so, ive been debating on purchasing one of these Pake frames...i have a killo tt that quite frankly is WAY to small for me, and the stock parts are starting to wear, ie. cog and chain ring...so, retro sells the rum runner, and i have found the frame and fork for the french 75...i understand that the french 75 must be a "better" frame due to the price...lets face it, im a noob, and use my bike to commute and ride around town w/ friends...i don't feel like i NEED to spend tons of money and have the best frame and parts you can get...so, give me some advise...is the rum runner a good deal, or should the french 75 make my mouth water...thanks

It really depends on whether you want steel or aluminum.

aaaah, i guess i did not catch on to that...ive been riding steel, so i guess steel would still be ok...idk, not skilled on the riding difference between the two...

Aluminum is typically a little lighter (but not always), stiffer and the ride tends to be a little more harsh.

My Pake-based Fixie is steel and by no means light at 4.95lbs. without the fork, but it is very stiff yet with a lively feel inherant to steel. Aluminum tends to "deaden" the feedback through the frame so the ride is different. For me stiffness is more important on a fixie than weight, and responsiveness is more a matter of where you are going to ride it and the handling qualities that you prefer.

I don't think "deaden" is the right word. Obviously it depends on the quality of the frame, but I think aluminum is more responsive because it is usually stiffer and lighter. If you are just riding around town then steel might be more comfortable and durable when you lock it up to racks. If you're looking for speed, responsiveness, or lighter weight (though not much, I don't think the RR is a very light frame), then go with aluminum.

Scrod, any input on the relative quality between Rumrunner and Kilo TT? Seems like the only substantive difference (other than steerer size) is that the Kilo is butted Reynolds and the Pake's just straight 4130.

That's pretty much it. The Pake is obviously a little heavier but also feels a little stiffer than a Kilo (to me anyway). Steerer and seatpost sizes are a slight advantage over a Kilo too.

I loved my Kilo but I think I may like the Pake frames a little better. Plus, that blue color rules.

Yeah, it does. I'm leaning towards a Pake build if I ever find a job.

as stated, i have a kilo tt, was looking at the windsor the hour since its fricken cheap right now...but a nice pake build would be nice as well...just sucks, cause i would end up paying way more to build that pake up then just buying a complete it seems

You'd pay more building any bike than buying a complete. That's just the way the ol' cookie crumbles.

You could always sell the Kilo frameset, swap over most of the components to the Pake and upgrade stuff over time.

i went home lastnight and checked my kilo out...my crankset and cog are getting worn down, but everything else looks fine...so, im thinkin the pake w/ fork and i should be able to convert everything else over...so, Scrod, when you getting black forks back in stock?

Not quite sure. Get this instead, it's nicer and only 8 bucks more:


https://www.retro-gression.com/produc...ed-chrome-fork

get the french

Looks like it has a different rake than the Pake fork, no problem?

I got a job, totally gonna buy a Pake from you. woooooo

thanks Scod, totally gonna be grabbing a frame and fork from you as well...

would LOVE to...but, WAY over my price range

better get what you want now than upgrading later...