Ribble 631 650b randonneur conversion

The starting point:
So I've got this touring bike and it's great and everything but I read too much Bicycle Quarterly Starring Jan Heine and it's made me hanker for a bike that's a bit more spry but still able to go down dirt tracks and the like.

I should probably have just got someone to build me a custom frame but for some reason I'm trying to cheap out and make something off the peg fit me. I have the t-rex disease and my ideal frame would probably be 53 top x 56 seat but I spotted this 54.5 x 54.5 Ribble on ebay and decided to go for it.

Planning on a fairly normal 105 5800 groupset with tektro long drop brakes an 38mm tyres.

Cool frame! What rims/wheels are you thinking of?

So this is something of a retrospective as I am actual now at a point where I am about to start building the frame but Im going to go through through the process chronologically, there are some decisions yet to be made which I'll be putting out there.

@russmeyer thanks yeah it's probably one of the only frames ribble have made that I'd be interested in. Makes a good noise when you flick the top tube so you can tell it's quality. I think I heard somewhere they were made in Italy.

Lol username

Looking forward to seeing this develop, I too know the influence of that Mr Heine. What off road mods are you thinking?

38mm loup loup tyres, 11-32 at the back, low trail fork with thin sproingy blades and some rando bars.

So the wheels were a complete nightmare to get, I won't bore people with the details but I've ended up with a 36h synergy offset rear on a dia compe ene hub that won't fit an 11 speed cassette and a 32h grand bois front on a 105 hub that I had to take back to the shop because they built it wrong the first time (lacing error resulting in half the spokes only engaging half the nipple and the other half sticking into the rim bed). I also wanted Sapim laser spokes but none of the places I went had used them before and they're supposed to be tricky so decided against.

gorgeous baby blue..! if you havent snatched those tektro brakes, i have some for sale here. jussayinglike..;)

559s or death I'm afraid with the 650b plus fender.

So the wheels are sorted.

The front wheel I'm pleased with, the grand bois rims are really nice. Wierdly the guy that built it said they looked like a low quality rim but I think he just wanted to get a diss in after I'd had the temerity to ask for it to be rebuilt properly. Top customer service eh.

Rear hub is a bit heavy at 444g and I don't believe that the sealed unit bearings are any better than cup and cone but it's nice you can replace drive side spokes with only a spoke key. It won't fit the 11spd cassette and I couldn't be bothered to send everything back so I just took the 13t cog out and put the spare spacer at the back. Might take a dremel to the freehub body and try and make the 11spd cassette fit but only if I find myself missing that one cog.

Does look nice though.

So the wheel/tyre combo didn't fit in the fork, enough depth but not width. I'm not a carbonophobe as such but it's old carbon of unknown provenance, I'm on the larger side of average and plan to treat the bike fairly roughly. Also I fancied trying this low trail business out myself. All these factors combined led me to spend too much money on getting a fork made for me.

Pleased with it though, after contacting a number of people finally found one willing to rake the fork blades I provided. Shout out to Winston Vaz for doing a tidy job.
Outfitted with a Tifosi roller headset and Shimano CX70 cantis.

Are you getting canti studs brazed on the frame too?

How much does the rear wheel weigh then minus tyre and tube?

Not currently, as it would necessitate a respray and you can't get the right decals. Gonna try and live with the tektros and p clip rear mudguards.

@SupremeSausageChampion Dare I ask roughly how much the custom fork was? Thinking I may need/want something similar in the future. Regarding the bars, pos Ritchey Comp Evomax? I recently got some, and although can't give a full-hearted review as haven't used them, they do flare nicely and give a nod to rando bars.

About 300 quid including getting the bits shipped from the states but don't tell my wife. I was quote 150 unpainted elsewhere but they wouldn't rake the blades I wanted although they would have done a bit of extra rake on pre-curved blades.

I've ordered the Compass rando bar after I saw the Velo Orange one on someone elses bike and was disgusted by how cheap it looked. Honestly what kind of awful snob have I become? Withholding how much they cost from the wife also.

Are the time forks for sale and are they 1"?

They were but I've already flogged them, sorry.

Too bad.

Beat the OP to it! :-)

Looks tidy