My Dawes of (im)Perfection.

Seize him! Rather than dicking around with parts forever, this man has been riding a lot! gasp

Ha! Still unseized! does victory roll

Just gone past 4300 miles now. Weight down to 12St 10lbs, still falling orf me. Started commuting to work in Holborn on it last month which is good for me cos its 40 mile round trip each day from NW Kent, only managing 2 days a week at the moment mainly due to me being a softy wooss-bag.

The 34 year old Weinmann front brakes finally gave up last week, an alarming amount of 'flex' was causing the blocks to clip the tyre under hard braking. Treated Aldous (the bike) to some Tektro long reach jobbies, yummy stopping power finally.

Weeeeeee, still going strong.

2 Attachments

Don't stop him this man's on fire!! Get outta his way!

:) You knows it!

Bump for a great thread!

Love the build, although those bars are making me a little queasy.

Ta! Yeah, I know what you're getting at....But.... those bars are soooooo comfy for my 'odd' build TBH. I regularly knock out 40 mile round trip commutes from NW Kent to Holborn and back and 60+ mile weekend fun rides on it. I know it looks odd but its so comfy. I've tried the classic chop n flop but it just feels like there's so much weight on my wrists, after about 30 miles I started to feel 'irritable' and by the 40 mile mark I'm in pain! I'm no spring chicken at 49 years old and I'm not used to riding in the aerodynamic head + shoulders down position. I think it'd take a lot of 'undoing'.

The ugly bars and those 'ergo' grips give me a lotta hand positions and in combo with the lard-arse-width bouncy Brooks '67 Sofa-saddle allows me to go for miles n miles in simple fixed oblivion land. I luv it. It's my bestestestest bike ever (so far).

I'm willing to try other bar types and set ups if other more experienced bikey peeps can think of any other options.

The Bike n me are doing the two Tunnels Greenway a few times next week. We're on Hols down near Bath. Whahey!

PS. Weight loss update, down to 12st 7Lbs now. Thats OVER 3st gone in a year, just through discovering and enjoying fixed gear and Yoga when its raining. Result!

Keep the bars if they work for you, but maybe lower the stem angle?

That said, you've done the right thing by going for comfort so you can actually ride the bike. That tends to be quite an alien concept around here is all!

Missed this thread the first time around: glad it got bumped.

This should be compulsory reading for all first-time builders.

Good work on the weight loss and the mileage: CHAPEAU!

Ta Mr Scilly.

Now there's a few more folk reading it I'll update it more often!

I've recently had to replace the steering head bearings, they started feeling 'notchy' in the bars-centred position after only ~4500 miles. I did a bit of webbernet trawling and found a set of sealed tapered bearings marketed under the brand 'M-Part' that'd fit the old-school 1" threaded fork steerers that Aldous has. I tapped out the old open bearing races and fitted the super smooth 'modern' tapered type. You'd never know there's any dufference unless you actually ride the bike but I felt an obligatory picture wouldn't go a-miss!

I also 'fully-prepped' it for winter too....yup, I got a light at each end now! :-)

Now there's a few more folk reading it I'll update it more often!

?

Too busy riding... no time fo' fettlin'...!!!!

OK! You win! update and query time.

You know how my Yorkshire chum and I went out on a 62 miler last weekend. Well, as a thank you for the whistle-stop guided tour of Lundun (!) he took pity on my funny ol' bike and has kindly given me a 'nicer' wheelset he's no longer using. They're Campagnolo Vento G3 so it says on the rim, 622 15C also.


Now then, he said that they were fitted with "an old type 9 speed cassette" which he's removed a while back but that I should be able to convert to SS knowing my preference for FG/SS cycling. I've never owned a bike with a freehub on before so, bearing in mind I'd like to use these wheels this summer, where do I start? I found a website called VeloSolo where they show and sell spacer kits that appear to slide onto the serrated freehub (correct term?) shown here...

Friend Simon explicitly mentioned 'old type 9sp' hub... does this mean its a special size or summat and only certain cogs and spacers will fit?

Educate me (please!).

Good old Simon!

This is a handy reference for Campag freehubs.

I wasn't aware that there were two 9 speed bodies (I went from 8 to 10), but interestingly in the link above they refer to the "original" 9 speed (but list only one).

In the description of the 10 speed freehub, they mention a variation which may explain what your pal is referring to, but go on to state that it didn't affect sprocket fitting.

However, they are obviously referring to Campag sprockets: third party sprockets may not be so forgiving.

You'll need spacers, a sprocket and a lockring. Toolwise you'll need a chainwhip (but only to remove, not install the sprocket) and a Campag lockring tool, to install and remove the lockring.

Charlie The Bikemonger has two kits (one and two) although they're both out of stock. Of the two, I'd recommend the Gusset as the wide bodied sprocket is less likely to "bite" into the freehub and includes a lockring.

If you can't source a kit elsewhere, Charlie has the sprockets and lockrings available separately.

The Velosolo spacers are good quality and allow greater fine tuning of your chainline than two or three large spacers. However, if you scroll down the page to "Token 6061-T6 Lockring for CAMPAGNOLO Cassettes" (which are a suitable alternative to Charlie's), you will see a caveat regarding their spacers and Campag freehubs: you'll need to get your callipers out.

This is an example of the lockring tool: plenty of alternatives out there.

Thats very helpful stuff, thanks veyr much Mr Scilly.

Looking at the page with the Campag Freehubs on it seems I have the one labeled "Original 9 speed Campagnolo freehub." It's got the stepped ridge as shown in that photo at 7'o clock.

I measured the Diameter of it and it comes in at ~34.85mm.

What threw me on the VeloSolo site was the references to Shimano freehubs, are they a different size or summat? Is 35mm a standardized size in the world of freehubs? Also the lockring is missing so yeah, I deffo need one of them too (plus spacers and cog natch).

A 12T lockring is what I need to lock the spacers and cog onto the freehub I take it?

I think I' might even have a lockring tool in a bike maint kit that one of the kids brought me for Christmas (they're good kids!, the other one brought me a bike stand so I don't muller my back working on the actual bikes).

Most welcome!

Yes, you want a 12t lockring: this is the regular size, where as 11t are smaller than usual and won't engage the spacers.

Having read what Velosolo write, I know as much as you do:
"Note: we often get asked if our SS spacers are compatible with Campag hubs - they are not designed for Campag but most riders have used them successfully. Unlike Shimano, Campag have changed freehub OD dimensions over the years, the ID of our spacers is 35mm so please measure your hub with a vernier guage [sic] if unsure."

Because of their ubiquity, whatever Shimano do has become the de facto standard; either way your freehub will accept the Velosolo spacers.

You might be lucky with the tool, but I doubt it: Campag freehubs (and other proprietary parts) are relatively uncommon compared to Shimano, so a generic toolkit will likely only have Shimano compatible tools.

Brill help again, ta.

OK, I've got Spacer kit, 12T Campag lock ring and a 16T cog coming. Will report back when it all lands and I've fitted it all etc etc etc.

Onwards!

boom!

"shake shake da room"? I'm so hippity hoppity you know.

VeloSolo Campag lockring and Spacer kit on the way. Very helpful fella (Max) pointed out the Cog I'd ordered wouldn't be any use on the Freehub I have, top service, very impressed.

'Gusset' brand 16T Campy Cog on the way insteadfrom Wales, wont arrive until next week unfortunately, meh. Would have preferred 15T but there y'go. 42T front and 15T rear seemed ideal for the rides I've been doing.

Late to the thread but good work! Aesthetics aside ;) It's good to see a bike being used.

I have recently recommissioned an old Dawes "hand made in England" Shadow. It's actually a great frame, still solid and straight and really good fun to ride. Steel wheels and all. I don't plan on modifying it much - maybe just ditching the fairly useless simplex gears and make it a SS.

Thanks TRA, its heavy ol' lump but fun to ride. Hope you cover as many enjoyable miles on yours as I have on Aldous.

Whaddya mean "Aesthetics".... its boootiful! :-) Yes it is! Stop sniggering at the back!

All in the eye of the beer-holder aye!

Your new wheels should feel quite a bit more sprightly once you get the cog sorted.

I confess I beholden many many fine Ales and thats probably why I love my bike!

Tempted to fit the new wheelset on my other bike actually which I save for fair weather speedy(ier) rides. Its a much lighter Carerra Subway Zero that I've been a-fettlin' in this thread -> http://www.lfgss.com/conversations/257725/
I need to update that thread too. Since Christmas its got a swanky B17 Special fitted. It looks much more acceptable (possibly) to you young 'uns I bet! points shakey old wrnkled finger at the world and slowly falls over whilst holding onto walking stick

Would have preferred 15T but there y'go.

What's the PCD of the cranks you have?

If you can't get the rear sprocket you want, then swapping out the chainring is the other way to go.

You can get more modest changes in gearing with the chainring, to fine tune the ratio.