Project "Not Quite Eroica..."
TheBigYin
Posts: 5,686 Member
This Monday just gone, I realised that the coming weekend was the wonderful festival of Retro Cycling that is the Eroica Brittania. And, immediately after that, I realised that once again, I'd failed dismally to build myself a properly "compliant" bike to fit the rules of this cycle ride.
For those of you who aren't aware, it's run under the same rules as the original Eroica over in Tuscany... here's the "excerpt" from the regulations that cover it...
7.1 – BICYCLES
At L’Eroica only vintage road racing bikes or so-called BICI EROICHE may participate, as defined in paragraph 7.1.a, or historically inspired bikes, i.e. vintage-style bikes even if recently constructed, as explained in paragraph 7.1.b below. No other bikes will be accepted except for those mentioned in paragraph 7.1.c.
7.1.a – BICI EROICHE or Proper Vintage Bikes
BICI EROICHE are all road racing bikes built up to and including 1987 both with or without gears, such as those built in the late 19th and early 20thcenturies. These bicycles most likely have a steel frame, but other types of rare frames are also permitted, such as the aluminium frames built by Alan and Vitus with screwed or glued joints and the Exxon Graftek frames of the late 1970s with carbon tubes glued to aluminium lugs.
Regarding components, bicycles should adhere to the following general guidelines:
more recent bikes with gears and derailleurs, such as Simplex, Huret, Campagnolo, Zeus, Shimano, Suntour, etc. must have shift levers on the down tube of the frame; exceptions include pre-1980 non indexed bar-end gear shifters and rod/hand manual operated front derailleurs;
pedals should be with toe clips and straps or original pedals for older bikes; quick release, clip-less pedals are not allowed;
the brake cables must pass outside and over the handlebars (cables can pass inside the frame);
older geared bicycles must have original shifters such as Cambio Corsa, Cambio Paris Roubaix, Cambio Vittoria Margherita, etc.;
wheels must have at least 32 spokes laced to a low profile rim (20 mm depth or less, except for wooden rims); the rims must be of either steel, aluminium or wood;
both tubular tyres and clinchers with inner tubes are allowed;
we invite participants to fit saddles from the same period as the bicycles, so a model of 1987 or earlier; alternatively we suggest fitting a vintage model of modern production;
the change of the gear ratios is allowed due to the difficulty of the ride.
there are no particular rules on the type of brakes as long as they are in line with the construction period of the bicycle and are efficient for safety reasons.
Obviously, early 20th century bicycles with single gear or flip-flop rear hubs don’t need to comply with the above criteria as long as they have their original components.
7.1.b – VINTAGE-STYLE or MODERN BUILT BIKES
Vintage-style, steel framed bikes of new or recent construction with vintage look and characteristics may be used only if they are road racing bikes assembled using vintage components or replicated parts similar to the original, as described above.
In particular, if the bikes are inspired by the design of road racing bicycles of the 1970s and 1980s, they must comply with three fundamental rules (a,b,c) regarding shift levers, toe clips and straps, and brake cables.
Now, if I was going to go for this, it's all or nothing - it'd be perfectly feasible to build myself a "vintage style" bike that'd pass scrutineering from my parts bin, but, well - you all know me by now - am I the kind of person to do things by halves.
The Problem is, I don't actually have any bike frames from before 1989 - there's a reason for this...
In 1990 whilst out training, I was involved in a Motor Incident. I say Incident, because Accident implies that there was no fault. There was definitely fault here. I was sideswiped by a driver whilst passing through a set of roadworks. I basically came adrift from the bike and hit the temporary traffic light with my hip and thigh. The Driver didn't stop. I tried to stand and the whole world went black. I woke intermittently over the next two days, but honestly, the first I really knew what was happening was nearly 72 hours later.
I'd broken my pelvis in 3 places, which had been plated together. I'd also shattered the left femur, losing something like 4" of bone. To try and fix this, the orthopedic surgeon had tried a slightly experimental approach - as OK'ed by my parents - as they'd been told that there was actually a 80-20 chance I'd lose the leg anyway, it was worth a go. Basically, they pinned the femur down the centre of the bone (where the marrow would be) and screwed in a Ilzarov Cage above and below the break to stabilise the leg. Then, over the next 9 months, I'd periodically have the leg re-broken, and stretched. When it re-knitted they'd break it again. Rinse, and repeat. I went from 80/20 of losing the leg, to 50/50 of needing to walk with crutches, to 25/75 of needing a stick for the rest of my days, to walking the Yorkshire 3 Peaks (for charidee guys...) a month after I was discharged.
BUT there's a few downsides.
I Lost my job while I was recovering. The company I was working for actually went bust.
I lost my girlfriend while I was recovering. She decided she'd sooner go off with someone who wasn't likely to be a cripple for the rest of his days, 3 days after hearing I'd lost my job. I think that could come under the heading of a close escape really...
I Lost my house. Well - actually it was a renovation property I'd bought just before the crash - couldn't work on it myself, and when the company went bust, I couldn't afford to pay anyone to work on it either. Neither could I afford to keep paying the rates etc on it while it was empty. So, I'd to sell it as an unfinished project.
and worst of all...
I lost my Bottle for Riding the Bike.
Completely and utterly scared witless. The prospect of even getting one of the hack bikes out and trying to ride up and down the street had me shaking like a dog sh¦tting razor blades. So, I pretty much sold up all my working bikes. I kept my MTB in the hope that I'd be okay to ride off-road, and I kept the wreck of what I'd been riding, and I kept all the bits of bikes that were in storage, mainly because back then there wasn't quite the same market for used bike components that there is now. And, I couldn't face looking through all the boxes at my parents, to find the bits anyway.
Anyway...
Fast forward to now.
I'm sat in my office, kicking myself under the desk for not finding that nice "1985/1986 Colnago / Pinarello / De Rosa" and getting my *kitten* in gear with sourcing the old campag. parts. When It dawned on me... What would be more meaningful for me, and more "Eroica" - more Heroic indeed - would be to rebuild my "last racing bike" as built by myself in late 1989 for the 1990 racing season.
Now, it's not going to be a "purist" build - I want the bike to be as safe as possible, so i'm going to swap out certain period parts that are likely to be NBG - i'm talking Brake Blocks (26 year old rubber is likely to be perished even on NOS replacments), Tyres (I KNOW that 26 year old tubulars aren't going to hold air, and indeed in all honesty, I don't think that I actually fancy tubulars anymore.), Wheels - well - this is an awkward one - the original wheels went under the truck that was following the guy that hit me - i've got the hubs somewhere, but 1989 is a bit of an awkward time in the evolution of Shimano gearing... which I'll go into as this thread develops.
So... that's it - I've had the Germ of an Idea.
and it's multiplying... as anyone who's been following me in my newsfeed will realise... here's some excerpts if you've missed them...
My god, did I get a little poetic there... A kind of Love Letter to my Past, and to the Sport that's pretty much Saved my Life..." FFS, you pretentious sod Mark...
For those of you who aren't aware, it's run under the same rules as the original Eroica over in Tuscany... here's the "excerpt" from the regulations that cover it...
7.1 – BICYCLES
At L’Eroica only vintage road racing bikes or so-called BICI EROICHE may participate, as defined in paragraph 7.1.a, or historically inspired bikes, i.e. vintage-style bikes even if recently constructed, as explained in paragraph 7.1.b below. No other bikes will be accepted except for those mentioned in paragraph 7.1.c.
7.1.a – BICI EROICHE or Proper Vintage Bikes
BICI EROICHE are all road racing bikes built up to and including 1987 both with or without gears, such as those built in the late 19th and early 20thcenturies. These bicycles most likely have a steel frame, but other types of rare frames are also permitted, such as the aluminium frames built by Alan and Vitus with screwed or glued joints and the Exxon Graftek frames of the late 1970s with carbon tubes glued to aluminium lugs.
Regarding components, bicycles should adhere to the following general guidelines:
more recent bikes with gears and derailleurs, such as Simplex, Huret, Campagnolo, Zeus, Shimano, Suntour, etc. must have shift levers on the down tube of the frame; exceptions include pre-1980 non indexed bar-end gear shifters and rod/hand manual operated front derailleurs;
pedals should be with toe clips and straps or original pedals for older bikes; quick release, clip-less pedals are not allowed;
the brake cables must pass outside and over the handlebars (cables can pass inside the frame);
older geared bicycles must have original shifters such as Cambio Corsa, Cambio Paris Roubaix, Cambio Vittoria Margherita, etc.;
wheels must have at least 32 spokes laced to a low profile rim (20 mm depth or less, except for wooden rims); the rims must be of either steel, aluminium or wood;
both tubular tyres and clinchers with inner tubes are allowed;
we invite participants to fit saddles from the same period as the bicycles, so a model of 1987 or earlier; alternatively we suggest fitting a vintage model of modern production;
the change of the gear ratios is allowed due to the difficulty of the ride.
there are no particular rules on the type of brakes as long as they are in line with the construction period of the bicycle and are efficient for safety reasons.
Obviously, early 20th century bicycles with single gear or flip-flop rear hubs don’t need to comply with the above criteria as long as they have their original components.
7.1.b – VINTAGE-STYLE or MODERN BUILT BIKES
Vintage-style, steel framed bikes of new or recent construction with vintage look and characteristics may be used only if they are road racing bikes assembled using vintage components or replicated parts similar to the original, as described above.
In particular, if the bikes are inspired by the design of road racing bicycles of the 1970s and 1980s, they must comply with three fundamental rules (a,b,c) regarding shift levers, toe clips and straps, and brake cables.
Now, if I was going to go for this, it's all or nothing - it'd be perfectly feasible to build myself a "vintage style" bike that'd pass scrutineering from my parts bin, but, well - you all know me by now - am I the kind of person to do things by halves.
The Problem is, I don't actually have any bike frames from before 1989 - there's a reason for this...
In 1990 whilst out training, I was involved in a Motor Incident. I say Incident, because Accident implies that there was no fault. There was definitely fault here. I was sideswiped by a driver whilst passing through a set of roadworks. I basically came adrift from the bike and hit the temporary traffic light with my hip and thigh. The Driver didn't stop. I tried to stand and the whole world went black. I woke intermittently over the next two days, but honestly, the first I really knew what was happening was nearly 72 hours later.
I'd broken my pelvis in 3 places, which had been plated together. I'd also shattered the left femur, losing something like 4" of bone. To try and fix this, the orthopedic surgeon had tried a slightly experimental approach - as OK'ed by my parents - as they'd been told that there was actually a 80-20 chance I'd lose the leg anyway, it was worth a go. Basically, they pinned the femur down the centre of the bone (where the marrow would be) and screwed in a Ilzarov Cage above and below the break to stabilise the leg. Then, over the next 9 months, I'd periodically have the leg re-broken, and stretched. When it re-knitted they'd break it again. Rinse, and repeat. I went from 80/20 of losing the leg, to 50/50 of needing to walk with crutches, to 25/75 of needing a stick for the rest of my days, to walking the Yorkshire 3 Peaks (for charidee guys...) a month after I was discharged.
BUT there's a few downsides.
I Lost my job while I was recovering. The company I was working for actually went bust.
I lost my girlfriend while I was recovering. She decided she'd sooner go off with someone who wasn't likely to be a cripple for the rest of his days, 3 days after hearing I'd lost my job. I think that could come under the heading of a close escape really...
I Lost my house. Well - actually it was a renovation property I'd bought just before the crash - couldn't work on it myself, and when the company went bust, I couldn't afford to pay anyone to work on it either. Neither could I afford to keep paying the rates etc on it while it was empty. So, I'd to sell it as an unfinished project.
and worst of all...
I lost my Bottle for Riding the Bike.
Completely and utterly scared witless. The prospect of even getting one of the hack bikes out and trying to ride up and down the street had me shaking like a dog sh¦tting razor blades. So, I pretty much sold up all my working bikes. I kept my MTB in the hope that I'd be okay to ride off-road, and I kept the wreck of what I'd been riding, and I kept all the bits of bikes that were in storage, mainly because back then there wasn't quite the same market for used bike components that there is now. And, I couldn't face looking through all the boxes at my parents, to find the bits anyway.
Anyway...
Fast forward to now.
I'm sat in my office, kicking myself under the desk for not finding that nice "1985/1986 Colnago / Pinarello / De Rosa" and getting my *kitten* in gear with sourcing the old campag. parts. When It dawned on me... What would be more meaningful for me, and more "Eroica" - more Heroic indeed - would be to rebuild my "last racing bike" as built by myself in late 1989 for the 1990 racing season.
Now, it's not going to be a "purist" build - I want the bike to be as safe as possible, so i'm going to swap out certain period parts that are likely to be NBG - i'm talking Brake Blocks (26 year old rubber is likely to be perished even on NOS replacments), Tyres (I KNOW that 26 year old tubulars aren't going to hold air, and indeed in all honesty, I don't think that I actually fancy tubulars anymore.), Wheels - well - this is an awkward one - the original wheels went under the truck that was following the guy that hit me - i've got the hubs somewhere, but 1989 is a bit of an awkward time in the evolution of Shimano gearing... which I'll go into as this thread develops.
So... that's it - I've had the Germ of an Idea.
and it's multiplying... as anyone who's been following me in my newsfeed will realise... here's some excerpts if you've missed them...
Realising that it's the "Eroica Brittania" (no T in the first word...) this weekend has spurred me to try and find the bits for my last road bike before the accident that sidelined me from cycling for the 90's. Built in 1989, with Shimano 600 (the last one before they called it Ultegra - but it was already going "gunmetal grey anodised) it's JUST too new to be "compliant" for the ride (1987 is the cut off... 1988 was when the 6400 series groupset launched #nerd) but I don't have a functioning pair of wheels from that era anyway - the pair that were on the bike went under the rear wheel of the wagon that was following the guy who knocked me off and into the temporary traffic light...
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TheBigYin so far I've dug out the frame (Raleigh Competition Shop 531c DB Throughout 23 square, 73°parallel, and finished in pearlescent white with yellow, green and silver detail panels)
yesterday • Like • Delete
TheBigYin Found the Bars and Stem (SR Road Champion Bars http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=B600F862-1D74-4EA6-9D02-28F53006E2A7&Enum=112&AbsPos=138 , SR New Royal ESL Stem http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=34F0B8C9-ECD0-482A-8078-D465A1C26EF8&Enum=102&AbsPos=213 )
yesterday • Like • Delete
TheBigYin Brake Levers - Shimano BL-6401, 600EX - http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=3180B43A-50DA-4666-A719-34C44B0D2D4B&Enum=118&AbsPos=189
yesterday • Like • 1 • Delete
TheBigYin Brake Calipers - Shimano BR-6400, 600 - http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=F3BED1A2-3655-416D-AD41-F2F073116D30&Enum=117&AbsPos=379 - problem is, I can't find the shallow recessed nut for the front brake :-( Got plenty of deeper ones for carbon forks, but none shallow enough for the lovely steel fork crown on the Raleigh
yesterday • Like • Delete
TheBigYin Rear Mech - Shimano RD-6400, 600 Ultegra - http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=C7069264-613F-48E1-8112-D3236E2FD096&Enum=108&AbsPos=340
yesterday • Like • Delete
TheBigYin Can't find the front mech (it was used on another bike at one point, so it'll have been put away in another box - probably along with the shift levers that I can't find either...
yesterday • Like • 1 • Delete
TheBigYin Chainset - a change from the Shimano Motif - 6400 series used the horrible Biopace rings, so I went for a lovely Campagnolo option instead 53/39T Campagnolo Victory (that i'd bought NOS from my LBS - it's actually probably the only compliant bit of the bike!) - http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=510C9C68-2312-4134-95F5-AEB828D2C1D8&Enum=115&AbsPos=64
yesterday • Like • Delete
TheBigYin I tell a lie - the pedals are the matching set to the crankset - Campagnolo Triomphe, complete with the dedicated toeclips and the original campag. straps... http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=983FBBE6-1978-4BF4-AA4B-D6252D9B0A58&Enum=109&AbsPos=57
yesterday • Like • 1 • Delete
TheBigYin Seatpin - Shimano (yep, seatpins used to be part of the groupset back then!) - Shimano SP-6400-B 600 Ultegra - Aero - http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=149A9C3A-5623-4B48-BEF9-610817199236&Enum=105&AbsPos=139
yesterday • Like • Delete
TheBigYin Saddle - well - it COULD be the classic Cinelli Unicanitor #2 - http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=B79F0016-A2EB-4351-93BF-34713D5CAF2C&Enum=106&AbsPos=80, but, frankly, I think that it's more likely to end up as being the "Belgian Sofa" - Selle San Marco Rolls - http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=812BC900-B192-4176-8F9D-2403A5AA121F&Enum=106&AbsPos=321
yesterday • Like • Delete
cloggsy71 Whoa... I fell asleep on the train & woke up in bike-nerdsville
yesterday • Unlike • 1 • Delete
TheBigYin but I'm missing wheels, cassette, chain - pretty sure I don't have any of that kit squatted away - and I know I do have the matching front mech and downtube shifters for the 6400 groupset SOMEWHERE - but at the moment, there's 2 places in this house that I haven't looked - and after that, they're in storage - which means it's probably quicker, easier and cheaper to source a replacement on fleabay...
yesterday • Like • Delete
Jakess1971 I have an old bike sitting in the shed that I intended on sorting for this but just haven't had the time.
yesterday • Like • Delete
TheBigYin looks like my big stumbling block is going to be wheels... as always :-(
yesterday • Like • Delete
TheBigYin 5 hours ago
Woo-Hooo - Found the box with the "other brake levers" and the Gear Shifters (I knew it was basically the box that the Ultegra 9 speed bar-shifter-brake units came in...) - now I'm down to one missing item (other than the "rolling stock" and a chain) - the front mech. Amazing what a couple of hours of digging in the store-section of the loft can provide. Downside is, I've bloody emptied that store, and theres NO sign of the front mech - so that must be elsewhere - and I haven't got a scooby where that should be...
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cloggsy71, m1xm0d3 and Jakess1971 liked this
TheBigYin oh - and amazingly, at the bottom of the box, was the shorter socket bolt for the front brake :WOOT:
4 hours ago • Like • 1 • Del
TheBigYin it's crazy, isn't it... I'm actually getting hyped up at the prospect of re-building a 1989 bike with 27 year old components, and here you are waiting for state-of-the-art 11 speed kit...
4 hours ago • Like • 1 • Delete
TheBigYin or I would be... if I could only find that f#$*(&g front mechanism...
4 hours ago • Like • Delete
m1xm0d3 Hide & Seek: Expert Level 1000
3 hours ago • Like
TheBigYin yeah - I only pit it away for safe-keeping about 25 years ago, can't think for the life of me why I can't put my hand straight on it... apart from some of the boxes of bike bits having moved to at least 6 (I've lost count exactly) different houses over that duration - while others stayed in storage at my parents house (where I'm now back living... It's irritating that I've found 3 other Ultegra front mech's - but none of them are the right groupset - they're all 9/10 speed and 2 of the 3 are braze-on, and I need band...
2 hours ago • Like • Delete
TheBigYin one good thing - it appears that the frame has been "cold set" to 128mm rear spacing (i.e. somewhere between "traditional 126mm, 6/7 speed Freewheel or very early shimano uniglide hubs (nasty things they were) or 130mm (modern spacing - so will take 7/8/9/10/11 speed freehubs from shimano/campag. That's something of a billy-bonus - as I Could get a 7 speed Hyperglide cassette (I may even have the sprockets to make one up...) 13/28 would be ideal, as I've discovered the chainset is actually a 52/42 - Rear mech is a 28 max, 26 range, so either 12 or 13 to 28 would be as wide a ratio as it'd handle... 13 is probably more "period correct" - BUT i'd be able to run it on modern wheels... or at least slightly more modern than the scary ones from 30 years ago...
1 hour ago • Like • Delete
TheBigYin (it's never going to be "eroica compliant" anyway - it's a build for my own satisfaction - and I'd never dare ride it with the old-school wheels - at least not for further away from home than I could comfortably walk/limp/crawl after the 30 year old wheels disintegrated under my weight.)
1 hour ago • Like • Delete
m1xm0d3 B!H! Well I hope you can get it located and all sorted out in time.
1 hour ago • Like
TheBigYin oh - it was prompted by this weekends "Eroica" but I'm never going to get this done in time to ride this weekend... I've wanted to build the bike back up for sentimental reasons - it was the bike I was riding when I was knocked off and into the temporary traffic lights - the crash that almost ended my life, and did end my racing "career". So, to get it working well, and as close to original specification (whilst not compromising safety - so modern tyres, brake blocks, and very probably at a minimum new (but old school looking) rims )as possible - it's more than just a bike project - it's a symbol - and in a way, it's a kind of love letter to my past and to the sport that's pretty much saved my life.
1 hour ago • Like • Delete
TheBigYin I really aught to put all this wibbling into a thread in the communities, rather than letting it get lost in this timeline...
My god, did I get a little poetic there... A kind of Love Letter to my Past, and to the Sport that's pretty much Saved my Life..." FFS, you pretentious sod Mark...
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So - This is going to be a bit of an on-going thread - expect it to be quite lovingly adorned with photographs once I get into it... I'm thinking there may be some pretty serious component "beauty shots" in this open love letter...
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A question...
what do the following disparate Items have in common
1 - Shimano XT 7 Speed Hyperglide Cassette - 12/28 Circa 1992
1 - Shimano FH-6208 Uniglide 6 speed 36H Rear Hub Circa 1982
1 - Shimano XT 9 speed Freehub Body Circa 2013
1 - Big bag of axles, spacers, washers, ball-bearings, Ages Various
1 - Grease Gun (inherited)
38 years of faffing with bikes...
Yep - I've managed to convert my ancient training rear hoop (one I'd forgotten I actually had!) into a half passable 7 speed rear wheel - pretty sure that the ancient Rigida Clincher Rims that are on it were replacements for the originals - which I'm sure were Mavic GP4's - which I swapped out when the original GP4's finally wore away at the brake-tracks (they were pretty much unbreakable in normal riding, hence their use as a 36h set for training and cyclocross) - but, as the wheel is somewhat ovoid, and there's one missing spoke, and signs of 5-6 of the others being replaced from the original build, I'm thinking that the Rigida's are far from living up to their name...
Time to start looking for a pair of NOS "Mavic G40" or "Open Pro" rims I guess...
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Sounds like fun, I think my little project may well have to wait until next year, not enough hours in the day!0
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yours is a complete bike - I could have it turned around in a day - mine's been in bits for 20 years, scattered in maybe 15 boxes, at 2 different houses, the wheels at a third (and I STILL can't find the bloody front mech...)
But, there's one thing I Have found that really put a smile back on my face...
(those that understand WHY I have it, will understand WHY I was happy to find it...)
and just for the sheer beauty of the engineering...
(though, once again, I'm going to have to source the correct bearings for this little gem...)
The Grainy picture quality from the iPad's camera indoors REALLY doesn't do it any favours - it's actually pretty much spotless, and the bearing races are like mirrors...
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Life begins and ends with those peanut butter wrenches. I use mine to this day at the tack.1
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matsprt1984 wrote: »Life begins and ends with those peanut butter wrenches. I use mine to this day at the tack.
I'd have put money on you being one of those "who know"...
Though I'll admit, my fondness for that spanner is more for it's main use - Though in fairness, I do also have the 15mm socket that's been stuck on the lathe and the body thinned so that it'll fit into the threaded recess in Campagnolo Super Record Cranks and remove the stock 15mm bolt (where almost everyone else uses 14mm bolts for clearance...) - not because I was too cheap to buy the Campag tool, but that I wanted a 15mm socket to work with the Torque Wrench for re-fitting...
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Seeing as it has been raining all day, and I've had a pretty solid block of 4 days riding, I thought that i'd spend a theraputic couple of hours cleaning and polishing some of the old bits from my last race bike...
They've generally come up rather well - so well in fact that I'm sorely tempted to clear up the workroom / spare room and drag out the lighting kit and set up my product photography studio setup... Grabbed a couple of "snaps" while the bits were drying on my worktable, and while they're okay - my OCD and my inner Photographer are crying to get something much better...
IMG_5387.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5388.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5389.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5391.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5393.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5396.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
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Okay, owing to my afternoon ride being cancelled due to the mahoosive rainstorm that blew up just as I was looking for some clean cycling shorts... I decided to do a bit of a build - photosession mashup...
time for a couple of arty shots...
here we go folks...
Yep - it's a Raleigh - Nottinghams Finest, though, as its actually a "comp. shop special" it may well have been made at the SPD section in Ilkeston.
IMG_5402.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
One thing's for sure though - it's made of the "good stuff"...
IMG_5404.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
Boy, do I miss the era of the elegant fork-crown...
IMG_5410.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
and the silver-soldered lugged construction...
IMG_5411.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
Little details like the "pump pip"
IMG_5412.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
They were so lovely, that the shops that sold them made sure you knew where they were sourced from.
IMG_5415.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
Even the Seat Binder and bolt had great attention to detail back then...
IMG_5422.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
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And so, we start to fit the components...
First of all, we add the Campagnolo Record Bottom Bracket.
IMG_5423.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5424.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
before moving onto the brakes - Shimano 6400 Sidepulls...
Rear...
IMG_5425.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5431.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
then front
IMG_5432.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5439.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
Gears Next...
First the Shifters
IMG_5441.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5447.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
(and YES, the front mech. shifter on the LH side of the frame IS supposed to stick up like that at rest - so you can change front rings with your right hand thumb while dropping gears on the other lever...)
Next up, the rear mechanism... a little worse for wear - well - the bike did get thrown down the road at 25mph and have its wheels run over a while ago...
IMG_5453.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
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Okay, we are starting to get somewhere now...
Lets have a "overall view" shall we...
IMG_5460.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
Right. That's enough of that. And it's high time for a little more Campagnolo if you ask me...
First, the lovely Campagnolo Victory Chainset - it's not QUITE as wonderful as the record/super-record IMO, but it's probably more solid, and far more versatile - it was an early attempt at a "compact" chainset, with a smaller BCD (116mm) than the "standard" of the time - which would allow inner rings than the 39 that the Record Cranks 144mm) allowed. Sadly, they only made them for a couple of years, and chainrings other than english standard set (42-52) or euro standard (39-53) are rarer than hens teeth.
I still like it though...
IMG_5462.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
especially the little details like the self extracting crank bolts (that needed a special 7mm allen key to use)
IMG_5464.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
got to love the pantographed logo's on the crank arm as well...
IMG_5475.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
plenty of wear left in those teeth - back then there was very little if any concession to making shifting between the front rings easier by sculpting the tooth profile...
IMG_5494.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
right...
now we've got the chainset in place, we can add the "pork chop at the Bar Mitzvah"... the first truly "out of place" component i've added so far.
IMG_5499.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
it's at least 20 years too new... simply can't find the original 6400 series front mechanism anywhere... time to hunt on fleabay, I reckon.
So. To cheer myself up, I'm adding some more Campagnolo to the mix...
A pair of Fantastic Campagnolo Triomphe Pedals
IMG_5502.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
Complete with the original dedicated Toeclips and Original Campag Straps...
IMG_5508.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
And, just for good measure, it's time to add the handlebars, stem, and brake levers...
IMG_5510.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5516.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
And that's all for this installment - i'm still in the process of truing the old wheels - but we're getting closer...
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In case anyone was expecting a complete "concours" restoration of the frame and components by the way - that's not really what this project is about... I want to get the bike back to it's mechanical perfection as it would have been when I had it prepped for "race day"... Not perfect, not showroom condition, but working perfectly, worn in, not worn out. The difference between having a trusted "old friend" rather than a new and unknown quantity that you have to rely on...
All the rust spots have been treated chemically, then sealed with clear lacquer, and the frame has been sprayed internally with "waxoyl" (it's a treatment that originated in car-body and sill repairs - basically its a spray on waxy coating that prevents the tubes rusting from the inside outwards)
If I ever WAS to have the frame re-painted - then I doubt that I'd end up with the colourscheme it has now - I'm not massively fond of the silver green and yellow, and the base, being a pearlescent white, is incredibly difficult to get touch-up paint for - hence it's current flyspecked status.
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Great photos and story, Mark. Thanks for sharing. Keep us posted on the progress.0
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and... a little further...
Now we're all cabled up, bars taped, and there's a chain fitted. Basically, it's all down to getting the wheels correct now.
And that's where I'm having problems. The back wheel is looking pretty much beyond saving - the rim has been dented, bent, straightened, bent again, gone oval, pulled back round, straightened, dented and trued again so many times I think that the rim is getting to the point where metal-fatigue is setting in - earlier today, I'd got it straight, centred, and under 0.5mm off of round. At which point, I removed it from the jig, and stress-relieved the wheel - and when I returned it, it was nearly 2mm out of round and worse swinging left-right...
I hate to admit defeat, but I'm thinking it's time to just cut the losses and grab a new pair of rims... Might take a while to source them unless I just go for a pair of modern Mavic's - I'm now however strongly considering putting the Fulcrum Racing 5's on there, adding some tyres and taking it for a roll around the village on the next warm dry day... I think the all-silver Fulcrum's wouldn't look too out of place - apart from the low spoke-count of course...
Oh.
Pictures.
yep
IMG_5519.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5524.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5527.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5528.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5529.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5530.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5533.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr
IMG_5518.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr 0 -
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Great project and I'd love to have something similar to that, would make for a fun ride option.0
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I'm really hoping that the tyres i've ordered make the wheels look a little less "out of place"... It's surprising, on a modern bike they look quite "old school" being all-silver finished (well apart from the rather heavy branding) - but on a proper 1989 bike, they suddenly look remarkably deep section (it's all relative... the Rigida rims that were on the original training wheels were barely a couple of mm deeper than the brake track depth, as you can see in the "whole bike" picture above - the one where the bike's outside in the workstand... ) - I've ordered a pair of Clément LGG tyres which are pretty much a complete look-alike for the old Wolber and Clément training tub's I used to run BITD - canvas-looking-sidewalls, file tread - albeit in a slightly wider 25mm and in "open tubular" (i.e. Folding Clincher) format... If that doesn't make the wheels look the part, then i'll put up with the R5's until I can source some New-Old-Stock period appropriate rims I guess...
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and, after some prompting on Facebook yesterday, I put the Raleigh on the scales...
10.1 kgs as it stands, with the tractor tyre on the back (and a heavy duty 'cross spec inner tube in there) - it MAY just sneak in under 10kg with the new tyres... Definitely would if I put the Flite Ti-Rail Saddle on, but the rails are bent, the leather's torn from skating down the road and under the truck that totalled the "proper" wheels, and - frankly - i'm not sure my under carriage would cope with the shape of the Flite anymore...
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I was slightly intrigued by the weight of the bike - I was pretty sure it came in at under 22lb in race trim BITD.
A quick check on the "training" wheels weight revealed the following
Front Wheel w/o Skewer 806g
F/W Skewer 78g
Front Wheel complete weight w/o tyre 884g
Rear Wheel w/o Skewre 1026g
R/W Skewer 102g
Rear Wheel complete weight w/o tyre 1128g
Both wheels complete with rim tape, rear wheel weight not including cassette.
combined wheel pair weight 1,934g. Thats actually not bad at all, considering the wheels had bog-standard steel shimano q/r levers and are built as 36 spoke 3 cross rear, 36 spoke 2 cross front.
Compare to, for example - the Fulcrum Racing 5's that are on there - which were apparently 1894g for the pair, or, for a modern equivalent wheel - Ultegra Hubs and Mavic Open Pro's in a 32spoke arrangement, coming in at a total listed component weight of 1790g - that's less than a quarter of a pound in weight difference to a medium level modern factory wheel, and under 1/3 of a pound difference to some quite well respected medium handbuilts...
I do remember however, that it was pretty near impossible to build anything under 1700g back then without them being 24 spoke and handling like wet noodles unless you weighed under 60kg... My race wheels were pretty much on that limit - 28 spoke Mavic Sprint rims (various, they changed every few months as I knackered the rim...) DB DT Swiss and Campag. Record SFQR Record hubs... Any real weight saving back then was mainly in the tyres - even the weight of 3 tubulars was less than 2 of the then very new high pressure clinchers and associated tubes.
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Right I'm onto "silly little details" now I think... next up is water-bottle cages. Can't remember for the life of me what was the "cool kit" to have at the time (well - apart from the Campag Aero Bottle and matching Cage, but they cost more than the bike's worth if you want NOS versions (and who wants a second hand Bidon!))
The Cages that are on my CaadX at the moment were actually taken from this bike, BUT, and it's a Kardashian sized one - they were actually taken from my MTB at the time of the crash, because I'd broken my normal one, and was training for a 12h, so needed a pair of cages - and my OCD decreed I needed a matching pair of 'em...
I vaguely remember the "Blackburn" all-alloy cages being around, and also something very close in appearance to their current "Chicane" cage...
it's stupid really - but it's also little details like this that make/break the overall look...
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amazing the stuff I've been finding while ratching through boxes of stuff to find the correct front mech (still no luck
)...
So Far, I've found the following...
the connection kit for an Avocet computer (tiny little speedo about the size of a watch-face, and, it's pretty much period correct as I used to use a Avocet 25 on the bars of my TT rig for pacing)
A pair of "PDM" Branded Bidons (they're clean, but have a certain "30 year old sealed plastic bottle" smell to them so I doubt they're going to be anything but decorative.
A pair of Long Wool winter riding tights - complete with a "proper" chamois... That's somewhat "dried out" and a trifle rougher than I'd ever consider applying my nether regions to... not that it would be an option anyway, as they appear to have been from my skinnyest period of riding - and there's no way i'm likely to ever get back to under 77kg
A pair of "Jolly" cycling shoes - must be from the "transition" period when Look pedals were just coming in, but traditional shoe-plates, clips and straps were still a big thing - because they've got composite soles - GRP sole, with a steel shank, drilled for 3 hole Look Cleats, AND an arrangement for their own dedicated adjustable/removable shoe plates to work with "normal pedals". Best of all, they have a leather innersole that's worn to fit my foot perfectly, and they feel like a pair of old slippers - might keep these as the "oldie bike" riding shoes... Wish I'd found my previous pair - I'm sure I didn't throw them out, so theres still a chance - not sure if they'd fit anymore though - but I'd love to find them just for the photo-opportunity - a pair of wooden soled, perforated black leather Duegi's with the nailed-in-place shoe-plates would be a finishing flourish for a pastiche of some time-gone-bye post race photo... (there I go, thinking like a photographer again...)
...and I'm still trying to work out what to do about the whole "wheels" thing. It's likely to cost substantial money to build a pair of wheels from a pair of NOS rims... I can't find anything thats a sensible "section" of modern rim that's actually not serious money either...
Mavic's only real option is the Open Pro C - which is still a bit "deep section" for the authentic look...
I quite like the look of the H-Plus Son TB14 - nice and low-profile, AND it's got the modern "wide section" going on - which would potentially build to some very useable modern wheels, if coupled with a modern hub - I'm not 100% happy building something that would be used as "winter wheels" onto a pair of near 30 year old hubs that have been converted from 6 speed to 10s... So, I'd probably be looking at getting some modern, retro looking hubs to match the rims - which is sort of another can of worms entirely...
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"new pneu"
New Pneu' by The Big Yin, on Flickr
they complement the bike fairly well, despite the "compromise" deeper section wheels it's currently got on...
Looks the part... by The Big Yin, on Flickr 0 -
and if they're a 25c section then monkeys may fly out of my arsehole...
they're taller and narrower than the Conti GP4000 that was on the front beforehand - itself not necessarily noted for being particularly "correct" in it's quoted to actual width...
They actually look pretty damned nice on there though - they were also fairly fiendishly tough to get onto the Fulcrum hoops - but then in fairness, on these mk1 Racing 5's pretty much EVERYTHING was ridiculously tough to fit initially -and removing was awful - I actually had to resort to steel motorbike tyre irons to remove a Conti Gatorskin from them once...0 -
Gotta say I love what you've done, I'm not sure I have the mechanical know how to do the same myself, not just that but getting the parts required to fix mine up that's sitting in the shed.
I may just plump for getting a retro bike, what's your thoughts on the official Eroica bike, personally I think it's beautiful and it's pretty faithful to 'old' bike designs:
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it's beautiful - saw it a while ago, but I reckon it's overpriced if I'm being honest - there's quite a lot of "generic "Bianchi" OEM equipment on there (bear in mind, they were actually very much the Italian "Raleigh" and sold masses of really rather ordinary bikes, so their OEM kit they've found down the back of the warehouse isn't likely to be exactly Campag/Cinelli with a Bianchi Pantograph and some Celeste spilled on it...) - plus, I wouldn't really fancy trying to handle 10 speed gearing with friction shift front levers...
ETA: saw the wheels and thought, "Yep, that's what I want" - website says "Ambrosio Montreal Tubular Rims, Vittoria Rallye Clinchers" That'll be interesting then...
The rebuild I've done is frankly, more "degreaser, toothbrush, metal polish and elbow grease" than anything sophisticated engineering wise. Yes, there's a bit of specialist knowledge (or remembered "how the hell did these work again") and a few special tools (Just like now really!) for the BB and crankset, but the rest of it really is very basic engineering with the exception of what I tried to do with the wheels (converting from 6 speed to 7-10 speed capable)
Plus - you've got a bike that's already in once piece, with all the bits present and (hopefully) correct (if probably a little worn/rusty)... It's a simple matter of taking one bit at a time off, cleaning it, polishing it, and bagging it up ready to put back on the frame eventually... All the time, taking photographs to remember what order things went back together in...
and failing that, you can always give me a shout and i'll let you know - or - worst case scenario, i'm only a hours drive away
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I'll assess the old bike first, a project for next year I think.0
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Well that was a very quick year lol, decided to pull the old bike out the shed and start investigating, amazingly everything is in really good condition under the knackered bar 'foam' wtf, the multiple levels of muck and grime, cleaned up nice, frame obviously looks old n worn but no harmful signs of rust, I think another evening of work and I have it rideable.1
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Jakess1971 wrote: »Well that was a very quick year lol, decided to pull the old bike out the shed and start investigating, amazingly everything is in really good condition under the knackered bar 'foam' wtf, the multiple levels of muck and grime, cleaned up nice, frame obviously looks old n worn but no harmful signs of rust, I think another evening of work and I have it rideable.
excellent - feel free to either add photo's of the "resurrection" in here if you want
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My little project looked like it was almost beyond repair, had the look of something that had been left at the bottom of the sea for a hundred years:
But it cleaned up quite nice:
Before:
After:
Having given it a little test ride last night it rode quite well, not sure I'd want to do an epic century on it but still it's a fun ride back to yesteryear, I was expecting my first bash with tension style gears to be a mare but I was surprised on how well it worked, altogether a successful project and all it took was a bit of elbow grease & degreaser, a couple of new tyres, some bar tape and a couple of evenings.
1985 v 2015
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Anyone remember the UK "Yellow Pages" advert...
"I were right about that saddle though..."
If it's not intended to be a complete "period" restoration (which would be hellish tough, as all the groupset has been swapped out with the exception of the front mech (and possibly the shifters) - and Suntour 7 kit is not easy to get hold of at all... it was lovely stuff BTW, I'd Suntour Cyclone on one my bikes BITD and it knocked the spots off the Shimano 600 of the same era - lighter, better looking, smoother changing...) - then I think to "keep it period looking" without necessarily blowing a fortune, then have a look at the Own-Brand leather saddles from Spa Cycles...
http://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s204p0/Parts-and-Accessories/Saddles-Leather
The "Nidd" looks very much like the old Brooks B17N Tourists Favourite and the "Aire" appears to be rather similar to the Brooks "Swift" - I'm actually quite tempted by one of those myself, but they're just a little "early" for the Raleigh's period look.
but, if the existing seatpin DOES move in the frame, that's one bit I'd definitely recommend you swap out ASAP - the separate clamp and straight pin monstrosities were notorious for simply shearing off the top of the seatpin when you either sat down on the front of the saddle, or if you grabbed the rear of the saddle when it was laden with luggage... both of which happened to me - and yes - both times I was around 70 miles from home and a good 20 miles or more from the nearest workshop... Both times resulted in a lot of riding standing up until i'd found the right sized branch to jam into the seatpin to hold the two parts together - back then carrying a swiss army knife in the saddlebag wasn't likely to get you arrested
The Brown handlebar tape works well - would work even better with a matching leather saddle
for the benefit of any of the other readers - I found the original catalogue from 1985...
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Love the research and very cool to see the old reference material for the Majestic, my aim was to have an old style bike for that summer fun ride which as it stands fits the bill nicely, I think the only parts I'd look at changing are the saddle to match the old style tape even though the original was white and black, I think brown fits nicely on the 80s touring bikes, and the pedals which are pretty knackered, they are secure enough on the bike with no danger of coming off but have way too much give in them side to side, I may grab those pedals or something similar you pointed me to on ebay for a tenna.
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