Condor 853

Many thanks to @BondMax for putting up with my incompetent use of ebay, I'd all but given up on procuring this frame, yet somehow the universe brought us together.

Purchased, slightly extravagantly, because I didn't have any bikes with black bar tape. Current plans include black bar tape.

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Not completely sold on plopping new groupsets on old frames, and I'd rather build a bike than an acronym. Had been coveting 7700, but it seems to be way more spendy than I remember so the likely outcome is 10 speed Record cos it's cheap! What a world...

Gorgeous

There are many acronyms that I'd be happy to apply to my bikes but this has the makings of a particularly tasty THISISNOTAMGOOFS

Nice frame!

Lovely

How big is it? 65 or so?

Fanks. Ya, it's approx 65cm ctc seat tube. 25cm HT.

Build thoughts/aims: to be ridden, bit scruffy, minimal spend, black tyres, 'parts bin' Pro III on TB14s, Fabric saddle and current commuter seat post, Ahead-mostly for bar swap convenience, snazzy Columbus SL forks, silver HS, must sit aesthetically with pale grey Rapha shoes.

Sounds good!

You mention 7700, still got this 7800 groupset https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/376875/#comment16561700 if you fancy the Shimano route

Oof nice stuff

Thanks Ted (nice Indi-fab) I did look at that already, but a bit late, just bought some brakes and a front mech elsewhere. Maybe next time. Shame, would've been perfect.

Serendipity wasn’t on our side

Some progress. Headset is distressingly bulbous and a bit cheap feeling and is definitely going to cause brake-caliper-bolt-interface-not-enough-clearance-dang it-agro.

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Personally I don’t think the headset looks too bulbous, I have a 90’s condor with original campag veloce headset looks good, might be worth think about 👌👍

It's liveable aesthetically, but the lower cup fouls the calipers. Temporary (?) solution has been to fit a HS spacer below the crown race. Tricky to photograph.

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I normally wouldn't allow a Rubik's cube on my shoe cabinet, but it IS Christmas.

Can't you add one or two more of these washers to move the caliper forward a bit

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Possibly, but the fork crown is really shallow, and the current washer doesn't fit under the HS at all, the cup overhang is several mm, so I'd need multiple smaller diameter washers. Mmm

snazzy Columbus SL forks

Did you change your mind about these?

Well you got yourself a really nice frame, why not get a nice headset as well? Tange could also do the trick here.

Frame is a beaut. Dave Yates?

I say snazzy, you say potato. The pictured forks are hand build JF Wilson Columbus SL with Campagnolo dropouts. Unfortunately, they weren't built for this and the advertised 34cm steerer was measured from underneath the crown. Because of course. Meaning I'm committing sins at either end.

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That was my hope, but as yet unresearched.

Was originally going to get the Tange, but got tempted away by this Condor branded one. Condor themselves recommended the Tange, but didn't have one in stock and I was already buying a couple of other bits.