• No such forum serving us up here, so I'll stick my head above the parapet and admit to living in Birmingham. Cheers for still reading. I've had the frame for the past couple of years, left to me by a mates mate when he scarpered from Birmingham. The frame is a Faggin, Italian.
    Top tube = 565mm head tube - seat tube centers
    Seat tube = 575mm bb center to s. tube top
    Traditional raked forks, dropouts stamped Faggin.
    105 brakes, front derailleur & hubs, Mavic sub rims, Selle Royale sharke saddle, 3ttt bars, Dura Ace seat post and levers, though all pretty old kit it's servicable enough. Had to get new Tiagra rear derailleur.
    I'm 6' with s.o. height 830mm, it's slightly undersized but when it was running it felt ok. It's my first road bike so I don't have much to compare it with, mind.
    The rear hub has worn, pitted bearing surface. Replaced bearings and cones carried on riding but now fancy going single speed.
    Seat post needs raising but is stuck fast, tried ammonia (the discussions else where on the forum about using coke are a bit dubious. Coke contains phosphoric acid which reacts with ferric oxide, rust, to produce iron phosphate as in Kurust). I'll try a vice to force it out and if that fails whip out the hacksaw. Shame to waste a decent seatpost but hay ho.
    The bb is sound, square taper but it'll do. Got the drive side cup out with difficulty (using 24" breaker bar), left side won't move and splines have pretty much had it through trying. Could I leave it in, or would that rule out bb replacement in future? What about having it machined out? Could it be filed away? Where can it be rethreaded?
    I can get the frame & fork blasted and powdercoated for £25, or should I go for paint?
    I'll reuse the rear rim but am having trouble finding a mid price single speed hub any suggestions. Is there a chain line problem with using either of the chain rings (42, 52)?
    Any recommendations for brake levers?
    Can't think of any thing else... Comments please.
    Cheers, James

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