Products

The Kogswell Porteur/Randonneur Frameset

The best all-rounder ever.

This is not a racing bike. Because you don't have a support car. And it isn't a mountain bike. But it can do everything else brilliantly. You can commute on it. You can use it as a light or loaded tourist. It handles anything that even remotely looks like a road. And it does it all with comfort, safety, speed and fun.

We didn't design it. We copied it. It's based on a French newspaper delivery bike. Porteurs, the men and women who shuttled papers, flew through the streets of Paris on bikes like these. Joel Metz, bike messenger extraordinaire, brought them to our attention. And Jan Heine supplied us with the details of the geometry. Jan also pointed out that if we made three different forks, of varying geometry, the bike could be tuned for different uses like randonneuring, demanding long distance events.

Things you need to know about the P/R

The P/R frameset is a bit odd for a couple of reasons. For one it uses a tire size that's out of the ordinary. The '650B' tires were an integral part of the French design and so we kept them. They're perfect for the mission of this bike. They roll very nicely and they soak up pavement irregularities with glee. Owners report that they make a sport of looking for bad pavement. Aside from comfort, 650B tires also have a real safety advantage. In low-light situations, on unfamiliar streets, you'll float over potholes and storm drains and never know it.

Another feature of the P/R that's odd is the fork. There are three. You chose one depending on which tires you plan to use and where you plan to carry a load, on the front or on the rear. If you want to know more about the forks, please click on the image of the brochure on the right. It includes a copy of the test report that Vintage Bicycle Quarterly published. Your dealer can help you pick the fork that's right for you.

Geometry

Details

Features

tubing	ECO brand double butted chrome-moly steel
constuction	TIG welded frame, brazed fork w/ cast crown
finish	powder coating
color	kustard yellow /w dark grey decals
braze-ons	pump pegs, 3 water bottles, rear racks bosses, lower rider mounts on fork
fender mounts	threaded bosses under the brake bridge and fork crown

Build Dimensions

seat post	27.2mm
seat post clamp	29.8mm
BB	68mm, English
front derailleur	28.6mm, clamp-on, bottom pull
fork	1 1/8" threadless Ahead
rear spacing	135mm
brakes	standard cantilever posts for cantis or V-brakes
cabling	D/T shifter bosses

$600 which includes frame, a fork, fenders painted to match, headset and seatpost