Author: Olov.S

Bike geek in Swedish Lapland. Winter, summer, i always ride.

Roamer update #5 Build and geometry

On By Olov.SIn Fat Bike, WorkshopLeave a comment

I get a lot of questions about the geometry on the Roamer so here is the build and numbers.


My idea about this frame was to get a bit more fun and aggressive fat bike. It´s basically an all mountain hardtail with 4.6″ tires. Ready to fit a 120 mm suspension fork up front for summer and rigid steel fork with anyting-cage mounts for winter bikepacking.

BTR makes the best hardtails in the world so they were the obvious choice for this bike.

I gave Tam my requests and he did the design with a little input from me regarding the fat bike specifics.

Since i ride it like a mountain bike in the summer i went for 100 mm bottombracket and 177 mm rear spacing. It fit 4.6″ tires (maybe 4.8″) on 80 mm rims. I´ve been running Dunder/Flowbeist from 45nrth and never felt i needed wider. And i ride snow for 7 months a year and plenty of beaches in the summer. Also 177 rear and 100 bb make it more like a regular mountainbike.

Geometry:

Effective top tube – 634 mm

Seat tube length – 420 mm (31.6 diameter)

Head tube angle – 67 degrees

Seat tube angel – 73 degrees

BB drop – 70.25 mm

Chain stay length – 435 mm

Head tube length – 130 mm (44 mm diameter fits all forks)

Fork length – 511 mm (ready for 120 mm suspension fork)

Fork offset – 51 mm

Wheelbase – 1 187.87 mm

Stack – 646 mm

Reach – 450 mm

 

The frame is hand built with Reynols 631 tubing the frame and 853 in the fork.

All housing is internal including dropper post.

Build kit:

Breaks – Shimano XT  with 203 mm front and rear discs

Drivetrain – 1×11 speed Shimano XT 11/40 but swapping to 11/42 or /46

Crankset  – Raceface Aeffect with 28t chainring

Pedals – Shimano Saint

Bottombracket – Hope

Head set – Hope

Stem – Thomson X4, 40 mm

Bars – Custom Oddmoné Titanum from Oddity Cycles 800 mm, 25 mm rise 15 degeers backsweep

Seatpost – Crankbrothers Highline dropper. Diameter 31.6, internal hosing. 

Grips – Lizardskin

Wheels – DT Swiss BR710 on Hope Fatsno Hubs. 177 mm  rear and 150 mm front

Tires, Summer – 4.4″ Jumbo Jims

Tires, Winter – 4.6″ 45nrth Dunder/Flowbeist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roamer update #4 “There can be only one”

On By Olov.SIn Fat Bike, WorkshopLeave a comment

After a series unfortunate events the last pices of the puzzle finally fell into place. Finally time to put the Roamer together. I took a day couple of days off from work to build her up. I really enjoy bike building and every thing went according to plan. The only thing that was a hassle was fitting the seat post, but after a few twerks with the cable it worked like a charm. The thing i was worried about was changing the rear break hose. But that was way easier than fitting the post. Shimanos bleeding system is genius and super easy.

Blip
Blop

By the time i was ready a heavy rain fell and it had started to get dark. Good for me i had another day off work to ride…

Firts impressions, the engineering on the frame is stunning Burf is a genius. When mounting a new bike it takes a while before it’s tuned in. But getting on this was like coming home. Tam has nailed my wishes and it totally lived up to my expectations. It’s exactly the bike i had in mind. Comfortable but still aggressive with the slack 67′ head angle and short 435 mm chain stays. Wide bars and high stack makes it very easy to handle. The Roame is ready to take a 120 mm suspension fork but that’ll have to wait untill next summer. However the rigid fork works like a charm on roots and rocks combined with the 4.4″ Jumbo Jims. It’s rides like a freight train down hill and climbs like a goat. The short rear end makes cornering and jumping a walk in the park. It’s my riding skills rather then the bike that sets the limits.

There were a few people that had thought about if BTR was able to make a fat bike since they never built one before. The thing is fat bikes are mountain bikes and it doesn’t have to be slow and bulky just because it has more rubber.

Once again thank you Tam and Burf at BTR-Fabrications for making my dream come true. Cheers guys you rock!

Can’t wait to get it up to the big mountains in a few weeks.

PICS:

B.L.I.S.L Roamer #135
Aint it just stunning?
Deep custom
Gotta match our frame with your coffee thermos
203 mm discs
Art
Matching snowflakes by Bursey at Oddity Cycles
Internal housing done right
Drive side out!
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
In its right element

Roamer update #3 The arrival

On By Olov.SIn Bikes, Fat Bike, Workshop2 Comments

Today at noon the long awaited box from BTR-Fabrications landed at work. It´s been a long wait, but well worth it. Un-boxing a new bike/frame is like Christmas for bike geeks, you know the feeling. When waiting this long, and when it´s a custom frame that  is only one of a kind the expectations are pretty high.

img_0333

Let me tell you, BTR did not let me down.

Here´s what i wrote in the last email…

“Tam and Burf,
Just unpacked the frame. It’s stunning. You guys are not just frame builders, you are artists. So beautiful and well made. 
It’s incredible value for the money getting custom from you guys. Especially regarding how expensive the big brands are with their Chinese made frames. 
Thank you so much, just waiting for tires and seatpost now, but will start building tonight. 
I’ll post an update on the BLiSL site soon. 
When it’s ready I’ll try to get a story about it on Fat-bike.com and some other sites. It’s a rare bird. 
Once again thank you so much!
Cheers”
I got the delivery guy to drop the boxes at work and here it is. I forgot my camera at home so just Iphone photos, but damn it´s one beautiful frame set. So incredible well made…

 

Internal cables done right
Love the break mounts
extra bottlecage mounts under down tube
Internal dropper routing
BTR-Fabrications

The same snowflakes as on the bars sits on top tube and right fork leg. Graphic by the grand master at Oddity Cycles Burnsey. Very surtitle but turned out better than expected.

 

toptube
anything cage mounts for bikepacking
Right fork leg

I can´t wait to get this baby ready and hit the trails. It´s designed for 120 mm travel fork but that will have to wait until next summer. I think it still shreds pretty good with the 67 degree head angle tho. Wheels by the master wheel builder Gav at August Cycles

 

67 degrees
Steel is real
The BTR Roamer
DT Swiss on Hope Fatsno

More to come soon…

Roamer update #2

On By Olov.SIn BikesLeave a comment

Things are moving ahead pretty slow, but since it´s summer i don’t spend that much time in the saddle. Me and Jessica got a few weeks off work and spending the time with the family just hanging around on the local beaches during the days and having wine with friends in the evenings. July is actually the month of the year i ride the least. Plus i bent my knee a few months ago and I’m still rehabilitating from that. However the waiting is still painful, you all know how it is to wait  for a new bike. =)

But now it´s getting closer. The frame is ready and is just waiting for the BTR´s new awesome head badges and the clear coating. I got all the parts lined up accept the dropper post. I actually haven’t decided what to go for yet. But Thomson Covert is where my thoughts are. I had the Thomson at the Instigator and i was very pleased with it.

The Roamer will have internal cable routing and i prefer wire remote so that also is in favor for Thomson, it´s just a bit expensive. 

Damn it´s beautiful
bits´n pieces

Don’t it look just stunning. Can’t wait to take it out on the trails. Sure it’s been a long wait but Burf and Tam do not do things half way. Their dedication to make perfect bikes is one of a kind and i know their doing their best. Also this frame is very custom, even the front and rear axel is deep custom. 

Hopefully next Roamer update is due in pretty soon. 

 

 

Roamer update #1

On By Olov.SIn Bikes, Fat BikeLeave a comment

Got a few pics from Tam at BTR last night. Tubes are cut and bottle mount and internal housing holes on place. I´ll guess it´ll be coming together any day now.

Routing and extra bottle cage under the down tube
good angle on internal housing
tuuuubes

Also got rid of parts that wont go on the Roamer. Just the frame left of the Instigator, if i don´t get it sold it´ll stay for a future singlespeed project.

Just ordered an SDG Saddle and Race Face Aeffect crank set. I think it´s Raceface only 24 mm fat cranks with spider less chain ring.

The frame will be BTR´s signum clear coating with some bonus graphic to match my stylish Oddity bars. Love when you can see the stitches through the coating and Burf make some pretty nice welding.

Found a couple of more angles of the frame design…

Hopefully there will soon be an update on the blog with the frame put together soon.

 

 

The BTR Roamer

On By Olov.SIn BikesLeave a comment

Things are about to get real over at BTR. Tubes are cut and ready to go.


The custom fat bike is soon more than a pile of pipes. This bike is going to be something really different. I´ve been longing for a custom frame for years but did not find the right welders here in Europe. The main idea was to get an Oddity frame. I love Sean and his style and the way he thinks about cycling. But getting a frame from the US is so much more expensive due to 25% extra VAT and 12-15% extra customs import fee. So that´s kind of out of the question.

But then i found BTR Fabrications. And they´re just what i´m looking for. Even tho they never build a fat bike before i´m sure they’ll do a perfect job. The kind of bike i´m looking for is a mix between The Salsa Mukluk and Surly Instigator. Tam drew one up and now we´re on it. It also got a name, I will call it The Roamer. Goes good with the rest of the BTR line up with Ranger, Belter, Chaser, Ripper and Pinner. 

The Roamer will have 67 degree head angle and short chain stays. It’s ready for 120 mm suspension fork but comes with custom fork equipped with anything cage mounts. 

Geo sheet is just a draft but pretty close. Reach is a bit shorter, but otherwise pretty right. 

Fancy pancy cable routings
All cable routings is internal including dropper post. BTR makes the fanciest cable routing i’ve ever seen. Axles are 177 rear and 150 front. Through axles of course. 
I’ll be running DT Swiss BR 710 rims on orange Hope Fatsno hubs. Wheels built by the master Gavin at August cycles. 


 

Components as follow… Hope headset and bottombracket in matching orange. Raceface cranks. Drivetrain 1×11 Shimano XT. Breaks also Shimano XT.  Not decided what dropper post to use yet. Cockpit supplyed by the Mighty Oddity cycles and Thomson 4X stem, 50 mm. 

 The stoke level on this bike is off the charts!