Roberts MTB - 1989

[Chapeau! Velo]

Re: Roberts Genesis - 1993

Always had a soft spot for Roberts frames and I was lucky enough to have had a Genesis a few years ago. Not sure that 'entry level' and 'custom fillet brazed steel' are really compatible. I suppose it's like Bentley speccing cloth seats and leaving out the wood in their 'entry level' cars!

 

[NeilM]

Re: Roberts Genesis - 1993

The frame number would give it away, as the first two digits are the year of manufacture.

Lugged BB would also mean it was more of an 'entry level' Roberts, but then that compares with Dave Yates' Diabolo, which addressed the same market and is a superb riding bike, add to that that many of the best hand made steel road frames had, and still have, lugged BB's... nuff sed.

Whether it's a Genesis or whether it's a development that is leading to what became the Genesis is sort of neither here nor there. It was custom hand made, in Chas Roberts workshop, for a specific customer, at the start of a five to six year boom in the mtb market, so it's right there at the start of it all.

How does it ride?

 

[MatBH5]

Re: Roberts Genesis - 1993

Thanks for those responses and sorry not to have replied sooner. Didn't make much progress on Sunday! I really do appreciate the provenance of the bike, and will certainly enjoy it. The quality of finish is a world apart from some of my other (non-UK hand built) frames of this period. Not a surprise.
I've been in contact with Roberts and recieved a very rapid reply saying they'll have a quick look into their records. Great service and I'm not even a customer!

Only had short rides to date and compromised by a too long replacement stem and buckled (non-original) wheels. I'm replacing both - the c.132mm OLN measurement is causing me a headache as I've no built 130 hubs, some 126 seem to bend the frame in too much for my liking and 135 feels a squeeze. I fully admit to being a bit *nal about these things!

When I was out the frame felt stiff and lively, accelerating well.

Cheers, Mat

 

[MatBH5]

Well, I made it out today for my first proper ride having undertaken a little spruce up (the bike, not me), which although fairly short gave me a good feel for the ride.

In a word, brilliant. This was much more assured than I'd hoped. I've used a shorter stem with a bit of rise, which has taken a bit of weight off the front wheel, and feels to have turned a twitchy ride (imo) into a responsive one.

I took a ride up MMF (locals will know where), and this climbed really well, feeling compact, planted and it was easy to keep the front down. I did have my obligatory foot-down on a slippy section, but apart from that I'd say met my usual pace (which is slow ;-)).

I was concerned about how the bike would feel downhill, but on the descent into Corfe, seat dropped, it was stable and not at all twitchy.

The ride was comfortable, compliant, but stiff laterally around the bb, compared to my Orange Prestige, even under pedalling.

I need to change the wheels; I've got a pair that can be modified to 130 spacing. Annoyingly, one ride and my heels have rubbed the Deore logos off the cranks which have withstood 25 years.

Excuse the long ride description... But somebody did ask!

 

[mfhxgram]

....still smarting over seeing this 3 mins late!

was hoping youd say it was unresponsive, sluggish and a bit of a dog to ride

 

[NeilM]

That's not a long description, that's a nice summary. :mrgreen:

It sounds great, just like a well constructed frame should be.