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@spj7
I am due to collect this from deepest Fenlandria on Saturday. I know it's a whole bike right now but it won't be once I get hold of it to confirm that the frame is definitely going to fit me.
I mean, it's a Dawes. Yes they were once mega but seriously, this is their current range: https://www.tgc.bike/bikes-c10/dawes-m2. It's made of Reynolds 853 but I love how mundane it looks, it's like the Sapphire Cosworth of the bike world (some poetic licence employed here).
For the build I'm determined to spec it using little more than the proceeds from the sale of the existing components topped up with anything I can find in my existing stash of bits. I want to keep it cheap enough that I don't worry about locking it up, also making it good enough that I want to hammer it a fair bit.
The 105 groupset is of an age and looks serviceable, but I have some 4700 shifters and mechs which will bring it up to date. I also quite fancy a silver Spa/Sugino XD chainset, feels like square taper would suit the character of the bike. But I have a Rival OCT in a box which I should probably use, although it's 53/39 and black. Not sure, classic silver or modern black? Either way, the 5600 bits should go well right now on eBay, so I reckon I can easily cover any required outlay here.
The wheels (in particular the Sun MZ-14 rims) look well below par. The seller appears to have run different wheels (Shimano RS80s) on it as he is selling them separately. I've left them with him as I'd rather go in a different direction. I've already hit the button on some black Miche Primato Syntesi hubs in 24/28, a pair of DT R460 rims and silver Sapim Race spokes for the lowest prices I could find. I like building wheels and these seem the like the right kind of four-season mile-munching hoops to suit this. I would have gone Kinlin, probably XR22, but I found the DTs for substantially less on eBay. Again I will look to flog the supplied wheels elsewhere in due course, which together with the finishing kit, saddle etc. will all help cover the cost of the new ones.
Will post up some more images when I pick it up and find out if the condition really is as good as the seller has promised.