Current Projects chat and miscellany

taking this one for a "free" ride.
I'm thinking about attacking a local hill with it this week but I must change the rear tire first.

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Thanks! I need the length of the visible section of one of the rails:

I was also going to remove the rails for another pic, but I've just rounded off the bolt heads by using a star bit instead of an allen bit, because I can't see tiny things with my bifocals. I suppose my eyesight is now so bad that I'll have to ask the optician for separate glasses for close work. Getting old is shit.

Does yours have one or two bolts? The front section is completely different than mine

It has 2 tiny bolts, one each side of the U shape part of the rail. You can just see one bolt in the pic - it has a silver washer under it. The other is too dark to see. Rubbish photo, sorry. I'll try a different camera.

Nice frame - what is it?

What is the measurement between the two bolts, looks closer than mine.

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Just waiting on the mudguards.

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15mm.

Looks like your rails flatten into a wide tab, whereas mine just have the same 7mm circular cross section throughout their length.

And your bolts look more susbtantial.

What does the rear end of the rails look like? And are your rails circular , with a diameter of 7mm? They look much fatter in the photo, but maybe it's the perspective.

Yeah, 7mm at where it attaches. I can sent you my steel rails and fixing kit. If it fits I guess the carbon ones will, either way just send it back when done with.

That's a very good idea, thanks. What's the total length of the rails?

I am trying to select a frame to build a lightweight town bike. Upright riding position.

Something that rides and looks like this:

....but a really zippy version. So decent tubing, light wheels, excellent brakes.

Would a lightweight cyclocross frame be a bad start? Wrong angles maybe?

Also if I take a 58cm TT on a race bike, what TT do I need on a town bike with swept-back bars?

...but a really zippy version

The frame is going to make practically no difference. 90% of your zip once you've committed to a particular conceit on the fit geometry is down to tyre choice.

Ok I take your point about tyres. I'll choose some zippy ones. But I think that's maybe 50% of the zip. Low rotational mass (nice rims) and effective brakes are gonna add significant zip.

What do you mean by particular conceit on the fit geometry?
Edit: Did you mean concept?

I suspect I'd need a longer TT than on my road bike. Should I maybe look at MTB frames?

What do you mean by particular conceit on the fit geometry?

You're choosing to place your hands, feet and arse in a particular arrangement for style reasons (or, if we're being generous, for a particular combination of ride and handling). If you don't change that, then there's very little difference that the practical differences between frames the right size will make, whether it's ±1" on the front and rear centre distances or ±1lb on the weight. That's not a particular point about this project, it applies just as much to any other kind of bike until you get into high performance riding.

suspect I'd need a longer TT

Not so much. Raising your torso angle cuts a lot out of your reach, making a short stem and swept back bars come to your hands with much the same squarish geometry as works for normally proportioned people on a road bike.

Did you mean concept?

No 🙂

Why don’t you go for a fast touring / audax bike? Retro / steel CX faairly often have limited clearance and no mounts for useful things like racks and guards.

New or used frame? If you’re in UK there should be loads of decent 2nd hand tourers et cetera available.

for style reasons

I am not cool enough to consider such things. I just want a bike I can ride while looking straight ahead, sat upright. All dignified, like.

±1"

There's probably 3" (7.5cm for the rest of us) difference in top tube length between a large MTB frame and a large road frame, placing the swept back bars either 7.5 cm further/closer depending on that choice. Surely one choice must be preferable to the other. I'm just not sure how to work that out. I guess I might just have to go try some Raleigh Sports type bikes and make a load of measurements.

@MCamb and @withered_preacher thanks yeah I guess I'll go hunting for second hand touring bikes.

I'd love a mixte tourer frame in 531/equivalent. Just really hard to find in my size (59-60cm). Might just put a wanted ad up anyway.

I just want a bike I can ride while looking straight ahead, sat upright.

My old gt came with a good stem for that sort of thing

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not cool, dignified

Semantics 🙂

love a mixte tourer frame in 531/equivalent. Just really hard to find in my size (59-60cm)

Soma Buena Vista comes in 58 (disc or rim brake version) and 62 (disc only), e.g. this "zippy" build

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I'd love a mixte tourer frame in 531/equivalent.

Velo Orange Polyvalent comes in step through variant, maybe interesting. Might be hard to get a hold of over here though.

One more link in the chain

I cannot get my calliper aligned with my rotor. There is about a 1mm gap on one side of the rotor to the pad when the other side is touching. I’ve tried all the other caliper alignment tricks.

Can I put washers like these ones circled on the other side of the fork mounts to move it over a millimetre or so or does the adapter need to be fully up against the tab for some reason?

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