Functional bikes. Not Porn not Anti

Oh you are talking about full bike? This is in stock: http://www.tweekscycles.com/Product.do?method=view&n=3286&g=907582&p=913532&d=124&c=4&l=2&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Base&utm_campaign=Road%20Bikes&gclid=CjwKEAiA8qG1BRDz0tmK0pufw3QSJACfn6olY5ND9Udo0TMfA1Hm8fOIUXqtx5lsGt_pnATC-BOeUhoCXwDw_wcB

Read again.

If I can get a frameset on the cycle scheme then I'm game.

Your bike buying is getting out of hand Jakey.

bit of a moan

Picked up a set of Sugino OX601D cranks. Went to switch the outer ring from 46 to 42, but it turns out the Sugino rings have a little recess for the female chainring bolt...

The 42 TA ring I have doesn't have this and leaves the chainring bolt exposed, catching the chain when using the inner ring (other than the two largest sprockets). Picked up some chainring spacers to move the inner ring inboard, but have a feeling the gap between is going to either screw the shifting, or end up big enough for the chain to fall between... Getting kind of annoyed having to bodge/shim/hack things on this bike.

Is this the thread where all the open-minded guys and gals hang out for red hot 1x9 conversion chat?

I want to turn a collection of motley road parts into a flat bar 1x9 setup and have QUESTIONS.

Such as? can't go far wrong with 9 speed as it's all cross compatible within brands and there's a bunch of bodges you can try mixing groups.

Says you Mr top secret new bike.

Cheers. So would 9-speed Shimano MTB flat brake lever/shifter combos work with road cassette/mech combos? I'm sure I heard there was some difficulty there.

So would a Shimano 9s MTB shifter have the right pull ratio for a Sora 9s cassette?

Secondly, I have two possible cranksets to turn into a single ring front setup. Campag Veloce compact double and Shimano Sora triple. Can this be done? Is the best way to just use the middle ring off the Sora (39t). What about this trendy narrow-wide business?

So the rear shifting should be fine.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cribsheet-spacing.html

Just this front ring thing now.

Or get 8 speed shimano derailleur and it'll still work with 9 speed.

Get the cheapest and that's it.

ooof. that is great!

I've got the mech already (3400 I think).

Hmmmm....

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/workshop-how-to-convert-your-mountain-bike-to-1x9-or-2x9-gearing-29342/

So basically "take off the big and little rings, move middle ring to the inside of the spider".

Risk of chain drop if I don't use a chain guide or narrow-wide chainring?

You might as well try with what you've got, if the chain starts dropping then look for a new ring or guide...

If you need to buy a ring I'd go NW/retainer, my 29er was fine with just a NW ring, I did have a clutch mech but never turned the clutch on. Never dropped a chain over a lot of crappy Welsh bridleways or rocky Peak District descents.

Cheers! Just got a bargain on this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shimano-Deore-LX-Rear-Shifter-Silver-/272114523222?hash=item3f5b4a1c56%3Ag%3ATSYAAOSwKtlWpM9C&autorefresh=true&nma=true&si=Nyg9TkhFv5vjbcD1otfuvcvsFgE%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Maybe I dunno if that's a good price.

Love those old French style top tube shifters

@fizzy.bleach - 9 speed is an easy route as most stuff is cross compatible. If you wanted to go 2x9 then for shimano the front mech needs to match the shifter - ie shimano mtb front mech = mtb shifter / Road front mech = Road shifter. Unless of course you use friction, then it doesn't matter.

Cheers - I'll def go 1x9 because...well, just because!

More pics. Is the front shifter on the seat tube?

Amazing.

It's like your Croix de Fer, but felt nimbler, more alive.

It's not fast, but it felt very relaxing to ride making it very suitable to audaxes when you're at your most sleep deprived.

More pics.

This seems to be the source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mapcycles/22508804032/in/photostream/

No more pictures of this particular bike, but does look like a very nice source for functional bikes.

In a proper dilemma over what to do with my FBNPNA daily ride. I was planning on doing up my Saracen mountain bike, it has been robbed of parts, and I've slowly aquired 10 speed gears, bar end shifters, a new lamp, new V-brakes and levers to build it back up again with drop bars. Was also going to get the rear spaced to 135mm and braze-ons added under the downtube for a fuel bottle for heavy touring with the girlfriend.

But then I found out the fork was bent. Not seriously, and I think it's always been like that, as it's always self-steered with hands off the bars, but it never bothered me. I found some lovely pacenti crowned forks from a guy on retrobike, which would look lovely and fit. But with the price of the frame mods and respray I'm almost up to the price of a new LHT frame (which was kind of always the plan).

But then if I'm spending 350+ on getting that bike up and running, and with the money I could make from selling the frame and a nice pair of 26" touring wheels, I'm a long way towards the price of a Genesis Vagabond, which if I'm serious about offroad touring this summer, looks ace.

but then I see something like this, which sets me back to the start again:

tl;dr probs buying a Vagabond

Here's the deal, LHT will feel incredibly stable in comparison.

Recommend disc for touring.

I won't be getting the disc trucker if I go down that route as part of the theory is making the upgrade cheaper and that would require new wheels. Also slightly concerned that the LHT would be a bit too stiff for a daily ride, although fat slicks would sort that out.

It will be quite stiff to ride unladen, but not overly so, the fat tyres will help massively so, especially with 2.1 tyres.

Another one that have a similar style to your Saracen is the Velo Orange Camargue, abet cost more, and the 26" only come in the smaller size up to 53cm.