Lesterama track builds

I've got lots of track builds on the go. I'm starting this thread to give me a kick up the backside to finish them off.

Anyway, for starters, here's my '70s chrome Geoffrey Butler. Had this a few years. I raced it at the 2018 Herne Hill Revival meeting. Geoff Roberts confirmed it as one that his dad, Charlie (Chas) Roberts senior built. Columbus PS and mainly Record Pista. I've just put the Cinelli steel bars and mod. 3 stem on.

2 Attachments

Lovely bike that

All the good stuff. following

That stem is 🔥🔥🔥

Thanks chaps.

A couple of the projects waiting in the background:

A 1977 Rondinella, as previously owned by @mashton, @dammit and @user71093. This is a great, tight ride. I plan a mix of Japanese and Italian for this.

A late '90s (?) Makino with a few war wounds. Kaisei tubing. Lots of NJS going on it without it being a pure build. A steel Nitto Jaguar stem will feature.

1 Attachment

I've stuck pics of my Samson on the NJS thread here.

Two Raleighs I'm also building up. Top is a 1984 with a Zeus 2001 fork crown. Bottom is a 1986 Service des Courses SBDU - too big for me, unfortunately, but I'll make it work for a while before letting it go to someone taller.

1 Attachment

Great framesets. Love those colourways, they remind me of Panasonics. What sizes? 56 & 58?

59 and 62 c/t. The 59 is in the Raleigh Panasonic team colours. Raleigh Weinmann also rode the same colours.

Makino build now slowed as a previous owner had bodged an NJS crown race and ISO headset together, which damaged the fork a little.

1 Attachment

Ooh 62! Now I'm really hooked on this!

Here's my Omega, owned from new in 1999. 631. Blue, brown and white cos I was in the De Laune CC.

I used all the parts from my previous track bike. This is also due a rebuild with some sexier period parts.

1 Attachment

I've polished a few frames. Lots of shades of white. The Rondinella's powder coat came up amazing, as expected. The Raleigh Panasonic's pearl white has yellowed with age. I do remember it being quite yellow when I had a new one back in the '80s, though.

Time for more building.

1 Attachment

I'm first dibsing that 62 Raleigh frame if you ever dispose of it!

When the pain of having a beautiful bike with a stupidly low saddle becomes too much, you have first shout on the frame. In the meantime, I hope you'll approve of the build I have in mind.

Looking forward to it!

Got my sh1t together and finished another build. Polished the frame, wiped over the components and stuck it together.

Here it is: the Services des Courses.
SB7843, 531c
Record Pista chainset, BB, pedals, front hub and headset (non-fluted 165mm cranks from '85-'87)
Khamsin rear disc
Super Champion Arc en Ciel front rim, 28h
Cinelli steel bars and stem
C-Record first-gen seatpost (with the small ridge where the round section meets the aero)
Suede Turbo saddle
Benotto tape
Christophe double straps

I'm claiming it as more or less period-correct. Even though the bars and stem are '50s or '60s, a few people still used them in the '80s

I'm delighted with how it looks. Let's if I can remain that way once I've put the saddle down to my height. I think I'll have to use a non-aero seatpost and low-profile saddle to make it work. The top tube is my length, but the seat tube is 3cm too long.

1 Attachment

Second dibs please. Beautiful build 👌.

Awesome build! It just looks the mutts nuts!

Thanks chaps.

I've been polishing chrome spokes today. This job is a lot more fun than taking the old glue off the rims will be. I got pretty much all the rust off with a combination of WD-40, grade 0000 steel wool and aluminium foil. The spokes aren't too pitted.

Nice wheels, these. The Superbe Pro hubs are even smoother than Record or Dura Ace. They will be going on the Rondinella.

1 Attachment

Another track project on the go: this 1994 Argos from @WelwynWheelers. The original dibser didn't claim it, and I'd offered a lot more than the £100 they'd been asking. I still got a great-value frameset and Welwyn Wheelers got more funds for new bikes etc.

I've stripped it down and given it a good polish. Will take photos as I start to stick 7600/ 7400 parts on it.

The frame's an unusual geometry: 61cm c-t seat and around 54.5cm effective top tube. The killer sloping top tube looks sharp. Fingers crossed I can get on with the geo.

1 Attachment

The Argos and Ribble have cleaned up nicely: clean, paint restorer, polish and wax.

1 Attachment

Slowly gathering bits for the Argos: Dura Ace seatpost and headset; 150mm ITM stem to deal with the short top tube.

1 Attachment

Super rad

Impressive collection 👌