Custom Reynolds 853 completely inappropriate London-to-Paris mobile

This bit:

There was one more small problem to overcome before I could return home. I met my wife in Paris, and she had brought with her our eight month old daughter. I was returning to England with them on the Eurostar. After booking my bike into the luggage hold I took my daughter from my wife, placed her in her sling on my chest, where she fell asleep. We then went to board the train, on the way going through passport control. When I had boarded the boat at Calais the French border guard stationed there had laughed at me and told me not to slow down whilst comically waving me through the car lane I had ended up in, so I had not shown my passport, nor crucially had it been scanned. When I got to the UK border force checkpoint at GdN this was a problem, as it seemed I had never entered the country, and I also had a large lump attached to my chest (my daughter) which I didn't want to uncover. After proving that it was a human child under my jacket, I had to prove my bike was on the train, and try to explain why I had ridden the first leg of my journey rather than catching the train with my wife (I couldn't) and why I hadn't shown my passport. This was finally smoothed over and I went through to baggage scan. Unfortunately I had forgotten my new tool purchase in Calais, a Bahco hacksaw! Fortunately the french customs people found the whole thing much more amusing, and I got to keep the hacksaw. I boarded the train, baby still asleep, got into London, left my wife and daughter to ride the final leg of the journey home, and got a puncture. When I find my digital camera I will take some proper photos of the bike, but thats all I have for now.

Absolute gold. Great thread.

obnoxious British half term teenagers in onesies

As an aside, I still can't believe that anyone thinks it is ok to wear these outside of the house...

What saddle is that on the bike?

fizik gobi, i think.

As an aside, I still can't believe that anyone thinks it is ok to wear these outside of the house...

They are actually quite good for this sort of thing, as the hood can be pulled over your eyes to help you sleep.

When I did LDN>ADM 48 a month back I was very jealous of my workmates onesie on the ferry.

Should have a forum building day. Hire out a workshop/warehouse. People bring tubes and entrance fee. Help one another build frames. Then ride to Paris!

This sound very scrapheap challenge.

..a month back I was very jealous of my workmates onesie on the ferry.

it's a look, for sure...

This sound very scrapheap challenge.

If it was really like Scrapheap Challenge, there would be a team of expert frame builders just off camera to make sure that our deathtraps actually worked once we'd stopped pretending to build them.

Bit of a weird question , but are the bars standard or oversize ?
Thanks

The overist of sizes....

Quick update, I have had some problems with the carbon wheels which I thought I should share. On returning to the UK I noticed a strange rattling noise from the wheel, sounding like a nipple in the rim, but they were all in place. I took the tyre off in my workshop and a little chunk of carbon fell off the rim, it had come from by the valve hole.
I know how to fit a tyre and tube, so I know that it wasn't from incorrect fitment. I emailed the seller informing them of the issue, who were to begin with very helpful. However, since we have started discussing how they are going to rectify the situation, they first suggested I glue it back on. I refused point blank and after this all went quite from the eastern front. The company is carbon speed cycles from Ebay.
http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/carbonspeedcycle?ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:GB:1181
I am holding judgement for a little while longer and will just hope they are slow at getting back to me, but I would suggest using one of the other ebay companies recommended in the Orient express thread, one who has honoured their warranty obligations in a timely manner. I will of course keep you updated.

Also, I have some photos of the bike, not great, but won't bother getting really good ones until its painted, in the new year some time.

Although due to the pony rear wheel, instead of being ridden it has become a very expensive wall fixture:

Lovely bike, shame about the rear wheel though. My initial instinct was to think the defect around the valve hole didnt necessarily make the wheel a write off, but having said that, it would always be on the back of the mind I suppose.

How are you going to get it painted? I really like the raw look tbh, espec since your fillet brazes are so neat.

The issue is that raw then laquer is never fully sealed, and the tubes are 0.3mm thick in the middle, so its not something I really want to risk. My new workshop will have a spray booth in, so if thats ready in time I will do it there, if not its off to my mates body shop...

... I took the tyre off in my workshop and a little chunk of carbon fell off the rim, it had come from by the valve hole. ...

I saw some little protection patches the other day somewhere that are designed exactly for this.

(actually they may be designed to protect the tub in case of rough carbon)

OK so it's not actually designed for either, but it might be a good way of protecting any issues with the other wheel:

BDop Valvinator

Are you tired of the knock, knock, knocking your valve stem makes on your carbon rims? We know we are! Deal with it already!
Enter the BDop VALVINATOR!
The BDop Valvinator is made from a tough PU vinyl and adheres securely to your rim holding your valve stems firmly in place; No more knocking for you.
Have you ever stopped to fix a flat only to discover that the culprit was the valve hole on the rim itself!?!
Sometimes the edges of the hole can be sharp or even if they aren't sharp they can wear away at the valve stem over time due of the stresses applied to the valve stem from pumping up your tires.
Enter the BDop VALVINATOR!
The BDop Valvinator sticks securely inside your rim and covers over any sharp edges that may be there from when the valve hole was drilled.

Here is a thread for the mentioned forum ride from London to Paris:
http://www.lfgss.com/thread99034.html
See you there.