The following article appeared in the February 1976 issue of Bicycling! magazine.  Reprinted without permission.

Ron Cooper and Bob Jackson are two English frame makers whose products have become well-known and respected among bicycling enthusiasts.  Some time ago we got the idea of running a kind of comparison road test of bicycles built on these two frames.  We hoped to get two bikes for the test that were equipped with the same components and were of the same frame size, so that whatever differences we noted in their performances would be due to differences in the frames.  In particular, we hoped to answer the question of why the Ron Cooper frame costs as much as $100 more than the Bob Jackson frame (although prices vary), and whether it's worth the difference.

Well, we eventually got the two bikes for the test (courtesy of Bikecology, Santa Monica, California), although they were not quite the same size and were equipped with entirely different components.  The Ron Cooper was a 22-inch frame equipped with all-Campy components, while the Bob Jackson was a 21-inch frame fitted with Japanese components.  These differences were enough to rule out the "controlled experiment" type of comparison we had hoped to do on the two bikes.  Nevertheless, we proceeded with the road tests eagerly, for these bikes promised to be of more than usual interest.

As indicated in the individual reports that follow, both these bicycles have much to recommend them.  The Ron Cooper is a superbly finished machine that achieves a surprising level of stability and neutrality of handling in view of its close coupling and steep frame angles.  The Bob Jackson, although less meticulously finished (and in our case much less expensively equipped), evoked instant enthusiasm for its liveliness from everyone who rode it. Especially notable was how smoothly and quietly it ran, a tribute to the quality of its Japanese running-gear components.

Bob Jackson and Ron Cooper are frame builders only.  They do not build complete bikes.  When judging their products, one must consider primarily the feeling of the frame because it is up to the buyer to choose the components with which it will be equipped.  These bikes, as equipped for the road test, are hundreds of dollars apart in price, yet they both belong in the same category of high-performance, high-quality bicycles.

One might ask why anyone would consider paying so much more for the Ron Cooper when the Bob Jackson gives approximately the same performance? It's a fair question, and we'd answer it like this: many purists would be willing to pay the extra money just to have a frame finished to perfection and fitted with the canonical Italian components; but for those looking for a really good machine at a bargain price, the Bob Jackson as equipped here is the obvious choice.

Leaving aside questions of frame construction and finish, one would really have to ride the two bikes to make an intelligent choice.  And we suspect both bikes would win their share of converts in such a personal riding comparison—the Bob Jackson for its essential liveliness, the Ron Cooper for its compliant responsiveness.

Both Ron Cooper and Bob Jackson framesets come in stock sizes from 19 inches through 25 inches at one-inch intervals, and both builders will also build frames (at extra cost) to the customer's specifications—size, frame angles, etc.—provided the builder feels the specifications will result in a satisfactory bicycle.  These framesets are available through a number of bicycle shops in the United States (see for example the directory in the back of this magazine), including Bikecology Bike Shop, 3006 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90403.

RON COOPER ROAD BIKE
(Tested by Wallace Clements)

What I first noticed about the Ron Cooper was its excellent frame finish.  The silver paint job, which covered everything including the dropouts (there was no chrome anywhere), was flawless; the fork tips and dropouts were faired into the tube ends very smoothly in the rounded English style; the lugwork was top flight; and the joining of the seat stays to the seat stay lug was as neat a job as I have seen.  Ron Cooper originated this style of seat stay joining in which the top of the seat stay tube is closed (rather than being miter-cut) and then contour-cut on the underside to fit exactly the shape of the seat lug to which it is then brazed.  The result is a very smooth, strong and handsome joint.  Now other custom builders, recognizing the obvious virtues of this method, are using a similar join—for example, Eisentraut and Holdsworth.

The fork crown on the Ron Cooper is a simple design, perfectly flat on top, giving the appearance of machine-ground precision.  The fork as viewed from the side has perhaps the prettiest curve of any I have ever seen.  Its curve seems to begin almost at the crown and continues all the way to the tip.  The rate of curvature is very small and uniform over the entire distance, producing the relatively small rake of 1 1/2 inches.  We understand that Ron Cooper uses a special large-diameter Reynolds 531 fork blade, available only to a few English builders.  The original blade is open-ended and taper-gauged, not slotted, raked or domed.  This results in a distinctive Cooper custom fork tip.  The excess tube length is cut off from the tip end, result in a more solid appearance than that of bikes using a standard blade.

Besides the usual all-Campy complement of components, this bike had some additional features worth mentioning.  On the back of the Campy seatpost were depth marker lines spaced a few millimeters apart; these are very useful guides when changing the seat height adjustment.  The chain was a Regina Oro, which in my experience runs smoother than most others.  One of the new Silca Impero frame-fit pumps, in a color matching the silver paint job of the bicycle, was fitted just in front of the seat tube.  (I was disappointed to that it had the standard plastic pressure head, for when pumping a tire to normal operating pressures, I have seen these plastic heads blow off; blowoff-proof replacement heads are available from Campagnolo and from a Japanese supplier.) Also mounted on the test bike was a TA Superlight water bottle cage and a TA water bottle.

When I measured the frame angles of the Ron Cooper, I found them to be the steepest of any bike I have tested so far—seat tube, 75 degrees; head tube, 74 degrees.  I expected there might be some skittishness in the handling as a result.  Not so.  I was able to easily hold a course when riding no hands and could even turn curves that way.  The bike tracked perfectly and had a reassuring feel of built-in inertial stability.  The design is as sound and the pound sterling once was.

The dominant characteristic of the Ron Cooper's handling was its neutrality.  Although I had the feeling it was capable of doing any kind of maneuver one could reasonably expect to do with a bicycle, I also felt it would never surprise me by taking some unbidden action on its own.  It would only do what I made it do.  It puts it capabilities totally in command of the rider, like a perfectly trained riding horse.

This feeling that the bike would do only what I asked—but could do anything within reason that I asked—persisted in all riding conditions.  I felt it when standing in the pedals to sprint up a steep hill (no undesirable frame whip was discernible), when cruising along relaxed on a level stretch and when flying down a hill at 45 mph.  Always that compliant responsiveness to my command, often making me feel like a better rider than I am.

I should point out here that different riders will have different opinions of a bicycle's handling characteristics.  Thus what I call "neutrality" in the Ron cooper might be interpreted by someone else as a "dead" feel (in fact, a friend of mine who rode the Ron Cooper briefly did say it felt rather dead to him).  However, in my lexicon "deadness" in a bicycle implies not neutrality so much as sluggishness or incomplete response.  And I found nothing sluggish on incomplete about this bicycle's response.

I think the Ron Cooper can be viewed in the same way that many people view a Rolls Royce or a Mercedes—as a machine good enough and durable enough to be worth keeping indefinitely.  I can easily imagine keeping a Ron Cooper 10 or 20 years and still being as pleased with it as when it was new.

Besides the road racing frame tested here, Ron Cooper also makes a touring frame of similar high quality with less-steep frame angles and greater fork rake, and a track frame noted for its rugged sprintability (see Bicycling! July 1975).

All Ron Cooper bicycles are made completely by Cooper himself; no apprentice has made a bike bearing the Cooper label.  He produces about 30 frames each moth at his shop in England.

BOB JACKSON GRAND PRIX 16
(Tested by Minot Clements)

The Bob Jackson Grand Prix 16 bicycle embodies that rare combination of liveliness and stability so sought after by the bicycling enthusiast.  The frame is stiff enough for most riders' purposes: It skirts dead rigidity in favor of the springy, high-tension feeling that is so essential to the long-distance rider.  I think that such a lively bicycle does more for the rider in terms of overall comfort and physical and mental well-being than does a very stiff bicycle that tends to give the bone-jarring ride of the proverbial "lumber wagon," no matter how light it may be.

The Bob Jackson frame is made in the English style, with Prugnat long-point lugs.  The finish of the lugs and the stay and fork joints was not as carefully done on our test bike as on the more expensive English or Italian superbikes, but it was adequate for a frame in this price range (about $200).

The paint job was truly spectacular.  Our bike was painted fire-engine red with white panels on the seat tube and head tube and with white lettering.  White striping outlined the lugs, and ornamental strip designs highlighted the mitered upper ends of the seat stays.  The paint seemed quite thick and smooth, and the decals were neatly applied.  To protect this special paint job Bob Jackson tops it off with a tough, transparent finish coat.

Our Bob Jackson test bike had somewhat more moderate frame angles than the Ron Cooper—73 degrees for both the head and seat tubes—but the same fork rate (1 1/2 inches) and wheelbase (39 inches).  The compact frame geometry made for a very quick-handling bike.  It was especially good in the corners.  With its high bottom bracket height, 10 3/4 inches, I could really lay it over with worrying about dragging a pedal.

The running gear was the pick of the JEX group of Japanese component manufacturers.  I was well impressed with the Sugino Mighty Compe chainset.  Much like the Campy Record chainset, it too is very well finished and reliable in operation.  In combination with the Sun Tour derailleurs and freewheel it produced a drive system that was exceptionally quiet and smooth running.  In fact, in ran more quietly and smoothly than the Campy-equipped Ron Cooper (yes, everything was properly adjusted).

I was particularly pleased with the Gran-Compe sidepull brakes.  They were just firm enough to give delicate control, yet a hard stop required only moderate lever pressure.

Although the SR "Soul" stem was beautifully finished, I'd like it better if it didn't use an inferior-wedge type expander.  And I have a feeling that one day SR will engrave their handlebars just a bit too much, and some unfortunate rider will suddenly find when he drops down hard on the bars that they'll drop right out from under him! Notable among the Bob Jackson's components were the new Sunshine Pro Am hubs.  They are beautifully finished with a deep pearly luster.  Designed to compete with established professional-grade hubs such as Campagnolo and Dura-Ace, they appear to have the requisite smoothness of operation and finish.  Time will tell how well they compare with the others.

To sum up, I feel that the Bob Jackson Grand Prix 16, especially when equipped with the moderately priced and smooth running Japanese components used on our test bike, is a stand-out bargain in a road bike at its price of about $400.  I don't know of another that can match it at the price.

In addition to the road bike that we tested, Bob Jackson also makes the Super Tourist, a longer-wheelbase bike with more fork rake and slightly less-steep frame angles (72 degrees) designed for touring.  I suspect it too is a bargain in its class.

RON COOPER ROAD BIKE SPECIFICATIONS

FRAME:

• Top Tube: 21 3/4"
• Seat Tube: 22"
• Down Tube: 24 7/8"
• Chainstays: 16 1/4"
• Seatstays: 21"
• Fork Rake: 1 1/2"
• Bottom Bracket Height: 10 5/8"
• Wheelbase: 39"
• Head Tube Angle: 74 degrees
• Seat Tube Angle: 75 degrees

CHAINSET:

• Campagnolo Nuovo Record, 42/52 chainrings and 170 mm cranks.

DERAILLEURS:

• Campagnolo Nuovo Record rear, Record front, with down tube controls. 
• Gear development (inches): 47.3-54.0-58.6-63.0-66.9-70.9-78.0-81.0-87.8-100.3
• Development jumps (inches): 6.7-4.6-4.4-3.9-4.0-7.1-3.0-6.8-12.5

WHEELS:

• hubs: Campagnolo Record small flange w/36 holes
• rims: Alloy tubular rims with ferruled spoke holes
• spokes: Stainless steel double-butted, four-cross lacing
• tires: Clement 50 cotton tubulars

BRAKES:

• Campagnolo Record sidepulls, hooded levers

PEDALS:

• Campagnolo Superleggeri black alloy pedals.
• Christophe toe clips and Binda straps.

FREEWHEEL:

SADDLE:

• Cinelli Unicanitor padded suede saddle, Campagnolo seatpost

BAR & STEM:

• Cinelli

WEIGHT:

• About 22 lbs.

COST:

• About $800 as equipped.  The frame alone costs $250-$300

BOB JACKSON GRAND PRIX 16 SPECIFICATIONS

FRAME:

• Top Tube: 21"
• Seat Tube: 21"
• Down Tube: 24 1/4"
• Chainstays: 16 1/4"
• Seatstays: 20"
• Fork Rake: 1 1/2"
• Bottom Bracket Height: 10 3/4"
• Wheelbase: 39"
• Head Tube Angle: 73 degrees
• Seat Tube Angle: 73 degrees

CHAINSET:

• Sugino Mighty Compe, 42/52 chainrings and 171-mm cranks.

DERAILLEURS:

• Sun Tour VT Lux rear, SL front, ratcheted downtube controls.
• Gear development (inches): 47.3-54.0-58.6-63.0-66.9-70.9-78.0-81.0-87.8-100.3
• Development jumps (inches): 6.7-4.6-4.4-3.9-4.0-7.1-3.0-6.8-12.5

WHEELS:

• hubs: Sanshin (Sunshine) Pro Am small-flange w/36 holes
• rims: Fiamme Red Label
• spokes: Robergel stainless steel double-butted, four-cross lacing
• tires: Hutchinson Supersprint Milano (cotton, butyl tubes)

BRAKES:

• Gran Compe sidepulls w/hooded levers

PEDALS:

• Pro Ace steel

FREEWHEEL:

• Sun Tour Pro Compe (gold), 14-16-18-21-24

SADDLE:

• Unicanitor (Mexican) unpadded leather over plastic, SR Custom seatpost

BAR & STEM:

• SR World Custom handlebars, SR Apex stem

WEIGHT:

• About 22 lbs.

COST:

• About $400 as equipped.  The frame alone costs $200-$230