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Evening,
Some dark side content - be warned!
I'm close to pressing 'go' on a Bob Jackson Audax Club frame and asking this question in a few places in hope of an answer.
While it's nominally a mudguard bike, I'm speccing it as a summer bike with oversized tubing, no mudguard or rack eyelets, hoping to run 28mm tyres.
I've gone for this over the Olympus Road - their typical summer racer, as the Audax Club is described as taking 25mm tyres [i]with[/i] mudguards and normal reach brakes, while the Olympus Road is 25mm with no guards. My current bike takes 28mm tyres with normal brakes (Ultegra) but is being replaced as frame's a bit big.
They have advised this is achieved by having slightly longer chainstays and suggested the AUdax Club would be the wiser choice if I want more clearance than the Olympus Road offers.
So, does anyone have an Audax Club and tried 28mm tyres? (without guards)
Cheers!
I have an Olympus Road with 23mm Conti tyres which measure up at 28mm due to wide rims. Plenty of room out back. I'll post a pic later.
Up front I have an Easton carbon fork, so can't help you there.
One thing to be aware of; Olympus has a 1'1/8" HT which is maybe easier to get a carbon fork for, rather than 1" on the Audax? Maybe not now but that's how it was in the past.
Most 25c come up closer to 28 these days. Continental are 27 as are Schwalbe Ones. I really wouldn’t worry.
And wide rims will increase the width at the expense of height, so it won’t be a direct comparison. For what it’s worth I can get a genuine 28c in my giant Propel. Just bits a bit tight and I wouldn’t want to ride it. But I could. I ride 25c on wider rims.
Cheers! I'm having the Audax Club built in Oversized 853 with a 1 1/8 steerer, and no rack/ guard eyelets so almost an Olympus Road but just with the slightly longer chainstays of the Club, to ensure 28mm without guards. I think it will be ok but just looking for a real world example
Any other experiences? Ta!
Just be careful of where the seatstay bridge is. I had a frame (not theirs) that was long enough in the chainstay, fine for chainstay bridge clearance but seatstay bridge fouled. Irony was that it was a disc frame so bridge could have been much higher..
Surely Bob Jackson can answer this?
Yes and no - they are a bit non-committal, which I understand given I've just been enquiring so far. Having worked in a small bike shop it can be frustrating the amount of time spent answering enquiries from people who might not become customers. I think if I put down a deposit I might be able to push them a bit on it.
Ta.
It is custom / semi custom so they can give you exactly what you want. Put down that deposit then book a slot to get all the detail agreed in one hit without a heap of calls / emails / confusion. Everyone happy 🙂
About 14 minutes in, the Taylors comment on how British bikes always had big clearances, but in these modern times (80s) everyone wants close clearances. In other words, clearnace is possible.
Put down a refundable deposit on the basis of adequate clearance for 28s?
Pretty poor of them not to know/answer TBH, this is a reasonable query.
Put down a refundable deposit on the basis of adequate clearance for 28s?
Pretty poor of them not to know/answer TBH, this is a reasonable query.
I agree it is reasonable, especially given that disc braked road bikes are changing the norm so that even with rim brakes people are wanting a tad more width as standard. Their view was 'there are lots of different 28s', i.e. some will measure at 26mm, some at 30mm, whereas I'm asking about a true 28, as measured with verniers, which my current rims and tyres are. And because I know from other bikes that it is eminently possible as long as the brake bridge is high enough to put the pads towards the bottom third of the slots on a standard reach caliper.
I think if I put down the deposit and make a point about ensuring the brake bridge is high enough, as a paying customer, they will hopefully go with it.
If they are being vague go to Jason Rourke instead, he'll build exactly what you want (I specced 28c clearance on my recent road frame off him), all done right and works with normal drop brakes, using Columbus minimal forks. His right hand man Wayne will happily talk you through anything before committing. Great service there.
I'd get/put it in writing, even with that you are relying on trust to some extent as if they **** up it could be some hassle getting your £ back.
If they are being vague go to Jason Rourke instead, he’ll build exactly what you want (I specced 28c clearance on my recent road frame off him), all done right and works with normal drop brakes, using Columbus minimal forks. His right hand man Wayne will happily talk you through anything before committing. Great service there.
That would be pushing the budget - I'm already stretching with this one.