Roberts Stratos-Elevated Chainstay-25th Anniversary.

[sinnerman]

Re: REQUIEM.......25th Anniversary.

Nicely done Carl, very nicely done indeed; and for the second time only, I am NOT going to suggest you go and get it covered in mud.

Once things have dried up though, I would love to read a back to back to back on the three Robert's, that would be a fascinating trip along the evolution of design.

Why NOT......?, It was made for the MUD.

(Its been ridden a lot since its rebuild, I don't build Garage Queens, Every bike is a rider, they simply get babied after every Ride... )

Although phone pics aren't great, the ride pics I never had yesterday have been added to page 2.

 

[NeilM]

Re: REQUIEM.......25th Anniversary.

Why NOT......?, It was made for the MUD.

I couldn't have put it better myself.

Well, in that case; DO IT!

 

[Vinevo]

Re: REQUIEM.......25th Anniversary.

Few, that took some effort Carl!, but worth it as always, paint and finish is lush and the Campy goes perfectly with it, well done.

 

[sinnerman]

Re: REQUIEM.......25th Anniversary.

Thanks mate, coming from the only fella built a replica Breezer 1 on this site, that's a real compliment....

keep looking bud, these things lurk in every Shed, Garage, Outhouse, DogHouse and loft all over our country im sure.

You gotta keep it up mate, your simply too good at what you do Not too.

Thanks Carl, you have inspired me to either find a Roberts stratos or Mantis Valkyrie and restore it or make one from scratch. also i am now looking into spray guns that can do flake. i have done pearl but that looks soo good i am gonna work on some paint his year.

Loving your work. respect of the real and lasting kind. that bike is now etched in my mind.

You gotta keep looking my friend, A Valkyrie is and always has been on my list too...., its one of those American bikes that really does Inspire, I don't know if its the name or the builder, the paint or just its totally "out there" design. It was the stuff of boyhood dreams that's for sure... These Mountain Bike magazines really did a good job on us all didn't they....lol

The paint wasn't easy, and it really wasn't, it was a bitch to do, and im not ashamed to tell you it took us four attempts to get an even spread. I have to say though, whilst Trevor and I tried to capture it in a photograph, its so subtle when looking at the frame, from a distance the bike is just Roberts Team white, up close it has a speckle, and only when the bike is moving can you see a glitter effect to it.

The Fellas really did me proud and kept going until it was as perfect as it could get. The airbrush work is Faultless too, I had to look twice myself if im honest... You gotta give it a go, the gun im sure you will find a great investment.

 

[sinnerman]

Re: REQUIEM.......25th Anniversary.

Beautiful bike and a great story. 1989 is when it started for me, as well. It's almost hard to believe it's been 25 years since I bought my first MTB, a 1989 Nishiki Alien. I agree there was a serious amount of innovation back then, which is what made that era so exciting.

btw, the link to the original eBay auction doesn't have the pics of the damaged frame. It would be interesting to see the before and after pics side-by-side for comparison. In fact, because so few were made, perhaps some pics exist of the bike as new bitd?

The Nishiki Alien is a favourite of mine too, and for me it has to be green.

Ref. the ebay pics, sadly when I finally got back from California the pics were removed, I wasn't there to save them.

I have Neil,(Mr Kawasaki) to thank for the pic he saved of the fork below.

As for History, as mentioned in the previous post, so many English builders really didn't keep much in the way of detail (I guess they didn't expect olduns like us to value things so much 25 years later).

I have scraped together every piece of information I could find, and really have to thank Chas Roberts himself for taking the time to fill me in on the missing details, especially how the First British E-Stay came to be.


Like to thank Adrian (nevadsmith/coleman) for unearthing the M.B.I scan below too.

 

[sinnerman]

Re: REQUIEM.......25th Anniversary.

Sweet! I have nothing but respect for these sorts of builds. Taking something special, rare but tired and giving it a whole new lease on life and preserving it for years to come.
I know only too well that these are hard builds, costing far more than sensible and taking far longer than anyone could imagine but you don't ever do these for sensible reasons, this is all about personal attachment, sentimentality and love for the bike.

This is a superb build - minute attention to detail and dedication to getting it absolutely right with not a corner cut. Perfect.

Pete, What can I say. After seeing your "Yeti Ultimate" I was stumped.

And whether or not you realised it, seeing what you had to go through with that bike, watching the story unfold and just how much can be achieved when the passion of a build takes hold, that single bike build was the defining moment for me on this site.

Without all the sycophantic bullshit now....Your thread, your tenacity and diligence proved to me that some bikes are worth the time and the effort, and that regardless of budget and time constraints, some bikes really are worth and Ought to be saved.

For me this build was two fold the Yeti and the Roberts..., the history of the E-stay.

I feel it isn't easy or fair to draw a comparisons- so with my own builds I didn't try.

I really attempted to build two totally different bikes. The Yeti with a Shimano/Bullseye/Grafton spec, and the Roberts as a European Build, in contrast- using Campagnolo.

I really cant thank you and Geoff Waugh enough for the Inspiration, and I hope you don't mind me using your pic here....

Whilst not a comparison by any means it is after all...Your "Yin to my Yang".

 

[Giom6]

Re: REQUIEM.......25th Anniversary.

Great ride pics Carl, looks even better on the move.

The frame lines just give the impression of speed. The last shot on page 2 with the bike in between the foliage is great.

How does she ride ?

 

[sinnerman]

Re: REQUIEM.......25th Anniversary.

Great ride pics Carl, looks even better on the move.

The frame lines just give the impression of speed. The last shot on page 2 with the bike in between the foliage is great.

How does she ride ?

Cheers G.

If im brutally honest now, I suppose I would say im a little surprised and relieved.

Elevated chain stay steel frames I would say really aren't all that lightweight. They are built well and can withstand quite some punishment, but by any standard they are more middleweight than lightweight.

This rides considerably more svelte than I had expected, it climbs like a typical E-stay.....exceptionally, but exceeds all my expectations when descending.

Its agile and surefooted in technical sections and bloody awesome in the mud. The Campagnolo is typical of its time to be fair, but I have to say the Record OR brakes are very good with the Scott Mathauser brake pads...... Certainly a well considered upgrade for any brake set in my honest opinion.

 

[xxnick1975]

Re: REQUIEM.......25th Anniversary.

What a fantastic build. Yet again your knowledge, love and enthusiasm speaks volumes. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Crantinope]

Re: REQUIEM.......25th Anniversary.

Totally ACE Carl. Fantastic story and pics. Understated looking but totally awesome close up
You do realise there are only so many times you can trump your last build before you run out of options
I look forward to the next instalment (when/whatever it is)

Cheers.......Nick