OSR's First Normal Bike...

Hey all, its been a while since I really posted on here. Due to work commitments and other shennanigans I seem to just pop on infrequently and lurk for a while before vanishing again.

Anyhow it's been aaaages since my last proper project, which was probably the "Batmobile" back at the start of 2011.

So I moved house last weekend and now have a healthy 12 mile commute each way. This is great news and allows me to fit in a decent number of base miles around work which I plan to add to by extending my route home over the summer out into Kent.

I have never really owned a normal bike, pretty much everything I have ever owned has had some strange nuance that has required specialist parts, bodging etc. Any bike I have ever owned that has not had these nuances has been the TT bike or a Lopro.

The time has come to build a normal do-it-all road bike. I want everything as standard as possible, 1/1/8 ahead, British thread, 700c wheels, normal drop caliper brakes etc etc. I know this may sound odd but I've always been in the realm of old steel frames built for 27" wheels, odd Raleigh or French threaded headsets, cold-setting rear triangles to fit 120 or 130 OLN hubs, the list goes on.

I'm pretty much decided on what I am building, so this thread is more of a general interest/progress thread. Not the most exciting project probably but I felt like making a thread just because. I don't want this bike to cost a lot, it's going to get worked hard and bascially get it's head kicked in week on week. Carbon was out. High end groupsets are out. I want a simple, cheap, alloy frame and Shimano kit.

Anyway, lets cut to the chase;

Frame - Dolan Preffisio
Groupset - Shimano 105 (10 speed double)
Bars - TBC
Stem - TBC
Wheels - Shimano RS500's (I have these on the batmobile as winter training wheels)
Saddle - TBC

Groupset ordered from Ribble.

I was going to go with the new Sora groupset - it comes in black (which we all know is faster and makes you more of a ninja), they have done away with the thumb shifter and it now has a proper double paddle thingy-ma-bob, it's £200. The only downsides are that its 9-speed (who actually gives a shit) and that the gear cables are not routed under the bartape (again, who really gives a shit).

Call it bike snobbery, call it a fear of the cheapest groupset on the market, but I just couldn't bring myself to deal with something that is, albeit ever so slightly, not classed as standard (9-speed is old news, 11 is the future but 10 is current standard still as far as I'm concerned). Also I was chatting to Hovis at work and he did raise concerns over the longevity of things such as chainrings etc with the Sora groupset, particularly as this thing is going to be doing a lot of miles and I don't want to treat it with kid gloves.

At the end of the day, an extra £100 for a full 105 groupset in Black is a steal.

At 299 you're right, 105 is a no brainer.

Congrats on the house move. I take it youve more space now ?

as far as longevity goes, Sora will last longer and be cheaper to replace parts when they wear out

but 105 does feel much nicer

Hey Rich, yeah loads more space :-)

Hmmm good point about the sora but it's a bit like buying a Skoda, I still wouldn't do it...

I know the feeling: sometimes I think it would be nice to just walk down to the LBS and walk out with something generic.

But despite all the frustrations, I suppose (like many on here), the tinkering is half the fun. Fingers crossed you'll have the best of both worlds: "standard tinkering"!

Fingers crossed you'll have the best of both worlds: "standard tinkering"!

You want him to tinker with a ladyboy?

Ribble delivers...

Bling bling!

You going for something like this? (but with shimano)

http://www.dolan-bikes.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/1200x/040ec09b1e35df139433887a97daa66f/p/r/preffissio.png

Yup! Was going to ask people opinions on colour choice for the frameset. They do it in red, blue and the black/white you posted above. I kind of want to get either the red or blue just to have a bit of colour for a change but alas black/white looks so much better...

Any thoughts folks?

Black and white. Timeless...

Whichever's cheapest, armourtexed fluro yellow. Obvs.

All the same price Tomtom, and yes rich I agree... It seems boring but I agree...

Just looked them up - positively bargainous frame/fork combo. Black and white least offensive but the blue one doesn't look too bad really.

It is a bloody steal considering it includes headset and seat post!

I kind of liked the blue too, will have a black groupset and silver deep rim wheels tho which may look a bit pish?

Red is always faster, blue is cool and black will always be a classic! your choice! =)

#theheartwantswhattheheartwants

Wise words brother Ho...

I feel i should have bought the silver groupset if I was going with a blue frameset...

It's a bike, not a painting.

#trolling

Black & White, but I'm biased!

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Hmmmm, I probably will end up going black and white, can't go wrong can you really...

Anyway its T-minus 1 day till ordering, it will be getting bought on Tuesday for delivery Wednesday.

Might have to source some black wheels now, meh.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/WPSHOEM501/shimano-r501-c24-clincher-wheelset
I keep meaning to buy myself a pair.

That is cheap-as. I think thats what i already have tho in silver lol!

Sod it, I'll plum for the black and white frame and just bang on the silver wheels I have in the cupboard. I found a set of bars and a stem in the continued shed organisation today so think I'm only missing a saddle and bartape now.

CRC have Zip 303 clinchers for relatively cheap but then I'm getting far too excited for a commuter bike.

I have the equivalent of those wheels on my cross bike and they're still round. Not too bad. But I reckon silver will always work for wheels, on any bike.

I've got some white microtex tape you can have for nothing. BNIB.