Roberts Audax Compact build

Yet another Roberts thread! Partly inspired by Hunterlar's lovely steed, I picked this slightly tatty frame up off eBay:

I'm going to have it repainted and then build it up with NOS Ultegra 6600 bits. This is the current plan, mocked up in Bike CAD:

The parts are starting to arrive through the post, and I need to decide on a colour scheme pronto, so any thoughts/ideas/spittle-flecked rants welcomed.

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Looks great, can't wait to see this get started!

Cheers, there'll be a delay of a few weeks before anything happens while it's being painted, but I'll post some pics of the parts as they arrive. Not that they're massively exciting or anything, but it's not going to be a concours beauty like Hunterlar's bike, it's going to be an everyday all-rounder, much like yours I expect.

In terms of coulour, I'd go for something solid and utility-like.

One of those really black, blacks, or a mid matt blue, or gun metal grey.

Noice, what's it made from? As Hugo says, I think a gun metal grey would look amazing.

Gonna have to scramble together some pics of my Roberts now ;)

Actually isn't 6600 kind grey?

Well, it has a Columbus Nivacrom sticker, however the Roberts website says that the Audax Compact is made from a mix of Columbus and Reynolds tubing (probably 853, since that's what the standard Audax is made from). That's the current range though, and mine was made in 2004* so maybe the tube mix has changed since then. I'm assuming a mix of Nivacrom and 853 for now.

(*a guess from the frame number, since Roberts didn't answer my email asking about it! I should really phone...)

Actually isn't 6600 kind grey?

The 6600 SL stuff is kind of gun-metal grey, but the standard stuff (which I'm putting together) is raw aluminium/alloy/silver-painted.

Ahhh another budget road bike build that will turn out looking amazing for an astonishingly low price. This is making it hard for me to resist joining in the fun and having a go myself.

I got the frame back today from being painted by Ellis Briggs in Bradford, they did an amazing job on it. I went for plain white in the end, a bit boring but the Genesis Croix de Fer in white just did it for me the first time I saw it.

The parts have been arriving thick and fast:

NOS Ultegra 6600 Chainset, BB, derailleurs and shifters;
Used Dura Ace 7800 front calliper, new R650 rear calliper;
Dura Ace 10-speed chain;
FSA Omega Compact bars.

Charge Spoon Ti brown leather saddle;
Ultegra seat post.

Used Ultegra 6600 wheelset (not that you could tell by looking).

Columbus Tusk forks;
Brooks brown leather bar tape;
Hope silver bar plugs.

Here's everything:

Just waiting for a headset now, which is in the post with any luck, and a stem. I was thinking about either a white FSA one to match the bars, or a silver Deda Zero 100. Either way, I'm waiting until the rest is built and I've tried a couple of sizes on it before I pick one.

In reply to Harold above, it's not been cheap (at least not by my standards, I've had to sell a whole bunch of records and other stuff on eBay to fund this), but I've made big savings by buying NOS and used kit.

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I really like this.

If you've put it together for less than £1000 (and I'm sure you have) you're laughing.

Looking good.

I'd go with a black or silver for the stem - I've got a deda zero on my conder. It's a nice shade of grey that'll look good with the rest of the build... they're also fairly light and good quality.

If you did want a 120mm stem in white , I've got a nice procraft one here: http://www.lfgss.com/thread83103.html
same as here: http://www.bike24.com/p29034.html

Lovely!

I really like this.

If you've put it together for less than £1000 (and I'm sure you have) you're laughing.

Ta, and yes it's coming in below £1K.

If you did want a 120mm stem in white , I've got a nice procraft one here: http://www.lfgss.com/thread83103.html
same as here: http://www.bike24.com/p29034.html

Looks good, but 120mm is a bit long for my arms. Cheers though!

Out of interest, what did Ellis Briggs charge for the respray? They're about 10 miles from me, just near my Dad's... Looks like tidy work.

The respray was £87, plus £13 to apply the decals and another £17 to mask the head badge since it was a bit fiddly. I'm really pleased with the work, although I don't know how hard-wearing it is yet.

Price list here.

So, it seems Brooks brown bar tape is quite a different shade from the brown leather Charge use for their seats. It'll all change colour through use anyway, right? Gah.

Cool project! Looking forward to see the finished bike!

This is virtually finished now. All it needs is some fettling of the drivetrain and a proper set of pedals on it (currently testing it with a beat up old pair of rubber dutch-style pedals that came off my missus' Raleigh Twenty...), I'm thinking about a pair of A520 or A600 (if I'm feeling flush) SPDs.

First impression, it rides beautifully. I've never had a proper, lightweight steel bike before and it's so, so different from the alu, cro-mo and gaspipe I've been used to. The Spoon saddle is super comfy, I'm going to put one on my other bike as well. Photos to follow when I've fitted proper pedals and decided whether to desticker the rims.

Looking good. I'd normally think about de-stickering wheel rims to show off the frame, but the Ultegra font looks like quite a good match for the Roberts decals. Be interested to see it built up.

Nice vinyl collection BTW. I can only make out Joanna Newsom but it's a good start. :)

Looking forward to seeing it built up, I'd say de-sticker but that's only me... What tyres did you go for?

I haven't gone for any tyres yet, as such, just slapped on a pair of 25c Gatorskins I had spare. I can't decide if it wants gumwalls or not.

PhilPub - Interesting point re. the font, that hadn't occurred to me, cheers. La Newsom is pretty representative of the rest of the vinyl, all the usual DC indie-rawk suspects present and correct!

Done. I think. Maybe.

Wow. That looks the business! Makes me impatient to get on and finish mine! Have you put it in the roberts owners thread?

No, not yet. I'm going to desticker the rims first (I feel they look a little 'busy'), and then take some decent photos outside. If it ever stops raining.

Forgot to say, the last parts to arrive were the blue CK headset (used but virtually as new, and cheap thanks to a comically poor eBay listing), a dark silver Deda Zero 100 stem, and a pair of A600 SPDs.