mustard's projects...

Bare with me, another text heavy pic light post...

A coupe of conclusions I've drawn from running the Cotic for the last month or so:

• as much as I'll always think of myself as a mountain biker, I just don't ride much off road at the moment so, while I want some off road capability, this needs more of an on-road bias.
  
• I think I want rim brakes, although that feels like a bit of a retro grouch move. Discs are great but, with lots of commuting an riding around town, they squeal like crazy every time it's damp. The Spires have been a bit better since I cleaned the pads and rotors when I fitted the Ultegra and the BB7s I had on the GT rat commuter weren't so bad so I'm totally swaying back and forth on this one but leaning towards cantis.
  
  

What I've definitely decided on is a Waltly Ti frame with a cx fork and geometry pretty much based on my Synapse but with clearance for bigger tyres. I think I'll have to slacken(?) the headtube a touch to maintain the trail with a 45mm rake fork. I've been playing around in BikeCad today but, the free version at least, isn't much help in this regard.

I also want to keep the chain stays as short as I can while ideally still being able to put a double chainset on. Hopefully this can be managed with chain stay plate as is used on some mtbs, but we'll have to see. I'm not totally opposed to 1x.

Maybe give it a rattle can paint job to, hopefully make it look at bit less desirable to the theiving little scrotes.

I've been spending too long thinking through this rather than just emailing Waltly but I think I'm getting there. I've dismantled the Cotic (for sale here) and I'm back on my Synapse until this is nailed down. It's definitely confirmed for me that the Cotic had too much of an offroad bias and I'm happier on a road bike.

Where I'm at:

• canti brakes
  
• geometry close to that of the Synapse
  
• clearance for the biggest tyres I can (space for the 45mm Velo Orange guards I already have at least) while keeping the stays as short as possible.
  
  

What I haven't figured yet and want to nail down before I start the conversation with Waltly:

• what fork to use
  
• what headtube
  
• what bb standard
  
• how low to take the trail
  
• whether to commit to 1x or not
  
  

So basically a TI caadx type bike? Sounds like a plan

Something that resembles a bit more progress -

Pretty much decided on the Kinesis CX canti fork, so that means I need either a tapered or 44mm headtube. I'll have to used something like these for the dropout mudguard mount but I'll maybe slot and epoxy them to the dropouts for a cleaner more permanent solution

I really need to decide on that headtube so I know what headset and can finalise the HT length.

Without some proper software I can't really nail down CS/SS space and therefore max tyre size but hoping for around a 50mm without guards and I'll space the guards in to make them nice and neat with the 35ish tyre I'll probably use the majority of the time - i don't know if they'll be willing to do a CS plate but if not I'll take shorter stays over bigger tyres. 420mm stays is a guess, I'd rather shorter but won't go longer.

TT length will come out in the wash but should be just a little longer than my Synapse as I've lengthened the reach 6mm and steepened HTA a degree.

Angle between HT and TT I don't really know either, I think I want something just off horizontal, to give a tiny drop to the ST and giving about 840mm of standover on a 40mm tyre.

Thoughts/criticism/ advice welcome!

Changed the title (again) as this is coming into our lives...

Entirely my fiance's doing, which is awesome! - should make for a fun wee project. She wanted it as a wedding prop, but is coming round to the idea of actually using it a bit. Initially it'll just be a case of making it look decent and function safely. Longer term who knows where it will go.

I've spent most of today thinking of all the parts I've sold off that would be great for this. Main jobs are saddles, drivetrain and brakes. I've kept the 10 speed XT off my mtb, so hopefully I can make use of that if I can find some suitable cranks.

I'll update with better pictures once we've picked it up and I've had a chance to give it a once over.

I think I've got my final geometry for the Ti project
The idea is to keep the trail around the same as my Synapse and the chainstays as short as possible. I've all I can with rattlecad, I'll have to leave it to the builder to figure out CS plates/dimples/whatever (this drawing is with a 45mm tyre). If they won't/can't do that I'll take smaller tyre clearance rather than let the stays get any longer.

Other details:
-44mm headtube
-external cable routing (gears HT-DT, brake underside of TT)
-3 bottle cages
-minimum clearance for 50/34 double

Tandem envy, again. One day I'll buy one!

I'm, unexpectedly, super excited about it - no idea what it's going to be like as the seller deleted the eBay ad before I'd had a look so all I've seen is that grainy pic. Hopefully picking it up tonight!

The tandem has been collected. Found a wee hiding place for it on our way home.

Generally happy with it, it's much lighter than I was expecting and it all works fine (once I routed the chain through the rear mech properly). Definitely needs new brake calipers but a quick measure suggests standard long drops should work fine. Otherwise I've been instructed that 'wedding ready' is all it needs to be and not to go OTT, we'll see...

A frame has been ordered - after changing my mind at east fifteen times - I've decided not to get a custom frame just yet. A lot of arguing with myself left me at the decision that anything off the peg was a compromise but several small ones won over having one or two big ones (and the price is very attractive for someone getting married in a couple of months).

I've been collecting the few bits I didn't already have over the last few months while trying to choose a frame to put them on. The primary one being brakes and since I couldn't find any Revox I went for these for now

I still need to order some new carriers/pads for them.

Treated myself to a new frame pump too and I've a set of VO metal fenders to go on, although they might get borrowed by the tandem for matrimonial duties. I should hopefully have everything else to hand in the parts bin, so long as I haven't sold off anything vital, and I think I spied a more aesthetically pleasing crankset than I have at the bottom of the 'not knackered enough to scrap' box in the shop - I'll have a better dig when I've some time to spare.

Longer term all the parts will get anodising stripped and/or a gun black coating to bring it all together but the priority will be to get it up and running and the fit dialed as soon as possible.

Progress has been made on both fronts at a rate that isn't really drawn out enough to make for an interesting CP but I'll keep updating as it's noce to have a record and I'm already considering some more long term changes.

First the tandem. This is it after I got it home (and removed the horrible foam grips):

both BBs were utterly shagged, the headset isn't great and in general it's as twitchy as a very twitchy thing - I presume it originally had drops in that short stem. The brakes are just there for decoration rather than actually stopping anything.

First thing to deal with was braking. Completely forgetting I was about to replace the Synapse so I could have used the calipers off it, I grabbed a pair of Shimano long drop calipers that were in the shop and ordered a Jtek replacement pivot bolt. Fitted the front caliper to the rear and swapped the pivot bolt in the rear caliper with teh Jtek so they couls both be nut fitted, rather than drilling out the frame and fork for barrel nuts. Really easy and cheap solution for fitting modern calipers to older frames.

I had wanted to fit drops but they weren't approved by the wedding committee on aesthetic grounds, so I kept the bars it came with and fitted a 110mm stem to stretch the cockpit and damp the steering a bit.

Since I don't want to buy any parts I don't really need, I've stuck with the original V-brake levers that were on there. They're not optimal but work fine.

While I was ordering the Jtek bolt from SJS I got one of their shimano compatible rear gear hanger brackets - a brilliantly simple piece for fitting a modern rear mech to frames with forward facing drop out and no hanger.

Which meant I could use the 10 speed XT rear mech, shifter and cassette I had off my, now sold, mtb. The only isue I had was the 11t cog caught on the end of the chainstay until I changed the bolt that came with the hanger bracket for one with a smaller head, allowing the qr to sit a little farther back. I still had to block out the bottom two cogs as the chain would get jammed otherwise but this bike is for chilled out riding so we won't miss them.

The current, Current Project. My Twenty that's been creeping along for the last - shit just checked and it's been - 9 months. so a quick update.

It started out as a pretty good restoration job my wife had done a few years ago but hadn't been using.

The first thing was to put new tyres on after the bead and carcass had a disagreement on the way to work one morning. I also changed the seatpost to a cheap eBay extra long post so I could change the saddle for something sportier than the Brooks B52 the was on there previously.
Maxxis Torch looked to be the most supple 451 tyres I could find at a reasonable price.

A chopped down steel flat bar, stem, bars and levers from my parts box and the front rack I bought for the tandem got me to here.

I stripped off all the shifting bits for the SA three speed and ran about singlespeed for a while before I rebuilt my Kepler. Which brings us pretty much up to date(ish). Now I've stripped (and hopefully sold) the Kepler again so I need something for commuting that has mudguards.

Great! Whats the rack?

So, to bring a couple of the previous projects on here up to date:

Tandem of Dreams
Finished it with 10 speed XT, Spa cycles cranks and new long drop calipers. We didn't manage to use it at the wedding, there was just too much running around the night before and it was an easy thing to drop. Space is at a premium so I sold it on, rebuilt with the original parts, it was running much more smoothly than when we got it.

Waltly/Do it all project
I was all set to contact Waltly when I took a second look at the geometry of a couple of frames I had previously discounted. I realised that the 58cm rim brake version of the Brother Kepler was much closer to what I had drawn than on first look. Managed to get hold of a Flash, built it up with the parts from my Synapse. Loved it, had a blast but I have a child en route imminently and need to make space. That leaves me with a carbon road bike which is massively inappropriate for my commute, hence the Twenty project getting back on track.

Weirdly, I don't seem to have a single photo of it built up.

found it eventually, I was having a total mental block about where I got it.

https://www.velovitality.co.uk/collections/countryspeed/products/metro-porteur-steel-front-rack-black

Back to the Twenty.

Time for the bottom bracket surgery

I couldn't shift the cups so started trimming the shell with them still in to give me more purchase.
Success! Took the kickstand off too, I don't want to hack off the mounting or the chainguard supports until I have cranks fitted. Ideally I want to refit them if I can get away with it.
Trimmed the shell roughly with a hacksaw then tried chasing the threads to BSA so I could thread in the facing tool but I pushed the tap a turn too far and tore out the threads completely. Contemplated taking it out to ITA but it's too much hassle so I'll get a threadless BB.

Managed to face it down to about 69mm and pretty square so hopefully that'll be close enough.

Now it's looking like this:

It's the back wheel next:

I've found some old school 451 BMX rims which are silver and only ~£20 but they're 36 spoke. I have a 32 spoke Open Pro on System Ex flip/flop and after digging around eBay for a cheap 36 spoke track hub I decided the cheaper option is to use my hub and find a 32 hole rim. I got a great deal on a Halo EX3, unfortunately the shop only had one so it looks like I'll probably go for the £20 rim on the front and embrace odd rims, I've got an old 36 spoke front hub in the cupboard.

At this point I have to fess up to being really stupid.

I know that you can't take the spoke out with the cog still on and that you can't get the cog off a hub once it's no longer in a wheel but i convinced myself that they would all clear. So now I need to rebuild my wheel to take the cog off. Then I can get the hub and rim measured up and order spokes.

That sucks man I hope the project goes smoother as you finish it up! The twenty is looking badass with that cockpit and front rack.

Just rebuild like half of one side. All you need is enough spikes to tie the hub and rim together so you can wrench on it.

I have made this mistake too!

Yep, that's worked now, still needed a great big bolted down vice and an extra body to shift the bloody thing!

At least now I can get them measured up and order some spokes.

Had an assistant for (early) Sunday morning wheel building session.

(I dunno why Flickr stretched this photo)

So both wheels are done, I think the rear looks particularly good (apart from all the etched logos), thanks @mdcc_tester

They both built up ok, other than a few sleep deprivation induced lacing errors and the silver rim has a horrible flat spot at the join.

Now I'm just trying to figure out the cheapest way to sort out the chainline I think I'll probably attack the back of the cranks, there is plenty of meat there so what is the worst that can happen... maybe I'll trawl eBay for some cheap cranks first, as usual, wishing I hadn't sold my old ones.

Grabbed a couple of brief spare moments in the last few weeks to get this finished off, almost in time for starting back to work.

Trimmed the difference in stack between the old and new headsets off the head tube so the original lockring can be used to preload the aheadset.

I found my old crank I thought I'd chucked which I think is the single ring version of the Spa cranks, or the one they are based on, so I took a punt on a 110mm threadless BB.

Seems to give an ok chain line with the ring on the back of the spider and wee a spacer behind the cog. Sorry about the awful pic but tried my best...