Sandra's Privateer Update

Hi Evan,

Logged 1,958 miles on my New Albion Privateer for the National Bike Challenge. I started logging the miles once I was in receipt of my bike beginning in May. Not a bad way of breaking-in a new bike!

Sandra

Eddie's Privateer Drop Bar Build

One of our first Privateer customers just rebuilt his bike with some fresh new tires and drop bars.

"An update on my Privateer. I tried all manner of trying to get used to upright with Albatross bars and bar ends. I adjusted every which way up down sideways. Not for me. So I installed my fav compact drops, Sora 9 brifters, and a 6603 Ultegra triple crank. The bike still rode kinda harsh and clunky. Last gasp was to try some Grand Bois Cypres 32 mm tires at 70 psi. These replaced Maxxis Refuse 28 mm tires pumped to 80 psi. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! I can’t quite believe the tires can make a big difference, but I swear the bike seems faster??? And cruises over rough surfaces really well. I mean really well. I thought this would just be my town funky bike, but now it has turned into something more subtle. I like it."

Be well.

Eddie

Homebrew 650b Conversion

I had a extra set of Velocity Atlas 650b wheels lying around, so I thought I would set them up on a Homebrew complete bike and see how well they fit.

I think the results are quite pleasing. It really looks like the frame was made just for these tires.

I traded the stock IRD B57s for some Rivendell Silver long reach calipers, and the brake reach lines up just above the bottom of the slot. This allows for plenty of fender clearance, even with 38mm tires.

These brakes are super easy to adjust, so the entire operation took maybe 10 minutes after I pulled the bike out of the box. I used the venerable Panaracer Col De La Vie tires, which were at one time pretty much the only 650b tire you could get.

Nowadays there are many other good options, but for the money I still think they're a great value. They may not be the fastest rolling tread pattern, or the lightest casing (that distinction goes to the Soma Grand Randonneur tires), but they roll pretty darn smoothly and they give the bike a nice traditional look that I enjoy.

For rough roads, gravel and dirt paths these wider tires are a smart upgrade. The minimum reach on the Silver brakes is 57mm, so you could easily set them up with the 700c wheels and have an extra 650b wheelset ready to swap out depending on the kind of riding you planned on doing. All it takes is a quick brake pad adjustment and you're ready to go.

Besides the obvious pneumatic suspension gains, going to larger tires has the knock on effect of improved grip when cornering. Do to the increased volume you'll be able to run lower pressure without worrying about pinch flats. Lowering the pressure will increase the amount of rubber in contact with the road while leaning into a turn. You'll really appreciate increased stability if you ever find yourself descending a steep chicane with loaded panniers.

Another nice thing about running 650b wheels on the Homebrew is that the geometry remains relatively sporty compared to a heavy duty touring bike. The short chainstays and steeper headtube angle keep the handling lively and responsive, so it's still fun to ride with just a small front rack or saddle bag.

If you're 650b curious but you're on a budget, you might want to give the Homebrew a closer look. Converting it to 650b wheels only takes a few minutes and you probably already have the tools you'll need to make the swap.

Hit the ground running!

It's been about 2 years since New Albion Cycles began, and a lot has happened in that time. What started as a rough concept sketched out on the back of scrap paper has now become a full bike line. The Privateer frames have been shipping for a about a month now and the first run of Homebrews just arrived stateside. We're still waiting on the Starling mixte frames, and we have a few other ideas that we're working on, but overall things are looking really good.

Here's the official product shot of the Homebrew complete bike as they look now. These are in stock at our wholesale distributors and starting to show up in bike shops across the country.

We're really pleased with the feedback we've been getting so far, and we hope that more people will get a chance to check our bikes our in person. We've made some updates to the website, and started a Flickr group for people to share their builds and ride pictures, so check it out and take a look at what people have been posting.