Searching for bike akin to Quickbeam

[James]

I have wanted a quick beam for a while now but the cost of a 3rd rivendell is holding me back, so I'm looking for a similar frame.  Anyone have any suggestions on a steel, lugged, horizontal dropout (front or rear facing), fairly large wheel diameter bike?  One I could get for $500 max??  I have my eyes on a Schinn LeTour III and the only thing causing me pause is tire clearance (35mm) .  Thanks for any suggestions.  (I have a 92cm PBH for anyone between NC and RI)

[Eric Daume]

For new, the Surly Cross Check is probably the closest competitor, but it's up to $700 for the frameset now, or $950 complete.

The BMC Monstercross is like a CC with 0.1mm thinner tubing and worse cable routing. It's a few hundred more for the frameset.

I've had both of these frame, and a QB, and put some comparison thoughts here:

https://bikingtoplay.blogspot.com/2019/05/rivendell-quickbeam-vs-surly-cross.html

I may try a Handsome Devil next. Almost down to your price range ($550 or so), with a bit quicker handling than anything listed above.

I've looked at a couple of used Le Tours, but the top tubes seemed very short on these. Maybe 57cm for a 25" frame? Anyway, something to check.

Eric

On Sun, Jun 12, 2022 at 9:46 AM James <jtp...@gmail.com> wrote:

I have wanted a quick beam for a while now but the cost of a 3rd rivendell is holding me back, so I'm looking for a similar frame.  Anyone have any suggestions on a steel, lugged, horizontal dropout (front or rear facing), fairly large wheel diameter bike?  One I could get for $500 max??  I have my eyes on a Schinn LeTour III and the only thing causing me pause is tire clearance (35mm) .  Thanks for any suggestions.  (I have a 92cm PBH for anyone between NC and RI)

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[Eric Daume]

Oh, sorry, I didn't see that lugged was a requirement. At least all of these have a lugged fork!

[James]

That's helpful Eric.  Yeah, a CC would be great, but with a Le Tour for $300 complete (inexpensive components, single speed) I can't justify another $600 for the CC.

[Mike Godwin]

I think the old Le Tour III will have the 0.866 inch, or is it 0.886 inch ID fork steer tube. I think that was up until about 1982. Others here will have a better date range when Schwinn switched to 22.2 mm stem/steer tube diameter. You can always shave down a Nitto stem to fit, particularly if the Le Tour you find is the fully chromed frame and fork. I would do it for a full chrome job. 

Mike SLO CA

[Tom Wyland]

Handsome Devil.  It has a nice fork crown.  The rest of the bike isn't lugged but the welds are super smooth.  The higher bottom bracket would be helpful if you ran fixed gear. The tubing is way more stout than your typical 80s Japanese bike though.

Tom

[Dave S]

Cantilever?  I don't know what specific frame size a 92cm PBH is but if you're interested in an XL 80's touring bike that checks all the boxes, I'm in NJ.

Dave

[Max S]

IME, 35 mm tires are fine on 700c, otherwise there starts to be a trade-off between toe overlap and wheel flop. (Although, on 62 cm sized frames that's minimized.) There's a reason all those slacked out modern mtbs favor wide handlebars, IMO. 

Anyhow, if you're ok with 35 mm tires (and no fenders), an older Trek, Univega, Miyata, Fuji, etc., or an older Italian bike (late '70s / early '80s) can give you the parameters you seek at that price range. I've owned & ridden all of those (and still own some), as well as a QuickBeam (still) and a SimpleOne (sold), and a Colnago Super. I've an ancient Fuji Supreme that makes for a lovely knockabout 700c fixer, and even a 650b conversion in 1x1 mode. The "plainiest" from recent memory was a Trek 400 in "60" cm size, then the Colnago, then the QuickBeam. The SimpleOne was a bit more stout than the QB, and that's the one I currently have and enjoy very much. 

Another option is a Mercier Kilo WT – essentially a cop of the QB / SO, but uses long-reach caliper brakes. http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/kilott-wt-fixie-wide-tire.htm 

... a friend of mine got one last year, and seeing it in person left me impressed. Maybe others can chime in how it is in use. 

- Max "1x1" in A2

[Eric Daume]

+1 on the Kilo WT. I had one previously.  The frame quality looked as good as any other Taiwanese frame, and running it fixed helps negate the weak braking from the long reach calipers. 

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[Brian McDermott]

I'm currently working on a 1983 Trek 640 fixed 650b conversion. I'm using the Crust Spark fork and Velocity Atlas rims, and 42mm Paselas. I had the Quickbeam in mind with this build, but the low trail fork kinda makes it not-Quickbeam-ish, but the canti bosses and rock mounts adds Riv-ish versatility. 

On Sunday, June 12, 2022 at 3:00:18 PM UTC-4 Eric Daume wrote:

[Leif Eckstrom]

Brian,

That Trek/Crust conversion sounds awesome. Please post some pictures if you're able. Also, does the Spark fork offer clearance for 650b x 48mm, no fender? I believe the listing says something like perfect for 38-42mm tires. 

Thanks,

Leif in Chicago

[JohnS]

James,

Currently at $500 on e-bay, 60cm SimpleOne... 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/165534998129?hash=item268aa79e71:g:LAwAAOSwzytiqi8m

Good luck,

John

[Conway Bennett]

I appreciated the comparison.  I have a 58 cm Quickbeam that I am about to list because I bought a BMC Monstercross in the most recent production run.  I have always wanted one, and I have not been reaching for the Quickbeam much recently.

[esoterica etc]

There's a 60cm SimpleOne frame on eBay right now located in Durham, NC. For some reason the seller is not interested in shipping so it's local pickup only. I'm in Raleigh and could help facilitate a pickup if you're interested in it. Cheers,

~Mark

Raleigh, NC

On Jun 12, 2022, at 09:46, James <jtp...@gmail.com> wrote:

I have wanted a quick beam for a while now but the cost of a 3rd rivendell is holding me back, so I'm looking for a similar frame.  Anyone have any suggestions on a steel, lugged, horizontal dropout (front or rear facing), fairly large wheel diameter bike?  One I could get for $500 max??  I have my eyes on a Schinn LeTour III and the only thing causing me pause is tire clearance (35mm) .  Thanks for any suggestions.  (I have a 92cm PBH for anyone between NC and RI)

[mgst...@gmail.com]

Heresy, but i have my Roadini set up as fixed with an eno eccentric, and it is a GREAT ride as a fixed gear.   Ron, Western Ma.

[Max S]

Mark, that's very generous of you. If none of our Riv brethren here go after it, I may have to. I previously had a 62 SO in dark green that was a tad too big, but surprisingly not that much bigger than my 58 cm QB, so the 60 cm SO may be the Goldilocks. Hmm.... 

- Max "optimize optimize optimize" in A2

On Monday, June 20, 2022 at 9:10:39 AM UTC-4 esoter...@gmail.com wrote: