Rambler No.3 is now fit and built up to what it will most likely be for a while. I still need to sort out the racks, but am stoked on how it turned out.
After riding the bike a bit with the Hetre tires, they just felt to big and cushy for the nature of the bike. One lap around the block with the Pari-Motos and I knew it was a perfect match for such a little bike. The hammered Honjo fenders are the 50mm offered by Velo Orange, and are a perfect fit for the 38mm tires. The verdict is still out on how the HWY 1 handlebars will be for the long haul, but I thing the shorter reach is a good thing. The pictures tell the story of the frame details, lighting wire provisions, rack and fender mounts, etc.
Having been in the business of designing and making things most of my post college career, I will never cease to be excited every time a project comes together. Having this bike in front of me to make the pictures, for my wife to ride, and to make available for other people to find joy in cycling is incredible. Thank you for the opportunity to deliver a product that works, and might even be a game changer for some people. Finding small bikes that work and fit well, like the one above is not easy, and I plan on changing that.
That looks fantastic!
Lierres are the same size as the Pari-Motos if you need something a little more robust that still ride nicely.
How’s the ETA looking for frames?
Beautiful! I never liked yellow on bikes before but this is changing my mind fast. If you have a minute, I have a couple of questions about the shifter cable routing. It looks like you run the shifter cables up to the top and center of the handlebars then cross them. Is the cross done to prevent the cables from rubbing on the head tube? Do they cross again on the bike’s underside? Is there any degradation in shifting because of the extra cable length and crossing? Any problems with the feel of the handlebar up top with four cables passing through? I ask because the cables for my bar-ends emerge down on the drops and I hate having them there since they get in the way of my grip. Your cable positioning looks much better to me. Thanks for any info!
Yes, the cables cross at the top, and then again between the cable stops and the BB shell. This is a fairly common thing when setting up Campy shifters. I have not found it to have any negative effect on the shifting. It allows for a much cleaner cable run, and keeps the housing out of the way. As you note there is a bit more bulk with two housings under the tape. I run both of my housings on the front. You could also opt to have one front and the other rear.
The only catch with this is that the total cable run is a bit long, and you may need a tandem length shift cable for the rear on larger bikes.
Thanks for the complements on the yellow, it is turning out to be the most popular.
Thanks a bunch, Rob! That setup sounds like the way to go for me when I have a little time to play around with my bike.
I’m really enjoying seeing your bike creations appear on the site. Keep up the great efforts!