Custom Oak Cycles 650B French Randonneur Project.

Ed,
This is a great project.
I've been wanting to build a bike like this for years -since I read the Golden Age book when it first came out.
I actually found this thread while Googling the Pacenti 650b rims, I'm thinking of getting some 650b wheels for a city bike so I can fit some big bombas tyres into an old frame.

I have a couple of questions; are you going to have a custom rack , is that something Ryan can make? I'm planning on building one myself soon - I've got a bit of brazing experience and I've found a source for aircraft grade Cr-mo tubing.
Why not a custom stem, those Grand Bois stems are probably about the same price, no?
Have you thought about using the wireless Schmidt dynohub connector? You could get it fitted while the forks are being made and get the hub/wheel later. I'd definitely go for that -its proper integrated lighting, the set-up that Jan Heine has with the switch in the stem cap is properly ace.

Already ordered a matching DA 7800 front braze-on derailleur (Ryan argue that it's stiffer than a band-on)

The White Industries crankset in 46/30 have yet to come, Jammy's also waiting for a set too.

@edscoble - I'm just looking at using 7700 front mech and XTR chainset with similar size rings does the chain ring diameter make a difference? have both but not a frame to try them on yet. Admire the use of DA -so pretty.

I have a couple of questions; are you going to have a custom rack , is that something Ryan can make? I'm planning on building one myself soon - I've got a bit of brazing experience and I've found a source for aircraft grade Cr-mo tubing.

This is up to Ryan, I would like to have a rear rack integrated to the steel mudguard (like Velocio's hybrid), I don't know whether Ryan is interested in doing such thing in the future, but will talk to him soon about it.

Why not a custom stem, those Grand Bois stems are probably about the same price, no?

The stem have it's own decaleur mount making it a little cheaper than a custom stem with a custom decaleur mount on it.

Have you thought about using the wireless Schmidt dynohub connector? You could get it fitted while the forks are being made and get the hub/wheel later. I'd definitely go for that -its proper integrated lighting, the set-up that Jan Heine has with the switch in the stem cap is properly ace.

I thought about it, but decided the traditional way would be fine, inasmuch I like my bike to be almost on par with a Rene Herse, I rather like to keep it simple and straightforward.

it will have mount for a front dynamo only, the front Velo Orange rack I brought will have the upside down Edelux;

Mind you I now discovered I can get the part for the wireless dynamo from Compass Bicycles, I reckon I can talk to Ryan about this ideas and see what he said.

Mind you I now discovered I can get the part for the wireless dynamo from Compass Bicycles, I reckon I can talk to Ryan about this ideas and see what he said.

The kit's only $20 as well, labour for fitting etc would be a little more than that though ;-) I think they're a very cool thing.
-I've been lusting after one of those hanging Edelux lights too, I want one for my new town bike build (slight over-kill)

Yours is going to be some bike.

The White Industries crankset have arrived after five months, all that's left is a SKF bottom bracket, but need to figure out what length I needed, quite possibly an 110mm (recommendation is 113mm).

Ok - where is the bike Ed?

this is all getting a bit "Super heavy, super slow" ...

This, luckily isn't due to my own inability of removing the bicycle from the kitchen, Ryan have still yet to build the frame, as currently he's doing a fantastic looking steel fillet brazed track frame for a customer;

Don't forget Velocio's hybrid took twice as long...

This, luckily isn't due to my own inability of removing the bicycle from the kitchen,

touché

it will have mount for a front dynamo only, the front Velo Orange rack I brought will have the upside down Edelux;.

Would this work with a B&M IQ Cyo do you think? I am currently toying with ways to attach one to the same rack, but I thought maybe the upside down beam wouldn't work as well as it was intended.

The upside down Edelux is specially made with inverted optics (at the cost of a rear light relay and the low light switch). I don't think the IQ Cyo is available for upside down mounting so your beam would be all wrong.

I have a B&M upside down on a rack at the moment and indeed the beam is all wrong. I looked at ripping it apart to invert the reflector but I couldn't be arsed. It does look possible but you would need to cut the plastic and restick it somehow.
I'll soon be remounting it the correct way up when my bike gets a full rebuild with new rack.

The upside down Edelux is specially made with inverted optics (at the cost of a rear light relay and the low light switch). I don't think the IQ Cyo is available for upside down mounting so your beam would be all wrong.

Thought that might be the case. Will have to look into another way. I'm loathed to pay the £4 for what looks like a fairly ineffective solution from the VO bracket.

Have emailled Ryan about the wireless dropout.

I have a new plan and that is to do the London-Edinburgh-London audax this July/August, 1400km in 5 days, the bike will most definitely be finish by then.

As for the upside down light, if you have a mid-fork mount, then you can easily mount the light the right way round and still be low enough to case shadow on the road to see potholes and the like.

I have purchase a new pedals, I find the XT spd pedal to be a bit of an overkill for a randonneur bicycle, so it'll be replaced by the cheaper but lighter one sided touring pedals that'll look better with the frame, unless someone convinced me that road clipless pedals is better, I see no point in changing over from the MTB one.

If I liked it, I'll go for the Ultegra quality A600 version with a better bearing in it and retired the original to my road bike (the XT go to the fixie skidder naturally).

Cranks are amazing Ed...

Thank man, I'm very anxious for the frame to be finished!

Why not a custom stem, those Grand Bois stems are probably about the same price, no?

just out of interest, where's a good place to go for a custom stem?

framebuilder generally, Ted James come to mind locally.

http://www.tedjamesdesign.com/work/custom/

Exciting project for sure. Don't sell it!

I am a bit in awe of you

I mean you don't mess about do you - you know a thing or two about building bikes

^ and ^^
Been here long?
:0)

Cranks are amazing Ed...

They can look really good - that IF audax/light tourer with SRAM springs to mind - just a shame that they're square taper. If you need the chainring size flexibility it probably outweighs that though.

The plus side is that you can get a very tough bottom bracket that'll need little to no maintenance whatsoever, SKF come to mind when I can afford it;

http://www.shedbornbikes.com/skf-bottom-bracket-24-p.asp

This is the IF you're talking about;

I originally was going for Independent Fabrication, but they cost nearly twice as much as Oak.

Surly look decent with the crankset, I'll have to be very careful with the colour choice otherwise it'll look plain wrong like this;

I think the Riv' has a certain charm.

But isn't there some type of law that forbids you to build them up with brifters and clipless peddles?

Yeah, that's the Indy.

On a tourer square taper's not the end of the world, I guess.

Chainring difference is pretty epic/odd on that Rivendell, especially with a short cage mech. Actually, it's a really weird mix of parts overall.