Hollow Leg’s Bikes (Mason Resolution, Dolan Tarck Bikes, Brompton, Local Framebuilder Specials; Fixed & Gravel)

Thought I would consolidate my previous Current Projects threads into one; partly because I like to document things, and partly so I have a place I can babble on about seemingly insignificant-in-the-grand-scheme-of-things things that actually make all the difference when you ride a fair bit. You know, like putting a length of cable under the tape from your left hand dummy lever on a front brake only fixed gear so that when you're on the tops of the bars they feel the same.

Anyway, I'll start with what I currently have and then take it from there. Most of my bikes seem to evolve over time as I like trying out different bars, tyres, etc.

Shand Road

Gravel Fixed

Hansom Track

OnOne Fixed

And my girlfriends road bike

That’s how they all - more or less - stand right now.

Currently the Pompino is being rebuilt after a respray and the gravel fixed is having new bars and levers fitted. I also have in the pipeline a geared gravel bike, a 90's Terry Dolan track frame and possibly a fixed/SS town bike for my girlfriend although she doesn't know this yet, so shhh! Should be enough to keep this thread active.

The Shand is enough to follow this thread. Lovely bikes all of them!

Thanks! Out of all the bikes I’ve ever owned it’s the one I’ve ridden the furthest and owned the longest; definitely a ride-it-until-it-dies kind of bike.

Such a great collection. Naturally the Hansom is my favourite #yearofthetrackbike but the Shand, I agree, is very excellent.

So I guess I’ll start with the OnOne as it’s the bike that surprised me the most with how attached I‘ve become to it.

It was originally intended to be a basket town bike for commuting, something that I could lock up and not worry too much about or be overly caring with. But then I started doing longer rides with it as at the time it was the only bike I could attach a decent amount of luggage to. Then I started to use it for overnight camping trips and bothy trips with my girlfriend and really started to enjoy flat pedals with straps; they suited the relaxed riding we were doing and being able to wear trail running shoes meant clambering to camp spots or crossing rivers was less arse clenching than in Sidi’s.

All well and good, however, the basket made the steering feel like controlling a canal boat and it was fairly horrendous in the wind.

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Looks kinda cool, rides fairly bad. Thankfully I have a friend who fabricates bikes so I asked him if he wouldn’t mind popping a couple of rack mounts on the forks.

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Which helped me arrive at this, a big massive Blackburn Outpost front rack attached to the forks. Will be able to get a couple of panniers nice and low on there (which will hopefully improve the steering) and a dry bag strapped to the top for max capacity.

Unfortunately there are quite a few spots of rust on the frame, especially near the bridge on the chain stays, so it’ll need powder coating. So off to Henderson’s in Edinburgh it goes...

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Done. I wasn’t too fussed on colour providing it was dark and would be inconspicuous when locked up -I did also think that a retina burning colour would also work by being so conspicuous that nobody would steal it due to it being so recognisable - so settled on anthracite grey. At first it reminded me of a radiator but now I quite like it. Also ordered some £4 decals from The Bay.

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Thanks! I do love that Hansom.

Good colour. Did you also get the rack painted?

Of course he did!

Sorry to disappoint but I didn’t! I’m quite keen on the gunmetal/champagne colour of the rack.

Got the OnOne built up. First proper ride to check fit was to visit a friend out of town to sort the geometry for my gravel frame (more of that soon). It rained a lot. It rained so much so that, as I was riding along the canal tow path, people kayaking were getting out of the water to shelter as there was too much, well...water.

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I now have a clicking bottom bracket but at least I know my old Ortlieb is still waterproof.

Looks good, do you have a full DS shot? Is it RAL 7016?

Yes, I believe that’s the colour code. Here’s a full shot.

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Lovely

Thanks, it sure does get the job done.

I've had a brake calliper, bars and levers set up for my fixed gravel bike. I had always intended to have two sets of bars for this bike and the brake hose is non-internally routed through the fork so switching between setups is fairly easy.

I went for a quick blast around Dalmeny today expecting to adjust the hood position before taping the bars up, but it would appear the mechanics at The Bicycle Works are psychic as they are already spot on.

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lovely!

Di2 levers on a fixed for extra swag (not really; the options for single speed hydro brake levers are very limited. Buying second hand Di2 levers worked out pretty much the same cost as new single speed hydro levers, plus I now have a spare set quickly available should the ones on my road bike need a quick fix).

The extra little bit of cable from the left hand lever is so once the bars are wrapped, both sides of the bars have the same shape and feel identical.

Planning a little overnighter this Thursday which will also give me a chance to test out the Straight Cut saddle bag I had made for this bike. Will be cycling Edinburgh to Loch Earn via Sterling where I'll be meeting my girlfriend who will join me the rest of the way. I friend has access to a long forgotten CTC (when that was a thing!) hut where we can stay. Then the following day we'll head up to the top of Glen Lyon and head south east to Perth via Aberfeldy and Dunkeld. Should be banging. If the weather's nice.

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they are the cheapest drop bar hydro levers money can buy atm, no idea why, found some BNIB for £100 ?!

Ahh, be careful though as, unless I'm mistaken, a lot of the ones that are heavily reduced seem to be set up for right hand, rear brake. Not sure if this can be swapped around or anything, I forgot to have a look.

EDIT: that is if you're buying them new from CRC/Wiggle. I got mine in minty condition from the bay.

I am buying everything separate to connect myself :)

I got mine (a pair) on FB marketplace

Ahh, gotcha!

I'm talking nonsense anyway. The part where the hose attaches to the lever will always be in the same location, it'll just be the length of the hose that differs.

They're very nice levers. Some people say that the hood covers go all weird after a while but I've probably done 7,000 miles on my set with no issues.