Rob Roy group buy [Archive] - Page 7

TimJ

08-29-07, 09:31 AM

and now for something completely different:
...
what's the build quality like on the standard IRO build? The spec sheet just says IRO this and IRO that... I assume that they're made by others (e.g. I know that the IRO hub is a formula) I'm just trying to put all the pieces together in my head and can't do it for under $200, even cheap / nashbar stuff.

There's a pretty lengthy review of a built rob roy here:

http://www.dirtragmag.com/print/article.php?ID=807&category=...

Billygoat

08-29-07, 09:44 AM

I'm freaking out about the sizing now. I thought 60 would be the way to go but checking out my other bikes, my current cross bike is a little small and it's got a 54/55 cm top tube. My fixie, which is a bigger (57 vs the cross bike's 54) than the cross bike, has got just a 56/57cm top tube. Not a lot longer.

Looking at the seat tube measurement's I'd go w/ the 60, but looking at the top tube measurements I think the 58 (I think) might be the way to go. I'm 5' 11" w/ a 32 1/2 (82/83cm) inch inseam.

This is all prefaced on the fact that I haven't bought a new bike, as in new from a bike shop, for... 18 years. All my bikes are craigslist or ebay so I've never been fitted for a bike and have just been figuring out what's right for me by trial and error. So far: obviously I'm still confused.

He'p me.

I think the 60 is going to be way too big for you! Standover is 32.5 on the RR which means the TT is going to be right at your inseam with no gap. 60 is too big for you. I am going with the 58 and my inseam is 33" and I am 6'0". Standover on the RR 58 is 32" which gives me 1" clearance. For cross, you don't want to be too stretched out which is why the TT are typically shorter compared to traditional road frames. For me, the 56cm TT on the 58 RR is about perfect for cross.

For you, no bigger than the 58.

Billygoat

08-29-07, 10:09 AM

Quick note too, I checked with IRO before actually choosing the 58. I just sent them an email and gave my measurements, the response was the 58 is "perfect" for you...

I would shoot them a quick email and ask about the 56 or 58 for you...

publius

08-29-07, 10:28 AM

rocks in head

08-29-07, 10:39 AM

you can use any singlespeed wheelset... the rear ideally should have have zero dish, though... so that it's centered in the dropout and lines up right. "any old" cyclocross or road wheelset will do, as long as it doesn't have a cassette.

P.S. Thanks TimJ for the dirtrag link.

fluxgame

08-29-07, 10:40 AM

What about wheelsets? Forgive me, because I'm new to the idea of building up a frameset, but can I use any old set of road or cyclocross wheels for this? I know that you can buy a spacer to put on the rear wheel so it will just accept the one cog, but is this a safe/easy thing to do? I've got the opportunity to pick up a cheap set of wheels that are really strong and have some great life left in them, but I'm not sure if they're the correct thing to buy for this project.

In an ideal world you really want a wheel that's dished evenly for a single speed. I doubt you could space a wheel dished for a cassette out far enough to get a straight chainline and still have enough threads to put your cog on. You could re-dish the wheel though. And if you want to run fixed you should really get a real track hub with reverse threads for a lockring. This is all assuming, of course, that you're talking about a traditional, threaded hub. If you're going into splined territory, I'm out of my depth.

publius

08-29-07, 10:53 AM

I wasn't planning to make it a fixed, only a SS.

How much does it cost to get a wheel redished?

Ronsonic

08-29-07, 10:58 AM

Even with a an 8-9-10 speed freehub the centerline of the rim is evenly spaced between the two dropouts. If you are replacing the cassette with a single cog and spacers, you can put that cog anywhere on the freehub body you need to get your chainline.

What you don't get with the freehub is the ability to get even tension on the spokes from driveside to NDS, but we can live with that because we do on all our bikes that have gears.

Ron

flargle

08-29-07, 11:15 AM

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html#k7hub

TimJ

08-29-07, 11:20 AM

climbhoser

08-29-07, 11:44 AM

I'm kind of getting concerned about sizing again, myself.

the dirtrag review had a gal with a 33" inseam who was 5'8" on a 54! My inseam is less than half an inch more than hers, though I'm 2" taller, I usually ride 56 and Tony said get on a 58!

My main concern is being upright. I hate riding my road bike to commute on because I am so spread out, so ass high and hand low. Then again, I don't want a mt. bike feel either, because you lose so much efficiency. I like the 'cross fit and feel AND I want to race it 'cross so I want to make sure I get the right size.

Lemme know what you guys find out.

dirtyphotons

08-29-07, 11:44 AM

redishing your wheel is not the way to go if it's a modern freehub. redishing and respacing is if you want to put a bmx freewheel on an old freewheel style hub.

you can just get spacers, adjust your chainline that way and go. theoretically a symmetrically dished hub is slightly stronger but people use dished hubs all the time with no problems.

just to reiterate this frame is spaced at 132ish. it will accept 130 or 135mm spaced hubs so a "singlespeed" wheel is not necessary.

dirtyphotons

08-29-07, 11:45 AM

p.s. i'm 5'8" with a 32 inch true inseam. i ride a 58 which is a tad big for me. i think a 56 would be ideal.

Old Dirt Hill

08-29-07, 11:53 AM

Another sizing question...I ordered a 59 in the BFSSFG IRO group buy. Should I go with a 58 or a 60 in this one?

I'm 6'0".

slopvehicle

08-29-07, 01:14 PM

here are a few more pics of other peoples' Rob Roys...

http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=iro+rob+roy&m=text

caloso

08-29-07, 01:39 PM

Love this set up:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/101/286486812_df7898afd8.jpg?v=0

Just beautiful. I was thinking of a Nitto Noodle bar, but this looks great.

dirtyphotons

08-29-07, 01:59 PM

i love the noodles on my street fix, but they hardly flare out at all. for dirt i'd think randos or dirt drop/midge/whatevers would suit me better.

DDYTDY

08-29-07, 02:11 PM

Love this set up:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/101/286486812_df7898afd8.jpg?v=0

Just beautiful. I was thinking of a Nitto Noodle bar, but this looks great.

Yeah! That's what I'm talking about! Cork tape, honey brown Brooks...........BRG!

No wait, Orange, no BRG no............

fluxgame

08-29-07, 02:17 PM

redishing your wheel is not the way to go if it's a modern freehub. redishing and respacing is if you want to put a bmx freewheel on an old freewheel style hub.

Sigh. Damn you people that have nice, modern parts to play with.

TimJ

08-29-07, 04:01 PM

I sent Tony an email asking his idea re: sizing. I've just been frustrated with bikes not fitting lately and having a slightly too small bike is maybe making me eye a slightly too large bike. 58's probably right.

Heard back and he thinks 58 sounds good.

Now, 1 or 2 of these suckers? I want to set one up for racing so I figure another for maybe a 3 speed city bike.

Buying these means I don't need the two other cross frames I've got in the garage- both "hybrids" from the 90s, they're basically built like cyclocross bikes, chromo but low-end so they have long dropouts w/ no derailleur hangers. They were going to be my rob roy's before this came to fruition. Time ot sell, I suppose.

climbhoser

08-29-07, 05:29 PM

Heard back and he thinks 58 sounds good.

Now, 1 or 2 of these suckers? I want to set one up for racing so I figure another for maybe a 3 speed city bike.

Buying these means I don't need the two other cross frames I've got in the garage- both "hybrids" from the 90s, they're basically built like cyclocross bikes, chromo but low-end so they have long dropouts w/ no derailleur hangers. They were going to be my rob roy's before this came to fruition. Time ot sell, I suppose.

1 or 2? How about 3 or 4?!?! You can easily finance the entire bike by buying more than you need and selling them at a profit. It doesn't even need to be a secret! there are plenty of people out there who don't read bikeforums, and hey, they still get a bigger discount than they would by going IRO direct and they get a custom color on a frame that's no longer going to be made!

Heck, buy 10!

jhota

08-29-07, 06:10 PM

here are a few more pics of other peoples' Rob Roys...

http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=iro+rob+roy&m=text

so, i was looking at this, and noticed:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/218/454929921_f69327b015.jpg

that looks like the clan crest of Clan McLaren.

which would just add bonus points, in my view. *ponders a custom paint job in the clan tartan*

does anybody know what connection there is to the clan, if any?

bonechilling

08-29-07, 06:49 PM

So does anyone know when the website for this is going up? I've got about a half-dozen people who are going to buy frames as soon as I send them the link.

seat_boy

08-29-07, 07:14 PM

so, i was looking at this, and noticed:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/218/454929921_f69327b015.jpg

Do we get the headbadge? I love headbadges.

Eric

cnickgo

08-29-07, 08:34 PM

Do we get the headbadge? I love headbadges.

Eric

X 1. At least hopefully with the decal kit.

climbhoser

08-29-07, 08:58 PM

So does anyone know when the website for this is going up? I've got about a half-dozen people who are going to buy frames as soon as I send them the link.

Tony said he'd work on it this weekend, so I expect early next week we'll see it up. Good to know there's even more in on the buy. If you have any questions e-mail me at climbhoserATyahooDOTcom. I'll have to ask Tony about headbadges next time we talk. Tony's last name is Portera, so I'd be surprised if he was Scottish.

bward1028

08-29-07, 09:47 PM

bward1028

08-29-07, 09:50 PM

man, i wish i had never seen this thread.
goodbye new road bike.

Blais

08-30-07, 12:30 AM

I think it's looking like orange, green, or black? (someone correct me if I'm wrong.)

Ziemas

08-30-07, 12:39 AM

What Tony has told me is that this bike will no longer be available down the line, but he has no intentions of putting a sale on the current stock (instead just letting it sell out slowly). What that means is that it is the current Rob Roy frame and I'm pretty sure color as well. I'm also pretty sure he has a good size run available, so don't fret that aspect.

climbhoserATyahooDOTcom

My name is Adam and I'll be the liason. I want this frame pretty bad myself, so you can be sure I'll be on top of this. Feel free to post questions, but your best bet is a direct e-mail to me.

I'm not sure what Adam is up to, or where he got his info, but I just spoke with Tony from IRO (on 29/8/2007) and he told me that there are no plans to discontinue the Rob Roy (although at some time he might tweek the design a little as all bike makers do) and that in fact he will be stocking up for himself at the same time as the group buy.

Seems like there is some miscommunication or something somewhere.......

climbhoser

08-30-07, 07:19 AM

is there any chance someone could summerize this for me? i'm having a hard time digging thru pages of thread.
Looks like:

frame + fork for 160
full build for 360 ish (any chance this can come with fenders?)

1 1/8" headset(?)

orange, blue or black

deposits for frames beginning of sept.

estimated arrival (going by the other GB) Feb '08?

PRice is right, headset right

Orange GREEN or black

deposits beginning next week and arrival 4 months later.

Ziemas: I got my info direct from IRO. Brad at IRO and Tony both said the Rob Roy would be no more. They said, yes, that it would be changing, there would be a new bike to fill the gap, but it wouldn't be the Rob Roy. And I'm not sayin' Rob Roy with disc tabs or Rob Roy with derailleur hangers...they implied it wouldn't really be the Rob Roy at all.

If Tony's stocking up it's because there's still enough Rob Roy sales trickling in to him to warrant it...and, if the factory is going to run one more build there's no reason for him to not get some frames to sell himself. I bet you anything if this GB didn't have the lift it did that he either wouldn't be stocking up or would be seriously hesitating about it. However, in the future Tony implied that we wouldn't be able to get a Rob Roy.

I could be wrong, it could just be a way to market it (i.e. "modified" Rob Roy), I don't know, I just know what I was told.

Ziemas

08-30-07, 08:02 AM

PRice is right, headset right

Orange GREEN or black

deposits beginning next week and arrival 4 months later.

Ziemas: I got my info direct from IRO. Brad at IRO and Tony both said the Rob Roy would be no more. They said, yes, that it would be changing, there would be a new bike to fill the gap, but it wouldn't be the Rob Roy. And I'm not sayin' Rob Roy with disc tabs or Rob Roy with derailleur hangers...they implied it wouldn't really be the Rob Roy at all.

If Tony's stocking up it's because there's still enough Rob Roy sales trickling in to him to warrant it...and, if the factory is going to run one more build there's no reason for him to not get some frames to sell himself. I bet you anything if this GB didn't have the lift it did that he either wouldn't be stocking up or would be seriously hesitating about it. However, in the future Tony implied that we wouldn't be able to get a Rob Roy.

I could be wrong, it could just be a way to market it (i.e. "modified" Rob Roy), I don't know, I just know what I was told.

That's odd, Tony denied ever saying he was going to discontinue the Rob Roy when I asked him about it. He said it was a good seller. Clearly there is a miscommunication somewhere.

Maybe if Tony reads this he can clarify things for us.

climbhoser

08-30-07, 09:05 AM

That's odd, Tony denied ever saying he was going to discontinue the Rob Roy when I asked him about it. He said it was a good seller. Clearly there is a miscommunication somewhere.

Maybe if Tony reads this he can clarify things for us.

My impression is that he either changed his mind or that I was misinformed.

To be perfectly correct it was Brad who said it would be no more, Tony who said directly that there would be changes. Not perfectly word for word, but as best I can remember Brad transferred me to Tony and I told him Brad just mentioned the Rob Roy would be no more...he replied "Yeah, there'll be some changes" with emphasis on "changes." I took this to mean that the changes would make the bike quite different. It may be marketed the same as a SS 'cross bike with similar geometry, but the impression it left was that the current Rob Roy was on it's last legs. I think the idea was that whatever came along was supposed to replace the RR for that specific market.

He didn't give me a timeline, he did tell me to figure out how many of what size we would want so he could get a feel for what he could provide us. Brad also mentioned when I inquired initially that a lot would depend on what they had in stock, leaving me with the impression that not only were they moving away from the current Rob Roy, but they were looking to clear their current stock. Tony and I initially discussed a pretty small order size, and when we had nearly 50 people in two days of posting and almost 100 in a week his tune changed. He is obviously stoked to help the cycling community by getting us the bike that we want. Perhaps he was never looking at selling out his old stock at all...perhaps he never intended to totally get rid of the Rob Roy but just introduce another model as well, but every talk about it left me with the impression that we were going to be the last RR build.

Other folks who talked to Tony told me that this was a last run on this frame through the builder, too.

Anyways, nothing was ever 100% clear, I'm just trying to back up the information I passed along.

However, Ziemas, thank you for the update.

Ziemas

08-30-07, 09:55 AM

Either way there will be good IRO frames to ride! :beer:

climbhoser

08-30-07, 10:13 AM

Either way there will be good IRO frames to ride! :beer:

Agreed...first prize.

Billygoat

08-30-07, 11:26 AM

Nashbar is having a huge sale on the S2 Headset, only $10.

http://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm?category=600093&subcategory=60001191&storetype=estore&estoreid=1036&init=y&pagename=%2Fstore%5Festores%2Ecfm

caloso

08-30-07, 11:54 AM

And Nashbar fixed hub. Isn't this made by Formula?

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=20668&storetype=estore&estoreid=1031&pagename=Estore%3A%20Web%20Steals%20and%20Deals

rocks in head

08-30-07, 12:04 PM

Isn't this made by Formula?

yes. as is IRO's.

by the way, I think that's an awesome deal on the S-2...

I've heard a lot of people swear by these (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=6000108&subcategory=60001078&brand=&sku=20785&storetype=estore&estoreid=1036&pagename=Estore%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Labor%20Day%20Sale%2DATB%20Clipless%20Pedals) crank bro's pedals... is $30 a good price for those? too good to pass up? By the way, if anyone's thinking of snatching this stuff up, use TKY78 for another 10% off (good thru 9/24)

you guys have me browsing nashbar now... damn you!! ;) the S-6 headset is $25.

dirtyphotons

08-30-07, 12:10 PM

no, nashbar hubs are similar to those marketed by dimension, ben's cycle, et al. they seem very similar to formulas, i've been running a nashbar hub for a couple months with no problems. their outer locknuts seem to be less prone to breakage which is a HUGE plus for me. i'd recommend them, especially at the price.

rocks in head

08-30-07, 12:25 PM

oh, I stand corrected.

I thought I read somewhere (SSFG forum) that they were the same as the dimension/formula hubs... but maybe I'm wrong, or whoever I'm citing is wrong. Whatever..

photons - I'll have to hop on your bike next Thursday to see what the 58 is like - I think you're right and the 62 is gonna be waaay too big. 60 sounds right, it's got almost exactly the same dimensions as the Volpe.

dirtyphotons

08-30-07, 12:32 PM

sounds good man, you gonna come to practice?

Billygoat

08-30-07, 01:03 PM

Isn't this made by Formula?

I've heard a lot of people swear by these (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=6000108&subcategory=60001078&brand=&sku=20785&storetype=estore&estoreid=1036&pagename=Estore%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Labor%20Day%20Sale%2DATB%20Clipless%20Pedals) crank bro's pedals... is $30 a good price for those? too good to pass up? By the way, if anyone's thinking of snatching this stuff up, use TKY78 for another 10% off (good thru 9/24)

you guys have me browsing nashbar now... damn you!! ;) the S-6 headset is $25.

That is a great deal on the S-6!

The MXR pedal is very low quality in my opinion and you are much better off with the higher end pedals from Crank Bros, like the "C" pedal. I have had every pair of MXR fail within short peroid of usage, the C's are going strong...

bonechilling

08-30-07, 02:08 PM

And Nashbar fixed hub. Isn't this made by Formula?

They're made by Joytech, who makes all the other hubs mentioned as being similar.

bonechilling

08-30-07, 02:14 PM

I want to point out that the number of respondents by email and in this thread is hardly reflective of the total number of buyers. The last IRO group buy had a very small list of participants in the actual thread, but Tony ended up selling 500+ frames because people passed the information along to friends, and often ordered multiple frames. I think the posters here are just the filters through which many others will discover this deal and jump in. I bet this goes up to at least 250 frames, probably more.

Tony should have learned not to underestimate us cheapskates.

rocks in head

08-30-07, 02:47 PM

climbhoser

08-30-07, 03:34 PM

yeah, I posted on the dcfixed page for the locals who deserted the BFSSFG page... (everyone except photons ... and yes, I'll be at practice) 4 definites and 2 maybe's... the definites should have emailed Adam though - I'm not sure... I expect there are representatives from other forums here too.

If people posted on craigslist, that might even up the unrepresented numbers even more.

If we have some responsible people that are willing to put an ad in Craigslist that would be awesome. I'm all for helping Tony out any way we can. As soon as he has the site up I'll be putting an ad in the Denver craigslist myself. In fact, if you want to do it but you don't want to manate it just use my e-mail and I'll publish it and respond to people. It's easy enough just to let them know a GB is going on and to go to IRO's website in a week and get the bike they want for cheap!

cnickgo

08-30-07, 04:49 PM

If we have some responsible people that are willing to put an ad in Craigslist that would be awesome. I'm all for helping Tony out any way we can. As soon as he has the site up I'll be putting an ad in the Denver craigslist myself. In fact, if you want to do it but you don't want to manate it just use my e-mail and I'll publish it and respond to people. It's easy enough just to let them know a GB is going on and to go to IRO's website in a week and get the bike they want for cheap!

I will get on it for NC.