Reversing the Vazectomy ( or, jontea builds another Varonha)

Using up my holidays when the weather is shit is a dangerous thing to do.

Too much idle time, sat indoors, allowing my brain to work overtime, endlessly scrolling through interwebland (almost entirely bike based).

Having homed in on two specific forumish bikes, the seed was planted.
What if I just give Winston a call?
What harm can it cause?

So, to work, design a frame using basic web based design software, using my current bike as a guide, mildly influenced by the two bikes I kept returning to (well three actually, the third being Winston bike no. 1 of mine).
@Browndonneur and @JacqueLucque this build is partly your doing.
@Browndonneur's Fasted500 bike built by Pi at Clandestine Bikes
@JacqueLucque's Brown bike built by Stuart at Brocbikes

I've had previous dealings with Winston ( https://www.varonha.co.uk/ ) and knew he was the right person for the job, absolutely love his work, him being a bloody lovely person helps too.

Things I wanted (in no particular order)
700c wheels
Mudguard mounts
Paris Brest fork crown
Ritchey dropouts
The odd bit of highly polished stainless (those seatstay caps are just beautiful)
A bigger version of Winston 1 (less seat post, more headtube)
A custom stem

The frame, fork and stem have been built, currently with Steve at Aurum.
https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/400556/?offset=25#comment17575249

The bikes that planted the aforementioned seed.

Winston 1

@Browndonneur's Clandestine

@JacqueLucque's Brown bike

In esteemed company! Sparkly black is a brilliant colour choice, excited for more updates. Silver components?

Frame design/geometry

Pretty much every component is locked in now.
I have two remaining decisions to make

1. Bartape colour, I have four lots of Newbaums cotton tape (dark khaki, yellow, teal, and dark chocolate)
   
2. Crankset, either Spa TD2 sub compact with 44/28 or Middleburn R01 94bcd with 44/29
   

Bit of a mish mash, got a blue CK sotto voce headset, may work, may not.
Most other parts silver and/or black.

One of the remaining decisions has been made.
Went with Middleburn R01 cranks with 94bcd spider, TA 94bcd 44/29 chainrings.

Bit of a mish mash

This is the way.

Parts list (so far)

Frame: 853 Varonha, black with sparkles
Fork: Varonha, black with sparkles
Stem: Varonha custom, 31.8/100mm/60mm/0°(or 90° depending how you measure it), with bell mount, black with sparkles
Rims: Kinlin XR 22T, 28h, black, msw
Hubs: Novatec 171/172, 28h, black
Spokes: DT comp, silver
Tyres: Ultrdynamico Cava JFF, 700x39, black/black
Mudguards: Velo Orange Zeppelin, 700x52, silver. Raw mudflaps black/stealth
Headset: Cane Creek 40, black
Bars: Salsa Cowchipper, 46cm, silver
Brakes: TRP rrl SR, black/silver. Tektro r559 calipers, silver. Koolstop salmon pads
Seat post: Ritchey Classic inline or Nitto S65, silver, 27.2
Saddle: Specialized Power expert, 155mm
Crankset: Middleburn R01, 165mm, silver/ Middleburn 94bcd 5 arm spider, black/ TA 94bcd 44/29 chainrings black/silver
Drivetrain: Shimano XT 11-32 cassette, 9 speed / Shimano XTR rear derailleur, rapid rise, 9 speed / Shimano Ultegra 6700 front derailleur, band on / Rivendell Silver downtube friction shifters
Chain: KMC X9-SL, gold
Cables: Shimano
Pedals: Shimano ME700, or A600
Bell: Crane
Bottle cages: King (for now), then Hulsroy
Skewers: Halo hex skewers, blue, or Shimano qr
Bartape: Newbaums cotton (colour to be decided), inner tube underneath
Bar end plugs: Nitto
Pump: Topeak Road Master Blaster frame pump
Luggage: Carradice Audax saddlebag/ Bagman Sport rack

Stickers: PBAS / LFGSS / ride slow, die whenever / eat pizza, hail satan / black phillip / cars r coffins

What a comeback!

No point fuckin about!

Kind words! FWIW, @Browndonneur's bike (which was also originally a resplendent shade of brown) was a heavy influence on my Brown Bike.

Ok, I'll give you a pass this time, it's all @Browndonneur 's fault!

inspired sticker selection.
subbed

That sounds fantastic, geo looks comfortable too.

@bigshape , I do like a nice sticker, tattoos for bikes.
@Browndonneur , geo based on a Brother Mr Wooden, but with a marginally slacker headtube angle (72° instead of 73°).

Apparently RM are delivering the cranks and spider from Middleburn (BETD) tomorrow, exciting when shiny goodies arrive!

Cranks.

Very excited for this tbh. Winston 1 still lives in my head pretty much rent free. Middleburns were a great call imo. I've always wanted some but have also always found their range of options somehow bewildering.

Given the range of braking options pictured in post#1 I am pleased to see that this will have the correct brakes.

Me too (just a little bit).
Not that bewildering to be honest, square taper R01 + whatever spider bcd you require, external bb R02 + spider. But let's be honest, nobody needs anything other than square taper bb, so R01 it is, simples!
I've had centre pulls, cantis, Vs, mini Vs, cable disc, medium drop calipers, but I do bloody love a long drop tektro r559 caliper with decent pads, so easy to set up, loads of clearance for chubby tyres and guards, and they bring yer bike to a stop pretty well.

Bit of bling (that I am selling )

upload images

Panda Middleburns are lush, gold bolts to match the chain?

Really pleased with the Middleburns. Hadn't thought of gold bolts, thanks for that!

Decided to go with a black headset for this build, the ever dependable Cane Creek 40.
Blingy Chris King headset is now sold.
https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/400728/#comment17577979

It appears I'm not having a black sparkly frameset (no biggy), due to the amount of silver in the sparkly topcoat, the black base coat looks dark grey, which is not a problem at all, in fact, I'd go as far to say it looks fucking amazing.
Well happy!

Looks great, even better base for a mix of black and silver components.