New 650b small batch custom bike, Norther Cycle's Klickitat

[starmichael bowman]

Hey all if you want to check out some sweet picks and get all the detail on our new small batch bike check out northercycles.com

If you aren't familiar with our shop we stock and specialze in all the best 650b parts. We stock lots of stuff, build custom bikes, small batch bikes, and convert vintage bikes to 650b. Check us out!

[Jeffrey Kane]

Saw that -- it's a beaut -- now, why don't you come and open shop in my neighborhood (UWS / Manhattan)? Thanks. jsk

[nm matt]

starmichael,
first, thanks for providing another option to the field of framesets on offer in the 650b rando/allroad genre. i wonder, however, if this checks off enough of the boxes for many folks looking for a frameset like this? i would also be curious to hear from the other forum members as well, not in any way to be critical of design decisions or decisions born of practicality/liability made by the folks as Norther, but rather to further my understanding of what this segment of the cycling market finds desirable.

the root of this is just to satisfy my not so inner bike geek, as through experimentation, and a good deal of failure, i have found the right combination of geometry and frame attributes for the type of riding i enjoy, and the way i engage with that riding (namely spinning vs. mashing). while looking at the specs for this frameset, i wonder who is the target audience? its spec sheet seems to lean much further toward Rivendell ideology than that of the BQ crew, is that a fair assessment?

finally, the spec sheet/list gives most of the pertinent info, but many folks are now hip to looking at stack and reach numbers instead of purely ST and TT measurements. the inclusion of these measurements, as well as info about the tire size used to determine standover might be helpful, as we wee lads often have to consider standover unfortunately. thanks for using a 73^ seatube angle even on the 54cm, for shorter folks who like short railed leather saddles we are often screwed by steeper seatube angles in a builder attempt to shrink the stated TT number.

anyway...thanks again for putting it out there, it is not for me as specced, but i am fond of the work of yours i have seen and hope this is wild success!
best,
matt in NM

[Jesse Stoddard]

9/6/9 28.6 top tube

9/6/9 31.8 down tube

Trail @ 46mm

The combination of high low-trail and stout tubes is interesting. Maybe I missed a blurb on the page, but would be really curious to hear from the Norther Cycles folks about the design process, intended use and so forth. I imagine it's meant for full touring loads?

Those studio shots of the bike are outrageous. The Radavist is going to have a field day with one of these.

[Steve Palincsar]

9/6/9 isn't exceptionally stout. "Tourist" grade 531 was 10/7/10.
Also, what is "high low-trail"?

[Virgil Staphbeard]

Haha I got a kick out of that myself Steve. I'm guessing the same a low mid-trail. Or right at the crossover point between low and mid.

[Steve Palincsar]

I didn't notice the OS tubing. So yes, fairly stout - a bit like the
Gen 1 Kogswell P/R but with a little more train than the PR's middle
trail fork.

On 04/19/2017 06:34 AM, Jesse Stoddard wrote:

[Jesse]

Low mid trail, fair enough.

[Philip Kim]

standover is included. 54cm is 79.8 or something cm.

its level top tube with same ST and HT angles, stack and reach not really necessary at least imo.

would like to see 8/5/8 for the 54cm, but 9/6/9 single os is the same as the crust romanceur and people have said how lively it rides.

seeing as there are no brazeones for rear racks, i wonder if they are using more ~~supple~~ seatstays & chainstays

they say it's an all-rounder, judging by all the info given i'd say it's accurate. geo/tubing, it seems like it's meant to be ridden hard, with a lean toward the rougher stuff, judging by trail, bb drop , and tubing.

seems geared toward the classic rando crowd that might want a commuter or camper bike, but still favor front loads

[Cary Weitzman]

nm matt wrote:
> i wonder, however, if this checks off enough of the boxes for many folks looking for a frameset like this?

9/6/9 28.6 top tube
9/6/9 31.8 down tube

Would be a non-starter for me.

Cary

[desmond...@gmail.com]

Matt , you need to get out of the house more - an ride some long range rides to clear out some cob webs .,,they are only steel tubes , you can make them pretty " Riv" you can sit on the bike or in it - load the front or the rear for you guys( I like touring bicycles).. Stiff or flighty .. That's about it. Order one , buy something -make it happen .. You'll be ok.:) Allan

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[Kieran J]

Not sure this sentiment will be well-received, Allan. Plus, it's an affront to the rabbit-hole armchair bike-designing discourse that we on this list so enjoy engaging in and bantering ad nauseam!

In any event, not to crap on Norther's efforts, but $2k is a lot of chedda to work with. Jeff Lyon, Tom Matchak and others are ready to build a full custom for that price, or less. Tube spec and dimensions are indeed two very critical parts for consideration. Again, it just highlights the importance of the buyer getting exactly what they want - which is the whole point, right?

KJ

[Igor Belopolsky]

Or the turn around time...

Looks nice though, lots of cool details

[Mike Schiller]

Matt's comment was dead on. The tubing is too stout  unless you are are 250+ lbs or are going to have 4 panniers loaded down with the Kitchen sink.  You can ride anything you want but if your are paying $2000 I'd want something designed for me.  

Those who say the Romancer is lively are in dreamland IMO.  Sure, some fat 48mm tires will provide a OK ride but for my money I'd want either skinny tubes with that wall thickness or 8-5-8 in OS and I'm 200 lbs.  

Having owned and ridden custom  low trail bikes with 8-5-8 std, 9-6-9 std, 8-5-8 OS and 9-6-9 OS I settled on the two middle ones as the ones that work best for me.

~mike

Carlsbad Ca. 

[Justin Hughes]

Agreed. I just bought a custom with geo and tubing selected for me (lighter) for about the same price, fwiw. It also has a Columbine chain hanger, custom filed lugs, threadless steerer, Paragon thru axle ends and axles, disc mounts, internal dynamo fork routing and choice of two stage powder and decal color. No headbadge and pump were included, though. I'm not suggesting this isn't worth what they're asking, but I feel pretty good about my purchase. I wanted more tire clearance, shorter chain stays and more BB drop. This is a small run, though, and I'm sure they'll be sold to happy customers. It has lots of nice features.

Justin

On Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 6:44:35 PM UTC-4, Mike Schiller wrote:

You can ride anything you want but if your are paying $2000 I'd want something designed for me.  

Th

~mike

Carlsbad Ca. 

[J L]

This also isn't a bike I would buy because some of the details don't work for how I ride.

That said, I bet even at $2k the margin on these frames is pretty thin. I don't know how builders in the US could charge less for a fully lugged frame with these details and keep the lights on. Portland is not an inexpensive city to operate in. These are probably intended for local customers that want more of a value than the going Portland custom prices but still want to spend their $$ locally.

As to the OS 969 - we should trust the folks at Norther to understand what potential customers might want and design a bike to fit that niche. It isn't for me (I'm in the 1" 747 camp) but I wish them all the best.

Jason
SF,CA

[Jim Bronson]

Matt does get out, I've seen him on Rando rides before. 

Also for us guys who ARE 250+, what are appropriate tubing choices? 

Jim

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[Steve Chan]

On Wed, Apr 19, 2017 at 6:27 PM, J L <subf...@gmail.com> wrote:

That said, I bet even at $2k the margin on these frames is pretty thin. I don't know how builders in the US could charge less for a fully lugged frame with these details and keep the lights on. Portland is not an inexpensive city to operate in. These are probably intended for local customers that want more of a value than the going Portland custom prices but still want to spend their $$ locally.

   A few people have mentioned Jeff Lyon, and I think that his prices for a custom lugged frame are about the same as this bike, FWIW.

--

"Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny." - Samuel Smiles

[Jeff Bertolet]

IIRC Jeff Lyons website is a bit out of date. Lugged framesets with a decent amount of lug filing are almost $2,400. Fillet brazed are a bit cheaper.

I prefer my std .8/.5/.8 tubed bike for longer rides. The OS .9/.6/.9 bike is great for hauling things around town.

[nm matt]

jim, nice to see you kickin about on google groups again, i hope you are well. what did you think of your soma GR? as i remember it was too small, as would any of these be from Norther, but how were the ride attributes for you? these tube specs might provide a nice flexy ride for you, especially if sized up appropriately.
best,matt

[nm matt]

sorry...by size up i mean have longer tubes, not make them thicker or double oversize. for those whose have never had the pleasure of meeting jim, he is like 8 feet tall. i joked that the headtube on the Rivendell he was riding was as long as my seatube.

[Evan Baird]

Yo Starmichael, I finally convinced Jim to make some 1" 650b forks for cheapskate rando conversions. They're in the new Merry catalog if you've gotten it yet.

[Jeff Bertolet]

what's the part #? the online catalogue is infuriatingly useless.

[Evan Baird]

I went to see if I could find it, but they still have the old catalog up. I had a print one in Japan but I gave it to somebody at Panaracer I think, so who knows when they'll post up the new one. It's definitely done so I don't know what the holdup is.