The Merckx Full Circle Project

http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/5550/bikeme.jpg

Yo dawg, heard you like arrows...

ah ha ha ha funny, his arrows have got arrows on

Yep, i arrowed the shit out of the little arrowy bastards.

Update:

I am certainly making things hard for myself. But I've spent a lifetime doing things the daft way, so why change now?

Many hours searching for wheels and hubs and more hubs and then some wheels has led me down a path I wasn't expecting. And it pretty much means I won't be building this 100% period correct. Hell, it's a fixed gear on a road frame, so maybe that was stupid ambition in the first place.

Pretty much every set of Campag hubs I found recently were stupidly expensive. One or two weren't. I missed out on one set because I was in stupid American ebay or something and tried to bid in pounds, but needed to bid in dollars.

Perhaps it was meant to be.

I looked for wheelsets already built up on Campag Record hubs. Pretty much every pair I found that were suitable, were on tubs, and I don't want tubs.

So I found myself calling a wheelbuilder.

At first I was asking for a quote if I supplied the campag record hubs, and maybe even the rims. But the little voice in my head was reminding me that I can't let idealism compromise affordability.

So when the wheelbuilder suggested some hubs he just happens to have in his workshop, I find myself acquiescing. I'm trying to stop. Trying to find a reason to stay 'pure' and true to the original era-specific concept. But I can't. It's a good idea. On budget. With a really nice set of hubs.

Oh, and built by Pete Matthews.

So now I've opened myself up to a different angle on the hubs and wheels, I can open up the whole project. I will still source some 'correct' parts, but it's not as important to do this now.

I've got a Campag Chorus aero seatpost.

A pair of Merckx bar plugs.

And a set of Cinelli Campione Del Mondo bars on the way.

As for other bits, I think I'll be sticking with Campag Record for the front brake and crankset. But some more ebaying is necessary for those though.

I'll post some pics when stuff starts arriving.

Wait your running this as a conversion??

No no no no no no no

^this. Nonononononono.

Look at it fgs!

Shame on you.

Sorry.

Not chopping anything off it. Just running a fixed gear. I have no need for that beast above. As nice as it is.

Why didn't you just buy a fixed specific frame then?! Could have easily got something fit for purpose with the money you probabally spent on it.

Don't wanna sound like a dick, but why did you buy a road frame then if you have no intention of running gears? Makey no sensey. Should'a got a Merckx Pista yo!

Too eager? Too green? Too much in love with the Merckx frames?

Done it now. Maybe I would do it differently next time. But no regrets. It's a bike I'm gonna love having, so not too fussed.

There's no puppy killing going on here. Nothing wrong with a tasteful conversion, and it'll be better suited to the road than a Merckx track frame.

Missed chance :/

Missed chance :/

Not for me.

This makes me so angry - if I EVER see this on the street I will throw a NOS 92 Campy record derailleur at you!

Joke BTW, I'm keeping it.

There's no puppy killing going on here. Nothing wrong with a tasteful conversion, and it'll be better suited to the road than a Merckx track frame.

Puppy killing no, missed chance at having a beautiful bike, yes.

Not sure I agree either. Geo may be more friendly, yes, but having a low BB when riding fixed doesn't appeal to me. The high BB of a track frame makes riding fixed on the street 'safer', no? Safer as in not much chance of pedal strike.

Joke BTW, I'm keeping it.

Just throw a snide look instead ;)

Puppy killing no, missed chance at having a beautiful bike, yes.

Not sure I agree either. Geo may be more friendly, yes, but having a low BB when riding fixed doesn't appeal to me. The high BB of a track frame makes riding fixed on the street 'safer', no? Safer as in not much chance of pedal strike.

if this turns out to be not a beautiful bike, I'll ride it backwards all the way to your house and give it to you.

(PS - I can see the logic in high BB and other comments of course)

Puppy killing no, missed chance at having a beautiful bike, yes.

Not sure I agree either. Geo may be more friendly, yes, but having a low BB when riding fixed doesn't appeal to me. The high BB of a track frame makes riding fixed on the street 'safer', no? Safer as in not much chance of pedal strike.

It helps, but then it's normal to run shorter cranks fixed anyway, which mitigates it a bit. Pedal choice makes a big difference - wide BMX pedals (with fat straps, as commonly favoured for tarck/fixie bikes) will ground way sooner than most clipless setups. Basically, running a road frame fixed is really not a problem. If it was between road-height BB and toe overlap, for city riding, I'd take the low BB.

I just don't understand the outrage before anyone's even seen the build. If it ends up with green tyres, a spok and gold ano track bars, get hatin'.

jesus what a shame wtf

So my bars got posted today. Literally.

I don't know if my postie is a cyclist, a genius or a sadist. But I've never seen this before.

Sherlock and me say no, no those bars can't possibly fit through there.

The postman, well obviously he had other ideas.

And my bars at some point will have been like this

Im just glad they aren't damaged and that Sherlock wasn't in the house when the postie tried to post them through.

That would have surely been total chaos.

^Bloody hell.

Props for the build fella, if you aren't chopping it up then I really don't see the harm.
There are people out there turning rare old hubs into fucking coffee tampers, for god's sake.
Go and brighten up the streets with that beautiful frame.

Cheers Mr B, can't wait to do just that.

here's mine, if got the same but size 62.
at the moment shimano 105, soon Dura ace.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94222745@N07/8575178227/

Looks like you got a garage full Bramv!