I finally finished this build and delivered it to my friend in Chicago when we visited over the holiday weekend.
I won an auction for a Motobecane branded Sugino crank located in Paris months ago and still haven't received it so I installed a Sugino Mighty Tour for the time being. The Huret Eco isn't a grail derailleur, but it fits the dropout and shifts fine.
The Jubile isn't a racing bike, but it doesn't have a lot of clearance either. Particularly challenging was the interference of the rear fender and the front derailleur. Some judicious work with a hammer and a wine cork followed by a little steel wool and metal polish and you probably wouldn't know I even dimpled it (try that with a plastic fender).
My friend a I did a nice shakedown ride on Saturday. Good thing I did. I found I probably didn't have the rear tire seated properly because when we stopped for a sandwich at my favorite deli the rear tube exploded. Scared the hell out of my riding buddy. Haha! I also found that the adjustable cup threads were damaged and wouldn't allow for proper tightening of the lockring. Thankfully, I had a spare set.
It's a blast to ride and he really likes it. Win!
12 beers in a pannier. Check.
I found some proper Sugino dust caps in my bin and replaced these plastic chrome jobs.
I mounted a Planet Bike Flash to the rear of the Pletscher after this pic was taken. Those things are so bright. I'm talking "hurt your eyes" bright. I could not get the Pletscher clamp to cooperate and said to hell with it. I cut some poplar and rigged it up as seen. It must've been bent. I had to add three washers under one of the mounting bolts at the seat stays to center it with the fender/wheel.
One of my favorite sandwiches. Toasted wheat, KY country ham, sharp white cheddar, lettuce, Dusseldorf and a touch of mayo.
