Current Projects chat and miscellany

Harry Major, what with all this talk of yummy components for yer crosscheck. Is that a fukkin Halfords Massload rack on there? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! We even chuck those away at the bike recycling scheme, when they come off knackered worn-out subways.
Tubus, please! For the sake of all those who will look at this potentially beautiful machine. Offend not mine eyes with the upthrowings of the big H.

It is.

shame

I got it for a few pounds.
I do plan to replace it at some point.
But for the time being it can sit there happily :)

The rack is plenty for now, but find out the weight limit of it though, and it's worth changing the bolt for some stronger one as they're usually the weakest part of the rack.

Can anyone suggest some nice bar end brake levers for my Nitto RB-021s? I know nothing about them. Cheap would be nice...

For cheap brakes, Tektro is usually the first and last place to look, e.g.
http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/107982.html RX4, £15

For cheap brakes, Tektro is usually the first and last place to look, e.g.
http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/107982.html RX4, £15

Hmm, how much pricier would silver/chrome ones be? Is there much of a difference? Definitely think chrome lever's suit the bike a lot better.

This is about all I could find for under £50...is there anything else?

Robin's response

"When I'm grown up, I want to be uber-tech."

I see. Just like that. I wonder what sort of grit paper he uses? I tried something similar and got nowhere, so just used a half round second cut file, but those mitres are just beautiful.

I must build another frame, and I must try harder.

Got my miche cranks and toe clips back from powdercoaters today look very good.

Is powder coating a chainring a good idea?
Seems like it would just damage the chain and put paint chips all over your drivetrain.
I have no experience with one though so I'm probably talking out of ass.

Hey,

So, about that anti-porn'ish Tornado-frame I posted about a week ago..

Here's a photo of it, with a anti-porn'ish wheel on it too ;)

I talked to the builder today.

He told me:
It's an experimental frame, he build a few of them for some danish riders in the late 90's, this one he was fairly sure he build for a guy called Michael Steen Nielsen.
He knew that it was used in races in Denmark (I would guess 4k TT races, since Michael Steen Nielsen was part of a 4k TT team at the time, they did well enough to become national champions).
He was fairly sure that it had been in Spain for some event where he wasn't sure if it was used because UCI had been bitching a whole lot about the frame construction.

Also, he told me that he was sure that it is build for a 650c front, but that he didn't remember what kind of fork it had.. So based on that most of the other Tornado's I have seen from that era have had straight blade forks I guess that must be what I'm looking for... (There's one on ebay atm, and it's yellow, so don't bid on it please:) )

It's going to be so ugly when it's done.... muahaha :)

it's bloody hideous great :-)

Robin's response

"When I'm grown up, I want to be uber-tech."

New favouritest person evers.

I like the humility of it all.

The rack is plenty for now, but find out the weight limit of it though, and it's worth changing the bolt for some stronger one as they're usually the weakest part of the rack.

I didn't get any bolts with it, so it has some nice new ones. One of which i have already rounded off. GO ME!

The front rack (when it arrives) will be used for the majority of heavy loads! The rear is just their for fun really. Although Jameski has offered me a black Topeak, so I could just take that and get mi shit straight.

Is powder coating a chainring a good idea?
Seems like it would just damage the chain and put paint chips all over your drivetrain.
I have no experience with one though so I'm probably talking out of ass.

I recently powder coat a new chain ring, i was tell the shop for the lightest coat that they can.
The result was a nice very thin coat, that preserves those laser (?) engravings that shows number
of teeth etc.

Use it as hard as i could it starts to loose very small amount of paint at the edges of teeth,
without causing any major problem in chain but you could see that need cleaning.
The friend that rides it tell me that it starts to loose bigger chips of paint from
the inner section of teeth after 200km and wash the chain 2 times in a week.
No other complains except that i spent 1 hour cleaning the bolt holes when i installed it.

it's bloody hideous great :-)

One could almost think that the experiment was trying to make the most ugly bicycle in the world.. ;)

I still like the way the frame looks when it's totally naked... but adding the one wheel already makes it look weird.. hah :)

weird brilliant ;-) Almost impossible to imagine it as a bike without the wheels...

Robin's response

"When I'm grown up, I want to be uber-tech."

thats LOvely James, the welds are just excellent, very very good considering they're hand welded. Must be excited to see it !

I didn't get any bolts with it, so it has some nice new ones. One of which i have already rounded off. GO ME!.

And you work in a bike shop.........

Got my miche cranks and toe clips back from powdercoaters today look very good.

would look and work better if they masked off the threads and contact points on the spider.

And you work in a bike shop.........

Doesn't stop me being special needs.

would look and work better if they masked off the threads and contact points on the spider.

Fixed. Things which are hidden don't affect the look of something.
/pedantry

bilt. will still get the paint done, but not right away. likely will take the fork to black with a rattle can for the mean time. fork suits the bike perfectly. rides like spinner.

and for those intersted, here's a good way to store bikes. Cost, cheap. Time, 2 hours. Just cut the top pipe to the right length. rest is stock.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4425422895_d4dc5cb827.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4425423387_238013d9b0.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4425423773_3171406378.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4425424213_875244a544.jpg

bilt. will still get the paint done, but not right away. likely will take the fork to black with a rattle can for the mean time. fork suits the bike perfectly. rides like spinner.

and for those intersted, here's a good way to store bikes. Cost, cheap. Time, 2 hours. Just cut the top pipe to the right length. rest is stock.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4425422895_d4dc5cb827.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4425423387_238013d9b0.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4425423773_3171406378.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4425424213_875244a544.jpg

i'd leave the forks, the colour looks good in my opinion. unless the frame is showroom standard. if it's got chips and scratches i reckon the fork works really well. very nice looking bike

Hey,

So, about that anti-porn'ish Tornado-frame I posted about a week ago..

Here's a photo of it, with a anti-porn'ish wheel on it too ;)

Coming along brilliantly. Reminds a bit of a modern Kestral tri frame.

that would make a nice baby blue fixie, nay a gorgeous baby blue fixie

As promised, a few pictures ...

Wow!!

Loic

would look and work better if they masked off the threads and contact points on the spider.

They did not need to i put old chain ring bolts in to protect threads and old pedal axel in pedal inserts,just need to file a bit of powder coat off .

I promised to show more once I can put it up, so here you go.
So far I have fitted the bottom bracket and Campy Record headsted (which seems to be Record O.R.).

What should I do now? Run it fixed (then I should've get that eccentric hub off Hippy) or go for the fully geared set up with Campagnolo Triomphe (and eventually C-Record)?
I can't find anything about this frame and the guys from Simoncini haven't replied to my email. I pressume it's from the late 90s.

ps. please ignore the wheelset, bars, seatpost and saddle...