Custom Oak Cycles 650B French Randonneur Project.

Why not the VO TA-esque ones? Because you've already got them on your other bike?

Nice project. 650B shouldn't be a problem in the future, seems that the crosscountry world is keen on the size nowadays. Thought the trend may have died already, extinguished by the manufacturers before it's too late.

Because I liked the White Industries crankset, they're very well made and still maintain a narrow q-factor like the TA/VO, and still be able to have a wide choice of ratios.

I'm still deciding the rear cassette, I know it'll be 11-28, it's more about whether it's worth going 10 speed or stick with 8 (the latter is more than enough).

Which groupset manufacturer are you going with? And what type of shifters? Bar ends?

I'm not really sure why you wouldn't have 10 speed. 8 may be enough but 10 gives better intervals and is far from expensive or hard to source.

I'd choose 7800. Modern but with classic looks (ie it's silver).

Shimano, easy to replace and maintain with an indexed downtube shifter, most importantly a wider choice of hubs (Chris King, Phil Woods, etc.)

The difference between the 8 and 10 speed is the closer ratios, which I enjoyed with the 12-25t cassette I was using, however, I never felt I needed more with the 6 speed 14-28 freewheel on my other bike.

I'm looking toward the 8 speed option due to cost and reliability.

Good shout on the DA derailleur, I'll try and getan unused long cage one.

good thread Ed and lovely project. Can you let me know what the saddle bag is on your Genesis? I have seen them on Fargos too.

It's a bikepack.eu one. Custom made and lovely.

I'm looking toward the 8 speed option due to cost and reliability.
Easy to get replacement chains too.

Where to get 650b tyres now? They seem to have gone from planet x annoyingly.

... with an indexed downtube shifter.....

Dear Lord!

Your bike though ;)

I have to say I find it a bit funny that 10 speed shimano is being seen as hard to get, or expensive option, when even Tiagra's 10 speed now and you're using a fairly niche wheel and tyre size.

I was more wondering if you were going for Sram apex. But I think shimano will have a better look 7800 also means that if you want to you can still pick up STIs if you change your set up in the future... and the internet haz it that the shifting is excellent.

Sram Apex don't have downtube shifter, and have a different pull ratio to Shimano.

More in point, this isn't a performance bike, I'm not going to race in it, so I don't see the point of needing to get STIs to change gears as quickly as possible, I lose what? 0.5 second reaching down to shift?

"Brifter" (I hated that term) may be fantastic, but it'll be more complicated than a simple downtube shifter set-up, especially with non-aero brake levers that you can easily removed the cable without taking it out of the housing, it's much easier to maintain and look after in the long run.

The price is a big factor beside availabilities .

A couple of years ago, I mentioned that I and my dad is going to ride in the Pyrenees soon, now this is set in stone for late summer 2013; The Raid Pyrénéen's 710km randonneur in under 100 hours before his 60th.

I'd says it's perfect timing, especially when he mentioned this before I put down the deposit.

Buying a new chain and cassette and having change from a £20 note is nice. I pay about £60 for 10sp.

Looking forward to seeing this ed - fuck the haters, it's your bike!

I was thinking more along the lines of using a tt shifter as a bar end, or doing some cleaver mod onto a down tube shifter... overcomplicating things I know which is why I’d choose Shimano.

I wasn't suggesting that you have "brifters" now. Just that if at a later date you changed your mind for whatever reason 7800 is going to be old enough to have dropped in price, but new enough to be good, and aesthetically fits.

Tiagra cassettes are sub £20.

I’m a really big fan of the project (it's very similar to something I'd love to do at some point in the future) but as I said you're including some niche parts. 10 speed is not niche, and relative to the overall cost of a custom build, worrying about an extra £20-50 on a chain/cassette seems odd.

I replaced my chain every 1,000-1,500 miles, I still don't need to replace the chainring/cassette.

That's one of the many reason why I have such thing in consideration.

Where did you order the Grand Bois from?

Think this project sounds great, really looking forward to following its progress.

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;

Where did you order the Grand Bois from?

From the states, because they're very light and small, they managed to avoid custom charge insofar.

here;

http://www.compasscycle.com/

BTW, last time I went to Paris, couple of month ago, I went to Alex Singer shop and spent at least an hour talking with the young chap there. Quite cool guy, although he has so much anger against shit bikes being produced these days. Put him in front of a create if you want to kill him via a heart attack... He has been training at brazing for the last 3 years and is only allowed to do racks for the moment! That says a lot about quality there!!
He was mainly talking, I was asking questions, about PBP, why rear axle bend on freewheel hubs, and so much stuff. It was great. I bought the Alex Singer book that some Japanese Alex Singer bike owners made, don't know if it was mentionned on these pages or on the forum before... If you want to come see it, or if you want I can arrange to come with it at some drinks. Really nice book, amasing bikes, all written in Japanese though, with an appendix in english.

and very expensive to buy in Tokyo Fixed Gear.

I always visit that shop just to read that book, good thing the staffs didn't mind me knowing full well I'm not going to spend a hundred quid on it.

But it was indeed a lovely book.

I was asking questions... why rear axle bend on freewheel hubs...

Why do they bend?

Speaking of Singer, check out this beauty...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EXCEPTIONAL-Alex-Singer-56-cm-chrome-late-40s-Nivex-/370625658378?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item564b02be0ahttp://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?pub=5574889051&toolid=10001&campid=5336525415&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]http://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?pub=5574889051&toolid=10001&campid=5336525415&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]http://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?ff3=2&pub=5574889051&toolid=10001&campid=5336525415&item=370625658378&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]

Why do they bend?

I do not have a straight answer to this. I was bending rear axles on my geared bikes, which were all fitted with freewheel hubs, old fashion yo!

I would bend, even break axles on my touring, or road bike, with different wheelsets. So I've replaced many axles in the years. I tried hollow, solid, standard KF imports products, posh "wheel manufacturing" aircraft grade steel ones with rolled threads (as opposed to cut threads). I bent them all. The only one I never bent (touching wood) is the axle of an old mavic hub, which I still use on my Mercian. Never tried titanium, my wheels don't justify such expensive quality stuff. On my road bike, I now use "modern" cassette hub and so far no complaints. BTW, that means my old wheelset is for sale, fitted with a brand new wheel manufacturing axle, serviced, it will be perfect for someone lighter than me (road wheels, Perrin Maillard Professionel Hubs - sometimes they are branded Spidel - 28H, gold in colour, laced to open pros, black rim and black spokes, double butted. Rear rim has a bit of cosmetic damage due to flippin brake pads fitted to low and who removed a bit of pain over the braking surface, but plenty of life left)

And by the way I'm not mad, although not known by most people and even amongst bike mechanics, it is a recurrent problem. I heard someone saying that in the "old days" they would replace their axle twice a year.

From what I gathered on internet, talking to bike mechanics, etc the reasons I consider believable are:

-Freewheel technology appeared at a time bikes only had up to 3 speed blocks max. That means the overhang between the the bearings and the frame dropout was quite short. Over the years blocks had more and more speeds, up to 7 on some old mountain bikes if I remember well. The overhang increase made the axle weaker, and people carrying heavy panniers, climbers, riders above 90kg like me, would tend to bend or break axles.
-The guy at Alex Singer said a heavy rider should avoid fewer spokes (he said "oh well of course you bent it!" when I refered to my 28h rims) because force distribution is not right. Not sure I believe that...
-He also said that it could be because I pedal "square", not smoothly. I told him I ride fixed, that I'm not so bad. He said I should be offended, he said even pro riders don't always have smooth pedal rotation, and this create damage to bikes. For instance, he noticed that bent axles, spoke breakage, etc mainly happened at the end of a race or audax, when the rider is tired and pushes irregularly onto the pedals, not having a smooth rotation. So I sould really work on this, have a straight back as opposed to round, have my ass out (not sure how to explain this) on my saddle as it affects alot how well I pedal... I tried, it works. Saddly most of the times I forget about it...

When I asked the question about bending axles here (mechanics and fixing) someone posted a very interested link on the subject, can try to find it if you want...

L

Really looking forward to seeing this built up Ed. I still think we need a good lfgss tour.

VeLLo, you just managed to find me a great idea for a cable guide;

Will have that on the Oak.

This is indeed very neat/cool...

Any guesses as to how this lug/brasing was done?