TomvanHalen's tourer - Raleigh 853 (sick flames ITT)

Wow! Two questions:

1. I have the same Thorn fork - as yet unused - how’s it working out?
   
2. What did you do with the original fork? (and dibs!)
   

Hi. Thanks, it's making me happy.

1. Thorn fork has been great, aside from the bung that came with it, but that probably has more to do with my mechanical incompetence. My normal ride is a Straggler, so everything here feels super light and agile. Was concerned by rake or offset or something I can't remember, but handling felt great ( before this stem, which does not).
   
2. Sold to a new home. But I do have an uncut, unmounted identical one in the shed. Potentially available, but I have some lockdown bike shuffling to do first. Provisional dibs acknowledged.
   

Looked like this a week ago. Much scoble.

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6 Scoblebricks... Does this bike fit you well?

That's nuts.

Fit? No. Sort of. Normally ride 15cm saddle to bar, never measured in this configuration but I guess it was closer to 20cm. Gooseneck is a more comfortable set up for now. (Torn lat, long story involving too many press ups and a flight of stairs). Generally felt better lower.
I've ridden everything from a 57cm to a 64cm over the years. And 18in to 23in mtb. If funds are tight, you can make anything work. Funds have on occasion, been tight.

Interesting! thanks... Yes, the offset had me thinking “yeah, nah”. But I also appreciate that it’s for a 26” wheel and the uncut steerer makes it all look odd.
I will get around to using it (on bike n++∞).

Still out and about. Needs layback 30.0mm seatpost. There be none.

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Nice to see the evolution of this!

Seatpost: given the frankenbuildy nature, is a shim for a 27.2 out of the question?

10/10 would ride!

Thanks. It's been my go-to all year. Just ordered a shim. I must be so deep into my retrogrouch cave, I hadn't considered this a frankenbuild!

Ignorance of forces at play made me a bit wary of shimming this tube/clamp arrangement, cos not straight?

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Oof, yeah, good point.

Frankenbadge-of-honour! I ride a wtf-are-you-kidding-me 26er repurposed for 700c, I know one when I see one.

Been dad-biking this for a while now. Colour matched the fork(ish). Drifting back towards factory spec. Bit directionless at the mo because it all seems to work.

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Left it a bit late for pictures. Colour matched the stem, different bars, grips in the post.

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Needs black Motolites AHEM.

Maybe. I mean it won't ever, but maybe. I'm okay with the catalogue correct m750s for now. I never really liked any of the m750 groupset, but I got the wheels super cheap for one of the kids bikes. I was bored building bikes with components I liked and it's been more of a challenge to make an appealing whole with ones I don't. Way cheaper too. Bonus pic.

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Nice! I like the yellow stem

s’fair enough: I just happened to have some knocking about : )

Stem colour: Does the seatpost need a zhuzh now? (it’s neverending…)

Sorry, I was being a bit dense re. the strategically placed cough. I blame the anaesthetic. I seem to have forgotten a load of people's names too...

I probably liked it most with drop bars, and black tape, stem and post, but there was just too much overlap with my Cannondale and Surly and I needed to move parts around for other bikes. So began the aesthetic wilderness of function over form. The braking is way better now than with the travel agents.

I'm waiting on decals and grips, then we'll see about zhuzh.

Got so far, then banished to the garden...

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Final touch

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