Another effing Pompino

Moved to the states a year ago, took my slick-tyred old MTB with me and built a Road bike as soon as I got here (nothing fancy, just a LeMond Reno frame with 105 5700 bits and Ksyriums).
Spent some time with the locals, watched a few 'cross races and barely rode the old MTB. You can see where this is going...

Basically, it's (intended) to be a summer Fixed, winter SSCX. You know, one of those hopeless 'all rounder' things.
My birthday impending, wife is stuck for ideas. I have an idea, and Titus USA deliver it...

I've stripped down the old MTB, rescued a nice 27.2mm Thomson Elite off it and set to work Craigslisting what I can to fund the build.
Here's where we're at so far.

Frame might be undergoing a bead-blast/repaint. Undecided.
I have some cranks, nowt special - Suntour Superbe Comp Road Double Square-Taper 130BCD things (thought they might work as a dingle-speed further down the line, beside the fact they cost me f-all.).
Going to stick the old LX V-brake off my MTB on the fork for now. Tektro RL520 levers on order at my LBS (Golden Saddle Cyclery).

Also considering Salsa Cowbell 2/3 handlebars.
The 3s are 301grams, 6061 Aluminium and cost $40.
The 2s are 281grams, 7050 Aluminium and cost $70.
WWLFGSSD?

Pretty much the exact build im planning..

Lozzles at a headset costing the same as a frame! Nice build man, sounds sweet.

Lozzles at a headset costing the same as a frame! Nice build man, sounds sweet.

Cheers. As it happens I got the headset for about half retail price as a local track rider was parting out an unfinished project. Fortunate really, as I was previously considering just buying fresh bearings for the 13-year-old FSA Orbit XLII that I yanked out of my Cannondale.

I just remembered also that you don't get fleeced on CK parts in the US, like we do, so it might not have been more than the frame anyway!

Also considering Salsa Cowbell 2/3 handlebars.
The 3s are 301grams, 6061 Aluminium and cost $40.
The 2s are 281grams, 7050 Aluminium and cost $70.
WWLFGSSD?

I had the 3, I think it got a little more flex than my 3T handlebar, but not a bad thing.

No idea if the 2 is stiffer thought (worth finding out?), but go for the cheap one, 20g difference isn't much to write home about, and with the selected component you've chosen, I reckon you'd be around 9kg.

Found this info thought;

UPDATED: I've gotten some questions about what the difference is between the Cowbell 2 and Cowbell 3 bars is. I e-mailed Salsa Cycles for an explanation Here is what they shared with me.....

Here is the skinny on our naming. This is new for the future and these are the first products coming under our new format.

1 = BEST (equate to product like Pro Moto Carbon bars and Pro Moto Ti stem)
2 = BETTER (equate to product such as aluminum Pro Moto bars)
3 = GOOD (equate to product formerly known as Moto Ace)

Each of these levels will be differentiated by features, materials and finish quality. All of our core components will come this way eventually. We will have 3 level of components in bars, stems and seat posts.

Doesn't really says much.

Bike is progressing at a snail's pace as I'm trying to fund the build almost exclusively from the parting-out of my old MTB on Craigslist. This has led to stumbling across the odd CL bargain too, like a practically-unworn Litespeed / Velo Ti-railed seat for just $10.

My Salsa Cowbell 3s arrived, along with Tektro RL520 Drop-V levers. I've chosen Newbaum's Eggplant cotton bar tape to compliment the chartreuse decals on the frame, as I'm sticking with the original finish for now.

Headset is in, just drivetrain & wheels to sort now. Hopefully done in a couple of weeks - I'm dying to ride it!

Finally, the wheelset arrived - H+Son TB14s laced to Formula sealed bearing hubs from VeloMine.
Threw on some spare 23c slicks just to get it rolling, and nearly tore my thumbs open getting the fuckers on. Rear is some wire-beaded old Kenda tat, front is a folding Rubino Pro Slick. Has anyone else had a nightmare trying to get tyres onto TB14s?

Anyway, it's a bit more bolted-together now. Will roll it down to the LBS for BB install and hopefully be test-riding it after the weekend.

Nice clean looking build at the moment

So after a right old faff with chainsets, chainlines and chainrings (details in the Owners thread), the bike was finally buttoned up last night.
A brief spin, position tweak, then bars were padded and taped.

The gearing setup is a 17/21T Surly Dingle Cog at the back, and 39/44T chainrings up front on a 130BCD road double chainset.

Took it out for a proper 20-mile shakedown today, plenty of flat for the 44x17T gear and then reached one of my local climbs and switched to the 39x21T setup.
It's ace, I fooking love it!

Haven't ridden Fixed for about 4 years, so it's been a lot of fun learning to whip-skid the bike down hills again.

Chainline pic #1:

Chainline pic #2:

Thats a mighty fine bike. Looks like a beut, this is what I want my surly to look like, but its just never going to happen

Cheers.
The one component change I might make in the near future is the saddle. It's as narrow as a narrow thing, but padded quite a lot. I could do with a tiny bit more width and perhaps gel instead of foam. Something like a comfier version of the SLR Trans Am (Gel Flow) that's on my road bike - a Flite Gel Flow, p'raps. I'll see what Craigslist throws up over the next few weeks/months.

Man this bike looks like great fun! Now stick some cx tyres on and ride it properly :D

My favourite pompino so far

How light are your pomps?

nice pomp - looks good with a proper fork

Cheers. I haven't weighed this yet, and don't currently have the means to.
It feels a little bit heavier than my not-exactly-light Aluminium road bike, a 2007 LeMond with 5700 group and Ksyrium Equipes. It rides lovely though, at no point does it feel like I'm lugging a heavy bike.

It isn't technically finished though as I never intended to run it on 23c tyres.
Trying to decide (today) between 28c or 32c Panaracer Pasela TGs. I'm guessing there's clearance for smooth-ish 32s?

Plenty, 35 is pushing it.

Went for Folding 32c Pasela TGs.

Also found out that the KMC Z610HX BMX chain I'd installed was highly inappropriate for the Surly Dingle setup - Even though the chain itself had no clearance/tightness issues on the Dingle cog and double-chainring setup, I found out after the bike's first day on the road (about 40 miles covered, 10 or so of that on the inner 39x21T setup) that the Master Link was a good deal thicker than the chain itself, and had ground a few little marks into the larger 44T chainring whilst running on the 39T. Solution was easy - use a 9-speed chain as directed by Surly! Thankfully the KMC X9.93 I used came with a proper thin Missing Link.
New tyres look ace and ride super-smooth.

Took a snap with the new rubber.
Chain looks slack, but doesn't really feel it. Still getting used to Fixed again tbh.

nice bike, love the wheelset!

Thanks. Finally worked out what my ratios are equivalent to on my road bike (probably should have done that at the start, but hey)...

44x17T (70.0 GI) - equivalent to 50x19T or 34x13T
39x21T (50.2 GI) - equivalent to 50x27T or 34x18T

Enjoying riding this. 32mm tyres just roll over all the cracks, I'm glad I went for them over 28s.

To update this thread, here's how the bike looks now.
It's no longer Fixed Gear, I'm running it SS with a gear ratio of 42x17T. Shimano XT V-brake is on the rear now.
Also got my position dialled and ditched the 70mm Elite X4 in favour of a 100mm X2.
A few saddle changes later, I've retrimmed my old SLR Gel Flow and installed it.

Looks great! What's the tape?