What barber pole would that be? :)

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bd3480406d.jpg

Mixed feelings from me that Bob Jackson are no longer trading as I had three custom built 631 frames off them back in 2004 (a fixed wheel, an audax bike and a road bike) and whilst one was perfect the other two were poor. One had lugs that weren't touching the tubes and one had forks that wouldn't take a contemporary Campagnolo front hub (Centaur). Even when using Mavic Ksyriums which fitted OK I had bad fork rub when out of the saddle. Foolishly, I gave them another go in 2007 when I asked them to make me a new frame for PBP and they totally cocked up my order by quoting 3-4 weeks delivery time on a custom build (not off-the-peg) in early March 2007 and then quoting 16-20 weeks when I chased up my order towards the end of the very same month blaming me for asking for Aheadset! They were not too quick getting my deposit cheque refunded either. All in all, a pretty miserable experience.

Steve, Woodrup is still in the game.

My Colnago Gravel Bike
 

James,

This was my Colnago "Gravel" Bike...

A 1987 Colnago Master Ibex MTB with Columbus OS Gilco tubing and a complete Shimano Deore XT gruppo.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b2026828d9.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b7bcdaeaf7.jpg

It was an interesting bike but showed that Colnago had no idea about how to build a MTB. It handled terribly off road and was like a super twitchy crit bike on the street. I got rid of it because I didn't need another "collector's item".

verktyg :50:

Sorry for hijacking the thread, getting back on topic...

Not wanting to dance on the grave too much, my first encounter with a Bob Jackson happened one Saturday afternoon in 1977 or 78. A fellow came into our shop with a brand new all Campy Bob Jackson he'd just received from Bikecology Catalog House in Santa Barbra, SoCal.

It had the most beautiful finish I'd seen on a bike up until then and we sold a lot of pro bikes. Black with light tan panels, the white lug lining and striping were perfect plus it had the just the right amount of clear coat to show off the details.

The owner was mad and said it didn't ride right.

I politely took it out for a test ride and turned around at 50 feet because it was pulling so bad that it wanted to go in circles. I brought it back and put it up on the stand, instantly saw the problem. One chain stay was at least 3/4" shorter than the other.

When I showed the owner the problem he got mad at ME, especiallywhen I told him there was nothing we could do and suggested he return the bike to Bikecology.

I was polite and didn't mention that if he had bought the bike from us - for the same money or less - he wouldn't of had to deal with that kind of problem! I also didn't show him which way the door opened!

Bottom line is that a frame that was so well finished and got out of the Bob Jackson shop that way forever coloured my opinion of those bikes. Additionally that someone at Bikecology assembled the bike without noticing the obvious problem???

An LBS is/was a Bob Jackson Dealer. Every time I go in and see a Bob Jackson frame on display I think back to my first encounter! First impressions do matter.

verktyg :50:

Wow. I had a Hi-Ten Japanese bike boom bike in the early 80s that rode fine but if I pushed it by holding the saddle I could tell there was something askew. I got what I paid for. But 3/4" is hard to imagine for something that should have been of such a high caliber. I would think Stevie Wonder would have noticed that.

I am in a Bob Jackson Facebook group and the word there is that the Woodrup effort to revive Bob Jackson is dead. I don't know if there is anyone with official knowledge but there is at least one guy with enough connections to have access to the old receipts who has not refuted it. Too bad.