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#1
01-21-2023, 10:55 AM
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English Cycles 650B Folding Gravel Concept 2020
 [photo from Rob English/ English Cycles] read his narrative here: https://www.englishcycles.com/custom...sons-650b-fgc/ This is my first custom bike that was completed in April 2020 - i gave a fleeting introduction in this post/ thread. https://forums.thepaceline.net/showp...6&postcount=22 i thought I should elaborate more. What got me interested in Rob's work, was his individual write-ups on the builds he had done to-date. Not many custom builders tell the story behind each work - the thought process and the meticulous planning shows in the text. His communication skills were consistent - It was a pleasant experience working with him on the design process, an experience which contrasted sharply with other less communicative builders I interacted with later. David Kirk stands out as another excellent gentleman and craftsman to be working with. Rob's personality as a very thorough engineer and builder shows through his writing, and that makes it easier to decide if his work/ethos speaks to you - It certainly did, for me! Rob is easily one of the most inventive builders with a solid grounding in engineering, with several unique concepts that are truly his alone. The FGC or Folding Gravel Concept is an invention that is uniquely Rob's. I have yet to see any other builder offer anything vaguely similar. It is essentially a foldie, albeit one that takes more effort in assembly or disassembly than the likes of Brompton. It does, fortunately, look like a normal Road/ Gravel Bike when the assembly is completed. I was first smitten with Rob's Time Trial MK2 (https://www.englishcycles.com/custom...ime-trial-mk2/) - A skinny steel speed demon in beguiling white and pastel blue. And I joined his queue in Late March 2018, with the intention of having one for myself. After what seemed like forever (just under a year actually) my turn for a build finally came in Early Jan 2019. Over the course of waiting, I was waiting to receive my second son (due April 2019) and the realities of being a soon-to-be middle-aged man and not a very flexible one at that, sunk in. The FGC (or FRC, for the original Road version) was, in my opinion, both practical (as a handy travel bike) and a hallmark of Rob's ingenuity. The bike was completed in End April 2020. Thoughts behind the FGC. Being a custom build, I definitely wanted to make my commission as unique and outstanding as it could be, from the rest of its brethren. As a travel bike meant to tackle unknown roads, a gravel bike with disc brakes suited that purpose. Here is a list of some of the considerations on the design and build-up of parts: 1. That Headtube -  Inspired by the elegantly shaped headtubes from Passoni and Cherubim, I asked Rob if he could do something similar, which is a departure from his usual. The only solution to do it efficiently was to 3D print it. Some of the close-up photos of the painted bike give a hint of the striations from the printing process. Kudos to Rob for being so accommodating while taking care of loading and durability concerns. There are actually internal stiffening ribs within. The end result definitely met expectations of being elegant and having a neat interface with the fork crown. If I could nitpick, it would be the bottom of the headtube had an obvious "collar" line that broke flow of the curve, which Rob patiently explained it was a structural need. 2. The Geometry - long wheelbase for stability  and seatstays dropped as per my request with a slight curve to the TT for a little flair as suggested by Rob  3. The Paint -  The most challenging part of a custom bicycle frame in my opinion. Despite the fancy polka-dots, the paint scheme is actually military-themed, taking references from WW2 Assembly Planes, which are actually lead-out fliers for fleets of bombers, their prominent livery, serving as visual indicators in the chaos of war. Read all about them here - https://www.vintagewings.ca/stories/...riors?rq=polka I tried to keep the colours simple and limited to just three (white, blue with orange) accents. I just need to add one of them Pin-up Girls on the down-tube.. 4. Those Wheels - Also hand-built by Rob. Heavy duty 650b (27.5" Wide 35) wheels from Curve Cycling (Another first for Rob). Paired with White Industries Hubs and fitted with 30mm Schwalbe G-One. Rob gave quite a few suggestions but I ended up choosing these Dirt Hoops from Australia. Why? I just like how bad-ass they look! https://www.curvecycling.com.au/coll...28903211434061 5. The Travel Case -  Custom blue Galibier from Buxum Bike Box. A perfect fit. I could not find anything classier to hold the FGC. https://www.buxumbox.com/product/gal...r-ss-couplers/ 6. Groupset - fuss-free Force AXS single chainring w/ XPLR 10-44T cassette for wide range in all but the most challenging terrain. In my view the best groupset especially when travel is concerned. thanks for reading till the end! Last edited by AR2266; 01-23-2023 at 02:09 AM. 
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#3
01-21-2023, 11:15 AM
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Quote:
 the full naked assembly folded.  the chainstays are designed to be loosened via fixing bolts and pivot at the BB.  before the chainstays pivot, the wishbone seat-stays have to dis-engage from the seat-tube connector, via the loosening of another connecting bolt.
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#4
01-21-2023, 11:25 AM
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Nice! Love the paint, and his take on the travel bike is indeed a slick solution. I think I would be terrified to travel with it though based on what my travel bike looks like
__________________
http://less-than-epic.blogspot.com/
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#5
01-21-2023, 11:47 AM
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Quote:
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#7
01-21-2023, 12:25 PM
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Not surprisingly innovative and plain sexy coming from English.
My question is the rotation of the rear system over the BB. Is this stainless? Will paint be on the BB where the flip rear end clamps on. HT dead sexy and then some to my eyes. I have an Aero road I got here on The Pace Line. The way he thinks and implements is innovative and beautiful. There are at least 6 unique appointment in the build of this aero road frame. You look at his work and think how did he come up with that?
__________________
PNW weather/hate winter! 
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#8
01-21-2023, 12:45 PM
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Quote:
  non-stainless steel - BB collar is painted and so is the CT clamp. I understand your concern - so long as everything is clamped tightly there is no rubbing friction at the contact points..at least at this point, the paint is holding up well. Last edited by AR2266; 01-21-2023 at 12:55 PM.
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#10
01-21-2023, 01:22 PM
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English is at the height is steel frame creativity for me. Many of his bikes don’t do much for me aesthetically, but his craftsmanship is incredible and apparently his bikes are great to ride - beautiful choices!
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#11
01-21-2023, 05:15 PM
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WOW! This is totally sick. Absolutely gorgeous!
I actually just entered the queue a couple weeks ago for something very similar. Losing out on that Ritchey Breakaway Outback put me over the top. In trading emails with Rob, one of the things I was worried about with the folding concept was BB stiffness. Apparently he’s been testing all of these bikes as they come off the past couple years for exactly that, and he said there’s zero compromise in terms of BB stiffness vs a normal welded frame. Pretty rad. Have wanted an English for ages. I have to wait until December 2024. Lol Anyhow, this is super cool. Congrats on a rad machine! Enjoy it.
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#12
01-22-2023, 10:22 AM
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This is incredible! I’m a huge fan of English’s and this is no exception!
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