Neil Orrell s/s Christmas project

So my Gf has sstarted commuting to work for the first time and bloody loves it, even on her clapped out 2014 Carrera shithead MTB/hybrid thing.

I thought for Christmas I would get her a beaut and make cycling a real pleasure!

after some sneeky measurements and indirect questions ("what is your favourite colour".... "do you like those handle bars"etc ) i settled on this beautiful 50cm square Neil Orrell from Bike Radar (as spotted by @MCamb )

Going all chrome components (from the parts box), brown saddle and bar tape, should come out a nice we light weight SS that can transform into an 8speed demon if the cycling really takes.

Hoping to finish it up on Friday.

suppose wrapping it is the big Question really

Its... so beautiful

She is gun b chuufffed

Bet she says "who's Neil?"
BET.

What if she doesn't?

Then the nobody that bet against me, wins. So basically I still win.

suppose wrapping it is the big Question really

totally doable

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challenge excepted!

Progress today.

So need to adjust the saddle and bar angles. Got to fit the chain and do the bar tape (brown fizik).

Wheeels are from @Vince and brakes are from @Batt . Had to drill the fork and mount for the modern breaks... wasn’t even nervous...

Had a 105 chainset about with a 52 so out a 20 freewheel on to give 2.68gi. Hopefully that will be ok for her to kick round town.

More pictures:

Looking good

Finished... now to wrap it

Sexy!

Looks gorg. Dammit if someone got me a such a cool bike for Christmas I’d be so stoked!

Very nice, rear wheel needs to sit further back in dropout though. Chain a bit slack. Blue and brown a great combo.

So...who's Neil?

3yrs late to this, lovely build.

^ Neil is a local legend up here.

Bit nervous to ask, did she like it?

Better later than never. I can now sleep peacefully at night.

She did, though has had a bit of a re-jig to make a more comfortable riding position now

Excuse the non-drive side picture, couldn’t be bothered getting it down from the wall.

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question is... why is it on the wall showing its nds? :D

Haha, some people just like to watch the world burn... my misses being one of them. The accidental valve alignment made me laugh though, can’t be all bad