Current Projects chat and miscellany

If you can't figure it out, then go for the one with the most comfortable hood.

That would be sram then!

the feedback i've had on sram is that it has a very positive feel but is a little sloppy on the front mech.

campag comes first for me, but i will be able to go for a ride on a sram force/red equipped bike soon so you never know..

i dont like the fact that the brake levers on the shimano sti's move to shift as well as to brake, although i was impressed by di2. also most of the shimano kit looks guff if that means anything to you..

i think the look of it will also play a part in my choosing. the shimano looks wack and like you say i dont like the sti's also.
perhaps i even go for sram apex? although i might get criticized (by henry) for having an entry level groupset on a carbon bike!

the feedback i've had on sram is that it has a very positive feel but is a little sloppy on the front mech.

I didn't mind the latter, mainly because I rarely changed the front gear that often to dwell over it.

i think the look of it will also play a part in my choosing. the shimano looks wack and like you say i dont like the sti's also.
perhaps i even go for sram apex? although i might get criticized (by henry) for having an entry level groupset on a carbon bike!

i guess it all comes down to how much you want to spend.
i'm sure there's nothing wrong with apex, probably worth trying them all out first though if you can.

Been collecting these bits for a while. This photo was taken Friday evening.

Finished the build today.

Looked at getting a Brooklyn Gangsta but it didn't really work for what I wanted to do. Still really like the logo tho so my mate made me these.
Running Hope Pro Evo2 Hubs with the single speed trials rear. Bolt on fixed at the moment but Single speed/disc setup and appropriate tyres coming soon for some cyclocross action.

Art shot

:)

Amazing, very funny.

those decals are sick!
is it just a pitlock in the rear hope hub?

i've been looking to do the same (use a bolt on fixed sprocket).

Well it has taken a very long while to get all the right parts, but I finally finished renovating it last night.

I bought the frame last year and after being let down by one company, I finally got the frame resprayed by Autostrada.

I still need to adjust the saddle but I plan on using it in a couple of weeks doing a Madison at Aldersley Stadium and then just some classic track days and a couple of track days at Manchester and Newport.

I know that there are a few things that aren't authentic but as it is a bike that I intend to ride it has got to be practical.

All my bikes have Arione saddles, so I figured that I would be better on one of these.

At my age getting low enough on a track Cinelli Stem would be difficult, so I managed to find a very nice condition road one that just happened to be the right length.

Pedals are Campag Record Pro-fit as I ride them on all my bikes and I could n't find a pair of original Leather Sidi Shoes with Aluminium plates, otherwise I would have ridden them with proper Pista Pedals and Straps

The Campag Record Headset is a NOS Strada as I couldn't find cheaper enough a tidy pista one.

The spec is as follows: -

Geoffrey Butler Track Frame 51cm which is a little small for me, thus the longer stem and longer seat post.
Immaculate Campag Pista 165mm Cranks with a 49 tooth
Ex-Malcolm Elliot Campag Large Flange Track wheels with Arc-En-Cien rims rebuilt.
Wolber Tubs
Cinelli 130mm Stem
Cinelli Criterium 65-44 Bars (I have broad Shoulders and these were the widest I could get)
NOS Campag Pista 109mm BB, brand New unused
NOS Campag Record Strada Headset
Campag Seat Bolt
USE Alien 27.0mm 270mm Seat Post, as I coudln't find a Campag one long enough let alone in 27.0mm I had to settle on that.
I managed to get original GB transfers that were 35 years old.

The frame was acid dipped then the rear brake bridge was welded up as someone had drilled it, it was resprayed in a pearlescent white, see the link here for the respray: - http://www.lfgss.com/thread67407.html

I've probably spent far too much on it, including the original purchase but probably £1200-£1500 but don't tell the missus.

I suppose if I had been able to find one then I would have preferred a chunky stay version with a cut out BB and closer clearances, but they appear as rare a rocking horse shite, so this will satisfy my hunger. I may put on a clamp on brake on the front and do a 10 mile TT with it next year and would love to bring it down to Herne Hill and have a ride round there on it.

There's probably loads that you would all have done different, but it has satisfied my dreams for now.

Thanks for looking.

i think the look of it will also play a part in my choosing. the shimano looks wack and like you say i dont like the sti's also.
perhaps i even go for sram apex? although i might get criticized (by henry) for having an entry level groupset on a carbon bike!

I was thinking of apex until i saw the bits i bought come up at a reasonable price. The double tap shifters feel pretty good to me, and the shifting seems logical enough. Hopefully have the bike running tomorrow, so i'll know for sure then. Probably just be fucking confused by gears as whole though

apex is £100 cheaper than rival and thinking that i can probably get a seatpost, bar tape, bars, stem with the money I save i think it might be worth it...

just from an aesthetic POV

great colour

*what spotter said

my Mrs would love that.

um just nitpicking.

Thanks peeps, and comments taken on board. Some things are the result of tight-fistedness, some of incompetence and haste. Some I just hadn't thought about. Will fix the glitches.

Nice lady bike Rich, i really like the colour.

Me likes, restoration, colour, sweet wheelset, sensible stem/pedals, pink bartape.

me no likes saddle and (slightly) bar angle.

I know you've made excuses for the saddle, but had to say it. Needs a rolls/turbo/concor... (my opinion only)

It is indeed very nice though.

Also, I think SR did some long aero seatpost that look like campy if you wanted something more fitting...

apex is £100 cheaper than rival and thinking that i can probably get a seatpost, bar tape, bars, stem with the money I save i think it might be worth it...

Yeah, that was my thinking, except money is going on pedals and shoes

apex is £100 cheaper than rival and thinking that i can probably get a seatpost, bar tape, bars, stem with the money I save i think it might be worth it...

I've got Apex on the CX bike and Force on the road bike- you are welcome to try them back to back if that would help you make up your mind?

In my view there is nothing wrong with Apex- works perfectly.

But I'll put Red on the road bike at some point.

Me likes, restoration, colour, sweet wheelset, sensible stem/pedals, pink bartape.

me no likes saddle and (slightly) bar angle.

I know you've made excuses for the saddle, but had to say it. Needs a rolls/turbo/concor...

It is indeed very nice though.

Also, I think SR did some long aero seatpost that look like campy if you wanted something more fitting...

Thanks for the comments.

The tape is actually red Fizik to match the transfers but the photo doesn't do it justice.

Having spent the best parts of £200+ on seat posts after having imported a titanium Kent Erikson which turned out to be the wrong size (27.2 and not 27.0) then getting a cheaper 27.00 that was just too heavy and finally paying £50 odd quid for the USE, I think I have got to compromise ;-)

Agree about the Rolls/Turbo so once I have recovered finacially then will look into that.

Cheers for the advice though.

I've got Apex on the CX bike and Force on the road bike- you are welcome to try them back to back if that would help you make up your mind?

In my view there is nothing wrong with Apex- works perfectly.

Yea i just dont see that im going to notice the difference between apex and rival. i am no professional cyclist and i feel that saving the money is better than saving the weight between the two systems!
Apex is only 350. might go buy it tomorrow....

Yeah, that was my thinking, except money is going on pedals and shoes

oh shit I forgot ive also got to buy new shoes and pedals too. Apex it is

Love the Brookpino, looks ace and a bunch of fun! Has put me in a serious quandry about weather to buy a proper track frame or build up a similar ss/fixed/cyclocross mix....

not really advice just my thoughts. I got a pretty long SR 27.2 aero post off here for £7 in very clean condition. Obviously not much help as you're on the other side of the world...

Good luck with the recovery and the missus, and enjoy!

apex is £100 cheaper than rival and thinking that i can probably get a seatpost, bar tape, bars, stem with the money I save i think it might be worth it...

buy better groupset, wait/save money, buy the rest. summer's over, there's no rush and it's less hassle in the long run.

Xander, IMHO you are right to go for apex - but Tom makes a good point about the end of summer... it's all about building autumn* bikes now.

*and my geared build isn't going to be finished until autumn has well and truly begun