Sabre 853 Pain in the Arse

To cut a long story short, got hit by a people carrier, bike fucked, sold my Mielec lo-pro because my back told me so, thought I'd like a steel beater but nice parts (scratched up and knackered but nice) for uni considering I'm coming to Landan and don't fancy it being a neon 'steal me' sign, here's the new bike. Didn't exactly come easy, here's the story.

Got to the jumble in Manc on Sunday, and snapped up a rather lush looking track bike, old, but looked nice. This one to be precise. However, after taking it home and checking frame alignment, turns out the rear triangle was out of whack..... and the 'custom seatube' cutout was actually bashed in.

Promptly stuck the wheels from it on t'Bay to buy a new frame (they were tubs anyway with a weird spoke count so not really useful to be honest). After a bit of crying, I got round to checking with a framebuilder mate to see if it was salvageable.

After a bit of bending and telling me the dent was 'completely fine and you'll be fine to ride it'. I've finally got a working frame! Built up now with some bits lying around at the moment, but I've got plans for it.

Planning on getting some knackered looking Sugino 75's and lacing up some wheels with DA hubs (Again, knackered looking) with soldered spokes. Basically, looks scratched to fuck but rides lovely, that's the plan.

When it's in London it's going to be the everything bike, beater bike, long distance ride, general workhorse. So, the plan is to get it ready by ragging the fuck. I'll be updating with progress of shiny yet slightly scratched parts. If you've got anything, g'is a shout.

Also, apparently used to belong to a track racer called 'Roger Smith', won some races on it apparently, if anyone knows anything about him, that'd be groovy. Also, why the fuck didn't he tell the people at the jumble selling the bike on his behalf it was out of alignment? Arse.

This just screams sensible long distance fixed bike.
I'd go with deda compacts w fizik soft touch bar tape + brakelevers and black hoods.
Thomson inline with Fizik arium for ya bum. Black Hubs on grey ano open pros. DA 7710 chain set.

Buy a shitbike for pub rounds and let the 853 go on excursions!

Also ditch the douchebag cross and turn your cap around for god sake!

Don't bother getting 75s. You've all ready got old fashioned square taper cranks. Why buy more? 7710s as Thrust said.

I'd go with deda compacts w fizik soft touch bar tape + brakelevers and black hoods.

+1 for compacts and hoods, but -1 for getting another bike unless you really have to.
This one should cover all bases and it won't get nicked if you keep it indoors / buy a massive lock.

Landan's flat innit? Just get a granny bike for a tenner.

Also ditch the douchebag cross and turn your cap around for god sake!

+1 for the mirror spot!

Fair enough, sound like some good sensible options.

The core thing is, I'll only have one bike whilst at uni in London, so I kinda need it to do everything. The reason I'm doing it now is to get used to it so I'm pretty much happy riding the bugger every day, and I was going to go for some loose bearing hubs as I'd be able to service them really cheaply whilst in uni, basically, cheap maintenance but smooth running.

And it's a bandana, not a cap. I wear my caps exclusively sideways.

Oh, forgot to mention, the 853 will be going on ALL the excursions! Whilst it's in London, and this year it's going to be my bike for long distance to, so it'll be doing the Dun-Run and t'other long forum rides as well as everyday work.

Are new sealed bearings that much more than degreaser and good quality grease?

Also expensive hubs for something that gets ridden in all weather and might get its wheels nicked/kicked in/etc. seems like a false economy. Same with the changing the cranks. You're much better off putting that money towards a lock and then some nicer weekend wheels down the line if you want to use it for longer rides.

Fair enough, it's got a Surley Ultra New hub on the rear at the moment, it's been rather good to me to be honest and a Miche Primato on the front, anyone know if they're easy enough to find?

Hmmmm, just had a goosey and apparently,

Surly = 6901 Bearings
Miche = 6001 Bearings

Both pretty cheap so I'll most likely stick with the hubs on it at the moment. Front rim needs replacing, braking surface is looking grim after 3 years, the question is whether to try and go for all silver parts and stick a silver rim on F+R or just stick with a black/silver mix......

So, found a threaded headset at work, takes cartridge bearings (45x45) so really easy to find and should last, thus, lush!

Got some Fizik Soft Touch on the way to put on some Criteriums we had lying around at work, just debating whether to put them on and find a cinelli stem, or keep the steel bars I've got on at the mo with the 100mm stem.

Just thrown some shitty bar tape we'd got at work for the moment.

All that needs doing now is finding a steel seatpost and possibly a less-painful saddle, this one is starting to get on my tits a little. Also, getting a bit annoyed with the allen key nuts on the rear hub, very tempted to build a new rear wheel with a proper axle.

Very nice young man - see you tomorrow night?

Wednesday Ride!
Wednesday Ride!
Wednesday Ride!
Wednesday Ride!
Wednesday Ride!
Wednesday Ride!

Forks are a big improvement, maybe strip them raw or rattlecan them black?

Fuck piss shit, turns out I won't be on the Wednesday ride because apparently I've got a costume meeting.....

Anyhow, forks are being stripped as we speak!

Also, anyone got a cinelli stem 26.4 clamp, 110mm ish knocking around?

Haven't had a chance to update due to being stupidly busy but here's the build as it stands.

Stripped the forks (They've rusted though despite the bloody lacquer) and fitted some nice bars and tape to it.

Just need to find a silver seatpost and a comfier saddle, re rim to Open Pros (Got them in the attic) and solder the spokes.

Are you still after the Cinelli stem or is that what you've got on there now? (Looks longer than 110?) I'll have a 1A 26.4/110 going spare once I've received my new bars in a week or so.

Got a 120mm cinelli stem on it yeah, pretty happy with the length so not looking at the moment, cheers though man!