• One of the primary requirements for this bike is to handle a gravel path - I live in Richmond and would like to lap the park without sticking to the roads. Wheels, then, are wide Alex rims (DM18s I think) laced to Formula hubs probably in a factory somewhere in Taiwan. They were an unused £50 bargain on eBay from someone who no doubt got up-sold to a pair of white Velocitys or something. Their deep-V obsession worked out well for me as these are robust but still vagauely classic looking.

    Tyres were a closing-down impulse purchase from Velorution on Great Portland Street. Still not 100% on colour (especially as Panaracer make the gumwall Pasela tyre in a 700x35 and they would look great) but these were better than half price - and they offset the brown paint. Will see what they look like after a bit of use.

    This frame, being a bit closer to the scaffold-pole end of the range than you might prefer, has clearances you could almost sit in. Plenty of room for mudguards but the idea is these chunky tyres will fill up the acreage nicely:

    Brakes are polished pretty-much-new-old-stock Spidel made, I think, by Mafac and are of about the right period. There's a bit more room beneath them and the top of the tyre than the picture suggests:

    The original brakes were similar but cheaper-looking. Had some nice little 'M' motifs but were well worn and, well, didn't make the grade.

    Hope to get the remaining decals on the frame later tonight and then there is a crankset dilemma to solve...

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