Me, on a road bike?!

[Andrij]

Thank God for ignorance!

My bike knowledge is very limited.  In general I know what I need to build up the bike but not specifics.  If I had known this stuff last weekend I would now be broke, having spent loads of money at Mildenhall.  As it is, I only purchased a new black Shimano hub dynamo (HB-C050-D) for a tenner.  Not the latest and greatest, but it will do.  I really was expecting to get a silver one, so now I'll need a black rear hub and black spokes...

I've had a reply from Mercian about the frame.  As stated upthread, I was informed that there was a £10 fee (but they did confirm it's from 1982).  I'll do it as some point.

As promised, here are pictures of the frame and forks in their current state.







As you can see it needs a bit of work.

[giropaul]

I'm pretty sure it's a Campionissimo model.

From the catalogue of the time:

"A first class frame for the beginner, yet light enough to be used as a racing frame. The frame is handbuilt with the quality and precision of the dearer frames of the Mercian range, and is made throughout in Reynolds 531 double butted tubing. The fact that the model is built to our standard specification is the reason for its competative price."

[Andrij]

I'm pretty sure it's a Campionissimo model.

From the catalogue of the time:

"A first class frame for the beginner, yet light enough to be used as a racing frame. The frame is handbuilt with the quality and precision of the dearer frames of the Mercian range, and is made throughout in Reynolds 531 double butted tubing. The fact that the model is built to our standard specification is the reason for its competative price."

Thank you! 

1981 Catalogue

EDIT: corrected link

[токамак]

I hope you're planning to build that lovely old frame up into a fixed wheel posing machine!

[Andrij]

I hope you're planning to build that lovely old frame up into a fixed wheel posing machine!

ROTFLMAO!

My old bike (pic) will one day become my ss/fixed bike.  The Mercian will end up with a fair number of gears most likely courtesy of Shimano, as well as mudguards.  Don't tell bobb. 

[токамак]

What's the rear dropout spacing? This may limit the number of gears you'll be able to get in there.

[Andrij]

130.

[bobb]

A frame of that age would surely have 126 spacing, no?

EDIT: And yeah - you need to be getting some serious retro Campag for that frame!!

[Andrij]

Unless I've measured incorrectly it is 130.  When I send it for the respray I'll make sure it is reset to 130.

If this was a pure restoration project I'd be on the hunt for 'period' components but that's not my goal.  Maybe once I've built up a proper stable...

[bobb]

Maybe. Old steel frames have a tendency to not being very precise. My old skool frame measures 128. I would bet on my mother's life that your frame would have been built to 126 from its age. But who knows what has been done to it in its lifetime?

Anyway, those lovely (what look like long Campag) dropouts deserve better than modern Shimano!!

[токамак]

130 is useful. My 1980-something Raleigh Randonneur, which is 126mm, is limited to 7 speed. I don't really find this a problem, but I did have to be careful finding the right STI shifters - I found a pair of new-old-stock 7 speed/tripple shifters on Ribble, but 130 should give you many more options.

[pumpkin]

You can re-use non re-usable cable ties.
When fitting it, don't cut the bit that you pull to tighten it.
To remove, get a pair of pliers and pinch the square that you pass the cable through, at the corners. Pinch opposite (diagnal) corners together. This should open up the hole which you pass the cable through enough for you to be able to release the cable tie.
It works better with larger sized cable ties. But you can only do it a few times because you weaken the structure of the square each time you do it.

Penny-pinching or what! Zip ties are pence for a bagful and if you go nr. any building site they are generally liberally scattered across the road.

[pumpkin]

I hope you're planning to build that lovely old frame up into a fixed wheel posing machine!

My thought exactly. Charlotte has that 'spectacular' green Mercian and I think this needs to look a bit standout

Re that pump, just order the Park Tool PMP-5  It's a one-size frame pump,it's made by Park Tools, it has a hole for a pump-peg at one end, it's £20.

[Charlotte]

I don't have a green Mercian.  Mine's black and silver