Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

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gregmacc
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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby gregmacc » Thu Apr 07, 2016 1:56 pm

Thanks for the links geoff and Uncle ... both look promising ... I will investigate further ...

savvas
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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby savvas » Sun Apr 10, 2016 5:09 pm

So... assuming one has signed up to become the owner of an Elephant NFE frame'n fork a few months down the track, what would the hive-mind advise as to fit out? The bike would be ridden with a B17 and would be 'all-purpose'. A front porter rack and dynamo set-up is de rigeur of course, and it's highly likely that shifters would be friction bar-ends or those retro-shift-type thingumys - but what else? Brakes? Crank & chain set? Set-back seat post? Tyres? One is no longer in his '20s btw...
Savvas.

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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby wqlava1 » Sun Apr 10, 2016 5:58 pm

savvas wrote:So... assuming one has signed up to become the owner of an Elephant NFE frame'n fork a few months down the track, what would the hive-mind advise as to fit out? The bike would be ridden with a B17 and would be 'all-purpose'. A front porter rack and dynamo set-up is de rigeur of course, and it's highly likely that shifters would be friction bar-ends or those retro-shift-type thingumys - but what else? Brakes? Crank & chain set? Set-back seat post? Tyres? One is no longer in his '20s btw...
Savvas.
I'm at number 40-something on the waitlist last I looked, not likely to be available before late (southern) spring even optimistically, and maybe a Ravn frameset or other options might be available by then. My list includes MCX1, IRD QP-95 if it's long enough, IRD wide compact crank with a 29T small ring, and Rat Trap Passes. I want it to pull apart for travel in cars & planes so I need to find a larger clamp to mount some retrofriction DT levers (although a Gevenalle setup would be interesting to try and looks pretty robust), then I need to work out how to disconnect the brake cables so as to take off the bars. I want wider rims, not sure yet what. I wouldn't buy a set back post unless there was a problem to be solved with it.

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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby savvas » Tue Apr 12, 2016 10:57 pm

Hi wqlava1,

Thanks for the ideas and inspiration. Can you provide a link to the wait list? I contacted John to get on it some weeks ago but wasn't aware it could be monitored.

ta,

Sam.

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singlespeedscott
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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby singlespeedscott » Wed Apr 13, 2016 10:07 am

It's a little annoying that they didn't spec standard down tube shifter bosses on the NFE. That way you have much more options in the shifting department.

I really don't understand why they went with the top tube cable routing TBH. Cables will slide through pretty much anything. Its crap built up around the derailleurs that effects their shifting performance.
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wqlava1
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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby wqlava1 » Wed Apr 13, 2016 10:12 am

singlespeedscott wrote:It's a little annoying that they didn't spec standard down tube shifter bosses on the NFE. That way you have much more options in the shifting department.

I really don't understand why they went with the top tube cable routing TBH. Cables will slide through pretty much anything. Its crap built up around the derailleurs that effects their shifting performance.
+1 on both points - but they're not going to do changes now and refuse to do custom work when they have such a long waitlist, understandably.

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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby Espresso_ » Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:09 pm

singlespeedscott wrote:It's a little annoying that they didn't spec standard down tube shifter bosses on the NFE. That way you have much more options in the shifting department.

I really don't understand why they went with the top tube cable routing TBH. Cables will slide through pretty much anything. Its crap built up around the derailleurs that effects their shifting performance.
I didn't realise that - quite a negative. My frame bag would be easier to attach without having to go around cables, although that's not the end of the world. Down-tube shifting I'm not fussed about, but they're not a negative if the cables route via the down tube.

Maybe something for fixing in the next iteration.

E

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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby wqlava1 » Fri Apr 15, 2016 2:49 pm

Espresso_ wrote:
singlespeedscott wrote:... they didn't spec standard down tube shifter bosses on the NFE......top tube cable routing .
I didn't realise that - quite a negative. My frame bag would be easier to attach without having to go around cables, although that's not the end of the world. Down-tube shifting I'm not fussed about, but they're not a negative if the cables route via the down tube.

Maybe something for fixing in the next iteration.

E
Elephant has a queue well over a year long, at the optimistic 1.5 F+F/week they are estimating now, and are trying to keep to that by batting away all the requests for downtube shifters, couplers, etc. I tried asking, but I'd say it is what it is, and that's not bad overall. The next iteration (and I have no inkling of any change or fixes in their minds after watching as closely as I can) would be after they catch up (or when demand eventually starts to slow, both possibilities a long way away - my interpretation!), as they have tried a few ways of using extra labour and batch processing to speed it up, and seem to be settling on just help with the early stage of fork construction. So they've changed chainstays and chainstay forward attachment position by a few mm as per the mention in BQ (moderating the only significant criticism from that review), and it will remain mostly made by the one guy, both of which are pretty good comments.

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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby singlespeedscott » Sun May 22, 2016 1:13 pm

Just reading Jans latest blog update and it appears the latest edition of bicycle quarterly is to be out shortly.

https://janheine.wordpress.com/2016/05/ ... /#comments

Looking forward to the review of the Firefly and converted Bontrager OR Enduro Allroad bikes.

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As an aside has anybody had any experience with the Rat Trap pass tyres on the bitumen?

How much slower on the road are they compared to the Babyshoe Pass?
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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby wqlava1 » Wed Jun 08, 2016 1:55 pm

And now the Crust Romanceur - but USD1200 for frameset (admittedly including an SP dynohub in the preorder), plus getting it here, and a rather eclectic website that's not real long on high quality specs. The Reynolds 853 tubing they're using is good. Still, it looks like someone has gotten the original Ravn description and tried to act quicker than Rawland.

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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby singlespeedscott » Sat Jun 18, 2016 7:44 pm

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gregmacc
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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby gregmacc » Mon Jul 04, 2016 12:48 pm

I've recently emailed both Boulder Bicycles/Rene Herse and Box Dog Cycles regarding my interest in their respective 650B rando offerings ... No response from either ...???

savvas
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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby savvas » Sun Jul 10, 2016 7:06 am

wqlava1 wrote:And now the Crust Romanceur...
Wow - they are big bikes. Not used to looking at a 'small'...

I'm #62 on the NFE list (I'm down for a 'medium'). Anyone know what the current rate of build progress is?

Sam.

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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby wqlava1 » Sun Jul 10, 2016 11:10 am

Sam, you're actually 61st, by my count. I saw a few drop off the top about 2-3 weeks back, but John Sp appears to be now 3rd, so he might have stopped updating in the excitement of getting his own. :-). Or maybe they might be getting a small batch together for painting?

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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby singlespeedscott » Sun Jul 10, 2016 2:29 pm

gregmacc wrote:I've recently emailed both Boulder Bicycles/Rene Herse and Box Dog Cycles regarding my interest in their respective 650B rando offerings ... No response from either ...???
That's a bit disappointing.

Have you had a chance to actually ride a 650b low trail bike with42m tyres?

I'm still undecided as I am finding 32mm tyres seem to fit the bill for the riding I do. I do wish for a large handlebar bag.
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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby savvas » Tue Jul 12, 2016 6:45 am

OK - news items:

1. Ravn pre-order announced (complete bikes): http://rawlandcycles.com/collections/bi ... ducts/ravn

2. Reconfigured NFE frame/fork package coming in a week or so according to John at Elephant bikes (fork re-design has slowed down building progress).

Not sure where this leaves me - apart from being #61 on the NFE list and maybe getting on with things and being happy riding the bike I've got (there's a moral principle in there somewhere...)

Savvas.

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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby singlespeedscott » Tue Jul 12, 2016 8:02 pm

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New Specialized Sequoia. Designed as a lightweight, front loading fast touring bike. Very interesting. Especially the base model that uses the same lightweight steel frame with a steel fork.

Rumor is that 650b wheels will also be available

http://theradavist.com/2016/07/call-it- ... -design/#1

http://www.bikepacking.com/bikes/specia ... ia-review/

http://road.cc/content/tech-news/196889 ... es-details

http://www.bikerumor.com/2016/07/11/am- ... ecialized/

http://bicycletimesmag.com/specializedsequoia/
Last edited by singlespeedscott on Wed Jul 13, 2016 1:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby singlespeedscott » Tue Jul 12, 2016 9:35 pm

The winner of the 2016 re-edition of the French technical trials

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http://www.victoire-cycles.com/en/our-b ... trial.html
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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby LugNut » Tue Aug 30, 2016 10:04 pm

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I decided I wanted more tyre clearance and so I gave my friend some money and he built me this. It's built to clear 650x48mm tyres with fenders, and is mocked up here with 26x2.3" tyres. Frame is made from Columbus Zona/SP however the fork blades are heavy duty tandem blades. 1" threadless steerer, running discs not because I prefer the brakes but because it opens up a lot of tyre and rim options, mainly super wide carbon 650b rims. Front rack is a Haulin Colin.

I'm going to rattle can it myself in three tone fade (pink through orange through to yellow) for now as it still requires a few finishing touches down the track. Then I'm going to build it with Campy shifters and shiny 7&8 speed junk that I have been hoarding for many moons. I expect it will offend some people but I'm super happy.

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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby savvas » Fri Sep 02, 2016 9:10 am

That's a FFOut bicycle! The chain stay junctions look very strong and the fork looks nice. Do you know what rear drop-outs and fork crown your friend used?

Sam.

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LugNut
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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby LugNut » Tue Sep 13, 2016 11:00 pm

Rear dropouts are mismatched and I'm not sure where either came from, there wasn't much to support the disc tab on the matching non drive side dropout so it swapped for something a little beefier. Hence the slight curve in the non drive stay to fit the new dropout. Fork crown was meant to be Pacenti Paris Brest but ended up with a slightly generic-y but super wide B90.

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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby singlespeedscott » Fri Sep 16, 2016 5:46 pm

Sweet Lugnut. It must be nice to have friends who can knock up a frame for you.

I am currently in the process of assembling a mid 90's Moongoose Alta into an all road endruo style bike. I got my Rat Trap Pass tyres in the post the other day and cant wait to trial them out.

I really need to find a decent set of 26" rims. The pair of old Mavic 231's I have got are on their last legs and I am loathed to spend the coin on replacing the munted drive side spokes so I can get them up and running again.

Any body got any lightly worn 26" rims they want to part with. Ideally some Mavics or Stans No tubes :wink:
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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby Espresso_ » Sun Sep 18, 2016 6:44 pm

singlespeedscott wrote:S
Any body got any lightly worn 26" rims they want to part with. Ideally some Mavics or Stans No tubes :wink:
You would think they would be available easily / cheaply second hand these days? Surely not too many MTB types interested in them...

I have a spare 26" XC tubeless wheelset, but I'm keeping it for a RTP use at some point in the future...

E

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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby wqlava1 » Sun Jan 22, 2017 7:44 am

So almost 3 years to the day since discussion was first initiated on the Rawland Ravn design, the much-delayed disc Ravns are apparently shipping (over half the first batch have sold) and the possibility of the originally suggested canti Ravns is being proffered by a Rawland representative. See over on the rCOG list.

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Re: Thoughts on modern mass produced 650B randonneurs

Postby singlespeedscott » Sun Jan 22, 2017 4:24 pm

Been bloody slow in the making. I also see they have released some new racks to go with the bikes
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