Geoff Roberts Framebuilding course - first and second, and third frames. And fourth (now finished). And fifth.

Haterz gonna hate

Yes. I think I might just go ahead and do that.

It's actually really refreshing to see someone doing something different stylistically for a change. I like the paint job and I don't think I'd ever hear myself saying it but actually really like the finishing kit too.

Like it. Thought you might be exaggerating about offending people's sensibilities (like full Dura Ace with a SRAM cassette or some other relatively trivial thing) but no, you've gone for the nuclear option! Agree with @7ven that it's nice that you're having a crack at something different

Dennis the Menace called, he wants his bike back... etc

Do not compromise: red tyres or GTFO.

This has got me in the mood to build another frame, so I've just booked up to see Geoff in January. I am excite.

I nearly had to use black and red Schwalbe Ultremos due to the pigging awful Velocity Quill rims - rant to follow. Think I've avoided it though - plain black Schwalbe Pro-Ones ATM.

Hmmm. Which week? Could be tempted to do the 'rent a workbench' option.

Week commencing 14th.

Hmmm, will check diary.

It's aliiiiiiiiiive...

We're missing the big picture here

I feel dirty for liking this

Looks like it’s time to GTFO.

Is it just me or do the images only work if you open them in a new tab? Just got broken image symbols in the thread.

Either way the bike looks cracking.

Is it just me or do the images only work if you open them in a new tab? Just got broken image symbols in the thread.

Well, they work for me. Have a picture of the whole bike, top of the Coll de Bracons this afternoon.

1 Attachment

I like it. you do you!

Excellent! I'm liking it too at the moment. I'm on holiday near Girona, and so far the bike has performed admirably. Not too heavy, stiff when climbing, descends nicely and it tracks straight and true so hands-free riding isn't an issue. Overall, it's not bad at all, and Di2 is as much of a delight to use as ever. We rode up to the Panta de Susqueda today, and here's BB3 with a friend's Trek Madone by the dam at the end of the reservoir:

Spec as built is as follows:

Brommers Bikes frame, Llewellyn DOS lugs, Columbus Spirit and Life tubing
Easton EC90SLX forks
Ultegra 6870 Di2 front and rear mechs
Ultegra 6770 levers
Dura Ace 7900 brake calipers
Dura Ace 9100 compact chainset
Dura Ace 9100 SPD-SL pedals
Ritchey WCS wet red bars, stem, seatpost
Fizik red bar tape
Selle Italia Flite GelFlow saddle (red)
Powertap GS hubs front and rear, Velocity Quill rims, CX-Ray and CX-Sprint spokes
Dura Ace 9100 11-28 cassette
Blackburn bottle cages (black and red to match downtube and seattube)

Well the Brommer Bike #3 did sterling service in Spain. It climbs well, is comfortable for long rides, and it descends really well. My friend on a Trek Madone with deep carbon wheels had to work reasonably hard to keep up on the descents, although my status as a Naturally Gifted Descender may have had something to do with that.

The only real problem I had was with the Velocity Quill rims, which are total rubbish. They're 99 quid each, but the quality is really poor. There's a noticeable step in the rim at the join. Also, the brake tracks are stupidly narrow. But the main problem is that the recess for the tyre to go into simply isn't deep enough, so it's a nightmare trying to fit tubeless tyres. If you have more than one layer of tape, it's impossible to fit a tyre. If you have a single layer of tape, you can just about fit a tyre with some serious effort and tyre levers, but it's such hard work it's easy to disturb or damage the rim tape, and once the tyre's on it's so tight it has very little interest in popping into place. Total crap, basically. When I get a moment I'll strip them down and rebuild them with Kinlin XR26T rims, which are close enough on ERD that I can reuse the spokes.

But once I'd got the tubeless setup sorted, it was all most excellent. Here's BB3 by the sea:

and here's some edgy urban background in Girona:

Since I've got back I've chopped down the steerer to remove the spacers above the stem, and fitted the carbon wheels this bike will be running when it's in the flatlands of the Fens. They've got a Powertap rear hub too, but an older Pro model with J-bend spokes.

Still no red tyres, but it does have red writing on the tyres. One of the local cats liked it.

In other news, the fate of Brommers Bike #4 remains uncertain. Originally it was going to be my bike in Basel after @Cycliste left my PlanetX unlocked for long enough for it to get nicked. However, I then made a semi-impulse purchase of a Lynskey R470 Disc frameset in Lynskey's Labour Day sale. That hasn't gone quite to plan, as Lynskey have managed to ship the frameset to the wrong country, addressed to the wrong person, and 7 weeks after I ordered the frameset it still hasn't arrived. So Brommers Bike #4 may end up being my Basel Bike after all.

i'd go for a black saddle and this tape (the rest looks neat!):

Nah, far too tasteful.

I actually really dig this, with the exception of the red striped tyres ...

They wouldn't be my first choice these days, but they were what was on the wheels and there's plenty of life left in them so it seemed a waste to replace them with something a little less garish. And they do match the general 'lots of red and black, no taste' design ethos.

BB#5 is go.

@Cycliste and I are doing the Three Peaks Bike Race this summer, racing unsupported from Vienna to Barcelona via Stelvio, Finestre and some pass in Andorra I can't remember the name of. This is rather different from anything we've done before, so obviously I need a new bike to do it on. Required specs are:

• dynamo front wheel
  
• dynamo lighting front and rear
  
• carbon fork with internal dymano wiring
  
• hydraulic disc brakes
  
• Di2
  
• all internal cabling and wiring
  
  

In order to make life as complicated as possible, I've also decided to go for a tapered head tube, hooped monostay seatstays and stainless hooded thru-axle dropouts at the back. Fillet brazed, of course, in a mixture of Columbus Spirit, Life and Max tubing.

I'm currently off down with Geoff again building BB#5, keeping @Jingle_Jangle company. This is where I've got to so far.

More to follow.

Not. Jealous. At. All.

New frame looks sweet!