Ephgrave 650b conversion - a Coals to Newcastle story
12-01-19, 12:04 PM
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Ephgrave 650b conversion - a Coals to Newcastle story
For the third time someone has contacted me from the Other Side of the Pond to do a 650b conversion. Based on what I've heard and read, almost all of the "fat tire" 650b bikes in the quadrennial Paris Brest Paris endurance ride come from the US, which of course is odd since we've just been copying what the French constructeurs were doing in the 40's and 50's. Previously the donor frames were sourced stateside, in this case the owner shipped an Ephgrave to me. I'd only seen pictures of these before, the frame I received was quite light (just over 4 pounds for the frame), the lugs delicately thinned, and the workmanship a leg up on the production grade early 70's Raleigh framesets I'm used to applying the ol' Gugificazione to.
Here's the frame as received. I've got my 650b x 42 "test" wheels on it. It's the first thing I do to check geometry, especially the all critical head angle and tire clearance. Once I measure everything I make my plan.
It became obvious to me that the fork was not part of the original frameset. The quality of the fork crown and dropouts was obviously not up to Ephgrave standards, IMO. Then I discovered that the steerer was about a centimeter too short. After a quick trans-atlantic call, a new fork was planned. We decided to go all out. Columbus "rando" blades, SL dropouts for a connectorless SON hub, and the appropriately named PBP fork crown from Pacenti designs were chosen as ingredients. The fork blades were raked to effect 35mm of trail - well into the "low trail" region, great for long distance riding with a loaded handlebar bag.
The owner liked the curved stays that Peter Weigle uses. They compromise overall stiffness a bit, but perhaps add some of resiliency to the front end. They do look classic! Upside down Edelux lights are what the cool kids are all doing nowadays, so this was incorporated into the build as well, routing the coax wire to the hub through the stays. A tight fenderline on the Honjo fenders was planned and effected.
The rear bridges were cut out and replaced with fender bridges, spaced and placed to match the front wheel fenderline. The chainstay bridge was set slightly further forward so that the rear wheel could be removed from the Campagnolo 1010 dropouts without deflating the wheel, and the rear fender split for "rinko" breakdown.
I found the hammered and ridged Honjo fenders that had been selected to be very difficult to add a full "tongue" or splice as is normally done. I ended up using a smaller bit from a donor fender, epoxied and riveted in place, then bits of 14 ga spokes, epoxied into place in the fender hems for proper alignment. The slot in the tongue goes under a fender washer on the "permanent" half of the fender and is tightened with a nylok nut and stainless buttonhead screw. Out of focus in the picture above you can see the rubber "chain slap" guard. I use a small bit of slotted stainless steel tubing that matches the diameter of the molded in round ends of the chain slap guard.
Pump pegs, bottle and shifter bosses, and accomodations for a rear tail light from Velo Lumino (our own @soutpawboston) were added, along with a reinforced internal wiring hole in the bottom of the downtube. Power for the tail light will route from the headlight, into and out of the fender using the hem to as a cable guide. A mini banana plug connector makes removal for rinko breakdown or maintenance a breeze.
I typically don't have the entire frame media blasted prior to working on it, as any painter or powder coater will just do it again to remove native oxide (rust) just prior applying the finish. On this frame, however, I really wanted to see the workmanship. Check out the lugwork on this beauty!
The owner wanted a proper handlebar bag, and took my suggestion to have David Cain of Waxwing Bags create a custom one for him. I have several bags from him, and have collaborated on several of my 650b conversions, designing the rack to mate perfectly to the bag. In this case, Dave's RaClips were integrated into the design, making the bag impossible to "auto eject" on rough terrain - yet easy to disengage and remove.
A custom decaleur finished off this build.
Wheels are from local Portland builder Brian Stoic. 32 hole Shimano105 rear and SON SL front hubs, Sapin DB spokes, and Rene Herse EL tires are what this bike will roll on. Polished MAFAC RAID brakes with new Koolstop salmon pads and new brass bushings will apply stopping power.
Bike is packed and ready for shipment.
More pix here.
Here's the frame as received. I've got my 650b x 42 "test" wheels on it. It's the first thing I do to check geometry, especially the all critical head angle and tire clearance. Once I measure everything I make my plan.
It became obvious to me that the fork was not part of the original frameset. The quality of the fork crown and dropouts was obviously not up to Ephgrave standards, IMO. Then I discovered that the steerer was about a centimeter too short. After a quick trans-atlantic call, a new fork was planned. We decided to go all out. Columbus "rando" blades, SL dropouts for a connectorless SON hub, and the appropriately named PBP fork crown from Pacenti designs were chosen as ingredients. The fork blades were raked to effect 35mm of trail - well into the "low trail" region, great for long distance riding with a loaded handlebar bag.
The owner liked the curved stays that Peter Weigle uses. They compromise overall stiffness a bit, but perhaps add some of resiliency to the front end. They do look classic! Upside down Edelux lights are what the cool kids are all doing nowadays, so this was incorporated into the build as well, routing the coax wire to the hub through the stays. A tight fenderline on the Honjo fenders was planned and effected.
The rear bridges were cut out and replaced with fender bridges, spaced and placed to match the front wheel fenderline. The chainstay bridge was set slightly further forward so that the rear wheel could be removed from the Campagnolo 1010 dropouts without deflating the wheel, and the rear fender split for "rinko" breakdown.
I found the hammered and ridged Honjo fenders that had been selected to be very difficult to add a full "tongue" or splice as is normally done. I ended up using a smaller bit from a donor fender, epoxied and riveted in place, then bits of 14 ga spokes, epoxied into place in the fender hems for proper alignment. The slot in the tongue goes under a fender washer on the "permanent" half of the fender and is tightened with a nylok nut and stainless buttonhead screw. Out of focus in the picture above you can see the rubber "chain slap" guard. I use a small bit of slotted stainless steel tubing that matches the diameter of the molded in round ends of the chain slap guard.
Pump pegs, bottle and shifter bosses, and accomodations for a rear tail light from Velo Lumino (our own @soutpawboston) were added, along with a reinforced internal wiring hole in the bottom of the downtube. Power for the tail light will route from the headlight, into and out of the fender using the hem to as a cable guide. A mini banana plug connector makes removal for rinko breakdown or maintenance a breeze.
I typically don't have the entire frame media blasted prior to working on it, as any painter or powder coater will just do it again to remove native oxide (rust) just prior applying the finish. On this frame, however, I really wanted to see the workmanship. Check out the lugwork on this beauty!
The owner wanted a proper handlebar bag, and took my suggestion to have David Cain of Waxwing Bags create a custom one for him. I have several bags from him, and have collaborated on several of my 650b conversions, designing the rack to mate perfectly to the bag. In this case, Dave's RaClips were integrated into the design, making the bag impossible to "auto eject" on rough terrain - yet easy to disengage and remove.
A custom decaleur finished off this build.
Wheels are from local Portland builder Brian Stoic. 32 hole Shimano105 rear and SON SL front hubs, Sapin DB spokes, and Rene Herse EL tires are what this bike will roll on. Polished MAFAC RAID brakes with new Koolstop salmon pads and new brass bushings will apply stopping power.
Bike is packed and ready for shipment.
More pix here.
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If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
Last edited by gugie; 12-01-19 at 12:12 PM.
12-01-19, 12:19 PM
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@gugie lovely work as usual thanks for sharing, what a great frame set!
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12-01-19, 03:49 PM
#5
Junior Member
Lovely work as usual, although I am perplexed that anyone over here (UK) would go to the bother and expense to send a frame over to you unless they specifically wanted YOU to do the work. That’s a good reason though...
We are not short of bespoke builders in the UK, some of them who have been individually building for decades, some who have numerous builders in the company and have been going since the Second World War, and also numerous very skilled builders who have only recently picked up the torch.
Some of them even have a fair bit of experience building bespoke 650b Rando type bikes of exceptional quality, others who have a very wide breadth of experience and some who will literally take anything on, so I really am a bit befuddled by the choice!
However, I’m sure you will do an excellent job as usual and the owner will get exactly what they want so who am I to comment on where they send their frame!
We are not short of bespoke builders in the UK, some of them who have been individually building for decades, some who have numerous builders in the company and have been going since the Second World War, and also numerous very skilled builders who have only recently picked up the torch.
Some of them even have a fair bit of experience building bespoke 650b Rando type bikes of exceptional quality, others who have a very wide breadth of experience and some who will literally take anything on, so I really am a bit befuddled by the choice!
However, I’m sure you will do an excellent job as usual and the owner will get exactly what they want so who am I to comment on where they send their frame!
Last edited by amedias; 12-01-19 at 03:58 PM.
12-01-19, 03:57 PM
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Wow. That's really cool!
I like the way you rinkoed the rear fender. Going full constructed soon?
I like the way you rinkoed the rear fender. Going full constructed soon?
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12-01-19, 03:58 PM
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Thanks for sharing this story, gugie . Very inspiring! 
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12-01-19, 04:50 PM
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I have to agree with BFisher regarding the fork crown. I apologize for scrolling back up to see where that fork came from.
12-01-19, 05:00 PM
#9
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Looks great and thanks for sharing. The fancier fork really makes the bike. Very cool and unique lugwork, as you say.
12-01-19, 05:15 PM
#10
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Wish I would have the skills to do something like this. Looks fantastic already. Is the front rack a custom one also?
12-01-19, 05:17 PM
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Lovely work as usual, although I am perplexed that anyone over here (UK) would go to the bother and expense to send a frame over to you unless they specifically wanted YOU to do the work. That’s a good reason though...
We are not short of bespoke builders in the UK, some of them who have been individually building for decades, some who have numerous builders in the company and have been going since the Second World War, and also numerous very skilled builders who have only recently picked up the torch.
Some of them even have a fair bit of experience building bespoke 650b Rando type bikes of exceptional quality, others who have a very wide breadth of experience and some who will literally take anything on, so I really am a bit befuddled by the choice!
However, I’m sure you will do an excellent job as usual and the owner will get exactly what they want so who am I to comment on where they send their frame!
We are not short of bespoke builders in the UK, some of them who have been individually building for decades, some who have numerous builders in the company and have been going since the Second World War, and also numerous very skilled builders who have only recently picked up the torch.
Some of them even have a fair bit of experience building bespoke 650b Rando type bikes of exceptional quality, others who have a very wide breadth of experience and some who will literally take anything on, so I really am a bit befuddled by the choice!
However, I’m sure you will do an excellent job as usual and the owner will get exactly what they want so who am I to comment on where they send their frame!
When asked to do a 650b conversion from out of the area, I alway ask if they've tried a local framebuilder.
My guess is that the mystique of gugificazione is clearly driving this. Of course, being the best 650b conversion guy, in Soutwest Portland, in my price range must be the real reason.
;-)
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If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
12-01-19, 05:23 PM
#12
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Yes, I typically build a custom rack on these conversions. About half of the racks I build go with a conversion, the other half people just send me their fork. I've had people ask if I can just make a custom rack for them without the fork, but the odds of it fitting nicely are about the same as just buying one off the shelf.
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If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
12-01-19, 05:26 PM
#13
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Yes, I typically build a custom rack on these conversions. About half of the racks I build go with a conversion, the other half people just send me their fork. I've had people ask if I can just make a custom rack for them without the fork, but the odds of it fitting nicely are about the same as just buying one off the shelf.
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12-01-19, 06:08 PM
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Very, very cool.
12-01-19, 06:22 PM
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Very elegant @gugie. I'm sure you'll be in demand once you start building frames to order. Despite the claim that there are builders everywhere who can do constructeur-style work, I think there really are only a handful who truly "get" the aesthetic. Lots of people are willing to jump into the genre without studying the history of it, and the bikes often come out looking like a poor imitation of the style rather than a continuation of it.
07-17-22, 10:31 AM
#17
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Paint from Argos in Bristol, England
Painters everywhere have been backed up, and it’s been no different in the UK.
The customer finally got his frame back last week. The results are outstanding.
The customer finally got his frame back last week. The results are outstanding.
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If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
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07-17-22, 03:12 PM
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That. Is. Beautiful.
07-17-22, 09:41 PM
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Wow that's lovely.
07-17-22, 09:57 PM
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Amazing. Looks like it was supposed to be like that all along.
(Also, I'm in awe of the guts it takes to set a cherry frame onto rough pavement for photography.
)
(Also, I'm in awe of the guts it takes to set a cherry frame onto rough pavement for photography.
)
07-17-22, 10:52 PM
#21
Senior Member
Wow, that is beyond gorgeous. That lettering.....
