JF Wilson Roadbike Project

Hi all,

I recently picked up a JF Wilson roadbike from the classifieds here which I originally intended to use a turbo bike (stripping off the better components for winter training gear). Unfortunately the bike wasn't in a rideable state so i decided to give it a new lease of life instead.

Here's how it was when it was purchased:

So the knackered components list is as follows:

• Crankset
  
• Headset
  
• BB (still stuck in the frame)
  
• all cables
  
  

The bikes currently being stripped of all paint; this should be completed tomorrow. The next stem will be to lacquer the frame and start rebuilding it up slowly over winter. I've no idea what it will become; either a rainy day bike or more likely a decent everyday bike (meaning my Giant TCR can actually be used just for dryer days in the saddle).

So the next steps are:

• Buy new 1" headset (something cheap and low pro - need that stem as low as possible)
  
• Buy 1" full carbon fork
  

• Buy new cableset

• Re-lacquer frame/re-spray

• Re-build

Any advice on forks and headsets would be greatly appreciated!

Tange do good budget headsets, or if want something better then Campag Record are sometimes good value online (Ribble had them for £36 a while ago, which is cheap for what you get).

Stronglight A9 headset?

I have got some generic 1" carbon forks with mudguard eyelets, not sure if 204mm steer would be enough for this though.
Generic 1" headsets off ebay can have a fairly low stack

I have got some generic 1" carbon forks with mudguard eyelets, not sure if 204mm steer would be enough for this though.
Generic 1" headsets off ebay can have a fairly low stack

Nearly finished sanding the frame now, so considering new parts. I think I'll stick with the current forks until the rest is complete as this wont change any other parts required.

Once sanded down I will want to remove all brazed on, un-needed metal work. Looking at a number of different groupsets that will fit it nicely.

Picture from a few days back:

It's almost stripped now, so will remove brazing and start picking up parts

Excited to see what my old Wilson will look like!

Few more pictures of the frame. Will leave it now until I book it in for a powder coating:




(still stuck, but working on it)

Massive PITA to strip paint from this frame, many layers of nitromours and still it refuses to budge. Lots of sandpaper and elbow grease, so it's nearly where I want it to be. Definitely with shotblast my next frame

i do hope the new paintjob is something special
are you sending it to jf wilson for the respray ?

get one of their most garish ones !

Not sure yet. The frame is in excellent condition, so tempted to have it setup exactly how I want it; removing braze ons etc. If JF Wilson will do this and do a decent respray/powder coat i'll send it to them

Guess an apology is due. I put that BB in there. Pretty sure we put plenty of pink grease on it though.

It's alright, I'll let someone else remove it whilst the bikes in a vice!

Do you have any more details on the frame? I've emailed JF wilson for a quote for full restoration

You'd be better off asking Dan, he made the purchase. I just "helped" to build it, as I was the only person in the vicinty who had a big spanner and a BB tool.

Superbly quick reply;

Hi Adam, one colour is £150

Brazing work and removals approx £50

Decals fitted if required from £25 a set

3 weeks turnaround, any saturday best day to bring in

Not bad, but the respray is expensive - may get this done elsewhere

So I just need to look at the cable routing I want done and which sort of brazings I'd be after. I personally don't use mudguards and any other attachments so will get these removed. Is there any point trying to be creative with gear and brake cable routing? As far as I understand how it's done externally now is the best way

Why do you want to alter the braze-on's at all?

If you're never going to use the rack I can sort of understand why you don't want those braze-ons. But I would 100% keep the mudgaurd ones. It's such a useful thing to have and they are barely noticeable. You also said you were thinking about using this for a rainy day bike.... mudguards seem like a sensible option.

As for the brake routing if you mean "creative" in the aethetic sense, then probably not. It looks like most sensible routing for modern caliper brakes. If you want a fully enclosed system for weather proofing, maybe.

The respray seems like good value to me. Saving some money by powder coating when you're changing braze-ons and spent time and money stripping doesn't really make sense imo.

keep +1

What was wrong with the paint in the first place?

keep original paint +1

.............. oh

Paint was in poor condition all round; lots of scratches and most of it missing near chainstays. I want to remove the down tube shifter mounts and possibly braze ons on head tube (depending on how they advise cabling should be run).

Will get the frame powdercoated, seems like the going rate is around £40-50 which isn't much of an outlay

Fair enough. I don't see the reason for removing the braze-ons or shifter mounts though, they're not in the way and you'll feel like a right plumb if you ever decided you wanted to use them again.

Trust me, been there, done that, puppy killing guilt still.

I don't get it, are you getting track ends put on?