Frame sizing opinions - odd Bravura/Nidderdale eBay frames?

[Salade_Lyonnaise]

Thanks will, great help

Hello
I also have bike build with this frame.g[/url]

And thanks tollo,

When anyone gets a chance, do you mind measuring your BB drop, and also the length of your forks from axle to top of crown where it meets the headset — so I can calculate BB heights with different fork choices?

Cheers!

[Brucey]

FWIW I expect the BB drop to be large and if anyone measures the frame angles accurately (with a touring fork installed) I expect them to be very steep. The reason I suspect this is that in every photo I have seen of this type of frame (with a touring fork installed) it just looks like a frame which is meant for a much taller fork. Happy to be proven wrong, (and most of the side-on shots have been taken with fairly short focal lengths, close up, so may be distorted) but that is what I suspect to be the case.

cheers

[willp01908]

I`ll get my tape out tomorrow morning - off out on a ride so I`ll check before I go.
Where are you located Salade? Maybe easier to to actually have a look at the actual bike if you are close by. I`m in North Bucks.

[Salade_Lyonnaise]

I`ll get my tape out tomorrow morning - off out on a ride so I`ll check before I go.
Where are you located Salade? Maybe easier to to actually have a look at the actual bike if you are close by. I`m in North Bucks.

Cheers Will that's a great help, a vertical floor to top of crown/bottom of headset would also be great so I can compensate for angles/fork offset. A huge help, I really do appreciate it!

I'm in London, so a bit of a journey away, sadly.

[willp01908]

BB drop - 76mm
Vertical height to crown race (centre) - 745 mm

[Brucey]

FWIW I would always prioritise other aspects of frame geometry (e.g. angles, reach) over small variations in BB drop, because they will often prevent you from ever getting comfy on the bike.

cheers

[Freddie]

If i was you, I'd just buy the Spa in the knowledge that 531Colin has worked out all the angles (in a literal sense) and who knows what you'd get with the ebay frame.

A bicycle frame, given care, is the thing that'll last longest so it is where you want to spend the bulk of your money anyway, even if it takes ransacking the spare parts box for bits to hang on it temporarily.

[Salade_Lyonnaise]

@willp — thanks for that.

FWIW I would always prioritise other aspects of frame geometry (e.g. angles, reach) over small variations in BB drop, because they will often prevent you from ever getting comfy on the bike.

cheers

@ Brucey — Top advice Brucey. Ideally I'd love to have a proper fit (pricey), but I'm going on geometry that's been comfy before as a guide. After a couple of accidents that weren't my fault, I've got overly focused on any little aspects that could cause a fall ie: pedal strike with objects, mudguard & wheel lock etc etc.

@Freddie — I'd love a Spa tourer. However I'm trying to fit 650b wheels with wider tyre clearance (same as I will be updating my partner's 80s Raleigh to – an easy conversion), and use a threaded fork ideally. The Spa Wayfarer looks a great option if I scrap the 650b set, but I'm waiting on the updated geometry tables (in a month or so apparently).

Cheers all.

[Brucey]

@willp — thanks for that.

@ Brucey — Top advice Brucey. Ideally I'd love to have a proper fit (pricey), but I'm going on geometry that's been comfy before as a guide. After a couple of accidents that weren't my fault, I've got overly focused on any little aspects that could cause a fall ie: pedal strike with objects, mudguard & wheel lock etc etc..

have you got good info on frame angles of the ebay frames then? If you don't know the seat angle you can't really calculate anything else.

cheers

[Salade_Lyonnaise]

have you got good info on frame angles

Yes, although I thought I had the seat angle but I can't find it now. Headtube is 74, quite steep. Toptube length is fine (57cm effective) same as an 80s 22.5" Raleigh. I went from riding 23/23.5" classic frames 73 parallel, to slightly smaller 22.5" — I found riding on the tops with a short stem most comfortable, hence moving to a more upright position build with semi sweptback bars (I think I;m going for Nitto B2522 'jitensha'). TBH I've got in a bit of a muddle with all the options — my main original aim was:

1. Wider tyres (38mm minimum)
2. 584 rims (650b/27.5) to match the conversion on doing on my partner's mixte.
3. A more upright build with 2 hand positions ie: Nitto jitensha parallel to saddle.

What's your advice on geometry for touring/everyday/everything bike, Brucey?

Cheers

[Brucey]

IME 74 degrees is unlikely to be a suitable seat angle for a touring bike, if you have anything like a conventional riding position.

That's if it is 74 degrees, in most of the photos I have seen it looks steeper than that and the head angle looks steeper still. As I mentioned previously, these frames look to me as if they are really meant for a much taller fork than is usually found on a touring bike.

cheers

[Salade_Lyonnaise]

IME 74 degrees is unlikely to be a suitable seat angle for a touring bike, if you have anything like a conventional riding position.

That's if it is 74 degrees, in most of the photos I have seen it looks steeper than that and the head angle looks steeper still. As I mentioned previously, these frames look to me as if they are really meant for a much taller fork than is usually found on a touring bike.

cheers

Cool thanks Brucey — yes it looks like the geometry would be a bit iffy with a conventional touring fork, you're totally right. Off on the hunt again! It's either I go with the Galaxy Tour (needing a seized BB removed and re-tapped), or I throw in the towel and get a Surly LHT frame hopefully on sale.

Thanks all for the help and advice!

[webber]

Would this frame work with a suspension fork like a 80mm suntour for 700c

[Brucey]

Would this frame work with a suspension fork like a 80mm suntour for 700c

I have not measured one in the flesh as it were to verify it, but I think this is exactly the sort of fork the frame is designed to accept.

cheers

[531colin]

………. The Spa Wayfarer looks a great option if I scrap the 650b set, but I'm waiting on the updated geometry tables ……….

What do you want to know exactly?