How long does it take for a Rock Lobster 853 frame take? I ordered mine June/July when it was out of stock. They said to me it would take 3 Months. I wait… Ring them up 3 months later – another 2 months they say!!! Soo annoyed! 😥

How long does it take for a Rock Lobster 853 frame take?

About 5 months according to a post I just read.

If in stock tho about 10 days.

Here's a tease

How can be in white, Singletrackmonkey? Respray?

What size is that, 15"? If so, be warned that the floodgate adjuster knob on the Reba can foul the downtube. I've zip-tied a bit of innertube at the point of contact.

More pics?

PlopNoFear; worth the wait imo. Lovely bike. I love mine to bits.

Heres mine (17.5") just after I got it powdercoated..

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/sticker-decal-help-required

Yeap, it's a custom paint job (£25) after 3 years of red. I'm aware of the floodgate knob – it's heavily bike shielded there!!

And yes, it's 15".

Looks a bit different at the mo – it's my SS now.

Only other pics are phone pics from before I rebuilt it

Ooh! Looks nice in white with the red decals. Mind you, Lobsters look good whatever colour they're painted, somehow. Just a nice, clean simple design.

That's one of the best looking frames I've seen in a long time. Looks just right. Reminds my of my old Orange O2 in white – it eventually went mildly green on the down tube from sheep poo, serious stuff that.

My latest build has skulls and ravens and luminous green on it – I'm regressing to being 14 again 🙂

Singletrackmonkey, are you aware that Cane Creek do a +5mm headset that will solve the fouling on downtube problem? Not so much to protect the paint as to avoid whacking the fork controls.

APF

where did you get the decals?

I had mine recoated a few years back (powder, Kawasaki green) and got decals via Merlin, but they didn't offer me colours and so I just got the std ones.

"How long does it take for a Rock Lobster 853 frame take?"
if you wait long enough you might get the new Reynolds 931.

alexpalacefan, thanks for the Can Creek advice, i'll look into it.

Try contacting Rock Lobster direct for decals in the states. The guys name is Paul Sadoff and he is Rock Lobster. He designs and makes frames and is a nice chap. He just asked me for five dollars and a pic of the finished frame.

Here's his email: swiggco@pacbell.net

Oh, and the 853 decal is from ebay

Merlin should be able to do stickers for you in a number of colours- they had a big box when I worked there.

We had a couple of 'customs' from the hands of Mr Sadoff himself – very very nice.

Looks good in white………

Nice. Looked at the RL 853 a couple of years ago, went for something else purely because when riding one at the shop it felt wierd – really low dropped top-tube.

Build time might not be the issue now, but frames may be sat in a container somewhere, hopefully in this country and not dockside in Taiwan!

I have a mint 17" Rock Lobster 853 frame for sale if you are interested – mail address is in my profile.

I want Paul Sadoff to build me a Nontrager.

"Oh, and the 853 decal is from ebay "
for more than the originals from Reynolds:

http://reynoldstechnology.biz/assets/pdf/rtl_replacement_decals.pdf

gripper – its all right, i've all ready paid for it so i can't really do much.

in my view, there is no benefit in getting an 853 frame and waiting 5 months or more to get it. you might as well get a less overpriced frame and get better spec.

I’m going to be selling mine shortly – 19″ frame + Recon SL fork with few other bits (headset/seatpost + collar/front mech) – once I’ve stripped it down. Recoated in Kawasaki green in 07, makes it pretty unique. If you’ve waited 5 months I’m sure you can cancel easily enough.

Not advertised yet, but will be.

Singletrackmonkey – where did you get it resprayed at? £25 seems very good.

I have a 2005 Cove Handjob that would benefit from a new coat at some point.

PeaslakeDave – tbh it is pretty well specced, and i’ve waited so long, its not worth cancelling now.

but PlopNoFear whoever you may be, did you need to spend that much to get that spec?

PlopNoFear I think I can see a trend. Phone them in 2 months and I bet they’ll say 1 more month

Well this guy said

Jamie – Member

About 5 months according to a post I just read.

And after these 2 months it will be 5 months.

what are you on about plopnofear? this whole thread is pointless. you ask how long will it take and answer your own question with at least 5 months. i think however that Tebby might be right in which case i would ROFL and call you a noob and say it’s a con and lol and say it’s not worth the wait and go on about how nobalot can get a new bike in a week but you have to take half a year. then i may or may not say noob.

I was always under the impression that Rock Lobster had sold out and were no longer handbuilt in America. I thought that they were now mass produced in the far east somewhere?

On the RL website, it says:

The thing that I have avoided is delegating any of the building process to others, except for painting. In other words if the frame has my signature on it, you can be sure that I built it.

So are they all handbuilt by Paul?

no, Merlin have the name (and basic design?) under licence of some sort.

The Merlin RL 853 is Taiwanese built, and always has been – got a feeling the shop occasionally has/had some handbuilts in, but I don’t know if that is still the case.

@theOP, as Merlin has failed to deliver, I’d suggest you approach them as being in breach of contract, refund, buy another frame from someone else.

It’s a bit confuddling, as ‘proper’ Rock Lobsters are handbuilt in the States by Paul Sadoff’s factory. I don’t know if it’s just him that builds every single frame. But that’s full custom frame building service, with prices to match.

The Merlin ones are built to Paul’s design and specifications, in a factory in Taiwan. Basically, an off the peg version. The drastically lower labour costs mean they are much cheaper than the custom US built ones. Not necessarily worse, it’s just that custom frames have more prestige and kudos.You can order a full custom RL frame through Merlin I believe.

I got mine for £400 including a Reba Team fork. 😀

At that price, for such a good frame and fork, it totally shat on anything else out there. Can’t get any more bargainous than that.

NO more confusing that that as I have a B52 which is the same as one by Pha5e [cant recall which] so not all Rock lobsters are designed/made by him though it does have his signature on it

I have a Rock Lobster Ti and love it – my full sus barely gets a look in!
STM _ the shite looks superb

I wonder if they do many custom built frames?

I wouldn’t pay for custom when you get a mass produced that looks just as good one for a fraction of the price.

They guarantee 7 – 8 weeks now for the bike to be made and delivered. Such a JOKE!