# Brevet Bike



## links0311 (Aug 20, 2004)

I like the A. Homer from Rivendell, but the 2K price tag for the frame & fork is a tad more (but not out of the question) than I wanted to spend. I'm looking for a good light touring bike that can effectively carry 20-25lbs worth of supplies and can ride all day at 15 mph. Any suggestions? 

-Links


----------



## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

Fer $1500 you can get a custom american frame and fork, fer less than that you can get a custom english frame- I can't remember how much tarwheel paid for his bob jackson, but it was an obscenely good deal...

It wouldn't cost too much to get a used middle-of-the-road steel race frame from the 70s- that'll give you room for 28-30mm tires no problem, have braze-ons for racks and fenders brazed on and then get it all repainted- you could probably do that for under $500 if you went with 1-color powdercoat.

Or, if you ride a 61 (rivendell sizing) I've got a beautiful Rivendell Romulus that I'll be selling next month for a very reasonable price. Or sooner if anyone is interested right now.


----------



## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

I'm thinking for long road rides (which is what brevets are) you are going to want 700c wheels.

Gunnar Sport or a Surly Pacer would be fine.


----------



## RedRex (Oct 24, 2004)

Soma Smoothie. We all run our commute bikes on our winter training rides for doubles and Breverts, and always seem to lust over one pal's Smoothie. Its a nice choice for such things.


----------



## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

*bikes*

Salsa Casseroll, Soma Smoothie or ES, Jamis Aurora or Elite are all great options.

My Bob Jackson World Tour that Buck-50 referred to cost $600 for the frame and fork, including shipping and insurance from England. It took about 2 months to receive after ordering, but I think they are taking longer now. You can pick any color combination. BJ also makes an Audax model that would be suitable.


----------



## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

tarwheel2 said:


> ...My Bob Jackson World Tour ....


That is one pretty bike. :thumbsup:


----------



## links0311 (Aug 20, 2004)

The Bob Jackson does look nice. How was it dealing with them? When you placed your order did you just email/call in your measurements?


----------



## Scott B (Dec 1, 2004)

MB1 said:


> I'm thinking for long road rides (which is what brevets are) you are going to want 700c wheels.
> 
> Gunnar Sport or a Surly Pacer would be fine.


I'll second the Gunnar Sport. Good bike for a good price. I've had mine for 15K+ miles and it's going strong. I like the 57mm reach road calipers, they are powerful and super easy, and you can fit fenders though them. 

It is fairly stable and comfortable ride. The frame has a fair bit of flex, but that does smooth out the ride. You can make it go when you want to, but it is not nearly as twitchy as the typical road race bike. It's a good all arounder, I use mine for long rides, commuting, and even some light touring.


----------



## Guest (May 22, 2009)

tarwheel2 said:


> Salsa Casseroll, Soma Smoothie or ES, Jamis Aurora or Elite are all great options.
> 
> My Bob Jackson World Tour that Buck-50 referred to cost $600 for the frame and fork, including shipping and insurance from England. It took about 2 months to receive after ordering, but I think they are taking longer now. You can pick any color combination. BJ also makes an Audax model that would be suitable.


Tarwheel,

What is that front rack?

I could use that on my Strong which does not have front rack mounts but does have canti bosses.


----------



## RedRex (Oct 24, 2004)

toomanybikes said:


> Tarwheel,
> 
> What is that front rack?
> 
> I could use that on my Strong which does not have front rack mounts but does have canti bosses.



....or a framebuilder could drill your blades, repaint the fork, and BAM you're installing a low-rider and wearing a big smile.


----------



## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

*rack*



toomanybikes said:


> Tarwheel,
> 
> What is that front rack?
> 
> I could use that on my Strong which does not have front rack mounts but does have canti bosses.


The front rack is a Nitto M12. They are available at various sources, but I got mine from Ben's for about $50. It was very easy to install.


----------



## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

*Bj*



links0311 said:


> The Bob Jackson does look nice. How was it dealing with them? When you placed your order did you just email/call in your measurements?


Bob Jackson was a bit of a PITA to deal with but it was worth it in the end. The main problem is they don't put geometry charts on their web site and are very reluctant to divulge that information. I exchanged emails with them for about 2 weeks trying to figure out which frame model and size to order, just so I could get the geometry right. Then when the bike arrived, the head tube was about 2 cm shorter than they told me it would be. Most of our communications were by email, but I did phone them once.

My frame was "off the peg," or non-custom. If you order a custom, it costs about $300 more and takes about 6 months longer, but you can specify the geometry. However, you can choose just about any color combination or scheme even with their non-custom frames. They will paint frames in about 50 different colors and perhaps 8 different decal colors.

The standard or off-the-peg World Tour frame is very well equipped with mounts for canti brakes, front and rear racks, front and rear fenders, 3 water bottle cages. It also has fairly long chain stays (44 cm) and relaxed angles (72 head and seat tube). It can handle tires up to 32 mm with fenders.

Their Audax model also would be good for brevets. It has mounts for front and rear fenders and a rear rack. Chain stays are shorter than the touring frame but longer than most racing frames. You can get it fit for short or long-reach caliper brakes. With LR brakes, it can handle tires up to 28 mm with fenders. I started out looking a the Audax model but decided on the World Tour because geometry fit me a little better.

http://www.bobjacksoncycles.co.uk/default.php


----------



## PdxMark (Feb 3, 2004)

It looks like the BJ bikes might be the lowest cost lugged frames around... Is that right?


----------



## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

*lugs*



PdxMark said:


> It looks like the BJ bikes might be the lowest cost lugged frames around... Is that right?


I haven't found anything less expensive. Basically, they are selling lugged frames for the price of TIG frames. The BJs are a very good value for the money, but the quality of construction is not on par with a custom frame costing $1,500 and up. For the money, I have no complaints. However, don't expect to get construction comparable to a Waterford or Serotta. My frame is very solid and true, but there are spots where the brazing is a little sloppy such as around the seat tube clamp and the canti mounts. The paint job is excellent, with a little bit of orange-peel in spots.

There are other good options for lugged frames in the $800-1000 range, such as Gios and Mercian.


----------



## links0311 (Aug 20, 2004)

Bob Jackson is at the top of my list. Nice looking lugged bikes, and the cost is great. When I build up my first touring bike, it might be built around a Bob Jackson frame.


----------



## dirtroad (Feb 15, 2009)

tarwheel, are those pb cascadias? were you able to clean the pb lettering off of the rear fender or is it just not noticeable in the pic?

by the way, that's one of the nicest bikes i've seen in a while. great color and component combo. very classy.


----------



## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

*fenders*



dirtroad said:


> tarwheel, are those pb cascadias? were you able to clean the pb lettering off of the rear fender or is it just not noticeable in the pic?


Yes, those are PB Cascadias. Very nice fenders and easy to install. They don't make a bit of noise, and the mud flaps work great. The lettering on the back fender is imbedded in the plastic, I think. It doesn't bother me, so I haven't even thought about removing it. I guess you could cover it with reflective tape if it bothered you.

Thanks for the compliments on my bike. I made a conscious effort to use silver components and minimize black except for saddle, tape and tires. Carbon is verbotten.


----------



## PdxMark (Feb 3, 2004)

*Fenders.. a window....*



tarwheel2 said:


> Yes, those are PB Cascadias. Very nice fenders and easy to install. They don't make a bit of noise, and the mud flaps work great.


I was on a ride with friends this weekend on an access road along a nice river in central Oregon. We're cruising along and pass 3 guys who are riding at a reasonable pace. I notice that their bikes are entirely fendered-up, and a couple of them have generator hubs, and I think - waaaaaait a second.... So I drop back to ask and, yes indeed, they are riding a brevet. They were in the last 50 miles of a 600k brevet. They had nice warm weather, maybe too warm, but looked much better than I did at that stage of a 600k ride...

Fenders are a window into a person's (riding) soul...


----------



## superjohnny (May 16, 2006)

PdxMark said:


> Fenders are a window into a person's (riding) soul...


I hope not, cause my fenders are trashed


----------



## Spinfinity (Feb 3, 2004)

PdxMark They had nice warm weather said:


> You didn't see them from their side! Bet they felt much like you did.
> 
> Happily rode brevets on a Lyonsport - long wheel base reasonably light, room for fenders and cross size tires, not terribly expensive. They're some available, along with Soma Smoothies, at GVH Bikes


----------



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Man TarWheel that's a sweet looking bike. I remember back in the day looking at the Bob Jacksons in the gnashbar catalog. Want. 

.... ya know... I don't have a touring bike... hmmm....


----------



## dfltroll (Nov 27, 2006)

I just completed a rando series on my A. Homer Hilsen and it was great. Still, there are lots of other frames out there that are just as capable. I think one of the main issues to look at is tire and fender clearance. You want to be able to put on fenders. Larger tires are nice too. I think if you're really serious about randonneuring and want a "true" rando bike either throw down and go custom or take a look at the Boulder Bicycle. 

http://www.renehersebicycles.com/Randonneur bikes.htm

That said, I'm seriously looking into ordering a Mercian later this year. Besides my Hilsen I have a Rivendell Rambouillet but there are just a few things both are lacking that I might wrap up with a simple custom lugged frame from Mercian.


----------



## links0311 (Aug 20, 2004)

PM sent your way dfltroll


----------



## dfltroll (Nov 27, 2006)

PdxMark said:


> I was on a ride with friends this weekend on an access road along a nice river in central Oregon. We're cruising along and pass 3 guys who are riding at a reasonable pace. I notice that their bikes are entirely fendered-up, and a couple of them have generator hubs, and I think - waaaaaait a second.... So I drop back to ask and, yes indeed, they are riding a brevet. They were in the last 50 miles of a 600k brevet. They had nice warm weather, maybe too warm, but looked much better than I did at that stage of a 600k ride...
> 
> Fenders are a window into a person's (riding) soul...


Was that outside of Maupin? It wasn't me that saw you but man that was a great ride. Although really tough. My second 600k and my toughest and slowest brevet yet. But I finished. The climb out of the river via that canyon was insanely hot. And then there was the climb up Tyghe Ridge... uggh...

Here are some photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157619102429316/


----------

