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Wow, that's mind-blowing. An extreme case of HTFU overdose?

Still looking. I considered 36h, but decided to stick with the original plan. Non-slotted HF might be OK, as long as we're talking about decent quality cup and cone hubs.

I agree with everybody, great write up and great bike. I've enjoyed following this.

Such a nice frame, get those wheels sorted!!

Thanks, and I try to, I've already got some nice rims. I don't expect I'll do too much riding on this during the winter, so I should have plenty of time to look for the hubs.

Did a test build of a frameset I got recently. I used mostly existing parts for now, so everything doesn't match perfectly.

A track drop would look nice, but I'm not sure how that would ride. The steering is really sensitive, not really surprising I guess, as the head tube angle is very steep, and I also measured a reasonable amount of rake on the fork. I'm meaning to try whether more reach in the cockpit would help to tame the handling a bit.

By the way, I'm looking for a suitable more or less period correct 32h hub set for this, high flange campags or something similar (wanted ad here).

I'm looking for a set of 32h high flange campagnolo record pista hubs (slotted flanges, pre c-record). Other makes would be fine, too, I guess at least Zeus and more that one Japanese brand have used similar styling.

Should be in good condition functionally (bearings, threads, ...), but doesn't have to be perfect cosmetically.

Posting very likely needed, I'm living in Finland.

^ Ha, yeah. When I got scrolling down that post I had to check whether I was in current projects or porn.

Strange that the track model relaxes your HT angle...

Yeah, sorry - as English isn't my native language, I guess it's easy to be misunderstood. I meant that the frame itself doesn't have a very steep HTA, so that combined with the low rake track fork equals high trail.

I don't claim to know what effect that actually has on the handling, but I mentioned it because that's one deviation from what I've understood is considered typical road bike geometry - as I was wondering about the understeering feeling.

Less rake though, and don't they have a shorter axle > crown than the road?

Less rake, don't know about the axle to crown. I've though that the difference is that the track version has a reverse fork end orientation compared to the road version.

Are they the track ones?

Yeah, they are, hence the pretty high trail with a not-so-steep head angle.

Tried on some drop bars, which felt pretty nice after risers. Switching over from another bike with a pretty similar setup (whence I borrowed the drops) I did feel like this may have a bit of tendency to understeer - I've noticed this earlier, too. The frame + forks have a few quirks, namely high BB and high trail.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SnvMgBENY4A/UEbvIt1NCyI/AAAAAAAAAQM/ebTLn2PJM0Y/s1600/dodleg.jpg

My new machine for commuting

I'm liking this quite a bit. I think "machine" is fitting, to me it has a bit of a steampunk / dystopian sci-fi feel to it.

Sorry, that 2100g is for the frame only. Forks another 800+ grams, which I think is pretty typical for a steel fork. As I mentioned, my Columbus Spirit made frame only is in excess of 1800g, and I believe spirit is one of the lightest steel tube sets available.

OK, 1" with deep brake drop and mudguard eyelets, as I'm planning to get full length 'guards. But yeah, they do seem to exist - there's even a high end one from wound up.

I'll have to keep an eye out.

2.1kg is really good for a decent steel frame.

The frame look great if a little odd, look like an audax frame but I never seen modern one with the lamp holder!

The weight is not bad, but I have two lighter similarly sized steel frames to compare to, weighing over 1.9kg and over 1.8kg - though those are columbus life and spirit respectively.

I'd think the frame is intended for audax and lightweight touring, and that's what the previous owner told he's mainly used it for. It has eyelets for mudguards and a rear rack, yet the geometry seems to be pretty sportive. Rear should fit a 28mm tyre with a mudguard.

Donohue was a good builder, a pity about their lack of organization though.

It would be interesting to know more, a few cursory google searches haven't turned up too much info.

The lamp bracket and long fork offset suggest to me that the fork doesn't belong to the frame

Well, the fork paint matches the frame perfectly and I'd guess that the frame finish is original. The photo angle may exaggerate the fork offset a bit. Is a lamp bracket so much of an anachronism that someone custom ordering one in 80s or 90s would be unlikely?

But I suppose it's on the wrong side for right-hand side traffic anyway :)

Yep, switch it out for some carbonz. That'll shed a few grams.

Carbon fork is not a bad call, though 1" would of course limit the options somewhat. Still, I'll be trying out the current fork first.

After a few fixed gear and single speed builds this will be my first geared project, a Paul Donohue, reynolds 631. I intend to build it up with some spare parts first, and may consider some updates & possible repaint if it turns out nice. Being a bit of a closet weight weenie, I had to weight it - not featherlight at over 2,1kg with headset cups included, sized 57 square, but not too bad (and that down tube is quite respectable for a steel frame).

Almost finished with my latest project, so time to start a new one :-) . I'm considering starting a classic racer project, and I'm looking for a suitable frameset for the basis of the build.

What I'm thinking initially is 1950s geared British, but none of these three attributes is strictly fixed. I could happily go with a track frame, but I assume that geared road frames are more available. The frame should be a nice quality one, and sized around 24in/61cm (seat tube c-t).

As this will be my first period build, I'm primarily looking for a frame in reasonably good condition, but the main thing is that the frame is structurally sound, and there are no major dents or modifications.

Buyer in Finland.

Liking those kumos (kumoes?). I find a lot of the high end custom stuff a bit over the top, but I think those are quite tasteful.

I was looking that picture load and though "well that's not so bad... oh.".

Gold. Does it every time.

That green Kalavinka up there could be saved pretty easily, frame is hawtness.

I think that's what makes it particularly terrible. shudders

Can't see if there any pics with this at work but it sounds intruguing dude. I love 70s and 80s Jap Fenders. Mate of mine just bought a late 80s Jap P bass and it's fantastic. The Jap stuff beats the hell out o fthe US CBS stuff from the same era.

Took 'em out for some air, picture attached.

The older ones are both Vantages, made by Matsumoku, and the tele is officially a Fender. I think I've read that Fender has used different subcontractors at different times.

I guess the different Matsumoku brands are a bit less known compared to the likes of Yamaha and Ibanez, but for some reason I've bumped into them - could depend on where you live, active importer at some point or whatever.

Oh and come to think of it, I'm not sure whether the P-bass style pickups are considered humbuckers?

Other friends of Japanese guitars?

Both of my electrics are Japanese, as is my bass. The other one of the guitars and the bass are from the turn of 70's and 80's, double cutaway, double humbucker neck-through models. They look somewhat dated, but play really nicely, and you can kind of feel the handcraft in them. From the few samples I've seen, the pickups are a bit of a weak spot even with higher end models, but update them, and there's a chance of a good instrument at a bargain price.

I got the second guitar new a few years back, a tele, with an apparently single piece ash body (I've tried to look for any seams or bookmatch mirroring, but it just isn't there). Love that one too, and I currently think that tele is the perfect electric, but it's lacking a bit soul compared to the other two. I've been meaning to update it a bit, a bakelite pickguard and bare knuckle pickups, but I've had so little chance to play lately I haven't been able to justify it.

normally i hate chrome, but that works.

There are multiple things potentially "wrong" with that one, but still somehow pulls it off pretty nicely. Maybe the muted lighting / colours in the photo help?

Hi all. I'm from Finland and have been riding mainly fixed gear for about a year now. I've built up a couple of single speed and fixed gear bikes during the last two years, with yet another one in the works. Been lurking here for a while now, finally got around to register.