Lesterama track builds

That Argos is going to look fantastic.

Saddle and bars added. I need a low-profile saddle to stop the bike's proportions looking ridiculous, as the seat tube is 2-3cm longer than I usually ride.

As for the bars, the ITM stem is actually a 25.4. All my 25.4 bars have a narrower collar than the stem clamp. Safe enough, but looks weird up close. Plus narrow bars don't suit the '90s aesthetic. I think I'm going to open up the stem for 26.0 bars. It's steel, so all will be well.

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More progress. I took off the Nittos and got some 26.0 bars in without any brutalising. I needed a Nitro stem tool and a thin spanner to open the stem enough. There's some corrosion to the bars, but hopefully ok.

Dug out some wheels I've been saving: Campagnolo Omega V sprints.

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Many lovely builds here. The Argos is stunning, Flite saddle?

Thanks!

It's a more modern Specialized Romin. I'll see how I go with it. I could never get on with Flites.

Boom!

Build complete. I still need to glue the tubs before I ride it with these wheels. Also, I no longer have SPD cleats and shoes, so these pedals are just for the look. But they go so well with the rest of the bike.

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Side view

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Lovely, very clean build!

Thanks. I'm pleased so far.

Gonna try to keep up the red-bike-building momentum. I think the Ribble may be a home for some sheriff stars.

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1970s Ron Cooper. I'd posted it to the Current Projects chat and miscellany thread. Sticking it here for completeness.

I finished this a couple of weeks ago. Other than a lot of cleaning and polishing, I didn't do a great deal with it, other than swapping out a few non-period parts. It's got a 65mm shell, which is a weird old standard. A couple of washers allow a standard 68mm BB axle to work. Gonna stick a brake on and use it on the road mostly.

I grew up near Ron's shop and really wanted one. I could never afford/ justify the extra cost of a handbuilt frame, so I made do with a second-hand Geoffrey Butler - still a great frame.

The seat cluster and perfectly-curved forks were Ron's signature, as were the occasional cut-out on the lugs. Oh, and he built his frames without a jig, as he believed a jig introduced unnecessary stress.

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Lovely this ^. And the whole collection is superb too. Congrats.

Thanks @Foreigner65.

Had a short proving ride at the weekend. The bike feels immediate and ready to zoom. Loads more toe overlap than I'm used to.

I'm slightly regretting such deep pista bars. I've not ridden the track properly for more than four years and my back is telling me how middle-aged I am. All my shallower bars are 26.4 or have a narrow collar, which rules them out with that stem.

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Beautiful bikes, great work!

I was hoping to progress the Ribble, but I need to chase the BB threads to fit the Campag BB. Must save up for a decent tool. Otherwise it'll be more trips to my local framebuilder or LBS.

Instead, next up I'm banging some upgrades on this Bianchi Pista, starting with a Mutant stem.

The Bianchi doesn't have the same attention to detail as a proper handbuilt frame, but it's a nice stiff ride and I do like a bit of chrome. The BB height is a bit low for tight tracks, which confirms its credentials as more of a fixie than a track bike. I may still give it a twizzle at Preston Park or Herne Hill.

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Is it permissible to put Shamals and Record bits on the Bianchi Pista, or is that OTT and in poor taste?
Also, ops on a saddle and bar tape that aren't black. I may spin the colour wheel to match the world champs bands.

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whoah, you got some nice goodies in your parts bin. personally I wouldn't put the c-record bits on the bianchi and rather on your argos.

OOft! that is ver very definition of a connoisseur's first world bike problem. I agree with @HK_Berlin If the Bianchi was a bit more of a classic Bianchi then yes but probably not on this iteration

Lovely. And then there's me about to commit crimes* on the Dazzan frame I acquired from you.

*modern components, for now

@HK_Berlin, @EcuriePeril, you were both right, of course, but curiosity got the better of me.

It almost works. The chunky forks, large clearances and conspicuous welds just look wrong with C-Record and Shamals. A Columbus Minimal fork might save the aesthetics, but I'm not attached enough to the frame to do that.

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The Bianchi rides well enough. The weighty forks and steel bars make it the heaviest front end I've ever felt on a track bike. Shamals are pretty solid, too. Nice little experiment, but I'm gonna put more basic kit back on it.

Plenty of tasteful opportunities with MGOOF track. Done tastefully they're great

Indeed, hoping mine can be done well too (thread is here if you're interested: https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/383951/?offset=25). That Bianchi looks amazing built up.

If looks great. Those Shamals really suit the frame. It's a winner

It was fun while it lasted, but I had to restore the Bianchi to a more basic spec. The little inconsistencies were bugging me too much. One day I'll find another full-chrome frame that all the shiny stuff can go on.

In the meantime I need to decide what to build up next. I'm thinking the Raleigh Weinmann/ Panasonic, with extra splashes of colour to match the paint job.

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I've started a new thread for the Raleigh Weinmann/ Panasonic. I think it deserves its own. I'll post pics of the finished article here.