Project lightish, fully equiped, budget SS commuter

Attempting to build a fully equipped SS commuter on a budget, which needs to be fairly light as I have to carry the thing up a steep flight of stairs on arrival at work. I am starting with a used Carrera Subway Zero alloy frame and Bontrager Satellite Plus HCM carbon forks (v-brake). Stripped of paint the frame weighs 1.9kg, forks o.7kg. Just installed VP 107mm BB with alloy cups, quite light for the cost of £12 at 230g. Wheels will have Exal LX17 rims shod with Vittoria Voyager Hyper 32mm tyres. Front hub Shimano DH-3N80 dynamo hub 32h, rear Formula SS hub 36h, spokes ACI Alpina 2.0/1.8. Chainset Stronglight ST55 38T. Rest of build details and pics to follow but it will include Dia Compe alloy mudguards and a Tortec Ultralite rack.

I gave the frame a thorough going over with coarse wire wool which left it with a fairly convincing brushed alloy look. I painted the forks, which were quite scratched, but only superficial surface damage. I used white coz that was what I had in the shed. I popped on the rear Tektro 926AL mini v-brake, serviced the headset (34 teeny ball bearings in each bearing, but at least you can get it all apart and do it properly) and put in a budget carbon seat post plus budget plastic mesh saddle which is also quite light. Also pictured are budget carbon tri bars (stupid light) Truvativ 32mm stem (it's a long top tube frame meant for straight bars) Sturmey Archer 16T 3/32" freewheel, spokes for rear wheel and front wheel complete with DH-3N80 dynohub which was already built for another bike. That hub is the most expensive component by far, I think I paid £72 two years ago. The frame was £40 and the forks were £30, the bars were £27.

Need to wait for the paint on the forks to harden before finishing the build, also waiting on delivery of the aero brake levers, but can get on with building the rear wheel in the meantime. The Formula hub is 110OLN but with a decent length axle so just a case of spacing it out to fit the 120mm droputs.

Pictures don't work for me!

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How about now?

I can see them. Interesting project!

Yeah interesting rather than gorgeous! The frame welds are so thick and knobbly they are positively agricultural, and although fugly they do reassure me that they are unlikely to fail any time soon.

Mock up of possible final positioning, note bell:

Can't see that pic, though. How are you linking them? You can upload directly in the reply dialogue, the blue link at the bottom. Pics can't be larger than 3MB or it won't work.

Pics can't be larger than 3MB or it won't work.

30MB as of late.

Won't upload for some reason, so using Flickr to host again:

Why did you choose this frame? It looks like 26" but I'm guessing it's not?

Frame looked like this when purchased: I paid £45 including postage, but sold the 1.2Kg steel forks on getting a fiver back.

Nope its 700c, with enough clearance for mudguards and my preferred 32mm tyres, plus v-brake bosses which I prefer over discs (and 32mm tyres won't squeeze into caliper brakes). Also weight is reasonable for the clearance, the v-brake bosses add to the weight but OTOH mini v-brakes are pretty light.

Nice, sounds just right for your needs then!

30MB

Really? Good news!

9.4kg/20.7lb without mudguards or lights. Think I will swap out that front dynamo hub with a non dynamo Deore LX I have to bring weight down by 280g. Don't really need anything more than a couple of blinkies on my short commute on lit streets, but definitely do need the mudguards here in deepest Cornwall and also lowish gearing for an old bloke coping with the moderately hilly terrain. That is a 38t chainring with a 16t freewheel, giving 64" gear with the 32mm tyres. I took it on a shakedown run and it does accelerate and roll well, and runs very quiet and smooth. The pedals are garbage from the back of the shed, but will be replaced with some Humpert 608s ASAP