Help me build my dream bike.

[nightrider]

Bruce,my LBS thinks it should take a modern groupset,although I will double check before I fork out. This bike will be a fair weather bike and be used for social club runs and maybe 100km audax rides. I have a couple of more practical bikes. I expect to spend more time polishing this than riding it.
What seat post should I go for? Steel,alloy or carbon?

[Brucey]

if you are going for more modern stuff, arguably anything goes.  But if it were my bike I'd fit an aluminium or Ti seat pin; it varies with how the binder is executed of course, but IME not all carbon ones are stiff enough that they are reliably held (without risk of damage to the binder arrangement itself) in a steel frame.

cheers

[fd3]

I think it's compass cycles (but I could be wrong) who do a 125 rear hub that takes modern cassettes.  I think if you want indexed gears on the down tube you will need to go with that or bar end shifters. 
Indexed shifters are not all that, imo either you have brifters or you don't.

What you really need for that bike is 650b wheels that will allow you to ride wider tyres and fit mudguards - with long drop brakes.  If you run fixed gear you can avoid the whole indexed gears issue...
(This is an entirely facetious comment based on a set of wheels I'm selling).

[nightrider]

I won't be going back to fixed unfortunately. I was thinking of a triple or a compact. I will however consider a titanium seat post.How compliant are they and how do they interact with steel?

[DuncanM]

While I appreciate your motivations, and admire the sentiment, if I were you I would make sure that this bike would fit comfortably before buying lots of bits for it.
I have something that might resonate with you - a Peugeot Athena with a lugged 653 frame, some original Campag Athena bits and some oldish upgrades (eg 8 speed Ergo levers, skeleton brakes, clincher wheels).   
Thing is, while it fitted me years ago when I bought it, it simply doesn't fit me any more.  I suspect I could make it fit with new threadless forks, a new stem and bars, but it would have lost so much character I would be better off with a new bike. I wish I'd kept all the original bits now (downtube shifters, shiny clip/strap pedals, tubular rims (Mavic GP4 I think) etc) so I could return it to it's proper original state. The only reason to ride it now is nostalgia, and in that case, why not do the whole nostalgia thing properly?
Having said all that, if it fits you, and it's just a sunny days bike, put whatever groupset and wheels you like on it and enjoy it! 

[nightrider]

Why doesn't it fit anymore Duncan? What size bike is it and how much do you want for it ?

[DuncanM]

I've got significantly less flexible over the years, so even putting a tall Nitto stem on it still can't bring the bars up far enough to allow me to ride without neck pain.
I just measured it, and I think it's 54cm centre of BB to centre of top tube, and also 54cm centre of headtube to centre of seattube. I also took a couple of pictures. I'd like to keep the saddle, but I've got a Flite titanium that would suit the bike. I've been using it on the turbo, so it's got the wrong skewer on the back - I've got a matching blue one somewhere. Also, I've not cleaned it for the pictures, so it's not as shiny as it could be in these pictures! The chrome isn't as good as it looks from distance, especially around the fork crown, but it polishes up and looks good from a distance.
IMG_20170805_162524 by duncancmartin, on Flickr
IMG_20170805_162533 by duncancmartin, on Flickr
IMG_20170805_162545 by duncancmartin, on Flickr

The tyres are basically new, as is the bar tape.
If you like what you see, PM me.
Cheers
Duncan

[hubner]

Sorry to say that Peugeot is much too small for its owner and also the OP!

[fd3]

Maybe to small, but all the parts may move seamlessly onto the other frame.

[DuncanM]

Maybe to small, but all the parts may move seamlessly onto the other frame.

It would be an inexpensive way to kit out a new frame with modern classic type kit, but it's not really the way I would want to build a dream bike if I had the cash to pick and choose. Though the stem and the Flite would probably still make it if I was doing it from scratch. 
Cheers
Duncan

[Brucey]

I think it's compass cycles (but I could be wrong) who do a 125 rear hub that takes modern cassettes.....

I think they have had such things (which will accept a shortened cassette of course) but don't list them at present. In truth you may as well use a shimano 7s hub as suggested upthread; it'll do pretty much the same job.

cheers

[nightrider]

I've had the tape measure out and it seems to be 130mm between the dropouts,so hopefully this should make it easier. It is threaded at the bottom bracket however. I am thinking of putting a modern headset on but they do seem to be all in black and I prefer silver. Same goes with the seat post I like shiny stuff.
The funny thing is I'm quite warming to the idea of a older group set if I can find one. Once I find out what I can do. I will be able to have some wheels made up.

[Samuel D]

Shimano 7400! Best-looking cranks of all time?

[Brucey]

It is threaded at the bottom bracket however.

well yes it will be. The question is whether it is BSC or Italian threaded.

cheers

[Biggsy]

I am thinking of putting a modern headset on but they do seem to be all in black and I prefer silver.

If modern doesn't necessarily mean cartridge bearing then how about NOS silver Campag Record off eBay?  They're available in 1 1/8" threadless, 1" threaded and 1" threadless.  I see only one at the moment that's definitely the latter, so be quick if that's the version you'll need.  They take normal bearing balls but share one advantage of cartridges by having replaceable loose races to save the cups ever wearing out -- although you may need to buy another whole headset to get the spares (might not need to be exactly the same version).  The threadless ones have a grease port as well (bottom).

[nightrider]

I've put a silver Record headset on,plus a nice shiny De Da seat post in silver. I've decided to go for modern group set simply because they offer more forgiving gear ratios. I'm 56 years old unfit and weigh about 15st. So I'm thinking of a Campagnolo compact group set. I've always rode Shimano however now fancy the famous Italian brand mainly,if I'm honest, for aesthetics.
Keeping to the Campagnolo theme,what do you think of their factory wheel-sets?

[Veloman]

I've put a silver Record headset on,plus a nice shiny De Da seat post in silver. I've decided to go for modern group set simply because they offer more forgiving gear ratios. I'm 56 years old unfit and weigh about 15st. So I'm thinking of a Campagnolo compact group set. I've always rode Shimano however now fancy the famous Italian brand mainly,if I'm honest, for aesthetics.
Keeping to the Campagnolo theme,what do you think of their factory wheel-sets?

With all due respect, you will probably be above the weight limit for the wheels and a purpose built 32 hole pair might be wiser.

[nightrider]

Veloman I remember you we rode together on a windy 200k in Lincolnshire!
I was wondering about the weight problem and I have been known to hammer a pair of Aksiums into submission.The wheels the LBS wanted me to buy were  Zondos at about £444 or so.
How much would a nice set of open pros made into wheels cost?

[Veloman]

Veloman I remember you we rode together on a windy 200k in Lincolnshire!
I was wondering about the weight problem and I have been known to hammer a pair of Aksiums into submission.The wheels the LBS wanted me to buy were  Zondos at about £444 or so.
How much would a nice set of open pros made into wheels cost?

Ah yes!  It was the year I had Community Aquired Pneumonia and was just testing myself to see if LEL was a reality or fantasy: after the ride I applied for my partial refund and then volunteered at Brampton so it was 2013.

I'll forward some build options.  By the way, my audax wheels of choice are 32 spoke count and I realise that having reliable wheels is very important for someone like myself who is above the weight of such wheels and also well above the weight of Mavic wheels when total weight (rider + bike) is considered.

[Veloman]

How about these:

http://www.wheelsmith.co.uk/powertap-c10at/pav%C3%A9

Record with Sapim CX-Ray for £495 or £395 with ACI DB.

Worth poking around the site.

Or give Mike Conway an e-mail as he has built me some brilliant wheels and is not expensive:

http://blog.23mm.co.uk/

Although his site shows many carbon wheels, he loves the old style stuff and will readily give some good advice on what might be suitable.

Zondas are OK, and rather like Kysrium Elite have 'blind' spoke holes which are not great for replacing spokes should the need arise.  You will also need the spoke kit!

I was a Askium/Elite user until I realised that I needed 'proper' wheels after having a spoke break on an Elite at the halfway point on a 300km audax and no rear brake as the factory built wheel went 'boing' and well out of true; it was a fun ~160km to the finish with the wheel all over the place.  Mike made me wheels that easily matched the weight of what was factory built in terms of Campag or Mavic and I have not looked back since.

[Brucey]

(old style) Open Pros are nice rims but if you want to go belt and braces, +50-60g per rim buys you some very much stronger rims, such as H+Son Archetypes.

New Open Pros are the same weight as old ones but are considerably stiffer.

In both cases I'd imagine that losing a spoke in a 28h front wheel would be much like losing a spoke in a 32 hole front built with an old style open pro.

 So for audax use consider a new style of rim 28F 32R and if you go to 32F 36R with H+ son rims you are well into the territory that is suitable for occasional use with a touring load.

 With old style Open Pros I'd suggest 32F 36R for optimum reliability in audax use; four extra spokes in the rear weighs ~35g but makes for a much stronger wheel.

cheers

[nightrider]

I've decided to go handbook. Open pro rims with Campagnolo Record hubs. 32 spokes per wheel. Thanks for the input fellow bike geeks.

[Rupert]

I am considering selling my Bob Jackson 953 frameset at the moment if interested.  I am 6'-0" tall and it was built for me in 2008.  PM me if interested for more details

[nightrider]

Sounds good Rupert but I now have a frame. Try selling it on here or keep it.