Originally Posted by
Dirtdrop
What made you decide to use the threadless stem adapter insted of a quill stem?
That's the one decision I'm kinda unhappy about. I was thinking that using the threadless and stem adaptor would let me mess with different stem lengths without the pain of re-wrapping the bars every time, and having to drop $$$ on Nitto stems each time. Given the difference in top tube configuration I was nervous about the length being wrong. In the end I think I picked the right length based on my best guess, anyway, so it turned out to be a moot point. It could get a quill in the future, once my bank account recovers!
As for the top tube... yeah I wanted a straight top tube. But alas, my budget couldn't take it. The Sam Hillborne is 1/2 the price of an A. Homer Hilsen, which is the one I would have gotten. The slope is Grant's way of getting the handlebars way up there. He calls it "expanded frame geometry" to contrast it with "compact frame geometry" used by most modern manufacturers. The idea is that rather than having two inches of head tube standing above the top tube with little support, the top tube is sloped up to support it.
I know people are looking at all the modern parts... but I tried really hard to use stuff that at least is of vintage design or is vintage looking. The saddle, brake calipers, handle bars, shifters, pedals, clips, straddle hangers, bottle cages, and straps are all either remakes of vintage equipment, or designed to be very like original vintage parts. I run the same pedals on my '71 Peugeot, for example, and they look right at home. The bottle cages are copies of 30's French equipment. The shifters are re-pops of the SunTour Sprints (they are identical except the SunTours have a bit better finish). The saddle is a Brooks clone, the straps are Christophe (what's more vintage than that?), the clips are MKS and have been in production for 30+ years. The brakes are modernized versions of the MAFAC Criterium. The fenders are copies of 50's French fenders. The levers are copies of Campagnolo ergos (which are now 17 years old). The Nitto bars have been in production for many many years. Phil Wood hubs are real vintage equipment. It has a freewheel! Really the only equipment that's just plain new are the derailleurs, the stem, and the rims. If you saw any of the other equipment on a vintage bike you wouldn't even blink, I think. I had to get tough rims because I am 230lbs and with overnight gear the bike might have to carry 260lbs.
Karl