Gravel but not, kind of.

[Bearbonesnorm]

The soon to be here Brother Cycles 'Mr Wooden'. All the old school charm you could ever wish for inc' canti brakes and a 1 1/8" headtube. Frameset, £699 to you sir.

[Bearlegged]

I like the idea for somewhere dry and dusty, but the idea of the kind of Peak District mud that can see through a set of brake pads in a single ride rather puts me off. 650b and rim brakes is an "interesting" choice rim-wise.too.

[fatbikephil]

It does look nice, and using down tube shifters whilst descending a rough trail is good fun.
But retro cantis will be just like original cantis - a PIA. I've been riding the cross check for coming up to three years now and I've re-learned how much hassle (and crap) rim brakes are when used in the mud. As its a fixed gear it's not a big deal as the brakes are a back up (!) but you forget just how low maintenance disk brakes are.....

Nay doot they'll sell as many as they can make.

[faustus]

It's a bike I admire but would never want to own. It fits very much into the ultraromance retro-cool philosophy (and I don't mean that as a pejorative, despite sounding like it!), no doubt it'll do well and it does look pretty nice.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Nay doot they'll sell as many as they can make.

I'm in no doubt that there is a big market of people who don't remember canti brakes first time round

[Dyffers]

My natural cynic says these will sell to Instagram users not actual bike riders; form over function.

I got as close to this as I wanted in 2017 with a Karate Monkey frameset. It rode great and was faff-free.

Function dictates canti and downtube shifters should be remembered fondly but never again be fitted to a real bike. But good luck to Brother Cycles.

Karate Monkey 20170818 800x600.jpg (220.69 KiB) Viewed 1044 times

[Dyffers]

Just remembered what I did with my last set of Campagnolo downtube shifters...made them into keyrings! I have one of them on my desk right now with my bike shed and locker keys on it, and it looks great. It will never go near a bike again thank F.

[Shewie]

The retro thing in the bike industry seems to be quite unique, there's obviously a good market for it.

It's not for me, I'd rather have a Focus RS than a Cortina GXL

[Cheeky Monkey]

Ugly as sin and riddled with sub standard component choices (rim brakes and DT shifters).

IMO

[ton]

i like it. but for road based riding, nothing more. even then, canti's in winter grinding on the rims is not something to go back to.


i have been on the lookout for a cheap tourer, loads on offer all with canti's or vee's. no thanks.

[kvragu]

The idea of a 650b rim brake tickles my fancy, but not at that price. Just do a conversion - is it really that much better than a £50 90s mtb frame? I'm sure this isn't going to be better than a disk mtb on muddy trails, but probably perfect for rainy and muddy crummy roads. I'd take this thing audaxing.

The undeniably cool thing about these sorts of bikes that they are surprisingly capable for inexpensive and simple bikes, but when they're expensive and have fancy groupsets, they're in the same space as specialists which they can't outperform. Then it's largely a fashion statement, which is fine, but again, conversions are just as cool.

[benp1]

Couldn't you just buy an old bike?

Unless this is some sort of restomod style new version of an old bike...?

[jameso]

I really like it. The rims are a minor PITA but there's a few about. DT shifters are a step too far personally but pop some bar-enders on and I'd be happy riding that.

I guess yes you can buy an old bike but having spent a while looking for a suitable old bike for my steel rim brake audax style bike I know it can be a long search. I went to Lee Cooper in the end for a very good vfm custom build instead (was about the same price as this frameset for custom 631 F+F, basic powder coat)

Thinking about it I have a set of 650B rim brake rims on 105 hubs, for a frameset like that but lugged. I got it made in Taiwan ~2013 but the project didn't go ahead and rim/wheel availability was part of the issue. Wouldn't have been any real volume in it then but I think this one will sell ok.

My natural cynic says these will sell to Instagram users not actual bike riders; form over function.

Yeah, cynical : ) There's plenty of riders who have reasons for preferring the older tech and style. I'm 100% one of them, or if not preferring I'd say it's equally valid and has as much appeal. Depends on the bike/use for me. Plus more and more riders are rejecting where new bikes are headed with excess integration, expense, shonky CF parts etc.

The classic car analogy is a good one. Both valid, different appeal to different people.

[Kumquat]

This is the sort of bike that i love to see
It does all seem to have come full circle though.
Didn't gravel bikes come from this sort of cobbled together creation?
Touring bikes with knobbly tyres, cross bikes with brown saddles and some lower gearing. Monster crossers, wool shirts.MTBs with super lightweight tyres and facial hair.
I think if you have to throw a couple of grand at a bike to get this look you might be missing the point.
Am I missing the point?
Does no one remember the scrapy scratchy noise of wet and gritty brake blocks on aluminium rims?
I think it's cool but I don't want one.
I want them to be built but not mass produced.
I can't grow a beard.

[woodsmith]

Looks like a load of Radavist style bollox to me. I'm sure they will sell plenty.

[jameso]

I think if you have to throw a couple of grand at a bike to get this look you might be missing the point.

Why not though, I mean I don't disagree with you entirely... but why can only a carbon and/or Ti gravel bike with Sram 1x and hydros cost say £2.5k? Why is there the assumption it's only about a look and thf a fashion thing primarily?

You could have a steel frame and fork with some Paul Components brakes and hubs, maybe King rear and SON front hubs plus lights, a mix of old Campag and Middleburn transmission, a Royce BB and Nitto parts and it's be well over £2k. It'd be really durable and a lovely thing to own, a pleasure of a build project. It'd have a certain look from simply not being a generic complete bike or a modern build. Just classic aesthetics as opposed to whatever's current (and fashionable).

[TheBrownDog]

I'm a Big Brother fan boy and have a Big Bro, which is brilliant and only the second bike I've ever owner that I will never sell. All of their other offerings take the best of modern developments, like geometry and frame standards, and package it in a kinda retro but kinda up to date too kinda bike that ticks many boxes if you like steel bikes, as I do.

But they have lost me with this mess. Honestly, canti brakes? Allegedly there because they are more reliable (as long as you're happy toeing the bastards in every 2 or 3 hours) and allow a lighter frame. I'll give them that, as obviously you need more meat on the front and back to deal with the forces from disk brakes. But how light are the latest UFC approved disk braked road frames? I've got toes fatter than those bikes.

I am also particularly drawn to the saddle with the back tilt, just in case you want to take the retro experience back as far as genital numbness. Bless

[Tomwoodbury]

I saw the prototype of this at Brother in the Wild Dorset last year and its a beautiful looking thing.

I suspect that anyone who reads Bicycle Quarterly will be drooling over it. I’m another of the opinion that cantis are a massive ball ache.

[Cheeky Monkey]

I appreciate beauty is often in the eye of the beholder, however, all that is needed to complete the look is a loop of bindatwine.

Imo