Custom Oak Cycles 650B French Randonneur Project.

This is gonna be awesome. Interesting seatstays, never saw that before.

Liking the minimal rear light in that pic

Bike is 95% completed, we've decided on a paint colour and scheme that's slightly more complex than the recent Oaks Ryan have design and build.

Long story short, it'll be a very minimalised and simple classic paintjob as a nod to people like Jack Taylor's work, think of it a combination of the French, English, American and Canadian* ideology toward a typical Audax/Randonneur bicycle.

What Ryan got left is the integrated cable hanger on the rear seat clamp and a bit more work on the dynamo cabling (I think).

It would be such an understatement to says I'm a mite giggly toward the frame, serious craftsmanship;

^ The blue tint is simply the plastic cover on the stainless steel mudguard.

^ The big challenge is the clearance for both chainset, mudguard and tyres, so a slight dimple (created by a modern Campagnolo crank arm!) on the chainstay is very much the best way of being able to fit a 60mm mudguard, as most framebuilder usually crest a very big dimple to give more room for a modest 32c tyres, especially on a lugged bottom bracket that does not give you a lots of room for large tyres and mudguard.

Very very few framebuilders in the world were able to not leave a dimple on the chainstay, some framebuilder usually build their own bottom bracket, or simply went for a fillet brazed approach to allowed more choice of angle.

*Ryan's one of those Canadian that walk amongst us.

gawjus.

Just after I've posted it, I discovered Ryan finished the cable hanger already, which was made with two flat headed nail, oh the ingenuity!

I guess it's the only way he'll be able to warm up in his workshop.

Think it would be quite appropriate to says that he... nailed it.

Oh my.

Keep the progress coming Ryan!

Looking really good. These big pictures really show the detail compared to on your phone screen.
Can't wait to see it finished.

Will those nails be strong enough to withstand any force from braking?
I've had a few seat post bolt hangers bend under stress.

Amazing. When you say that the dimple was created by a Campag crank, do you mean exactly that - he just bashed it a bit?

Unless I misunderstood him, he presented the left arm of a used Campag crank and show how the dimple matched the shape of the crank.

Right, ordered the SON Delux Connector-Less hubs, bit annoying it only come down in 32h than 28h, but either way, still a strong wheels.

The rear light is also ordered, only in grey but should fit with the frame nicely.

Looks excellent.

Is there a particular reason why he used a lugged BB rather than filet or custom ?

I forget why, he suggested a lugged BB instead of fillet brazed, maybe it's because I said I didn't want to have too much fillet brazed on the frame otherwise it look a little.. "smooth" (like a shaved vagina on a 30 years old that resemblance a child's).

touch of lugged BB and the wrap around seatstay should make it look smart.

I didn't want to have too much fillet brazed on the frame otherwise it look a little.. "smooth" (like a shaved vagina on a 30 years old resembling a child).

I think you got it bang on. I had a Roberts Frame which was fillet brazed with lugged bb and seat tube collar, breaks it up nicely. I think the reason for the lugged sleeve was to strengthen the fastback stays. Though i could've got that wrong and it might've just been an aesthetic choice, as your above enallage so perfect encapsulates.

Looks like Ryan has excelled here. I really like the internal routing and cordless options for keeping it looking clean when built....and I do love those supernova rear lights...

Nice one Ed, look forward to seeing it all come together.

Think it would be quite appropriate to says that he... nailed it.

this is nice, there is a road frame in vintagebikecave on sale now which has exactly this, always considered it as a nice little touch

Fair enough. I just would have thought it would be easier to get around the clearance issues.

Some French 650b bikes especially tandems had lugged BBs with widely angled ports so that curved chainstays could be used to bring a big tyre and mudguard in tight and allow short chainstays with no dimples. I've seen a pic somewhere (Bicycle Quarterly probably) which shows a rear triangle without the wheel it's pretty cool.

Here's an example of a Rene Herse one build on the 1968 demontable.

Will those nails be strong enough to withstand any force from braking?
I've had a few seat post bolt hangers bend under stress.

The forces will be running down the length of the nails, and the only forces in question are the forces generated by Edscoble's left hand while braking. Unless Mr. Scoble has superpowers, and can pull nails apart with his bare hands, I'd say they're well within spec.

It's not unheard of that framebuilder use other material to fabricated item, Ducheron use a cotter pin to make his cable hanger;

Some French 650b bikes especially tandems had lugged BBs with widely angled ports so that curved chainstays could be used to bring a big tyre and mudguard in tight and allow short chainstays with no dimples. I've seen a pic somewhere (Bicycle Quarterly probably) which shows a rear triangle without the wheel it's pretty cool.

Another notable example is the recent Rene Herse that have a custom bottom bracket to be able to accept larger tyres and mudguard, scroll down a bit to see it;

http://www.renehersebicycles.com/650b%20Herse.htm

Custom bottom bracket shell;

http://www.renehersebicycles.com/IMG_1591.JPG

Mudguard and tyres clearance are ample with a sight dimple, very important if the wheel gone out of true during a long Audax;

http://www.renehersebicycles.com/IMG_1615.JPG

Here's an example of a Rene Herse one build on the 1968 demontable.

http://www.reneherse.com/images/DSC_004013.JPG

This looks like a really good way of dealing with the coupling: