Current Projects chat and miscellany

Fruit. Like tomatoes, they're put there to trick you.

So cashews aren't my favourite nut anymore?

Bring on the pistachios... In all their luxuriously false economy.

cashew

cashews are not nuts

i know, it was part of the whimsy in my answer.

i know you know, it was part of the whimsy in my answer.

69'ed each other, boys

Nah, walnuts. They'll make you strong enough to build walls

... or pikey enough to shop at Asda.

Just got this. A friend with gears for the Pompino.

Paid £200. Not bad I think for frame, forks, brakes, wheels, tyres, mudguards, rear mech, BB, headset, stem, etc.

@ tilover - that is going to be shit hot

colour option... purple?

colour options by monomaniac(tom), on Flickr

yes fam

@ tilover - that is going to be shit hot

Is this yours, and was it on the Herne Bay ride? If so you have a slight buckle in your rear wheel. It was quite mesmerising at one point while we were climbing a big hill...

Yeah...

i think the wheel is one massive buckle really! That wheel used to be on my polo bike and has seen some really nasty crashes - it's been 'tacoed' twice. Can't afford a replacement but it's strong enough not to collapse so if it ain't broke why bother

Yeah...

i think the wheel is one massive buckle really! That wheel used to be on my polo bike and has seen some really nasty crashes - it's been 'tacoed' twice. Can't afford a replacement but it's strong enough not to collapse so if it ain't broke why bother

It didn't look too bad, and you don't have a rear brake, so it's not the end of the world. Gives the person behind something to watch.

Following on from the ISO/JIS headset discussion from yesterday, does anyone know if a Tange Passage 26.4mm CR headset will work with a replacement 27.0mm crown race?

Even Google won't help me with this one...

The Pinarello is looking like a really nice set up .. llok forward to seeing the finished project :)

colour option... purple?

As for colour, Purple is a bit sombre IMHO but then I don’t recall seeing a flamboyant Pinarello – someone will be along to correct my in a moment – and I’m biased as I'm a big fan of the outlandish and Italian flag colour schemes you find on Italian bikes of the past !

Lairy enough for you?

Nice Harry Hall frame arrived this morning.

I've got a Raleigh Record Ace, similar to:

It was handed down from my ole' grandpa and i used it throughout University to enable me to sleep longer before lectures.

It's been sat for 3-4 years on a balcony, luckily covered up to some extent but basically it's in not great condition, has had mods in the form of a seat from an old mountain bike and the poor thing had it's mudguards removed. I think it's finally time i did something with it!

I commute on my Ribble at the moment, but i'd like to vary it up a bit, and i'm always apprehensive leaving my carbon race bike locked up outside, meaning it rarely makes trips to the shops or lesser known areas of London. I think the Raleigh could fill in here..

Are there any guides for where to start (as a bike DIY novice), or what components i'd need to replace to make this into a SS bike? maybe even fixed..

And can anyone share opinions as to what money i'd be expecting to spend (ballpark, obviously buying parts in a market would be much cheaper than new from CRC/Wiggle etc)?

I anticipate replacing the rims, as they're rusty and tired, tyres, seat, pedals, handlebars/brakes and whatever SS/Fixed gearing i need?

Any input at all appreciated, i'm not sure where to start. Maybe i should sand it and respray?!

Can anyone tell me what the clamp size for the front mech on a Genesis Croix de Fer is (Reynolds 725)? Googling has revealed not much other than one vague reference to 28.6 and reynolds 725...

28.6 could be correct for 725 but it takes a 27.2mm post? makes me think the band on would be 31.8mm

That's what I was wondering... I have a 105 groupset that I bought for a GT project, which turned into a CdF project. I have a feeling that the front mech came with an adapter so it can be used on 28.6 and 31.8, but I can't remember off the top of my head.

Shameless project barely-update on the Ron Cooper. The only thing I've done recently is replace Fizik Microtex tape with Bike Ribbon, partly because I thought the LBS did a ropy job in the first place, but I also prefer the feel and finish to the Bike Ribbon, plus it's what I had on BITD. I suppose the final part of the "project" was finally getting some guaranteed dry weather so that I could take the Ron out on a pilgrimage bike ride round the NW Kent countryside. Please excuse the small-ring pics, I was just about to go up Star Hill. :)

I've got a Raleigh Record Ace...handed down from my ole' grandpa

I'm inclined not to help, just because you made me feel old. I had that bike new in 1984.

The wheels are 27", and already have quite long reach brakes, so fitting new 700c wheels is going to be troublesome. If it were mine, I think I'd just make a ghetto fixed conversion without changing anything other than taking the freewheel off and screwing on a wide based 16t Trialtech sprocket. The suicide hub approach won't be a problem as you'll be leaving both brakes on. Chainline will probably be good using the existing 42t inner ring, so you won't even have to respace/redish the rear wheel. Total conversion cost about £20.

Tarting it up with new brake cables, handlebar tape, chain and tyres will add almost £100 to the bill. If you start going much beyond that, you might as well get a whole new bike, bearing in mind that £300 gets you an brand spanking new Vitus Vee 1 29er which is at least as good for short commutes and shopping and adds a bit of light XC capability too.

28.6 could be correct for 725 but it takes a 27.2mm post? makes me think the band on would be 31.8mm

Unless the tube isn't cylindrical, steel tubes which take 27.2 seat posts use 28.6 FD clamps. Can't think of a single exception off the top of my head, although it was theoretically possible to build Ishiwata 017F (French sizing) to take a 27.2 post despite the 28.0 OD :-)

So its done, few last minute changes and a couple of niggly things that cropped up, but 99% there.
Went for Charge Spit bars in the end with bontreaga bar tape because i had it and i recon its more comfy than most grips, polished up one of my original Dia-compe levers, not bad for 30 years old, looks like new!
The saddle is the right height for me so not alot of seat bar drop, but it feels good, ended up with 44t and 16t gearing and 165 cranks, few more teeth and shorter crank than i intended, but long story, it feels ok although i've only taken it up the road before i find the rear tyre has popped off the rim, seem i cannot put more than 40 psi in it before this happens? So last thing to sort, but i recon it looks quite nice?

^ Looks awesome. You'll be wanting foot retention though