Butchering an old Pompino into a shiny fixed/front disk winter commuter

There is hope. It's the one ride of year I wont want the extra weight. Maybe save it for the pub trip 2 weeks later.

Inspiring DIY methods from the start

I'm a big fan of this

Me too please :)

Can I ask you where did you get the fork?

Picked up off eBay from the bankrupt bikes shop. They've been around for ages selling random NOS stuff. Can't see any more of these forks though. They must be from some gravel thing with forks left over.

Thanks!

Sloooow progress, but I'm getting there.

Big thanks to @privatepatterson for the stencils and the tips.

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Looks really clean. Great work.

Legally I have to point this out any time someone builds a Pompino... Sick build though, looks like a laugh to ride

Found this out via Google image search yesterday, luckily was not at work!!

p.s. am inspired and hope to do something similar in the new year. Currently ride a fixed with a disc but want a ratier one as a pub bike.

I used to ride a pompino, Italian friend of mine broke the news to me and couldn’t stop laughing

Ha, this is not news to me. I don't plan on doing many Italian miles on this, but it will no doubt "warm the cockles" of the Italian speakers I encounter on my metropolitan commute.

Things wot I still have to do:

I'm planning on putting a light coating of sparkly clear over the top, but masking off the text so that stays flat black.

The frame colour has turned out whiter than I perhaps intended, was hoping for more of a grey hue, but its come out pretty much white. This is mainly because I used white spray paint - go figure. Anyway, still like it.

Once the sparkle has gone on I'll peel off the mask on the text and put as much clear on as I have in the bottle.

My main issue is a lack of time when it's not dark. Might be away all weekend, which is annoying as I really wanted the frame finished by Sunday night, allowing me to finally get it built.

Maybe I'll wake up early, stick the sparkle coat on that really needs some day light so I can see where it's gone, and then do the rest of the clear at night. Maybe I'll wake up really early and do it all before breakfast. Probably won't though.

I'm italian and i can confirm, every time someone here talks about this frameset people around turn their heads

Perhaps it was a play on the Cove mountain bikes of old. They did the Handjob, Stiffee and GSpot. Similar era to the original On-one Blowjob I think.

Reminds me that a Spanish friend told me that the Mitsubishi Pajero doesn't translate too favourably when sold over there.

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Awesome! Following

I think I jinxed this project a few pages back when remarking that building it up post stripping to test it out, had been as smooth a build as i'd ever done.

Since them, this has been a bit of a pig.

Paint took ages. Mainly through lack of time and conditions. I do it all in the back yard, so with the clocks changing and the weather turning for the worse, it took me loads longer than I thought.

Then, with all the paint done last weekend, the new headset decided to play hard ball. Crown race was a fucker to seat, but it got it on eventually having bodged the propper the tool, rather than the tippy tap flat head screwdriver method thats worked for me to date.

Then, as anyone who watched the AQA thread may have spotted, I couldnt get the bottom cup to sit flush. Turns out the flange is about 3mm deeper and the headtube not brilliantly reamed.

Anyway, bashed it out, filed a few mm off and cleaned up inside the headtube. Got some proper big and chunky metal washers for my headset press, and presto in it finally went.

Stuck the other bits on and here it is: nearly ready to ride. Shame I've got a cold and no enthusiasm. Next hellish job - mudguards, which was the entire point of this build.

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Next hellish job - mudguards, which was the entire point of this build.

I feel your pain.

looking great!

Thanks. I'm pretty pleased. While the headset was a faff, the wider cup of the FSA Pig suits the wide crown of the fork better I think. So far, so good.

nice one! i'm sure you'd said somewhere earlier in the thread that sorting the trickier bits are what make the project all the more rewarding later down the line. which mudguards are you hoping to add?

Got some black velo orange hammered in 45mm. They look great, but there are about 100 pieces in the bits and bobs bag that came with them.

Spent two evenings on the mudguards. Fuck I hate mudguards.

First evening, I wasn't really in the zone. Half hearted effort with the rear, but it crystallised what my challenges would be for the following day's assault. I saved my rage and retreated.

Last night, I came at it harder. Got the drill out, and the hacksaw ready to show this strip of hammered aluminium whose boss! Nailed it. Back one looks a picture of perfection. Even better, I can remove my rear wheel, provided the tyre is flat. Mega bonus.

Turned my attention to the front, my energy depleted from battle at the back. It defeated me easily. The daruma?! bolt, crown bolt top mounting interface toyed with me and spat me out. Also, I can't get the front wheel in properly till the stays are trimmed, but I don't want to trim the stays till I know the alignment is right! ARRGGHHH.

Anyway. My mind has slept on it, my body refreshed. I will go again tonight! Victory is in sight!

Aaaaaannnndddd, we're done. Perfect conditions for a test commute this morning, and some snaps.