RVL's Ugly Ducklings

Is this you in 13th position?

^ fraid not - There must be 2 of us imposters knocking about the place!
That said, I'd be pretty pleased with a 55:13 25, just 7 places off one of my Heroes Sean Yates in 6th...
Speaking of Yates, I'm using one of his tricks on the Gitane, the "old tub inside a thrashed tyre" ploy.
Gitane will be complete once I've made it to the shed and managed to locate my chain tool, an old tub and 2nd toestrap.

The pedals are Kyokuto Top Flight I picked up for 99p on ebay Once I'd cleaned and regreased them they're silkly smooth and very nice quality.
Seatpost is a ebay cheapo that toolroom guy turned down from 25.4 to 25.0 to suit.
(Turns out seatposts come up smaller than the seattubes they fit (surprise surprise) so a 27.2mm post measures 27.0)
Here are my cardboard cutouts of the proposed cutting on the mistral chainrings - they don't look too bad.
I think I'll mock one up on my old gebhardt before chopping into the new ones.

Gitane's now up and running
I rather like it
I think I'll call it Serge.

(Shorter was called Wayne, and my old moser was veronica. always good to put a name to a frame).

Looks rad James. Wish I had the time/space/patience to build this up.

Not tempted to put some big nobbley tyres on it to close up the clearance and take it for a spin off road?

^Yes definitely tempted - I was thinking exactly that this morning.
Next step will be flat pedals/clips/straps and a big front rack!
Will probably hang onto it long-term to muck about with - SSCX, porteur, rat etc
Thanks again, glad you like it - good to feel I've done it justice

That fork on the track frame would (have been) a perfect candidate for electrolytic de-rusting. I use it whenever I get a rusty bit; it saves the most steel, and it's no bloddy work, just time in the bucket. Look it up.

Did I see you bombing it past Westminster bridge road on the Duratec yesterday evening?

yep. that was me. just after 5:30?

YES! I spotted someone for once! You were moving too fast, but the bike looked damn awesome

Looking good James....you turn out some clever, well thought out budget bikes!
Excellent work again :0)

That fork on the track frame would (have been) a perfect candidate for electrolytic de-rusting. I use it whenever I get a rusty bit; it saves the most steel, and it's no bloddy work, just time in the bucket. Look it up.

Thanks for the tip - looks like the sort of thing that's right up my street!! I'll look into doing some of this when I get onto the Chas Roberts TT bike as that's a heap of rust right now!

I've been busy this week....

Excellent. Are you going to clearcoat over it like that or leave it as is?

i emeryclothed and polished it then fitted the vinyls and have already given it
3 coats of acrylic clearcoat.
cocked up a bit on seattube lettering (wonky j ) but apart from that delighted. 2-nut suits it... was going to fit a hatta swan but didn't have enough steerer thread. ..

awesome

Ah, spot on. Didn't notice that the headset was a Chris King, even more rat points.

That looks so good! I'm really liking the decals over the patinaed paintjob.

Looking good James....you turn out some clever, well thought out budget bikes!
Excellent work again :0)

thanks Pat.
Always glad of your approval. what are you up to at the mo? any progress with the Dawes?
You doing L'erotica this year? Benji got in again. I'll probably try again next year. ..

awesome

That looks so good! I'm really liking the decals over the patinaed paintjob.

Many thanks.
I was looking to rust-proof without losing patina, but also to make the bike a bit more sexy, I'd like to think I've struck the right balance here....

Ah, spot on. Didn't notice that the headset was a Chris King, even more rat points.

Headset's a rat-King, shame I didn't take "before" photos... I bought it off a messenger for a tenner - looked like it had been de-anodised with a penknife.
Top-nut threads are blue & bottom race is red.. sleeves were badly mangled from screwdriver/hammer removal, a good session with a file and then finishing on a polishing wheel left it looking quite nice. (needless to say it runs super smooth).
Crown race fitting was interesting, The original 105 headset used to rock a bit and when I removed it I noted it was shimmed with electrical tape. Fit with the King crown race was best described as cock-in-a-sock, but I shimmed it with a single layer of K's cider can which made it press-fit!!!

looks good

Headset's a rat-King, shame I didn't take "before" photos... I bought it off a messenger for a tenner - looked like it had been de-anodised with a penknife.
Top-nut threads are blue & bottom race is red.. sleeves were badly mangled from screwdriver/hammer removal, a good session with a file and then finishing on a polishing wheel left it looking quite nice. (needless to say it runs super smooth).
Crown race fitting was interesting, The original 105 headset used to rock a bit and when I removed it I noted it was shimmed with electrical tape. Fit with the King crown race was best described as cock-in-a-sock, but I shimmed it with a single layer of K's cider can which made it press-fit!!!

All of this is awesome.

Thanks Sam, that's praise indeed -
Swapping track drops for road bars/levers made a lot of sense on your Feather, I'm hoping it'll be the same story here and will mean that this most splendid of frames gets some use again!

Definitely. You going to fit a front brake?

yep.
The plan is to use this for long rides/riding with roadies so a brake is pretty essential* - Also makes it RTTC legal (should I wish to put myself through that humiliation).

*I rode it brakeless for the olympic route in pissing rain.
The descent to the A25 at Shere continues to haunt me.