How I built my custom randonneur bike

This video is about the process of building my own version of a custom randonneur bicycle.
Frame builder: Gaëtan from L'Ecurie Brussels www.ecurie.brussels
Video content:
00:00 Intro
00:27 The frameset
01:15 The drivetrain
02:13 The shifters
03:18 The brakes
03:46 The wheels
04:55 The lights
05:18 The stem & handlebar
06:43 The saddle and mudguards
07:04 Bike review

[@carlitoxxe0]

I've never seen a bike build so well planned! It looks so comfortable and beautiful. Congratulations!!!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thank you ! :)

[@velonicatgmaildotcom]

Excellently described. Very educational. My favorite part is how he says shifters... something unique about it... then he goes with bar end shifters, total BOSS! 😍

[@Alex89alex]

beautiful bike but The position of the rear brake is not entirely thought out. it had to be placed inside the frame triangle.

[@fancytyme]

Beautiful result. I built my own steel randonneuse several years ago and it was very satisfying.

[@DD-bv9jl]

Omg hi Josh

[@adrechsel]

Awesome bike! And so interesting to listen to your thought process behind all the decisions. Hoping to see this bike in the wild some day!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hey ! that's so cool to hear ... the idea is exactly that, to share the though process behind :) cheers !

[@backyard_bicycless]

Absolute beauty right there! Great build, appreciate the full breakdown. Keen to see more of this bike! 😍

[@bicyclepicnic]

Much appreciated!

[@Cobwobbler]

Elegant machine. Everything is well though out, the square BB ( most versatile) the bars the saddle, very very slick. Inspirational work, enjoy your ride…

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thank you 🙂👍🏽

[@nickisauer9626]

Amazing build I must say. Congratulations with this unique and beautiful bike.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thank you very much!

[@fepatton]

Beautiful bike. All great choices!

[@Masiman01]

Beautiful Build!! I Love the natural leather Flite Saddle!!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Me too I find the Flite very pretty... and in my cas also more comfortable than a Brooks

[@trasher2848]

Outstanding build, great aesthetics both for bike and videography, superb detailed explanation.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thanks ! glad you like it

[@DunderOz]

Beautiful bike 🤩 Very well thought out 😃

[@dariuslankarian3282]

Best looking bike I have ever seen. Well done.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hey ! Thank you so much

[@grantmartin6094]

Beautiful build.

[@andrewhamilton3486]

What a beautiful biold Francesco. Nice one. The bridge club may be getting cobwebs now 😊

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thank you ! 🙂

[@charlesblithfield6182]

Beautiful machine! Excellent photography too. Thanks for sharing.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thank you !

[@TheMetabolicMadness]

Absolutely stunning mate! You nailed that classic look with the modern touches for sure. And how amazing are quill stems!? So compliant and look gorgeous 👌☺️ great build! Happy riding! 😁

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hey ! thanks man ...I'm glad it inspires you too :)

[@TheMetabolicMadness]

@@bicyclepicnic the other thing I got in to this year too which I'm happy to see you're also adopting is the whole taking a Thermos on a ride thing... So good! Changed my life! Haha!

[@timevans9195]

Oooh, that’s lovely! Well done on a lovely build 👌

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thank you :)

[@Satori.108]

I appreciate your effort. Thanks for sharing

[@lokmanchenguiti8669]

What a wonderful and respectful work

[@reinmutuc8999]

Amazing build! Cheers!🤙

[@bicyclepicnic]

Glad you like it! cheers !

[@smallbutheavy9664]

Very nice bike build en excellent presentation. Especially your “ no nonsense comments” are refreshingly different from al lot of other bike-presentations. A lot of safe Kilometers to you, best regards

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! thanks I appreciate that, I try to go through the facts in an "agile" manner :)

[@giancarlomoriconi5856]

You made it with love, perfect bike.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Yes ! Much love 🙂 cheers !

[@riskyrax]

sick very clean. nice job

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi! Thank you 🙏

[@waytall9213]

Beautiful!

[@pascalpba6628]

What a beautiful bike !

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thanks 🙏

[@a.i.l.u.3485]

That is a gorgeous bicycle!! I Love that traditional look, and I'm a fender or mudguard guy, being from Alaska.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thanks ! Fenders are a most here in the north of Europe because it rains almost permanently😅 and they always look so nice on classic bikes

[@robertgriffin7569]

Really great build, very nice..

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thanks 🙌🏽

[@imstillhereileft7530]

Wow build is 🔥

[@brianmaldonado3723]

Thank you. Very enjoyable and helpful.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@rpiereck74]

Beautiful bike!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Cheers 🙌🏽

[@veiledozark]

Amazing bike and great vid!

[@nickdavis9280]

Wow! That is a fantastic build. Well done! Liked and subscribed.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thank you 🙏

[@michaelchatfield9700]

I've just bought Specialitiés TA Carmine crankset. Beautiful. Modular. Plenty of crank lengths.

[@johnharoldlucas]

great bike sir!

[@senorspiegel]

Excellent

[@comberdale]

what a dream, very good taste dude!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hey, thanks!

[@dubiouspolling5470]

Dreamy Build

[@Casual_BackPacking]

Best handle bars ever

[@bicyclepicnic]

remarkably comfortable :)

[@philippe4547]

wow man, such a cool bike. I'm super jalous. Maybe some day I'll splurge out and build my own from scratch. Good to know there is someone who builds those kind of frames in Bxl. Greets from Antwerp!

[@imantssvarcs91]

Love it mate!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thanks mate ! glad you like it :)

[@MzmdsTerror]

For the modern-but-classic-look crankset - Middleburn RS8 is a good option :) for the drivetrain - I would go for 10 speed, just because those are so much easier to set and operate than shimano 9sp for the wheels - silver rims and spokes for me would look much better. Other than those few points, this is a very successful combination of classic geometry and retro vibe with modern solutions that make life much easier, and cycling much more pleasant :) Good job!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! the RS8 look like a good option indeed, thanks for the tip and your feedback :)

[@Kyleridesbikess]

I wish more new bikes looked like this

[@Ledinkster]

awesome video, thank you!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Cheers! 🙌🏽

[@mindthirsty9538]

i love the unpainted frame

[@donttouchthisatall]

Coming back to this vid, since it's such a nice build :) - just an FYI, i routed my bar end shifters completely under the bartape and have no issues with shifting. No need to make it "shoot out" from the drops to get the routing to work ;) (Caveat: I use friction only on a 10sp 11-34)

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! thanks for the advice, it's true that having them under the tape makes it look more neat. I'm surprised how you are able to use friction on 10sp ! when I got the friction Dia Compe shifters I really tried hard to get used to them because they are beautiful and I find it cool to have something so low-tech and low maintenance... But I couldn't :/ good for you though, happy riding !

[@donttouchthisatall]

@@bicyclepicnic I am not sure if you are familiar with the "Path less pedaled" channel, but Russ Roca, the host, is of the opinion that the more sprockets you have, the easier it is to use friction, since you are more likely to be "in gear" than between those. My 10sp setups (1x dia compe, 1x microshift) work both flawlessly. Just an FYI. Keep the videos coming - you got another subscriber :)

[@toddmcdonough]

I love it.

[@fatrobdouble]

Nice build, but i gotta say that friction and 9 speed go together nicely

[@yuusufm]

Thank you 😊. Nice share

[@stivjerisoli1577]

Perfect bike

[@mimi02ish1]

Very Nice!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thank you !

[@doylerabjohn3435]

Nice build

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thanks !

[@wetl2628]

Nice build. 2x9 is all you need. My Breezer has sora shifter combined with XT derailleur and the hydro brakes. Works like it should. Solid base and reliable. The bar end shifters are not something that seem practicable on an allroad machine. But they fit with the theme of the bike. Greets from neighbouring Dilbeek. (Looks like you are a Bruxelair)

[@bicyclepicnic]

It’s cool that road shifters can work with mtb derailleurs ! And I agree that « briffters » are the most comfortable option, it was a little sacrifice in the name if the looks 😅 greetings from BXL 🙌🏽

[@bobwilliamson5574]

1x7 is plenty.

[@Fulviolosmilzo]

beautiful

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thank you! 😊

[@NicolaDeNegri]

Spettacolare! Really a fantastic bike!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hey ! Thanks mate 👍🏽

[@CandidZulu]

Money well spent, great build!

[@dazzasp3]

Very nice 🇬🇧👍🏼

[@user-jz1cj2nz5x]

넋놓고 시청했습니다 그어떤 자전거보다 구매욕이 치솟네요 와우 진심 갖고싶네요

[@bicyclepicnic]

Glad you like it !

[@wismar3630]

cool bike

[@thomasqqcouperji4491]

Fantastic com bo

[@mazditzo]

what a beauty

[@bicyclepicnic]

🙏

[@gurolarslan1296]

DREAM-BIKE

[@Teamcrapsheep]

This is my perfect bike 👌

[@bicyclepicnic]

Oh really ! So cool 👍🏽

[@cecilecorpuz5735]

Great looking rig, Good choice on the crank set, you mentioned Rene Herse Cranks, they look period from the early years but they are way to expansive for what you get, you are basically paying for the same quality as Velo Orange. Just my 2 cents.

[@aricreza9607]

steel with disk brakes needs to be more common, this thing is sick

[@MrLoungist]

Well done! Not a bad budget either!

[@bicyclepicnic]

For a fully custom is pretty okay .... glad you like it 👍🏽

[@troycarpenter3675]

Nice

[@nielskjr5432]

Very nice build, thank you. The frame is prepared for cantilever rim brakes. If you like the classic look, wouldn't it be a better choice?

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! You’re right… but I really like disc brakes so I made an exception. Cheers!

[@dl6urk88]

I like the raw look of the frame! Only the handle bar looks little bit wide ...;)

[@pawel8365]

Simply beautiful video, I am inspired to take my old touring bike and convert it to a similar style. One (stupid) question, can I use 650b tires on a 700c frame?

[@turboseize]

What a nice looking bike! I am also jealous of the classic knitted/leather cycling gloves - where did you get these? For a classic looking crankset and somewhat classic looking brifters, one could have gone with Campagnolo stuff from the 9-speed era (although this would have limited gearing choices in the rear, and one might have to find one of the rare triple chainring cranks if one needed really low gears).

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! the gloves are from a Dutch brand: Verwimp, but I bought them on a shop in Brussels and I haven't been able ti find them on line. I found these others that are similar www.wieleroutfits.nl/retro-cycling-fietshandschoenen-zomer-nederland-vintage-style-leather-cycling-gloves?gclid=Cj0KCQiApKagBhC1ARIsAFc7Mc4Ob6j5qFeMDRQk8g1_0-8lRcrG7b70fpYSqbKVeaaQNJ6gi37DgKcaAlOpEALw_wcB About the Campagnolo levers you are totally right, I just didn't want to build the drivetrain around Campa because of the price. Cheers !

[@I3ene1]

Love the concept and your approach to bikes. Did you sell the surly? Do you have a picture of the geometry used?

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! I'm gonna publish a video specific for the frameset soon. but the geometry numbers are: Reach: 389mm Stack: 588mm Top tube slope: 0° Head tube angle: 72° Seat tube angle: 73° BB drop: 65mm Chainstay length horizontal: 420mm Chainstay length actual: 425mm Fork Offset/Rake: 45mm and that's perfect for my size 1.83m and 86cm inseam. If you want more info you can send me an email at [e-mail] Cheers !

[@blondinlux9631]

Superbe vidéo bien détaillée merci beaucoup 👍 Ton vélo est splendide que de belles pièces parfaitement choisies 👍 Je rêve d'un cadre pareil ; pour l'instant je me contente d'un cadre ancien en Reynolds 😊 avec presque les mêmes composants sauf pour le freinage en Mafac Raid 😅

[@bicyclepicnic]

Merci beaucoup ! Reynolds + Mafac il doit être beau ton vélo 👌🏽

[@blondinlux9631]

@@bicyclepicnic j'en suis très content🙂 je ne suis pas loin; à Luxembourg 😊

[@bicyclepicnic]

cheers mate !

[@PaoMadrid]

Love this vid. Im also building bike with a custom built frame and fork. I wonder if there are any rust formation on your frame since you only applied clear coating? Im planning on also leaving the raw look on my frame. TIA on your reply.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! YES I actually found some signs of rust. I think I’ll send it to be painted professionally, I don’t want to risk damaging the frame and I also want to put some colour on it. I know there are some spray products that are better than the one I used, and probably the way I applied it wasn’t the best (it was my first time) so I think if you get the right product and do it properly it should be alright, friends of mine have had good results.

[@delcambekevin]

Zeek knap gemaakt !!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Danke wel !!

[@jasongover8705]

There is an IRD Vortex hollow spindle crankset that resembles classic cranksets.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! Cool thanks thanks for the tip, I’ll look then up

[@markholter5687]

Another great video! I can also suggest you check out Spa Cycles' cranksets. Classic looks, very well-made, customizable, and very reasonably priced.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Excellent advice thanks you 👍🏽

[@cosinus_square]

Bike looks very well put together with that crankset, however a practical gearing for randonneuring would be something lower like a 46/30. As far as the frame goes, looking forward to the review, please take your time, put more miles on it, get used to it ( it takes a while for your body to get past the new bike feel ). I love my old Peugeot rim brake rando bike, out of all my bikes it's then one I always pick for some reason, allthough it only fits 32c tyres.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi! Yes you’re right the chainrings are a little bit too big, thanks for the feedback !

[@JustClaude13]

1400 Euro is an excellent buy for a custom frame. The finished build is beautiful.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Yeah I agree, its a lot of work. Glad you like the result 🤙🏽

[@CarlLaberfeld]

a truly very tasteful dream bike, what is your opinion on the mudguards? are they rattly over cobblestone / ruff stuff etc?

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi thanks ! The mudguards hold up really well, I had the same model in a different size for years on another bike and never gave me a problem, and I would go on chunky gravel ofter

[@voranet]

classic+modern+comfortable

[@bicyclepicnic]

exactly ! and I would add handsome ;) cheers !

[@philhouck3560]

I'm not a fan of disc brakes, especially if the bike will be ridden exclusively on paved surfaces. The failing point for discs is when they are subjected to prolonged heavy braking. There is only a small area for heat dissipation and the rotor can reach such a high temperature that the brake pads can begin to fail. A well-designed rim brake is preferable here as well as being lighter and less complex to maintain. As far as stopping goes, there really isn't much practical benefit to discs because a good rider will be looking ahead for conditions where slowing down or stopping will be required making hard breaking unnecessary. Of course a lot of work went into this bike and I wish this bike will take its rider on many enjoyable adventures.

[@the_nondrive_side]

so much space on those bars.

[@donttouchthisatall]

That's a good looking bike! Where did you find those TRP brakes?

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! they are called TRP HYRD I bought them online but can't remember which site. I usually use the most popular online shops in Europe like bike24, bike-components or probikeshop

[@donttouchthisatall]

@@bicyclepicnic Ah, so the same shops I frequent too ;) Must've been a lucky buy to get a set for only 100 €. Sidenote - i agree on the beauty of a quill stem - only downside is, swapping them out if the lenght or angle is off. That's quite a faff. :P

[@bicyclepicnic]

It was 200€ for the pair - and yes, having a quill stem was "a treat" but it's complicated from a practical point of view, I was lucky to have Gaëtan and his adjustable stem to know in advance exactly which one to take.

[@donttouchthisatall]

@@bicyclepicnic That's a handy tool to have access to! Very nice! Do you plan on painting your frame at some point? Also, how do you get on with the bar end shifters? I have some on my 90 MTB (microshift), and even though they are 460mm wide with a 24 ° Flare, i still occasionally hit my knees on them when climbing and rocking the bike left & right.

[@spunktrpunkt1117]

Well Done, mate! How do you get along with the seatpost? I used the same one for some time and i never managed to get the screw tight enough to hold the saddle in place. It just kept slipping. After a while i just sold the seatpost and got another one with two screws which keep the saddle very well in place.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hey thanks ! I actually use it on two bikes and it holds pretty well, this seat post is from the brand KALLOY and it's very inexpensive. I like it because it has a kind of a vintage look :) ... I've been using it for less than a year, we'll see if it hold in the long term

[@spunktrpunkt1117]

@@bicyclepicnic Okay, mine was the same brand. Good to hear you didn't had the same bad experience with it. thx

[@spindlehospital5263]

amazing where are you from

[@jag3384]

Beautiful build! One technical disagreement though. Short chain stays = better transfer of power is a complete myth. Now you have a bike that will probably produce unintentional wheelies going up hills. 😝

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thanks ! It’s true what you say about the unintentional wheelies but I try to control that by going on the drops, leaning heavily forward and when carrying some weight I put at the front and that also helps. On the flat, when accelerating / kicking off short chain stays do feel more snappy in my perception, but it’s not better or worse it’s just a matter of preference. Cheers 🙌🏽

[@calcagnolibero]

Great build I have a similiar steel custom frame bike but with 26” wheel and rim brakes. It takes some time to decided the wheel size between 584 snd 559 but in theend decided on the 559 as I have many spare rims and wheels already built in that size. Your disc brakes- Dia Compe / Towel rack is perfect. May I ask you where did you get the towel rack? Importing it from USA or Japan cost a fortune in Shipoing and cutom duties and taxes.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! 26” ain’t dead ! 😉🤙🏽 I ordered the Towel Rack from the US and I paid 40€ in import duty tax. The most expensive was the shipping, about 100€ 😬 but I’m pretty sure it’s possible to get a cheaper shipping but that was the only option they gave at Crust at the time... the Vélo Orange would have been much cheaper

[@calcagnolibero]

@@bicyclepicnic I asked Crust few months ago and they quoted 100$ for the shipping

[@ollejansson7237]

you can always check with Veloform in Gothenburg, Sweden. He import lot of funny stuff from Japan, US, France, etc.For example Nitto, Honjo, Gsrn Bois, Rene Herse. On my Tegnér 650B I have similar setup, but my bike is from 2013, RH crankset, Honjo mudgaurds, SON Lights, genorator hub, and some Grand Bois parts, and Veloform made racks, I use it as touring bike with Gilles Berthoud bags.

[@calcagnolibero]

@@ollejansson7237 Thanks!

[@mk30b25]

Which duraace bar end are those exactly?

[@kostyafedot551]

I have grown during times of these frames only. Hard to get on something else after them.

[@cheynisaville9612]

Re friction shifters and 9 speed use a 10 speed chain and its like night and day problem solved.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Interesting ! I’m gonna try that

[@philiprayner]

could you build a randonneur bike with a step through frame ?

[@nelsonballaran2331]

OMG... that's very cool bike.. amazing,, awesome,,,i love your bike sir...can i have one?!🤣🚴‍♂️

[@bicyclepicnic]

😄

[@2Truth2you]

What clear coat did you use?

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! I used acrylic varnish from MONTANA COLORS, but I don't recommend it, I've been out in wet weather and got a few signs of rust. I know there are stronger ones of the same brand but don't know what they are called. At the end I decided to disassemble the bike and paint it professionally, I think is the best way to protect the tubes in the long term.

[@MisterAndyS]

The left hand drive version at @7:51 must have been a lot of work to make!

[@bicyclepicnic]

hehhehehe indeed, we made it especially for that shot :D

[@regXxX]

Where did you get the Crust handlebar. Directly from Crust in the USA?

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi, that’s correct

[@regXxX]

@@bicyclepicnic shipping costs are pretty high. What’s about the customs and import taxes? Are they not to brutal?

[@bicyclepicnic]

I recall paying around 30€ for the custom. Unfortunately the shipping method proposed by Crust is pretty expensive, I think it was around 70€ at the time I bought it. All in all I payed around 100€ over the retail price :/ ... but there are no alternatives, the other handlebar that I was considering at the time was the Velo Orange Grand Cru Randonneur, available on 50mm. At the end I went for the Crust cause I like them too much

[@regXxX]

@@bicyclepicnic the shipping costs are 120€ nowadays. I ordered a pair of rims but I bought it through a shop in Paris. It is more expensive but it avoid hidden costs. All in all, the price should be sensibly the same at the end.

[@john-mikaeljarvenkyla]

nice one i have the same brakes they are really good

[@bicyclepicnic]

It’s a pretty good invention 👌🏽 cheers !

[@MAX-re4pc]

did u sell the surly?

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi, no I haven't... still in my cellar :)

[@10000forks]

look at the length of those cranks, lol

[@goadgoad8104]

Scyle Good health body strong and environment

[@Bored-G]

for me the frame is a bit overpriced, just my opinion, I'd rather get a surly for that price..nice build though

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi, yes you can get a Surly with pretty similar characteristics for half the price. There would be a difference only on certain details. But my motivation was to explore a little bit the world of frame building and also to support my friend's project. I the world of custom frames this is a low price though. Cheers !

[@gentsracer1845]

Frame way too small.