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This guy can make your bag exactly as you want, and is in the UK... actually he's in my house, right now!

http://www.mackworkshop.com/

Thanks.

I'd say definitely do it.

I previously had a similar set up on a 1989 Concorde Astore and I have a 1990 Basso Gap set up with modern Campag running gear. It really is the best of both worlds and I can't wait to do a decent run on the KC.

Having built a 1978 clubman's racer based around a Dave Lloyd 531 earlier this year, I was rather taken by the way it rode, so started to look for a similar hand made 531 frame to build up as a regular rider.

I was not in a hurry, but just keeping my eye on all the usual places when a came across this F&F's as a complete kit of 80's / 90's parts ready to build up. I didn't want the parts, but had a use for some of them so a deal was done.

I have built KC up with 10 speed SRAM Force running gear, speedplay pedals, Dura Ace wheels with Michelin Pro-4 tyres, a USE seatpost, which will be changed to a Ritchey Classic, as I'd forgotten just how difficult it is to keep a saddle in one place on the USE. The stem and bars I think are Deda and I did use a (Bernard Hinault) Turbo saddle from the kit of parts, plus the headset that was already in place which is a Shimano 600 (I think).

The first test ride was brief, due to the saddle moving, so a proper shakedown will have to wait until the Ritchey arrives, but the initial impression is of a nippy frame which corners and climbs well.

All up weight, from my cheap as chips scales is 8kgs, and I fancy that's probably close, as it does feel light for a steel bike.

I would have thought any decent frame builder could take care of that, but drop Argos Racing in Bristol an e-mail.

There's never a stationary lorry about when you need one.

Rural drivers absolutely DO NOT expect to see cyclists. They expect to see completely clear roads that they can drive down at speeds which beggar belief. I'd love to see what happens when they belt round a corner to find a milk lorry, tractor or combine, but the frequent long skid marks (phnar) on the road kind of tell the story.

No, I have done all my long rides (which are usually 3 to 4 hours) with a 2 x 10, although when the terrain starts going up, I am just using the small ring, leaving the big ring for any flat paths or road sections.

It is worth noting though, that I am in my 50's, and my son who is in his late 20's is much faster than me on similar kit... I am the tortoise and he is the hare.

Not rigid, the forks are XRC 100 RL and are seriously light. You can get lighter, but budget was a consideration.

I have done four hours plus on a hardtail, but I would not fancy your ride without front suspension... even though the bikes look cool as they are.

Go light and go carbon with the fork.

I did a similar build with a 2002 DeKerf using pretty standard stuff and it ended up very heavy. A day in the Quantocks convinced me it needed to lose weight, so DT Swiss forks, carbon SRAM cranks, lighter wheels and a 1 x 10 build got it down by 3 kilo's. It is now a much nicer bike to ride.

It appears I am both them and us.

As a motorist covering over 35,000 business miles a year, Id say that most other road users are generally OK, but there are a percentage, both male in stereotypical big Audi / BMW / MERC / Range Rover, who consider themselves special and above the law, (why else would they hold a mobile phone to their ear in a £50k car with bluetooth as standard) and there are many female drivers, usually young and always in a small hatch / BMW 1 series / Audi 1 series who drive way too fast and have no idea of the risks they are running. Then of course there are the elderly with generally poor eyesight and frighteningly slow reactions who consider themselves excellent drivers and who are affronted by any comment / indication to the contrary, and lastly the arrogant couldn't give a stuff guys driving white vans, 7.5 tonne lorries, scaffold trucks etc, who really don't care who they hit, injure or upset and who revel in intimidating other road users.

I consider these all to be a danger to me and to one another.

As a cyclist.... ^^^ this ^^^

Does he think as athletes, cyclist have a different attitude towards injuries. (Is it a team thing)?

For instance, he attempted to continue riding with a broken leg, Chris Froome completed a stage with a broken foot, and countless other examples, yet footballers will get stretchered from the pitch for much less serious / painful injuries (I'm sure there are other examples, but I'm not much of a sports fan, so that's the best I can think of).

Out for a lunchtime 30k leg stretch, I got overtaken on a short dual carriageway by a 7.5T lorry exactly as per the Highway Code / Chris Boardman video. I got the trucks reg on my camera, so once home I sent the transport manager an e-mail saying how nice it was to come across a driver that was not trying to kill me.

Transport manager (a fellow cyclist) passed on my thanks to the driver, Harry, and apparently he was delighted, "his face lit up".

10/10 Would feel the warm glow of humanity again.

I would have thought they could be brazed or silver soldered over and polished, it's not a difficult job.

It's your bike, you build it as you see fit.

The nice thing about steel is that you (or someone else) can always change it at some other time.

Yup, easy to have bits brazed on at a later date. Any decent frame builder can soon reverse that. I use Argos, they are local to me and their work is excellent, but there are plenty of others.

What a find.

I have just finished a 1970's build of a Dave Lloyd and actually found part easier to find than for my current 90's Lemond.

Looking forward to this build.

This is a really nice frameset. I have the slightly older version and it rides very well..... kind of a bump.

Nice thread Mike.

As always, lovely build.

Is the one in the middle Tim Krabbe?

Glad you enjoyed yourself, it was a really good test for the bike. I've done a few miles on it, including getting up to the cranks in Mendip mud, but there's nothing like a bit of racing to find any problems.... or not.

Just found this thread, nice build.

I need to show the thread to Kt, as she keeps threatening to start hill climbing.

JIC, I'm Jon's dad (the KTM owner).

If the bus stop were on an island, then peds would have to walk across the cycle lane to get to and from the bus stop. That gets rid of one hazard and introduces another, arguably less predictable and certainly less observant one.

And when it doesn't, you just ignore the traffic lights. Apparently.

No, it's not a London thing.

I think it's an I'm so rich I don't give a toss thing.

Yes please, posted.