49cm Chas Roberts c.1991 Classic British Steel Road Bike Frame Set

✓ Original classic frame - built in the 1990s
✓ Thoroughly checked over & photographed in detail
✓ Worldwide shipping

South London's finest, Roberts Cycles are known the world over but have a particular cache as a classy frame-builder in the UK. Charlie Roberts honed his craft building frames post-war for various London brands, including Claud Butler and Holdsworth, but decided to strike out on his own in the 1960s. Later, his sons Chas and Geoff were passed the torch. With Charlie's passing in the late '70s, Chas took over the management of the company, and Geoff built alongside Derek Bailey, producing more and more custom road, track, pursuit, and touring frames to an increasing number of admirers. In the early '80s, Winston Vaz joined and spearheaded the production of their mountain bike frames, notably the White Spider and D.O.G.S B.O.L.L.O.X. The brand is now highly sought after by collectors.

This lightweight 1991-built frame is a lovely example of the restrained but well-made custom frames coming out of Roberts' workshop at the time. Made from Reynolds 531 Professional, Reynolds' lightest version of the 531 tube set, it was recommended for racing only due to its thin walls. As was the fashion at the time, the frame has an internally routed rear brake cable, close clearances, and a Cinelli 'spoiler' BB. We suspect the frame has had a fairly recent repaint, as it is in lovely condition with a nice contrasting black and red colour scheme.

The frame's been carefully checked by one of our mechanics to confirm the alignment's correct and there's no damage to the threads. If there are any minor issues worth noting we will do so in the overview section below. Please take a good look at the detailed photos so you can see the cosmetic condition of the frame before you buy.

OVERVIEW


Era - 1990s
Country - British
Frame Material - Steel
Tubing - Reynolds 531 Professional
Weight - 2.625 kg
Stock Code - U-F-R114C

SIZING


Size Guide* - XS/Small (Approx 29" Inside Leg)
Seat Tube (ctc) - 49 cm
Top Tube (ctc) - 51.5 cm
Head Tube - 91 mm
Chainstay Length - 40.5 cm
Wheelbase - 97 cm

*This is just a guide, not a guarantee the frame will fit as every rider is different. If you're unsure of your size we'd always recommend trying out a bike with similar frame dimensions first.

TECHNICAL INFO


Rear Spacing - 128 mm
Front Spacing - 100 mm
Seatpost Diameter - 27.2 mm
Wheel Size - 700c/28"
Brake Fixing - Recessed Allen Key
Front Brake Drop - 42 mm
Rear Brake Drop - 41 mm
Bottom Bracket Thread - Italian Thread
Headset Thread - Standard ISO (24 TPI - British/Italian)
Headset Stack Height - 37 mm
Fork Crown Race - 26.4
Shifter Fittings - Downtube Braze-On
Headtube Internal Diameter - 30.2 mm
Steerer Internal Diameter - 22.2 mm (Standard)

SHIPPING, TAXES & RETURNS

We've been safely sending orders around the world since 2010. There's a handy shipping calculator on the shopping cart page so you can see the cost of postage as soon as you've added it to your basket. Your order will be carefully packed and sent with tracking & insurance, we despatch most orders within 2-3 days but larger items and orders placed before the weekend can take an extra day or two to process.

We accept returns, please notify us within 14 days and ensure the item arrives back with us no later than 30 days after the order was received.

We don't charge VAT, however, if buying from outside of the UK please remember that there may be import fees to pay directly to the delivery company before receiving the order. Unfortunately we can’t advise on the exact costs as it varies from country to country, so please check your national rates before purchasing.

HELP SECTION

Seat Tube (ctc) - we measure from the centre of the bottom bracket shell up to the centre line of the top tube to give a consistent measurement regardless of frame design (ctc means centre to centre).

Top Tube (ctc) - this is measured from the centre of the head tube to the centre of the seat tube, along the centre of the top tube.

Chainstay Length - measured from the centre of the bottom bracket shell to the centre point of the rear dropout.

Wheelbase - measured from the centre of the front fork dropout to the centre point of the rear dropout.

Front & Rear Spacing - measured from the inside of one dropout to the other. The dropouts on steel frames can be stretched or squeezed a few mm but it's always best to avoid this if possible, aluminium or carbon frames should never be stretched.

Brake Drop - measured using wheels of the relevant size for the frame, as stated in the technical info section.

Headset Threads - although it's generally recommended to match threaded parts exactly, with headsets you can technically mix and match, unless you have French or the obscure old Raleigh threads, in which case you need to stick to that type.