for those who appreciate a decent size head tube but I think it’s rangey enough that it doesn’t look to out of proportion!

You are preaching to the choir

So for anybody with a one inch steerer worrying about 1 1/8th stem looking bulky, I recommend the kalloy ones. Blend in very nicely.

1 Attachment

Some small bits arrived. Transferred Thomson and smp over which I realise doesn’t look great, especially with the saddle so far forward, but at least clamp is actually underneath where all the weight is.

1 Attachment