Isen workshop: adventures in batch production (or not...)

That’s intense.
Rear skewer tho

That's... Aggressive!

And yeah. That skewer. Pls.

Wow

My partner's 650b All Season that was written off in a crash, has finally been replaced. However, there are quite a few issues with tyre clearances at the rear in that they're nowhere near the 42c + guards that was confirmed on email and is advertised on the website. It's pretty poor after almost 6 months of waiting for something as basic as clearances to be wrong.

Sadly it'll likely need to go back to Matt and Caren for them to sort it out...

It looks nice though...

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Very similar to my bike in terms of clearance problems and multiple returns to get it sorted. Good luck.

I was told when I had the problems that the bike wasn’t meant to take such tyres despite an email trail to the contrary.

Legitimately getting a 42 between the chainstays needs the inside of the stay to be at least 25mm from centre. Fitting a road double chainset needs the outside of the stay to be no more than 37mm from centre. Do the maths. While Isen shouldn't be claiming that it can be done, there is some responsibility on the part of the customer to realise that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is.
https://timharford.com/2021/04/cautionary-tales-number-fever/

Add another 10mm for those promised mudguards!

Could you just run 37c with 42mm guards and start riding happily today? Bike looks great and ready roll...

road double + 42mm tyre at 650 is very doable, less space at 700 but still not impossible at all. I have built several frames that clear that + mud. Im sure Isen are capable of it also, they are very good, probably just one of those things that slips through. I cant imagine building frames for a living, would be a pita.

I fail to see how any responsibility should lie with the customer, the frame builder is supposedly the expert. I also checked with them about 4 times on email that it would definitely fit so feel that should be sufficient.

Literally. Normally agree with tester but not this time. No responsibility should fall on the consumer at all. If a framebuilder says something about the frame they're gonna build me, I'm gonna believe them.

Yeah it runs fine in road mode and was ridden today. However, the whole point of the bike is the ability to stick some chunkier tyres on and run gravel tyres, that's what the current clearances don't allow for. It's a lovely road bike, but if that's all it is then we'd have probably bought something else. Anyhow, hopefully it all gets sorted out!

Have I been out of the gravel scene so long that 37c is considered road width? Fair play I guess I'm a real 25c4lyf guy

wut? 99% of the consumers wont know this. Some of us do but we are weirdos.

It's my partner's bike and she's only little so feels bumps and broken surfaces a fair bit. She's done gravel on 38c before and wanted more traction and width.

Yeah fair. I'm little too so I feel this

Sadly they have known the frames capabilities since the first production run but still make these claims.

Yes but you'd think some tweaking would be possible. Someone else out there must've received a variant that fits 650x42 with fenders?

I'm hoping they can sort it. I'd be happy enough if the 42s can fit without guards as she won't be using guards off road.

Until your partner realises how cushy 42c is and wants to maybe experiment on road with 42c and mudguards.

Just hypothesising obviously. But the bike should be able to do it in the future if your partner wants to do it in the future. I know you know this but the whole point of a custom or semi custom bike is not compromising on anything. If 42c and guards are supposed to fit, they're supposed to fit and I wouldn't settle for anything less.

You're 100 percent right. However, the various tails of woe I've had from other forum members today via pm about Isen issues (particularly clearances) doesn't inspire confidence it'll be dealt with sufficiently, well see I guess...

99% of the consumers wont know this. Some of us do but we are weirdos

If you're in the 0.1% of bike buyers weird enough to buy a steel frame from a boutique, you ought to know enough about the subject to work that stuff out.

she's only little so feels bumps and broken surfaces a fair bit

#whatpressureyourunning

She normally runs around 30 psi so over pumping isn't the issue

I can't accept this argument. If your job is to build frames, then providing accurate information to your customers is surely a fundamental part of that. I specifically checked clearances with them, I didn't just go off the website. Why as a consumer should I be expected to question what the qualified expert who is building the frame tells me it can fit?