Revival of a lost love

This project may set records for the slowest progress ever. However, I figure if I put it up here I might be more likely to finish it.

I've had this lovely 2017 Supersix Evo sitting in the back of my cupboard for nearly 3 years. It was the bike I rode my first (and last) crits on and the first 'nice' bike I ever owned, so it has a lot of sentimental value.

Unfortunately, one squally winter's day in Essex, the drive-side dropout disintegrated (pictured) halfway up Mott St. A £100 Addison Lee and a call to Laka later and I was on a CAAD13 instead (where I remain).

The CAAD13 is lovely to ride but something about the dropped stays, matte black finish, and general lack of personality has never set the heart a flutter. The heart pines for my old silver Supersix. And what the heart wants...

After speaking to a few carbon repair shops it turns out this is relatively cheap and easy to fix. So provided a hoped-for Xmas bonus materialises and my energy bills don't go through the roof this is getting done.

It'll need just about everything aside from a post, saddle and bars. But that's half the fun, right?

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The burning question is should it get a respray? I've always been a sucker for classic 'Dale decals and the paint is quite tatty. But, it does have this lovely sparkly finish.

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Essentially, the plan is to make this into a fast summer bike and relegate the CAAD to winter duties.

Once it's fixed will probably look to chop the steerer, source a nice mechanical groupset, a spider ring, and either some lite alloy or cheapish crabonz wheels.

Icelandic green respray please

You know what, that was actually top of my list of ideas for a respray. It's my fave old school 'Dale track colour too.

Maybe it's a sign.

Definitely a respray!

I'm leaning towards Target Composites, as they do both, meaning I could get it fixed and resprayed in one hit. Has anyone had any experience with them?

I love the shade of green accents you have at the moment but having Googled it the icelandic green is gorgeous too. I'd definitely go with a cleanup either way given it's going off for repair anyway...

Oh yeah. Just go for it. We use Target frequently.
Look at it this way, we do a test when frames come back with people who didn't know where the frame was damaged, to try to spot where the repair is.

Ta, that's a pretty good endorsement.

How do you usually send them (I'm in London)? Bike box with lots of bubble wrap?

Cheers,

Unsurprisingly, I've made zero progress with this but I have picked up one of these...

Building it up this weekend (provided I have enough spacers spare). The plan is for it to be a beater, for now. However, I know myself and at some point, it'll cry out for nice wheels and a better chainset.

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I'll be selling a 60cm Dolan Pre Cursa f&f next week if anyone's interested. It'll come with BB, headset and brake (I'll even throw in one of those plate-on track brakes in case anyone wanted to run it SS) and will be going cheap.

Any update? Even for the Steamroller :)

Oh, I'd forgotten all about this! Steamroller is built up and gets commuted on regularly. I'll dig out some pictures later on, but it turned out pretty nice for a parts bin build.

As for the SuperSix, another year goes by and it still hasn't been sent to a carbon repair shop. Instead, it sits in the corner of my room looking forlorn. Save a crankset and some brifters, I have everything needed to make a really nice summer bike out of it too.

Maybe 2024 is the year? I think a lot of the problem is that the repair will cost £300-£400 which is right in the 'just too expensive to just get on with' price range. And, as I don't NEED a summer road bike (much as I might want one), it always gets deferred in favour of other projects.

Belatedly remembered that I was gonna add a picture of the Steamroller built up. It actually looks a little different now, swapped the saddle and grips and it's now covered in stickers but you get the idea...It's not bad for a parts bin build.

Also, please don't come at me that the brake levers are on backwards. They came that way already cabled up on another set of bars and I've been too lazy to change them. Eventually, it'll nag at me enough that I do it.

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I am considering selling the Steamroller though, as January is hopefully bringing with it a 29er. Given I don't commute into the office more than once a week anymore, four bikes in a terraced house seem excessive. Especially since I'm due to move in with my girlfriend in 2024 who lives in a smaller terraced house.

I'm currently battling with whether I can justify a road bike, CX bike, 29er and a fixie/ss. I know the answer really, but I'm great at rationalising why I do in fact need all of them.

The rest of the stable...

CAAD13 and Trek Crockett.

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I'd say sell the Steamroller and get a second hand Brompton, that's gonna be as (if not more) versatile and it won't take the same space.

Steamroller is a classic and discontinued. Don't sell!

I'll probably sell the Steamroller and ride my CX bike to work. I don't have to worry about the shifter bandits as it lives in the office while I'm working.

If I'm honest, I built the steamroller for commuting, locking up outside on errands and vague notions of tracklocross. But I've found that I only commute once a week now, have built it up too nicely to lock it up in Hackney, and reach for my cross bike every time I ride in Epping Forest.

It'd probably serve someone else better and the space would be better dedicated to the hardtail I've been lusting after for the last few years.

Is it? This changes things hahaaa!

You've given me flashbacks of selling my Cinelli Mash SSCX (which I've regretted ever since) hahaa.

Maybe I will keep it!

Is it?

I might be mistaken, as I just looked and its still there on the Surly website. But whatever... I'd argue that a frame and fork in a box in the back of the cupboard/under the bed doesn't take up much room...

True. I'm also kinda resigned to the fact that when I do move in with my GF I'm probably going to have to build a shed anyway. Even three bikes would cause problems so I guess if they're living outside what's another hahaa.

And just like that, I've talked myself around hahaa.

I’ve argued that before, but the other half disagreed.

Haha! I suspect I'll get the same reaction.