Custom Oak Cycles 650B French Randonneur Project.

chrome a big bit then mask?

Pretty standard for quality steel road frames from 80's-90's, they usually have some chrome somewhere like forks and chainstay and pain elsewhere.

Just thought I'd give this a little bump to see if anythings happened.

A little under two weeks ago, last I heard he done all the hot work, and what left is the cleaning up to do, he just recently finished a polo frame.

Just waiting for Ryan to do what he do best, I'm fairly certain he won't forget that he had just finished a somewhat complicated frame.

According to the geometry, I can finally get away with having a longer stem and a normal reach bar.

Previously, I compensate by having a 100mm stem and a very short 75mm reach handlebar, or on classic drop, 95mm reach with 80mm stem.

Now 110mm (ordered 100mm and forget that Nitto tend to be 10mm longer than claim's) and a 110mm reach handlebar.

Nice to have a normal bar set-up for once.

Are you still going to use the fancy Grand Bois stem?

Edit. Sorry didn't read^ properly.

Decided to leave it and get Ryan to make me one (with integrated cable holder and decaleur) as well as a front rack.

Those will be in part 2.

Lovely tablecloth at #379....

Now 110mm (ordered 100mm and forget that Nitto tend to be 10mm longer than claim's)

Depends how you measure it, of course. A Pearl 10 is 10cm if you measure it as though it were a 0° stem, 11cm if you measure it along the top, as a -17°.

Decided to leave it and get Ryan to make me one (with integrated cable holder and decaleur) as well as a front rack.

Those will be in part 2.

Good call I reckon.
In for a penny in for (several hundred) pounds.

Are Ryan's stems good?
Did Ryan used to work at Brixton Cycles?

Depends how you measure it, of course. A Pearl 10 is 10cm if you measure it as though it were a 0° stem, 11cm if you measure it along the top, as a -17°.

Precisely, they also have a clear diagram on their box showing exactly that.

Still, not sure if there's other manufacturer who measured it just as Nitto does.

Are Ryan's stems good?
Did Ryan used to work at Brixton Cycles?

I've seen his recent work and was impressed if a little flummoxed by the purpose of such set-up;

As for Brixton Cycles, no idea.

Now 110mm (ordered 100mm and forget that Nitto tend to be 10mm longer than claim's) and a 110mm reach handlebar.

What is this all about?

On my BMC I found myself resting my hands say 7mm back from ideal hood position on long rides. Which is less than ideal on 'ergonomic' Campag hoods. Despite having the exact stem length, and bar reach, my ETT should require. Not that its an exact science. Wasnt overly keen on getting a 90mm stem. Seemed a bit MAMIL-esque. Then I read that Easton alu stems tend to run nearly a full 10mm too long. Now have a 90 (actually 98mm) EA90 0deg stem in place.

While I forgive such mistakes for something like inflated tyre width. How difficult is it to measure, and correctly label a stem?

Methinks they measure it centre to top rather, did not know modern stem from other manufacturers were a touch long as well, since Nitto are measured differently, I doubt it also applied to modern zero degree stem.

My 3T felt a tiny bit longer than my Cinelli by half a cm, luckily I quite like it now as I rode in the drop nearly all the time.

I can't find an image of the Nitto box with their measuring diagram, but it's this:

With the Pearl you end up with a 'trad' measurement about a centimetre longer than the specced measurement (i.e., Pearl 10 is more like 11cm, Pearl 9 more like 10cm). It might be that other manufacturers measure their stems in the same way, perpendicular from the centre of the steerer, even on ahead stems.

I can't tell if Slowfurry old stem is zero degree or -6/7, if it was then that measurement make sense.

Still I got into the habit of measuring stem before buying them now as Dammit would check rims wear before buying a wheelset.

I can't tell if Slowfurry old stem is zero degree or -6/7, if it was then that measurement make sense.

Still I got into the habit of measuring stem before buying them now as Dammit would check rims wear before buying a wheelset.

My old stem was 5 deg, and marked 100mm. I've removed spacers, and added a 0 deg 90mm stem. Looks far less 'professional'. But it gets me in a slightly better position, while losing stem length, steerer length, and spacers. So its a teeny bit stiffer, and lighter.

Theres a weight weenie thread about weird Easton stem lengths. Pretty sure its not a case of measuring the 'effective' stem length.

...as Dammit would check rims wear before buying a wheelset.

You must spread...etc...etc.

^ what's the story? Exploding used wheel?

An epic LFGSS tale etched into the Internet memory forever on the bad traders thread.

TL;DR - He bought a set of used wheels without properly checking them till he got home. The seller had probably not given a completely honest account of the history/wear. But the condition was clearly visable so it was a case of buyer beware.

Correction; 4 months after he brought it.

Seller advertised it as good condition with plenty of life left in it, until he realised the hubs isn't smooth and the rims show several wear past the safety limit which need to be ditched.

Luckily he only use it on a turbo trainer.

Update; Ryan finished the frame already, I'm seeing him next week to talk about the paints, he have some idea...

(Currently in Budapest otherwise would've gone much earlier).

Awesome news. Can't wait for the final shots.

dits!

Hi Ed - I have been thinking about going to Oak Cycles for a custom fixed audax kinda do it all ride myself. Was also going for a build using the SP dynamo hub - in fact I already got one to build up new wheels around for my g/f bike. Are you having any kind of internal cable routing for the lights?

A recumbent or an upright Audax bike? :D

Are you having any kind of internal cable routing for the lights?

Fully internal, the front will be a SON and the rear's a Supernova, because the bicycle will have a steel mudguard, it will be easy to run the cable on the inside for the rear light when mounted as I won't be having a rear rack on the bicycle much like this;

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It's mainly to keep the bike looking smart and tidy with minimal cable and wire showing that you don't realised the lighting actually work, and would look equally pleasing on a fixed wheel audax bicycle.