In Which I Attempt to Build a Sensible Road Bike + other bike content

Haha, thanks. That went to a better home a long time ago but I'm pretty sure the pedals I'm riding today used to be on it
I really want another lo pro tbh but I'm one in one out for now so it's hard to justify 🥲

Nice, maybe a bit of silicone pipe over the piece under the stem?

Yeah, I think I'm going to slip something over it up till where it goes round the bar tops.

Visually it bounces a bit but I couldn't really feel it until I got about 4kg in there. Also at that point I started to think it might bend dropping off big kerbs so that's probably my limit. I don't think I need to carry more than that up front?(/ want to in terms of handling anyway)

Something like this maybe https://www.touronabike.com/protecting-your-bike-racks/

I still haven't got the finished wheels but while waiting I remembered I need to think about gearing.

I have nothing I can't do on the current setup planned atm, but it is too big and I want to sort it before too long.
I came up with 3 options and pros/cons:

1. Get a compact
   +best gearing overall +most sensible option / -strictly speaking this also needs a new derailleur but then it's too expensive -spiritually distasteful

2. Get a medium cage derailleur and bigger cassette
   +best looking / -I couldn't think of any actual pros? -most expensive

3. Get an old mtb derailleur and use the 11-36t I have
   +easily cheapest +biggest range and easiest easy gear / ±stupidest option / -most visually displeasing -probably won't work very well

My brain says 1 but what I actually want to do is 3, unless anyone has a good reason why I shouldn't do 3 it will probably depend on what's available when it's time buy something

Also not decided (and not important): gumwall or not
Currently leaning towards not

In the meantime I've been riding my current road bike now that it has a normal sized cassette back on and doesn't shift like shit. Mostly just smashing around the city trying to motorpace cars on major roads and getting sunburnt sitting at traffic lights, all in all a good way to spend a Sunday.
I also switched it to mtb pedals and that was a good move as I can ride it at times when riding is not the main objective.
I'd like to get a bigger chainring (for lols) and maybe deda shallows (because they're the best bars), however I have really noticed how much better the new frame rides which made me think about this frame's future and whether I need to spend any more money on it…
I think I still need to ride the new one properly before thinking about swapping this out tho

In other news I got my first real* puncture since moving here on a big stand of metal cable and now my rear tire is no longer tubeless compatible (the seam in the sidewall split for some reason and I don't think I'd trust it if I patched it - although I did complete my ride by booting it and putting a tube in)
Fortunately I have a spare from the last time I killed one of a road tubeless set but now this will be getting even rattier with mismatched tires

*real as in not snakebite, I've had a million snakebite punctures which were all entirely my fault

however I have really noticed how much better the new frame rides

New frame as in the new old steel one or old newer Ali one?

I also switched it to mtb pedals and that was a good move as I can ride it at times when riding is not the main objective.

I like the sound of this, might do the same on mine as current pedals mean turbo or FKW rides only.

new old steel one or old newer Ali one?

oh yeah that's confusing
The new (to me) old steel, it's obviously not as stiff but it's not bad and it handles really well, plus steel is real etc.

I don't mind wearing road shoes all the time too much, but then I would always be carrying lightweight shoes under the saddle in case I wanted to walk around for a while, so I probably should have done this sooner

Got wheels.
Velocity A23 (not my first choice but decent price and more importantly the only thing fitting my requirements that I could find in stock in the country) on some old low flange Novatecs that for whatever reason spin absolutely beautifully.

Haven't bought tires yet as I wanted to test fit first + I won't have a chance to ride properly for a week or two.
I tested with these 28mm gravelkings, they come up around 27mm? (I don't have calipers but they're not smaller than that)
I'm comfortable with the chainstay clearance and there's still room to move back so it looks like I can run 28mm and not stray too far from my original plan.

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Bought tires.
Proved that I have not had anywhere near enough sleep this week or so by accidentally buying 30mm and not noticing until after I fitted them.

The rear is OK, or at least I don't have enough watts to flex the chainstays to the point it noticeably rubs, but the clearance under the front brake is scary even for me...

On the plus side they ride nicely and the yellow accents match the bike. Guess I need to buy another set in the right size.

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Looks great

i did not feel like buying new tires so i glued some bearing balls in the dropout to add clearance to the brake
i will buy some new tires if the wheel comes out and i die

i also put the rack i made on but wasn't feeling the basket so bought a cheap handlebar bag and remade the rack into a bag support, i will also put a small platform on somehow so i can strap stuff to it when don't have a bag
i didn't plan it well, or measure it when i first made it, so it's not very straight

i also bought a frame pump and strapped another bottle cage on and that's it it's done (apart from changing the cassette /and rd when i go to the mountains next)

about 30% of the parts are shimmed or otherwise hacked together with random bits but i'm going to ride it 300km tomorrow if i'm not too hungover, pray for me

in other projects my very long serving chrome kurks died (they had been stitched together with cable ties for the last 6 months)
some unexpected expenses meant i didn't want to shell out for new mtb shoes, so i ripped the soles out and put them into some vans that were on the way out and it worked quite well, only problem is i epoxied the soles in but rode them too soon so the right one needs to be redone

pray for me

How'd it go? Sensible enough?

FWIW i think it's superb but can't imagine not having STI's on a bike like this.

Any more photos of the bag support? Looks fantastic.

downtube shifters are cool
There are certainly a few situations where I would prefer to have modern shifters but it doesn't bother me too much.
It also helps me with taking it easy and not just going as hard as I can all the time. And friction shifters means I can just use whatever derailleur/cassette I want, which is partly why I can afford this build.

Today I overslept and it was 35 degrees out so I did a different (and not super interesting) route and maybe half the planned distance. It might need a built in sun shade of some kind to be sensible enough in the summer but I'm very pleased with it. It also climbs really well, although that might just be psychological doping.

Not any very good ones.
It's just held together at the joint by tension (the rod is bent inwards on both sides and the joint is pushing them out) so I can take it on and off easily if I want to. If I made it again I would put a straight joint on the front of it rather than on a corner. I would also measure and bend it a lot more evenly...

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It looks fantastic tbh.
I made this atrocity to use with a Carradice bagman. But in reality it’s too much of a faff to swap the bagman between the two bikes. So I’ll probably end up just buying a jack rack. But your example makes me think I should endure with a home brew solution.

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That looks well smart...how did you fix the copper onto the steel?

Homebrew is more fun for sure. I think yours looks more professional than mine but I definitely would not bother to switch anything with bolts (and need for levelling?) between bikes any more reguarly than once annually or so...
I might also just buy something if I was going to put any real weight on the front of my bike.

I'm going to want a bigger bag at some point but I don't want it so close to my bars + the weight thing, hopefully when it comes to it I can DIY a saddle bag that I don't hate somehow.

@Josh

how did you fix the copper onto the steel?

I... didn't.
It's got some rubber on the rod for a tighter fit/to protect the copper as it is quite thin (I wasn't sure it would work so I chose to spend 100 yen on copper rather than 1000 yen on stainless steel)
I guess it'll get loose with time but I'll think about that when it happens (probably just put a load of epoxy on it)

WOW!!!! fukin love this version!!!
are those tektro levers?

Thanks! If I ever decide to get a more appropriate frame for my sensible road bike I will definitely be putting those wheels back on this🙃

The levers are the TRP ones, I'm still not entirely sold on the visuals but they work perfectly with these classic bend bars, super comfortable and I've got a lot of possible hand positions

I still haven't managed to put this to much good use, due to various things resulting in not having time to ride much, and then getting really unfit due to the before mentioned not having time to ride much.

I did manage to go fishing on it and I was able to carry everything I wanted + take home my catch, so that was good? I genuinely wasn't sure I'd make it home tho after staying up all night; I knew this already but I will never be able to do any proper long distance audax etc. as I just hate riding on not enough sleep.

I did however get the motivation to sort the gearing out, due actually using my current biggest biggest sprocket on one unexpectedly nasty hill on the way back and automatically trying to shift bigger still as I felt like there should still be an easier gear. (And nearly dropping my chain into the spokes in the process. Apparently I never bothered to adjust my limit screws.)
I found a really cheap derailleur so I can test how well a big cassette works and get something nicer if it's OK.

It will look ugly tho so I bought a Nitto seatpost to make up for it.

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In other news, due to being really unfit and also bored I un road fixed my road fixed and put #widebar on.

I actually bought the bars by accident (misclick while seeing what cheap shit there was I think, I didn't notice till they turned up) but this set up is very entertaining.
It is however too wide to realistically ride on some of my regular routes and I don't really want to skid through these tires, so I'll probably change it back soon.
Good for smashing hills, terrorizing drivers, and generally riding like a wanker tho.

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