Current Projects chat and miscellany

Couldn't resist buying this when I came across it on Marktplaats. I have a weak spot for unusual retro bike designs and parts and this ticks pretty much all the boxes.

I took it out for a spin for the first time the other day (hence the pedals) and the ride was different to say the least. The flex of the beam is much more than I thought. Braking with my thumbs was also a new one for me. Never new it excisted until I bought this bike.

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gloriously bonkers - love it

this ticks pretty much all the boxes

Yep, not much missing from the "mad things only triathlengers will buy" category there 🙂

How well do the thumb brakes work?

The thumb brake works quite well. It is not a powerful as the hand brakes, but if definitely slows you down. Surprised it did not make a comeback with the disc brakes being used on tt bikes nowadays.

Could someone open my mind up to the different uses for 102 Vs 111 mm axles in Eng and Ita bottom brackets? I have a vintage set of Campagnolo Record cranks, and presume I need an 111mm BB to go along with it but what's the difference? Is 102 for a single crank ring? Also if anyone has a good condition campag record Italian thread BB in 111mm for sale let me know please! I'll out it in wanted

Great find. What are the HS77 like, on the regular levers?

Could someone open my mind up to the different uses for 102 Vs 111 mm axles in Eng and Ita bottom brackets?

Different model years, for a short period Campag went to 102mm axles and banana shaped cranks on Record, Chorus and possibly other groups. All for doubles, just different offsets from the central boss to the spider tabs.

You should open his mind up to the beauty of UT.

I couldn't quite work out if you can't run UT on square taper BB. I wanted to go with square taper as I already have the vintage cranks, but is it better/can you fit a modern press fit BB to an old Italian threaded frame and fit UT? Lots of compatibility issues to get my head around....

is it better/can you fit a modern press fit BB to an old Italian threaded frame and fit UT?

If you have UT cranks, you just screw UT cups into your old BB shell, they come in both BSC and Italian flavours. Whether it's better is another matter; the UT axle/bearing assembly is undoubtedly a thing of beauty and better than any square taper, but the current cranks are as ugly as anybody else's, so it depends on the aesthetic you're after.

UltraTorque can fit a variety of frames, including threaded ones. You will need to purchase cups with either BSA ot ITA thread, depending on your frame. The bearings themselves are fitted on the cranks and the arm. When you buy second-hand UT it's quite common to find the bearings still fitted, so you just need to purchase the cups that are suitable for you.

Edit: too slow. The 5 bolts UT look good on anything. The latest iterations not so much.

Cheers guys. I suspected as much but like the old campag record bottom brackets and crank arms so went with them. Managed to get them cheap too, build is limited quite heavily by funds.

I suppose it would make modern tt bikes an even bigger headache to set up and adjust

OMG !

They brake quite well, but the lever feel is a rather spongy.

Trying to keep the resurgence going...

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Looking good

Just finished this Principia.

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This looks lovely man!

Thanks @mdcc_tester & @Jonny69 re the screw shrapnel lost in the DT

Another question that concerns me: how do i get the logos off of my Rotor3D30 cranks? Acetone wont help, so sand and respray it?

Any less annoying option?

PVD those fuckers.
Jokes aside, logos are etched, so acetone/paint stripper won't help.
I don't consider spraypaint a good idea, but if you do, why go through the trouble sanding them?

Edit: That being said, I'm curious how anodizing an already anodized/etched part might look like.

I spray painted the fork of my bike in a semi matte black and that worked out fine (has done approx 3k miles and no scratches or chips) so i could imagine doing this to the cranks, too

However, i am not too motivated with a view to the process involved:-))

I’ve got deore dx (‘92) and the crank dust caps are fucked. Does anyone know a good place to pick up new ones or replicas? The ones on eBay are dollar

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New prommuter / tourer build starting