Isen workshop: adventures in batch production (or not...)

I'm surprised it happened at all to be honest. At my last place, not only did we have dummy bbs to double check the threading before the frame was brazed, but the BB shell was chased with taps when the frame was finished. So any threading issues would be apparent before the customer received the bike.
But in any case, I'm not defending Isen. Just that without showing proof, anybody can just say anything on the internet.

yes ! just @Phildas being inaccurate

Haha I'm the only one being accurate.

the BB shell was chased with taps when the frame was finished.

Precisely. You always chase threads after the hot work is finished in case any distortion has affected the tolerances. If frames were leaving the shop with wrong threads, it's because this basic production step was skipped.

I never even thought about it meaning chasing and facing had been skipped. Speechless.

Hi all, I messaged earlier @dancing james as I was interested to know if anyone had managed to push past the issues. As you can see from the beginning of the thread I bought an Isen, maybe frame number 2 and then did nothing with it. I thought I questioned the chain stays with Isen but I've just checked my emails and the frame didn't come with Di2 cable routing and so I sent it back and they rectified the issue. Not sure why I thought there was a question on the chain stays, I must be going mad.

I have a set of 700c disc wheels and the clearance looks fine but will check with some tyres on them.

Having read some of this thread more recently I thought I better check the bottom bracket, I took it to my LBS and they said that the thread was going the wrong way but they only checked one side so I can only assume this means its been put on backwards, unless somehow its been threaded in the same direction on both sides.

Anyway, I messaged Dancing James privately to try and avoid fanning the flames but it seems to have been used to do that despite my intentions.

I'll take it back to the bike shop and get a proper assessment of what exactly is going on.

Number 2? I didn't think the first run of these had the issues that the later ones seemed to have.

I'd just be buying an English thread outboard BB (IIRC the early ones were 68mm for 24mm axles or cartridge BBs, could be wrong though) and be trying to install it. Bike shops can fuck things up to a hilarious degree too.

I messaged Dancing James privately to try and avoid fanning the flames…

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As long as it’s not for SRAM and the BB shell is the wrong way round.
You can get over this by using a Hope BB as they supply an inner shim for the difference in crank axle width from NDS/DS (on SRAM not Shimano, they are same diameter left and right)so that could be fitted to either side

I was questioning the need for having the bike shop validate the shell is the wrong / right way round or otherwise fubar'd as it's simple to determine this for oneself. Good to know that you could ride it if it was in backwards though.

Torqued up to 40nm and checked regularly, you will probably be ok with a backwards BB though obviously not what you would have wanted.
Assuming you're using Shimano as you said you needed di2 routing so it should be fine either way round.
I don't know if the first batch were BSC (that everyone refers to as BSA) or T47 but it is the same situation either way.

Mines from first batch and my arms are both puny and british. Threaded correctly too.

Can confirm frame number 1 is British thread BB correct way round.

I messaged Dancing James privately to try and avoid fanning the flames but it seems to have been used to do that despite my intentions

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Frame 4 is BSA and threaded BB is in correct orientation.

Talk at the time was how T47 and rear thru-axle was unnecessary and only lead to heal clearance issues. My bigger issue is that the rear end is closer to 132mm than 135 so a pain to squeeze wheel in and out.

FYI, if you were interested in sorting that, it's a pretty simple job to either do yourself (if you have a vice and a long stick) or get sorted by a shop. It seems rudimentary to fit the frame in a vice and pull at the dropouts but that's how to do it, checking each side with a frame alignment tool and a caliper between the dropouts.
A lot of frames will be pulled in or out a little while being brazed. The framebuilder will just have cold set them straight before you ever find out.

If it is just a matter of coldsetting the drop outs and the frame is otherwise 'straight' a less brutalistic method (and possibly less damaging to a paint finish) is to spread the drop outs by way of a screwed rod and some bolts.
I recently had occassion to consider this when a frame built for me was too narrow at the dropouts. However having strung the frame to check alignment it turned out the frame was IMO too far out and needed remedial 'leverage' to straighten.
Having paid a fair amount of cash for a bespoke frame I wasn't happy to do that.

Or accept it's a feature, not a bug 😹

A mm or two on each side can be done by hand pulling and the BB faces in the vice should be free of paint so it won't do any damage. The downside of spreading both sides at once with a threaded rod is that you can't control each side independently whilst checking alignment. It could be that only one side has pulled in or that they have pulled in or out by different amounts.

Ah I see that I said a vice and a stick. The stick is for checking alignment of each side.

After 6-7 years and maybe 30,000 km later its a feature.

So it turns out the BB shell just needed cleaning up, LBS have chased it and installed the BB no problem. I think the guy I asked previously didn't want to look at it and jumped to the conclusion of it being backwards which is pretty crazy.

A lot of worry for absolutely no reason.

that's good news, hope wheels and tyres fit and that the seat tube has been reamed. If the bike is still at the LBS it might be worth asking them to check that and also that the disc brake mounts have been faced.

Just a quick update, wheels and tyres fit fine 700 x 32 was all I had to double check but room for fatter. Seat tube all good and the brake mounts have been faced. I just checked the cranks fit as well.

I think I’ll sell the frame as I not riding anymore, at a huge loss I’m sure! I wanted to make sure that everything was ok as I don’t like the idea of passing problems on. I feel lucky that I didn’t get any of the issues the later frames suffered from

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