Custom Oak Cycles 650B French Randonneur Project.

Tiny top tube. You're a big fellow Ed, surely that's going to have you much too upright, and limit your positions?

I'm 5'10" and need a 53cm TT. And a stoopid long seatpost. I believe it is referered to as "T-rex syndrome".

My 30th next year, thinking about getting a custom bike made for that. No Idea what though.

I'd have thought rear rack eyelets are a good idea - you could probably just get away with one on one of the seatstays, or even drilled into the inside of the stay. They're only about 1cm long afterall (and the eyelet on the chainstay is unlikely to be visible).

At least there's a long time before November to change specs - I'm half expecting this to morph into a 'classic lightweight racing bike with clearance for Fat Larrys and spacing/dropouts for a Rohloff'.

Edit: Enjoy though - having a bike built for you is a nice experience

I'm 5'10" and need a 53cm TT. And a stoopid long seatpost. I believe it is referered to as "T-rex syndrome".

My 30th next year, thinking about getting a custom bike made for that. No Idea what though.

Congratulations for not looking anywhere near the age of 30.

No. Rack. Mount.

Mind you it took Ryan some convincing that I definitely don't want a mount for a rear rack.

rolls eyes

The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles: Craftsmanship, Elegance, and Function: Amazon.co.uk: Jan Heine: Books
Ed, I take it you have a copy of this book? Some lovely Randos in there and great examples of the constructeurs elegant little touches on various bikes...

Since when did braker start using hairspray?

I have to say, I've always had a fancy for a 650b Frenchie bike. They just have a lovely bomb proof feel about them, with no attempt to emulate a racing bike. Seeing snaps of Rene Herse bikes is what me eventually go custom. Sadly, even 700c wheels look like MTB wheels under me, being a big chap.

Only thing I'd say is, Ed, just fit the rack braze ons, just in case. In two years time when you don't want to ride any other bike but this one, you'll be kicking yourself. Never mind that you've got a bike with rack mounts - when you want to tour THIS bike, you'll be sad that you can't.

Good luck!

I was thinking rack mounts would be handy in case of(heaven forbid), mini-scobles in the future. Now I think about it though do baby seats mount in some other way instead? Meh.
Look forward to seeing how it turns out whatever you decide to do with it. If you're going proper rando I expect an integrated rear light and some other esoteric but cool custom add-ons.
Benefits aside, 650b is surely just for hipster points....

Are you going dyno hubs too?

Look forward to seeing how it turns out whatever you decide to do with it. If you're going proper rando I expect an integrated rear light and some other esoteric but cool custom add-ons.

No rear light, front rack will feature mount for a front dynamo light set-up for the future when I put it on.

Lucy have some wise wisdom, I still strongly oppose to having a rear rack, having said that, there's no reason why I shouldn't have a rear rack integrated to the mudguard and get away without such mount, this can be made much later when I get older and it'll be the only bike in my stable;

If I were to have a proper rear rack, it would be something exactly like this;

This would help keep clean aesthetic with non added braze ups-

You could take on and off, depend on how you feel yourself.

Puts the weight way too high though.

High back weight + short TT = constant wheelies.

Yeaaahhhaawww!

I've decided that I'm going to stop hating on ed's build. He's going by the book on this one so that should only be encouraged. I'm gonna get all Supernanny up in this bitch by ignoring the bad and praising the good. I still think you should get rear rack mounts though. If only to stop it looking as gash as the Lotus.

Praises!

Ed I'm glad you're getting this thing built, you've been hankering after this sort of thing for ages, so good luck to ya. Custom is the best value for money, despite the price!

In the pics of the rear rack you like^^ the top eyes on tge seat stays are way below the brake bridge. Maybe you should include those anyway, you could always use them to attach a big flag saying 'Retro and proud'...

This looks interesting Ed.

650b wheels help prevent toe-overlap with your freakishly short TT I guess. You'll probably be able to get a Colnagoesque wheelbase too for the 'feel faster' bit.

This would help keep clean aesthetic with non added braze ups-

This isn't a good idea, they weigh a tonne, don't keep bags out of your rear wheel very well, the weight's in the wrong place and they put your junk far too high up.

650b wheels help prevent toe-overlap with your freakishly short TT I guess. You'll probably be able to get a Colnagoesque wheelbase too for the 'feel faster' bit.

That what I and Ryan agree on, I was on the fence in deciding whether to go with 700c or 650b, but we went for the latter due to the short top tube, plus already been riding with 700c wheels for quite a long time, it's nice to have a different bike than the usual.

Regarding the geo, it'll likely to have a 73 degree seat and head tube, with a lower bottom bracket (265) with a 70mm low trail fork rake (all estimated), the good thing about Ryan is that he already got this sort of thing in mind before I gave him a handful of geometry chart of a typical Rene Herse 650B randonneur bicycle.

Thank Skull, glad you like the idea.

I'm still insisting on not having braze on, it'll strictly be a randonneur bike, even this beautiful Bishop 650B Randonneur bike doesn't have brazed on for a rear rack;

When climbing on a 33% grad, I have to stand up not because it's more effective (it isn't)

lol.

Riding out of the saddle is less efficient but uses different muscles.

hoops never sits down. He's out the saddle all the way before standing at the top of climbs... laughing out loud.

Or something.

I don't know why everyone is bothered about ed getting rack mounts, its hardly like its impossible to fit a rack without them.

Ed will always find a way

lol.

Well you can either sit there and said "load of love", or tell me why this isn't so, I thought its acceptable to get out of the saddle to celebrate reaching to the top of the climb/to attack?

Either way I find it much more effective sitting down and powering through.

Before Ryan get started on the project (he's currently doing Jenne's bike as we speak), he needed the component in order to make sure it's the right fit for the frame, so I've placed the following on order;

Entry level 650B touring wheelset (will be replaced by a lighter Hope/ Velocity wheelset soon, 28h front, 32h rear).
Paul Racer brazed-on brakeset.
Gille Berthoud 650B mudguard with clearance up to 44c tyres.

Right now, the first part that come in the post is the Grand Bois 650B 42c tyres;

regarding the crankset, I decided to go for a modern equative of the classic TA cranks; the White Industries VBC crankset, 170mm with a 46/30 chainring.

not the prettiest crankset to grace upon the frame, but I'm sure I can make it work;