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Thanks, though there’s countless talented folks gracing the pages of this forum making things far more interesting than smooth fillets

Bridge and braze on prep

Brazing done

Just the final clean up to do. I’m generally motivated early mornings so hoping to get it finished tomorrow before work. Stay tuned

Had another productive weekend on Suzies bike. Good vibes in the workshop, a full house, everyone hungover but cracking on with projects.

First up: filing the ST/TT/SS area and BB cluster

Getting stuck in with abrasive machines, leaving a mad surface texture but a good overall shape

Just realized I forgot to take ‘after’ pics...shiny smooth fillets incoming

Next brazing the dropout/stay junctions...filling them up then adding a bit of extra material to problem zones to make sure I can shape them up the way I want.

While they’re cooling off and soaking I prepared the stainless dropout faces. Only got drive side ones left so had to reshape one for the NDS

Clean up in progress

Done

Thanks.

Erm yeah, don’t see any other way tbh...tack in the jig, check alignment, braze. Jig is absolutely necessary for making sure everything is where it’s supposed to be but can’t imagine laying down the fillets in the jig so has to be done after.

I had such a warm satisfied feeling rolling out of the workshop yesterday

Aye a true labor of love!

Yep sticking true to the original with rim brakes. She has a trek hybrid with discs she rides if the weather is bad. This should be getting built with DA brakes won’t be short of stopping power

Headtube cleaned up and reamed

#straightfromthetorch

Glad you guys approve! these personal projects really do rekindle the love for the craft, I should take more time to build bikes for myself and loved ones

More progress today

Final prep before brazing

All clean and ready to rock!

Tacked

Was full speed framebuilding, got all the above done today

Tubes punched for blow and boss drillings

Rear triangle

Mapping seatstays

Fit-up

Internal routing for rear brake

Front triangle fit-up

Cutting HT to length

Mapping out the rear triangle, clearances and dimpling accordingly

Work! Removing mudguard/rack mounts, reshaping and prepping dropouts

Cracking on...

Tubeset - all Columbus, what I had to hand but a top shelf tubeset nonetheless

• 36mm headtube for 1 1/8 external headset
  
• 35mm Life Downtube
  
• 28.6/29.8 externally butted Life Seattube
  
• 31.8>28.6 taper HSS Toptube (28.6 end formed to 31x26mm oval)
  
• Short taper Zona Chainstays
  
• Long taper 17mm Seatstays
  
• 39mm BB shell
  
• In house dropouts
  
  

The new build will be a homage to the original. Exact same contact points with slightly more relaxed steering geometry. Still a proper road bike, simple, no guards.

I’ve spoken with the painter here in Berlin and we’ll base the new paint on the old too, I just want it to be a rich metallic purple with silver graphics but beyond that he’s got artistic license to do whatever.

I’m going on holiday in 3 weeks and at least the metalwork need to be done before then so should be quite a quick turnaround.

Stay tuned, pics incoming

This story starts 22 years ago with my Auntie getting a custom made bike from Paul Hewitt. She’s a life long cyclist and triathlete and still going hard....last year for to celebrate her 59th birthday we rode 400km around the borders in one hit!

She loves the Hewitt bike but finds the handling a bit too nervous...it’s a race bike, enjoyable and great most of the time but she said when she’s deep in a ride, tired and descending around the Lakes, where she lives, it demands a bit too much concentration. Because of this and because she didn’t want to keep putting so many miles on such a well ridden bike that she wants to keep she bought a new bike, saving the Hewitt for Sunday best.

The new bike, a carbon Dolan....she hates. In her words “it’s a lemon.” She’s been back to Hewitt to get him to try to match the fit to her old bike but simply doesn’t get on with it.

While I was working at Shand she talking about putting an order in for a Skinny Malinky but we didn’t get around to it.

Me and her riding Arran:

I’ve decided to surprise her with a new bike for upcoming 60th birthday. I have to, I’m a framebuilder and she’s been a big inspiration to me and my cycling and I can’t stand her riding so much on a bike that doesn’t inspire her.

I got in touch with Paul Hewitt to see if by any chance he had the original geometry...he knew exactly who and the bike I was talking about and had kept the original order sheets, geo, contact points...everything I need.

So stoked to get these through!

Looking good! Different forks?

All clean and ready to tack

Without mega stress and ridiculous after hours this was never gonna he ready for race day...yesterday...so I spent a bit more time on details rather than just hammering in together

Wasn’t happy with the seatstay/dropout junction form in fit m-up so added some more material to the dropout to be able to find a nice shape

Before:

After:

Let’s see it....

Looks sweet!