Custom Oak Cycles 650B French Randonneur Project.

It does, it mean the headtube won't look big if it were to set at a normal 265mm.

With a freakishly short top tube, I would like the bike to look at least a bit normal.

I prefer Dammit's build. Using modern componentry to enhance a hand-built frame is good IMO. Quill, stems, shit brakes and downtube shifters can follow the chevrons.

Agree with all of this... Each to his own though.

The bike does look lovely, though I have to pull you up on one thing.

You say that with this bike the down tube shifters are closer to you than bar end ones. That is only possible if manage to ride the bike whilst sat inside the front triangle. You may be a contortionist and this how you roll of course.

You could have just said you prefer down tube shifter which is a fine valid statement, and also not complete bullshit. (Sorry I'm correcting a paper at the mo and I'm on an intensive BS removal run)

better than cutting the fork down before he's actually ridden it, no?

Correct me if I'm wrong* but I thought threaded forks were cut to the headtube length plus enough for a locknut and any height adjustment was achieved by raising and lowering the quill stem?

*which I almost certainly am

You say that with this bike the down tube shifters are closer to you than bar end ones. That is only possible if manage to ride the bike whilst sat inside the front triangle. You may be a contortionist and this how you roll of course.

I said the opposite, the bar end is closer to my hand than the downtube.

I prefer downtube over bar-end for this kind of bicycle.

Bar end shifters are BS.

Correct me if I'm wrong* but I thought threaded forks were cut to the headtube length plus enough for a locknut and any height adjustment was achieved by raising and lowering the quill stem?

*which I almost certainly am

Yes, but an uncut fork will extend further up, and could be because of a number of things like "faking" a slamdatstem for aesthetics but also a longer steerer with a slammed stem will be less flexy than a shorter one with loads of quill poking out. also you may need a few spacers to get ideal position for centre pull hanger

I prefer Dammit's build. Using modern componentry to enhance a hand-built frame is good IMO. Quill, stems, shit brakes and downtube shifters can follow the chevrons.

Nothing wrong with centre pull brakes. Well adjusted they're as good / better than dual pivots. Of course there is disc brakes, but who needs all that power, it's not a downhill bike...

Bar end shifters are BS.

Why? Never had any, but I always wanted to have them on a bike one day, what should stop me?

Are you going to be using a decaleur for the bar bag?

The main problem with disc is the fork limitation, it need to be stiffer to compensate for the braking power, and stiffer mean the blade wouldn't flex that well, especially when the disc brake tabs limiting the curve of the blade, this is also why the majority of steel disc brake fork are usually straight.

I loved disc brakes, and prefer it over conventional road caliper, but only if the fork is carbon, or a high quality steel one.

Are you going to be using a decaleur for the bar bag?

Last work for the Oak - custom stem and front rack.

Do you have a bag for the front rack already?

One of the things that amused me about my own build was to specify the rack without the bag in mind. Only to find that whilst I imagined a plethora of choice, few actually existed that met my requirements. I got an Acorn bag for the front after chewing over this... their bags are here: http://www.acornbags.com/products.html . My bag choices were reduced by my style of rack though.

I have but unfortunately it arrived this morning when they left for Bristol, it's a small one day ride bag rather than a proper randonneur one.

In future I'm trying to decided on the reputable Gilles Berthoud large randonnuer bag, or the slightly modern Swift Industries one, the Swift have velcro underneath which I really liked (like the Acorn) but unsure of how it'll stand every day.

You said you got a front Acorn bag, but I can't remember if your bike have a front rack because your Flickr account doesn't show them anymore, did you use those click fix thing?

The Acorn is the Boxy Randonneur, and attaches using velcro under the bag, and stabilises using cords to the bars. I don't use the click fix things and have had no issues with bag stability even when heavily loaded and on longer more technical rides.

Oh your Robin have a front rack?

I'm putting the Acorn down to my list of bag to look at, thought the Swift starting to lure me in, cheer.

Yes.

The Mather that won the show last year had pretty much the same rack.

I wanted a narrow platform, that overhung the mudguard by an inch or so either side. I also wanted the rack to be narrowing in appearance (parallel to the line of the spokes, the rack shape to hug the wheel), and then curve outwards at precisely the curvature of the lamp I'd chosen, so that the rack basically integrated the lamp too.

It's inspired by a Rene Herse I'd seen, except the Rene Herse had the lamp set forward of the rack and I wanted mine set fully back into the rack so that when a bag was mounted the front of the light was perfectly aligned with the front of the bag and that the bag neither shielded the light, nor the light stood proud of the bag.

And to add the final level of complexity for Robin, when the racks are removed not a single hint on the frame should suggest racks ever existed. There are no braze-ons or mount-points for the racks or mudguards visible on the bike.

And yeah, no photos of my bike online anymore... least not by me. I haven't worked out the best photo sharing thing for Linux yet. I have 83.8GB of photos (some 19,825 individual photos), and nothing is cost-efficient or useful at this scale. The best tool was Picasa, but as soon as I moved to it Google pulled the Linux version. So now my photos are local only.

And to add the final level of complexity for Robin, when the racks are removed not a single hint on the frame should suggest racks ever existed. There are no braze-ons or mount-points for the racks or mudguards visible on the bike.

This is pretty much the best example of the difference you were talking about last night.

Bar end shifters are BS.

Really?

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy and direct they feel. I makes me wonder why downtube shifters survived. My only two gripes are; 1) routing the cable, and 2) that they move in a counter intuitive direction - ie click "down" to go up a gear.... but I guess that's partly to do with also being TT shifters.

I was skeptical about the eggplants bar tape, but I loved it.

I've got the aubergine Newbaums tape as well. It will fade and lighten a bit, but ends up with a really nice pattena as it wears.

Looks really good now it's finished. Although I'm disappointed it's missing your much promoted rear 'gaurd mud flap behind the chainset. ;)

Velocio the only pics I can seem to find are these: http://www.lfgss.com/post1089981-239.html

any others kicking around?

Looks really good now it's finished. Although I'm disappointed it's missing your much promoted rear 'gaurd mud flap behind the chainset. ;)

The SKS mudguard wasn't very well designed at that junction where water can escape onto the chainset quite easily due to how it was cut and shaped.

Only time will tell whether the GB one work better, for which I'm certain they will.

^ Just pulling your leg.

^^Yes.

I just closed a tab with close ups of the frame. Just google image velocio robbin mather.

Why? Never had any, but I always wanted to have them on a bike one day, what should stop me?

Really?

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy and direct they feel. I makes me wonder why downtube shifters survived. My only two gripes are; 1) routing the cable, and 2) that they move in a counter intuitive direction - ie click "down" to go up a gear.... but I guess that's partly to do with also being TT shifters.

Always knocking them with my knees and accidentally changing gear also have to be careful what you lean the bike on or you'll break them, especially if you're fully loaded and all the weight goes on the shifters. Downtube shifters to me seem a lot more practical, I would never go back to bar end shifters on my touring bike.

Fair enough. It all makes sense. I do know what you mean about knocking them.

Velocio the only pics I can seem to find are these: http://www.lfgss.com/post1089981-239.html

any others kicking around?

Only on my computer.

The Retroshift levers I have on my cross bike work extremely well- I recommend them heartily.

Only issue is you cannot change from the flat of the drop, but I'm unsure how much time is spent in a flat sprint on a touring bike?