Everyone is building tourers! (Orange Prestige)

This is for Snowdonia, Ireland and beyond in next summers season, so it won't be a particularly fast build in any way.

Inspired primarily by @geeeb 's 'Shelley' and @mechanical_vandal 's various monsters .

The plan is to use a 10spd SLX/XT groupset I got for cheap. It has STI thumbies so I don't think i'll be using drops. Perhaps a wide swept riser with Spinaci's, for an optional 'aero' position. It would look stupid too, which I think is important when you're staring at it for hours on end in the rain. ;)

This is an Orange Prestige, made from... Tange Prestige.
Another (even gaudier, but boring reynolds 500) frame is arriving tomorrow for consideration. I'll keep you's updated :)

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dem fadez .. you clearly need this:

I can totally afford that.

Considering these, since finding a 1" stem with the correct rise may be an expensive pain. Is it a bad move? I quite like the idea of being able to change position, and this one is supposed to be 'not cack'.

I don't think adjustable stems are that horrendous.

I have the 80mm (I think) version of this

which I probably have no more use for, happy to pass it along for postage if you want to try it.

Also, glad that I, or rather my bikes, have been inspiration for you!

Cool builds. Touring sucks balls though. See weekend rides thread

that xtr groupo is so sexy, shame the new stuff is so rank.

Best looking group evaaar!

ok guys i don't have that group :(

Killer fades.

get it

So this came today. It's basically the same size but te difference in weight (even accounting for the headset) is remarkable.

Do I keep this and build a beater? Or will the 500 be more suitable than the prestige as a tourer in the long run? Am I taking the piss turning the prestige into a tourer?

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No, stick with the Prestige, it'll make a great tourer. I toured on my Clockwork back in the day, it was perfect. What about hellbent / H-bars?

Tourer for sure. I predict early MTB's with fat slicks is going to be all the rage soon.
If anyone finds H-bars anywhere. Give me a shout and I'll chew your hand off for them.

Cool. I think I will stick with the Orange and make a pub bike of the Dawes.

I don't think H bars are for me. I'm thinking of some Spinaci extensions and a swept back riser like the On-One Marys. That way I can move them about/remove them if I like.

ourer for sure. I predict early MTB's with fat slicks is going to be all the rage soon.
If anyone finds H-bars anywhere. Give me a shout and I'll chew your hand off for them.

I already have a beefy Cannondale with slicks on ;) and H bars seem to come up on eBay from time to time. I saw some go a couple weeks ago for 20 something. Check Mechanical Vandals thread, I think he's fashioning some out of a similar bar..

Pics or gtfo! I need the fatty slick kick!
As for the bars MV is getting. Won't work unless he's either got gnome hands or he's really going to town on the welding. Got the same bars. By the time your cut any material of the loop, you won't have any left to twinkle your pinky at. I've tried.

another build for reference :)

I don't expect to get a full hand on the loop section, just my thumb and a finger or 2.

I'll be removing a pretty small section to begin with at least, probably only ½ - 3/4 of an inch. Might try slip a set of bar ends in there, dunno if the curve of the bar would make that impossible though. The clamp that Spinacis/Tiramisus use is pretty narrow and might be less affected by the curvature of the bar so I might try and do something with the ones I have.

..

Update!

Zoom trekking bars were too cheap to pass up on via ebay, put some really soft Odyssey bmx grips on them. Stem is from @BigH , Should be perfect but I have another taller and shorter one from @M_V if it doesn't work out. Brakes are CR720's from @Agatee . Ritchey Comp post and headset (headset has plastic uppers? :/ ), and a Brooks B17 champion special.

Now all I need is some wheels and tyres, a cassette, some guards and racks.

Thinking of the Blackburn outpost racks (no mid-fork eyes needed) and an XT wheelset from Spa.

The guards will probably be black 65 SKS Bluemels.

I'm torn between conti travel contacts and Michelin tg's. The contis look great but I don't know anyone with experience of them.

Now a very important question:
Orange or black cables?

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orange!

Black. If the shade of orange doesn't exactly match you'll regret it forever. Also, you can have too much of garish colours anyway. Trust me, I have experience in this area, unfortunately.

Tyre wise, I would go for the Contis because generally they make better tyres than Michelin (although I can't find Michelin TG's, did you mean Paselas?) plus Contis would be more period.

Anyway the Conti travel contacts get great reviews online, e.g.
http://www.cyclefar.com/continental-travel-contact-review/

7000 heavily loaded miles enough?!

Cables and tyres should only be one colour. And that is black!

I put the orange ones on. 😏
It'll be easy enough to swap back if I get bored or it looks shit with the guards etc. They match the decals perfectly well for now tho. Rad.

I meant to put Paselas, not Michelin. But I think I'll stick with the Contis since it seems like their profile will suit the bike better. That center section worried me since it looks so thin, like a bald knobbly tyre.

@jontea all my bikes have coloured cables. 😮😀

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