Members' bikes

[Deano]

How long is the wheel base?!!  It looks like a butcher's bike that's been Tango'd*.

*well, somebody had to say it...

[LEE]

How long is the wheel base?!!  It looks like a butcher's bike that's been Tango'd*.

*well, somebody had to say it...

Looks like a 700c frame with 26" wheels the clearances are so big

[LEE]

My Rennovation is approaching the finish line.

Here is the before



The middle



and (nearly) the end.  Just some Mudguard tweaking, some fine tuning of the derailleur and Bar tape.



Yes, I know the Bar Tape is a bit pink & black , rubberised finish with white stitching but a little S&M never hurt anyone (did it?).  Anyway, it's 22 years old now so it can do what it wants.

[clarion]

That seems to be working rather well.

[LEE]

For the pervs among you (Edit, I was going to use Black tape but finally had to do something to it in order to make it slightly anti-CTC)

[scott]

That's coming along nicely....I'll just imagine red bar tape. 

(why are "red" tapes, pads, etc. almost always pink?)

[LEE]

That's coming along nicely....I'll just imagine red bar tape. 

(why are "red" tapes, pads, etc. almost always pink?)

The problem I have is that almost nothing will be as red as the Mercian paint-job so I thought I wouldn't even try to match it.  I like vulgar bar-tape (see yellow/black on the original)

I don't mind the pink of the bar tape in fact.  If I get sick of it I'll get black tape next time, not red.  I don't particularly like red bar tape (especially after it's been held by oily hands)

[scott]

< slinks away to finish installation of red cotton bar tape >   

[GruB]

Lee,
That looks ace 

[LEE]

Lee,
That looks ace 

Thanks Grub.

Brooks B17 Champion has been ordered (Nice big copper rivets), sod the weight I love the look.

[Maffie]

new bike 

Dolce elite



Pants pic but raining outside lol

[Tom M]

Pics of your pants you say?

[mike]

you're, erm, not tall, are you Maffie?

[Frenchie]

That's a small bike!! 

Nice. Try and raise the saddle up if you can. It will help with the cycling.

[Maffie]

Im very short yes lol. Im just under 5'2 its a 44cm frame reach on the 48 was way too long  first try on it was last night so needs a few tweaks yet.

[ABlipInContinuity]

Im very short yes lol. Im just under 5'2 its a 44cm frame reach on the 48 was way too long  first try on it was last night so needs a few tweaks yet.

A very good thing in a small package. 

Saddle is level with the handle bars... I think the perspective in the picture makes it look lower than it is.

[clarion]

Cool!

Now get out & ride - rain be damned!

[Maffie]

Im very short yes lol. Im just under 5'2 its a 44cm frame reach on the 48 was way too long  first try on it was last night so needs a few tweaks yet.

A very good thing in a small package. 

Saddle is level with the handle bars... I think the perspective in the picture makes it look lower than it is.

there wasnt much room to get a good pic in that room 

[LEE]

Finished (with arrival and fitment of Brooks B17 Champion)



I'm extremely pleased with the result and highly recommend Mercian based on the braze-ons and paint-job they did on this.



In case you were wondering, I bought the bike from Harry Hall's Bicycle shop in Manchester in 1986 (£285 new but I daren't add up what I've spent over the years)

[gordon taylor]

I've finished rebuilding my Surly Cross Check tourer for the North Sea route, starting in three weeks.  The bike is pretty much the same as I used on the Pacific Highway last year, but I've taken the hydraulic brakes off to use them on the tandem. They've been replaced with Cane Creek "V brakes without noodle pipes" matched with Tektro V brake road levers.





The racks are Nitto - both attached to the canti studs. I've gone back to a fixed rear wheel as the route looks flat enough. The frame is a bit big for me, so I use a seatpost with no layback to bring the saddle forward. Bars are the On-One Midge design. Hubs are Surly; tyres are Panaracer TG Pasella - 35mm and 32mm.

[Paul]

Some interesting stuff there, Gordon.

1. Does the front rack attach to anything other than the canti studs?

2. How do the noodleless Vs compare with noodled Vs?

I'm not a huge fan of the Surley, because it looks so industrial, even military to me, but it looks entirely ready for whatever you might be about to throw at it/it at.

[gordon taylor]

Well spotted, Paul. The front rack should have a fastening bit that extends through the brake bolt hole at the top of the forks. I've removed it because it fouls the brake cable and will have to get some 5mm threaded bar and a small P-clip to replace it.

The new brakes? They're OK, but not wonderful. I'll get them bedded-in and try out some fully loaded descents to get a better impression.

I hope you noted the essential BLACK nipples? 

[Paul]

Well spotted, Paul. The front rack should have a fastening bit that extends through the brake bolt hole at the top of the forks. I've removed it because it fouls the brake cable and will have to get some 5mm threaded bar and a small P-clip to replace it.

I'm struggling to picture how the solution works. Will you post a pic, if you have time?

The new brakes? They're OK, but not wonderful. I'll get them bedded-in and try out some fully loaded descents to get a better impression.

Interesting. I'd expect them to be even vetter than Vs, but maybe (like you say) they need to bed in.

I hope you noted the essential BLACK nipples? 

It's quite common, after serious cracking, I hear. Hope they clear up soon

[Frenchie]

Nice work bike Gordon; I would just change the bars were I to ride it!

[Deano]

That is very nice, Gordon - those Tektro levers work nicely, don't they?

I like the gold chain too - it adds just the right bit of colour