RVL's Ugly Ducklings

This bike needs FSA Vigorelli cranks

Yep, I think you're right - it's the last item on the build that's there 'just cos I like it' rather than because it's carefully curated to suit.
Not sure where I'll find a set of Vigorelli's tho!

Built 2 new bikes this weekend.
1) a JMC-tribute Specialized for my Brother-in-law

He and my sister have just moved to the UK so I thought he'd need something to get around town on - Most of the bits were leftover from my broken GT so it was just a case of stripping all the dinged, rusty and battered bits off and rebuilding with my GT stuff

2) Since the Duratec is quite carefully curated and not much is likely to change, I need another fixed to play around with.
The geo of the Duratec is quite aggressive so for rides >100miles I start to get a bit of a sore neck

Now that I'm in my mid-forties and showing signs of age/weakness I need a proper classic gents fixed... so I built this 653 Donohue up today and am quite pleased with it.
Apologies for the dodgy photos - I'll get some decent ones tomorrow

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I got the f&f for cheap from @Wilko during the first lockdown cos it had a cross-threaded BB shell
I'd read somewhere that you can chase out a BB with a homemade tool so I tried it this morning and boom it worked a treat

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I then fitted a Condor 1" threaded headset I got for £3 on ebay and one of those new primato JIS BBs with an old Dura Ace road chainset. I built the wheels using 1980's single skin rims - I'd forgotten how bloody difficult they are to true when they're so soft and pliable (36h alesa 116) and I can just about squeeze 25mm Pasela's into the original donohue track fork.
My first time drilling a track fork was a bit nerve wracking but went OK and I only broke one drill bit - foolishly I forgot to do it before I'd installed the headset so I couldn't do it on the pillar drill as I was too impatient so I did it in-situ with a battery drill!)

Donohue pics

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Detail pics:

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Tasty

Cheers - just getting over Covid now but looking forward to getting it out on the road

proper classic gents fixed

Very very nice. Still looks pretty low and long to me, especially with the classic lever position and the mega setback post! Was the non recessed brake nut an aesthetic decision?

yep, all my bikes are long and low - I'll have to wait and see how I get on with the layback post, and I guess I can have a bit less stem slammage if I need to bring the bars higher...
The non-recessed brake nut was a combination of 2 things - firstly I was a bit nervous about drilling the fork crown so the smaller the hole the better!. Secondly I had this brake in the parts bin and being an early 90's shimano single pivot it fitted the build quite well.
(It originally came on my brother's road bike for his 15th birthday in 1990!! and has been on various family bikes ever since!)
If I'm happy with everything on this, I'll probably chop off the excess thread for neatness but will probably keep the non-recessed fixing

Looks great, still has parts on it that I got on it. Everything would have been ruined if it was in my possession.

Lush!

It’s been said before… But you’ll have to rename the thread ‘not so ugly ducklings’ ! Looking very tidy.

How do you find the Hwy one bars? Have been considering them on/off for a while.

Thanks, I’ve less time to faff with silly stuff and have to concentrate on worthwhile projects so my output is becoming a bit more refined!

Hwy ones are nice. Very compact and a nice smooth curve. Work ok with traditional (I.e. small) lever hoods too

Finished this tonight and went for a blast round the woods.
Jumping curbs and manualling all the way home grinning like a fool !
Giving it to my brother in law on Sunday so I’ll get a couple more rides in!!

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Excellent

I’ve been faffing around with the Duratec lately and doing all my utility riding on that Donohue - so smooth and quiet by comparison. Geo is quite long and low, very much like the old bob-rat which suits me very nicely

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That looks purposeful and fun, nice work

Very nice! Only the bars let it down a bit...

Thanks - purposeful and fun is exactly the look I'm going for in pretty much all my builds!

Thanks - I know I probably should have kept the Soma HWY from the original build
I bought these (3T Forma SL) in 2003 so my body's been bent to fit them (also, aesthetically I thought I'd get away with it because it's a bit nineties/noughties with the Profile TIG stem, Vittoria Kevlars, Atacs & single pivot brake)

I’m considering fixed audax this spring so I dug the Rih out of the shed to do a fixed conversion and maybe try it out on the steam ride next month

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