Janelli II: 1,000 Kilometers Later

It’s always exciting to see what becomes of the frames people build in our courses. Even more interesting is when someone doesn’t just show us the finished bicycle, but also looks back and asks: What worked? What would I do differently next time?

That’s exactly what Jan Gathmann from Rennrad-News has done with his Janelli II.

Jan came to our workshop in Potsdam with some pretty specific ideas. He wanted to build a fast, versatile gravel bike that suited the way he likes to ride. For him, it wasn’t just about brazing his own frame. What mattered most was the geometryand the freedom to make decisions that wouldn’t be possible with an off-the-shelf bicycle.

The result was a fillet-brazed frame built from Columbus XCR and Reynolds 853, with some rather unconventional geometry. Among other things, Jan chose a significantly lower bottom bracket and longer chainstays.

After around 1,000 kilometers, he now knows how those decisions actually work out on the road.

And that’s what I find particularly interesting about his second article.

The low bottom bracket, for example, is something Jan would definitely choose again. It makes the bike feel very stable at higher speeds, both on the road and on gravel.

Other details have changed his thinking a little. Next time, he’d like an even more aggressive riding position. And when it comes to the fork, he’s learned just how much a few millimeters of offset can affect the handling.

His conclusion: For his next gravel bike, he’d start by choosing the fork.

The Janelli II has also become a very personal bike in terms of appearance. Jan left the stainless steel frame unpainted and decorated it with stickers from his family, along with reminders of trips and places he’s visited.

The head badge has a personal story, too. His wife, who was working as a silversmith at the time, made the original Janelli emblem for him.

But perhaps the most important thing is that the experiment has resulted in a bicycle Jan genuinely loves riding. After the first 1,000 kilometers, he describes the Janelli II as his favorite gravel bike. What surprised him most was just how agile and dynamic his self-built steel frame feels.

For me, that’s perhaps the best thing about building your own frame. You don’t simply build your “dream bike” and call it done. You make decisions, put them to the test, and learn something with every kilometer about what you’d do exactly the same way, or completely differently, on your next frame.

You can read Jan’s full report on building up the Janelli II, its geometry, and his experiences after the first 1,000 kilometers over at Rennrad-News.