Clark Kent Ti 500 - Bontrager build

Cheers, just need to find some wheels and bars and I'm there.

I may also go right down the Bontyhole and use a Bontrager speed sensor, saddle bag and inner tubes..... :)

Bar tape and plugs on route too!

Ah bummer :/

@branwen kindly supplied another Speed limits Brake last night, which will come in handy I'm sure.

He also sent over this article about Clark Kents Fat Bike which is a good read and a bit bonkers!

http://m.pinkbike.com/news/now-that-was-a-bike-1993-mbs-clark-kent-fat-bike-2016.html

Seems a bit odd to be getting the tape and plugs sorted before I have other more important bits, like wheels and even bars, but here they are.

Rather sadly I bought the red reflective plugs seperately to be all matchy matchy.

1 Attachment

Bontrager speed and cadence sensors showed up the other day, annoyingly missing the wheel magnet. If anyone has a spare Bontrager one I would be very grateful for it in exchange for cash, beer or cake.

Just wheels and Bars to find. (still a very hopeful iron in the fire on some tres silly wheels!)

It also occurred to me that in this period of 'waiting' i should really get the broken bottle cage mount drilled out and the rivet replaced :)

Placed a wheel order today........hopefully some exciting news soon......

So the frame is up with @coldharbour getting the broken cage mount fixed

I've found bars

And these nice boxes appeared at the shop this morning after Linxs had a chat with Mr B himself

Sod's law is I'm away all weekend so the excitement of unboxing will have to wait until Monday.

Also weighing up how sensible using them for Roubiax is 😄

1 Attachment

Finally unpacked these beauties! (Awful photos)

Picked up the bars too.

Getting excited about this going together now

2 Attachments

#wheelboner

F@ck! Wheelporn!

Nice wheels and with Bontrager's guarantee/Trek's customer service I would happily use them for Roubaix!

Yes very true, but I can be counted on to properly smash these, and myself up.

(And they would look awful on the Rourke #1stworldproblems)

Tragedy has struck

While Matt was sorting the bottle cages he discovered a dirty crack in the BB shell and weld. It's not really worth repairing a 22yr old Ti frame I reckon, so she's off to the great workshop in the sky. Very very sad not only for the loss of the frame, but also that I never get to put all the bits together that took ages to collect......

Luckily the wheels will go on something else that's coming soon, maybe, hopefully. But the rest of the kit will sit looking at me until I make a call on its future.

that is dark news. this promised to be an epic build.

First the referendum result and now this: I can't take much more.

Gutted for you.

I've been following the thread with interest (I've been meaning to ask about Keith's connection to BC) and have enjoyed your dedication to the cause.

I understand you might not have the heart for it, but perhaps building it up would be a fitting way to close the book?

Yeah your probably right. But I couldn't bring myself to take it out of the workshop and then have it looking at me from the wall at home, like an injured animal.

Sounds daft, but I'm a bit shocked (and embarrassed I didn't spot it before we got this far)

I could chuck it all on the Rourke for a bit I suppose :)

Noooooo...*

*is it just me or do a rather suspicious amount of Ti frames crack, for something often touted as a 'bike for life'? (I appreciate this 22 y/o example is not terribly representative of this theory)

That frame has some sardonic humour.

But... but I was so excited? :'(

'A bike for life' is a bit much with Ti I feel.

My 1950's 531 Elsegood would now appear to be into its second human life......

I think the gas combo has to be absolutely perfect on Ti and if it's not then cracks can happen. With the Clark Kents one welder did have issues with welds cracking, but Ivo V, who did this one, has a very good rep.

Perhaps 16stone of idiot over 5000 miles was just too much for the old girl :(

LOL 😂

I also recently found a crack on the bb weld of my girlfriend's ti Burls frame. It was very small so it's gone off to enigma for a repair. I'll let you know how I get on.

I hope it gets sorted. This one is pretty terminal as it goes through nearly 3 of the welds and tubes.

Think I might be coming around to the idea of chucking all the Bonty bits onto the Rourke, just so they all get a run out