Current Projects chat and miscellany

Thanks, but yeah your right. have so stuff that im going to try and make some with as im a dab hand with my sewing machine. so have it set up on the freewheel at the moment.

I've got a nude carbon seatpost for my planet x, but it has a matt finish and would look much better if it was gloss to match the rest of the frame. I have seen spray on lacquer but is this safe to use? Won't somehow wreck my carbon or anything like that?

So i was just riding along...

The jockey wheel just randomly fell off!? luckily had my chain tool on me to bodge it up as a single speed to get home

It's easily fixable, but the hole thing made me want to try hub gears even more now, either a 3 speed or 8 speed, maybe.

coming soon

What mine. yeah i need to make a couple of plates up to fit it though as the frame isnt drilled. but as soon as ive sorted straps ill go fixed anyway.

Quill stem I think would be nicer.

Actually, I think that ^ works as is.

I'd question the saddle maybe, but that really is down to your bums preferences.

And the chainring, but thats cause I might want one! ;P

I've had this frame from new so its been a fair while, switched to a 100mm Reynolds stem for a longer reach and finally replaced my bent SLR with an unbent SLR XP

So i was just riding along...

The jockey wheel just randomly fell off!? luckily had my chain tool on me to bodge it up as a single speed to get home

It's easily fixable, but the hole thing made me want to try hub gears even more now, either a 3 speed or 8 speed, maybe.

Considering the age of that derailleur, I'd say it doesn't owe you anything at this point. Get a new Deore (or whatever) and BYU.

BYU?

I should be able to just fit another jockey wheel, just secure it with a bit of locktight i guess, Would be a shame to fit another derailleur when i still have all the original shimano 600 brakes and gears on the bike, well i still got my lazy Sugino 36:48t crank set on it but i will eventually put the original crank set back on.

I eventually want to get a new wheel set for it, but i do like the idea of a 3 speed on a road bike, but it would mostly be more experimenting to see if i like.

BYU - Bob's Your Uncle
The hub gears are a nice package and pretty weather resistant (depending on...) but they're also heavy in an imbalanced kind of way along with the extra friction that you may or may not notice. They also cost more than a jockey wheel...

Actually, I think that ^ works as is.

I'd question the saddle maybe, but that really is down to your bums preferences.

And the chainring, but thats cause I might want one! ;P

Agree about chainring might get one of those Velo solo retro ones, the frame is 531c tubing so very light,the saddle I may change if I find a nice retro one in classifieds,but will be ok for now.

I've had this frame from new so its been a fair while, switched to a 100mm Reynolds stem for a longer reach and finally replaced my bent SLR with an unbent SLR XP

NOM!
That looks awesome mate, very niiice.

Agree about chainring might get one of those Velo solo retro ones, the frame is 531c tubing so very light,the saddle I may change if I find a nice retro one in classifieds,but will be ok for now.

Where did you get that ring?
Or did it come with the cranks?

Please help me make a decision...!

I have two fixed gear bikes and need to decide which to take with me as a daily ride when I start a masters course in Norwich soon. They both have advantages and disadvantages but I can't make up my mind which will be best.

Dawes
Really light, well proportioned 531 frame. Is currently in 'polo mode' so will need a bit of part swapping to get it useable, plus it has cracked road dropouts. It will cost about £80 to get them replaced with proper track droputs, which will add to it's value for me personally quite a lot because I will finally have 'real' track bike with backward facing dropouts. However its clearances are very tight meaing I can only fit skinny tyres on it, which could mean less comfort riding every day and possibly more punctures. Having said that it's much lighter than the other bike so will go up hills with far less effort.

Viscount
I recently spent a lot of time and some money on this to get it useable. I thought there would be some use for the above Dawes as a polo bike in Norwich but it seems there is no longer a scene so it's unlikely to get used for that purpose, hence my building up this Viscount as a street bike. It's quite heavy, (bog standard tubing) and the geometry is pretty slack. It does have the advantage of having clearance for nice big tyres so is well comfy over rough roads, but is a pig to get up hills.

So should I spend about another 100 quid (frame repair + a few parts) to get the Dawes running (bearing in my mind I'm a poor student) or stick with the comfy Viscount that's all ready to go?

comfty Viscount.

Whichever takes a rack (for rides to the beach).

They can both take a rack. I have a removable Pletscher rack which clamps onto the fork crowns

... but I will be taking a smart road bike for trips to the beach

Viscount because it's free. You'll get stronger lugging it up hills and can do up the Dawes as and when.

viscount

If it's the viscount you posted in the rat thread a while back - keep it...

Same one, yeah. There's a recent photo near the top of this page (light blue frame). Can't find one of the Dawes at the moment

very pretty
(although I did rather like it in it's rat paint - nice patina).

OK then I've decided, the Viscount wins.

very pretty
(although I did rather like it in it's rat paint - nice patina).

I'm hoping it will generate some more authentic wear over the next few years of general abuse around Norwich. Better than a bad case of rust

^True.
Thin line between patina and rust - I was just thinking this morning that I'll need to buy a can of clearcoat for my slightly unsettling fork crown (The red colour on the photo is not paint, it's a rather lurid shade of rust!)

Unsettled me too, so much so that I bought a replacement set of chrome forks!

That contrast between the rat forks and the shiny headset is the bolloks though