All my bikes and pointless upgrades: Fairlight, Stooge mk5,

Thought I'd start a place just to catalogue my bikes really. Some of them are already finished, so will be more of a retrospective look at whats happened with them.

Project 1: Inbred 29er single speed.
Ive had this frame for ages and was about to sell it before I realised I need a ratty bike that I can use for cycling around with my 6 year old daughter. Something that I could leave outside a cafe or shop and not worry too much about it. Right now it's just a frame and a front wheel. I'm thinking very easy gear for potentially doing a bit of ssmtb riding. Will probably get it powder coated a new colour since there is a place near me in Glasgow that does it cheap-ish. Thought about maybe going with drop bars? Since I have a set of 50cm flared bars doing nothing.
Will add photos as I go.

Project 2: S-Works Tarmac SL6 disc cheap* superbike
Ok so cheap might not be the word but compared to the mental 9-12k rrp on the builds its cheap compared to that. Always loved the Tarmac, I had an sl3 years ago but sold it because disc brakes.
Had been looking for a bargain sl6 frameset but I seemed to have missed the boat since they were all sold out on uk/euro sites. Eventually found one with a substantial reduction via a Specialized dealer in Italy.
Still waiting on the frame to arrive. Its in the Chameleon Supernova colour scheme.
Continuing the cheap/bargain theme I have a set of Zipp 303 NSW wheels that I got via the TriUK sale.
Groupset will likely be 11 speed Red Etap that I have from my old bike. This was another bargain bought from bike24 in the sale just before Red axs launched. Tempted to sell the groupset and go 12 speed but thats hard to justify and trying to keep this in the cheap* bracket.
Not sure on finishing kit yet, I have a 3t stem I'll use but probably going to remove the decals.

Project 3: Build a bike around a seatpost?
Bought an S-works seatpost from @snoops thinking I'd use it on a second hand tarmac. Was gonna sell it on but I like it so much I think its worthy of building a bike around it. Suggestions welcome. This will likely be a very long term project...

Project 4: Santa Cruz Nomad 4
This bike is already finished, the plan was to have all raw alu finishing kit. This is largely the case but I need a silver Thomson post and I'm going to remove the anodising from the black cranks and then polish them up to a mirror finish.
The canecreek headset top bearing cover/spacer thing was black and it annoyed me that it clashed with the raw alu stem and spacers. I took a dremel to it last night and polished it up. Pretty rough job on the polishing but satisfying non the less.
Again, I'll get up some photos of the polishing and I'll document the process of polishing the crank arms.
I've done a bit of polishing before, I striped and polished the lowers on a set of mountain bike forks to a pretty decent mirror finish - that was part of project 5.

Project 5: Downhill bike
Another retrospective of my Propain Rage cf bike I bought a couple years ago from the manager of the Propain world cup race team.
Its had a fair bit done to it. will go into more detail later. Not sure there will be much interest in a downhill bike here? But you're getting it anyway.

This thread will just be an evolution of all my bikes. Theres more I'll add in the future.
Photos coming tonight. stay tuned folks...

DH bikes are the best for nerding out over. I approve.

Yes! You might like this then.
Bought bike cheap then proceeded to change nearly every single part. Buying a bike new might have been cheaper..

Holy flip-flop!
Frameset arrived today. I like it.
Quite pleased with how the paint job looks in real life. Was originally wanting stealth black but decided on a bit of colour for a change. Lovely dark purple that flips to a bottle green in the light.

One niggle straight away was that I could hear something rolling about inside the drive side chainstay. There was something like epoxy left over from manufacturing blocking the hole that it could roll out of. Poked a wooden chopstick in, epoxy bit dislodged and then tiny bit of plastic fell out.
Have had similar experience on a chinese carbon frame years ago and then again on a carbon santa cruz frame.

Other than that its looking pretty good.

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It’s mega. You already know I’m rather envious.
If going super bike I’d advise to hunt out more bargains over using inferior (3T) parts.

S-works tarmac is my dream bike. really tempted to pick up one from that italian sale you posted.... that money had been earmarked for landscaping my garden........ that can wait... right ?!

Do it! The Dove grey looks amazing too

Link?

so, so tempted but when you add it all up... frameset 2400 + DA disc groupset 1200 + pair of interim hunt disc wheels 350 + finishing kit 300 (?) = 4250... would be a forever forever bike though innit. could presumably get it sub-4 easily by waiting patiently for sales

Oh yeah I total get it. I’ve a Canyon Ultimate with HRD Etap and power meter, with hunt carbons. It’s amazing!
If I wasn’t so attached I’d be tempted to get the frame and swap the bits over but it’s a fair stack of cash!!

Wish I’d got the Zipps :-(

inferior (3T) parts

Ha! I have a 3T arx 110 thats perfectly useable but theres just something about the aesthetic shape that I don't like. It's hard to explain or justify since all carbon stems look virtually identical to one another. Its got the older style white outline decals which I don't love.

But I was back in the Glasgow triuk store today and they have a zipp sl speed stem in the sale. I now regret not just buying it. But I'm trying to keep costs down and fund any new parts by selling old parts... (3t stem for sale btw folks)

@cozey just mono block the whole garden and get that frame ordered!

Likewise I've always loved the tarmac. I had an s-works sl3 until a few years ago but it was second hand and bit gubbed. Always regretted selling it and lusted after the sl6 so much. When I found that link I convinced my self by saying this is realistically the last opportunity I'll get at buying this sort of thing brand new.
That dove grey colour looks brilliant. Theres another strange granite paint job, hard to tell if it would look shit in reality though.

You could even consider selling the garden...

would be a forever forever bike though innit. could presumably get it sub-4 easily by waiting patiently for sales

So much this. I know it sounds just like what we all say "this is the last bike I'll ever buy, I promise" but this really is my forever bike!

As I build this I'll tally up in the thread what the actual cost ends up at, 2400 frameset and 1070 zipp wheelset, if i keep my 11 speed etap it might be sub 5

Damn damn those wheels!!

They still had a set of 202's and 404's today!

https://www.theflow.bike/en/catalogo_prodotto.php?idProdotto=2148

If you check out via the website you can only pay by paypal and it adds a 4% surcharge to cover the paypal fee.
If you call the store and speak to Dani she can sort it to pay by credit card and dodge the fee. She was extremely helpful. If y0u do call tell her it was Graeme who sent you!

Quick mock up. I think I like the tan walls more than expected.
The Ti bolts on the stem conveniently match the frame so I'll go with it.
I've started sanding down the stem and removed the decals on the side.
I was going to continue and remove all the decals and then apply a new wet look clear coat but I'm now starting to think about painting the stem.
Was thinking of painting it to match the purple/green flip on the frame or a black base coat with a subtle glitter/rainbow/sparkle effect. Yay or nay?
Could well be hours of time wasted - it would be a very diy job but my young nephew has a compressor/spray guns and repaints his own car and motorbike parts.
Or I do it my self in the garage with decent quality spray cans but high quality paints are pricey. Other option is have it painted professionally but I'd guess that would cost more than the stem is worth?

Next question is which crank set?
I was originally keeping my hollowgrams and have them re-anodised in a new colour buy I've now sold them...
Thinking of something a little different from the Red/dura ace usual suspects.
I like aesthetic look of the canecreek ti cranks but the price forbids it. Any suggestions welcome

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THM Clavicular

The only thing uglier than the clavicula is its price!

Theres really not many alternatives to the usual suspects that dont cost too much eh
Love the look of the eewings, a bit bmx 3 piece. They'd ideally cost the same too

If you trawl eBay you can often find cheapish S Works power cranks for sale. Matches the frame obviously but they also look really nice. Pair them with some Praxis chainrings and shifting is almost as good as Shimano.

I also really dig the look of Rotor Aldhu cranks and they make a 30mm spindle version

S Works power cranks

Yeah I'd thought about them. I used to quite like them but have went off them a bit now. They look a bit dated somehow, they haven't really been updated much since first release.
I've wondered if theres a new updated s-works chainset to be released any time soon. I think they have stopped producing the non power meter versions so I wonder if that means theres a new version in the pipeline?
But then I kinda feel s-works cranks on s-works frame is a bit plain somehow

Looking forward to how you get on with interest!
I would love to get an S-Works SL6 rim brake as a forever bike and load it with goodies like direct mount EE brakes and Lightweight wheels...

For cranks, clearly we're ignoring FSA (correctly).
Zayante 4arm carbons look quite good.
Easton SL90 SL carbon cranks
Rotor Aldhu with spider ring
Sram older gen Red Exogram (rather than the newer etap style)
Infocrank for power?

I'm biased but I think the new AXS Red is pretty lovely.

Is the plan for the new super low pressure Zipp 303s? If so- you'll need 30c tyres, which fit mine fine.

Easton SL90 SL carbon cranks, Sram older gen Red Exogram (rather than the newer etap style)

Easton cranks I've thought about. Pricey new though. But wiggle seemed to be selling them off half price at one point. I'll most likely be keeping my 11 speed etap so the cranks would be the logical choice. The older exogram does look nice and sleek.

Its the chainrings that I'm not sure if I like. What AXS kit are you running, red cranks and force mechs? Which cassette?

my 303's are the nsw models, not the latest 2020 or 2021 which I think are the ones with mega low pressures?
To be honest I've never really gave tire pressure too much though on my road bike. Not so long ago I ran nothing but 23c at 100psi.
More recently I started riding with 80psi on 28c tires.

I've got 28c Corsa's, the tan walls pictured but they aren't tubeless compatible. I've also just got 30c tubeless corsa's cheap from triuk that I'll switch over to and set up tubeless onces the 28c's are done.

I just cant imagine being able to run much less than 80psi. I'm a heavier rider but hardly a fat bastard at 92kg and 1.89m. Definitely gained a wee bit of furlough fat, fighting weight is normally around 88kg
Sram recommend 58/60psi for my weight on the new rims!?

Edit - just read an old sram press release, its confusing... but my rims are the 2018/19 303 nsw 21mm internal width. Seems its the 25mm internal width rims that are supposed to be run super low