KvltBryce

Alright, alright. I realized that I had another thread dedicated to this frame, but this thread is going to track the build progress. It'll have a better "flow," if you will.

It started with me receiving a frame from Kurt (NOS KG86), after months of drooling and waiting. I decided that I was going to reward my progress at school and work with a new bike (oh, how we justify things ) After the frame was safe and sound in my room, I started accumulating components for the build. I decided that I was going to go for an all French build; all French for originality/something different, and in homage to the Badger.

Little did I know how difficult it would be to do an all-french build. Anyway, pictures!

KvltBryce

Bianchigirll 

I love it! Looks good so far.

PDXaero

no mavic 331 seatpost? no mavic 351 bars? You better have some sweet mavic 631 cranks waiting in the wings...

Gary Fountain

Love this project - such a great idea. Nice photos too. Thanks for showing me.

RFC

Great execution. I am getting ready to do the next iteration of my KG96 in 7-speed DA with DT shifters.

gaucho777 

Awesome. The Mavic parts look great on the frame. Can't wait to see it built up.

ftwelder

That will be one hot bike.

Michael Angelo 

Very Cool, nice build.

KvltBryce

Thanks a lot, BG!



If you have a magic source of a 25.0mm seatpost made by Mavic, please please share!

I reallllly wanted the 351 Bars, but couldn't justify $250.00 for a set, maybe there will be a set at the bike swap on the 10th. But I am really liking the black bars.

KvltBryce

Thanks thanks!
I am really excited for that, We'll have to get a LOOK, AZ club going

KvltBryce

Thanks all for the nice words! By far my favorite build I have done thus far. I am thinking of red accents throughout, but suggestions are always welcome!
I have a lot of respect for the reg's around here, and their opinions on builds

qcpmsame 

Beautiful build going on with the Look frame and the components you have so far. That is a very unique frame construction, very substantial lugs and the CF fabric weave looks good the way it is presented. Looking forward to seeing her when she is complete.

Bill

KvltBryce

Thanks, Bill!
Just finished putting my wheels and new saddle on. Pics shortly

RFC

A great bike. And now my chance to post my KG96 photos for inspiration. Unfortunately, I don't have the original fork.

Here it is with 8-speed DA and STI.


And in SS mode:



Soon to go to 7-speed DA DT.

cudak888 

The bars and brakes had me hooked the moment I saw them. Superb build.

I'd stick with the 25.0 Campag post; it compliments the stem (3TTT?) very well.

-Kurt

KvltBryce

Inspirational for sure! That fork fits with the frame well, although not original. it LOOKs great.
Make sure to post a picture of the DA build!

(I am a sucker for wordplay and puns ahah)

KvltBryce

Thanks Kurt!
I really do like the seatpost, and it doesn't bother me too much that it is not French. If I do switch it, it won't be because I am actively looking for a replacement.

As for the stem, It is actually a generic brand that I found on eBay. I really like the way that it is shaped, however the craftsmanship isn't the best. I am thinking of making a 3D model of it, and fab'ing one on my Grandfather's CNC.
He also has some high grade billet aluminum of at his house, maybe I can talk him out of a piece.
However, that would definitely be a summer project. This one will have to do for now. The extension and drop angle of this one are near-perfect fit though.

Chombi

I'm really excited about your all French build for your KG86 Look frameset. There's just not enough 80's C&V high line French builds going on these days!
I think the Mavic 840 drivetrain falls perfectly in place on that frame. I'm wondering what you have been planning for a crankset. You might consider a second version "starfish" Mavic 631 crank when the spider area does not look as massive/bulgy as the first version did. I suspect the later version will be quite a bit lighter too, because of the reduction in spider material. An earlier Mavic 630 crankset might work too, but the 840 RD and shifters seems to match up better with the newer 631s as they were issued at the same time for Mavic's later SSC groupset.
As for the 440 brakeset levers, I do believe that Modolo made other levers with the same shape that will have black hoods. I think the hoods are very hard to find separately, so you might have to buy a whole lever set to get them if a set of hoods do not pop up soon enough.
I'm also wondering what you will put in for a BB. The Mavic BB's good quality, but you have to get your BB shell chamfered for it. I thought of doing that on my Vitus Carbone two years ago when I was building it up first as a "Tout Mavic" build, but I chickened out of chamfering the BB shell faces as it cannot be reversed....never mind trying to find a bike shop with the correct Mavic chamfering tool,........so I used a Stronglight sealed cartridge bearing BB with adjustable cups on both sides (so much easier to service and adjust the BB and chainline, because you do not have to deal with a fixed cup.) instead.
BTW, you might consider doing a "LOOK" pantograph with your grandfather's CNC machine on the stem. I think it could really set it apart from any other stem on any other Look KG.

Good luck and keep us posted on you build!

Chombi

KvltBryce

Chombi, excellent suggestion on the Stronglight BB for this build! I did not even think to look for one made by Stronglight, even though I have a Stronglight crankset coming in the mail. (Stronglight BB + Stronglight crank = Bonus points!) I was looking high and low for a second gen Mavic Crankset, and found one NOS on eBay. I couldn't justify the $300 price tag though
So I found a NOS Stronglight Delta crankset, for a much more reasonable $40. They did not have the chain rings, so enters the other non-French piece on the build, a realllllyyy nice set of FSA chainrings. Although I did just notice a set of Delta chainrings from the same seller, we'll see how it goes. Still undecided.

As far as the LOOK pantographing goes. Holy crap! SUCH a great idea, and I definitely will be doing that. Won't be too hard to add in to a Solidworks drawing, and it will add an immense amount of character to the build. Thanks for the idea!

poprad

Great looking build in progress OP, that is going to be gorgeous. FWIW I like the white hoods in contrast, I think they look good.

Chombi

The clean lines of the Stronglight Delta crankset should work out on your bike as your lugs do have those simple clean lines to them too. Plus it French!, of course....
BTW, a guy at eBay (UK) was selling the ''Carbone" CF covered big ring for the Delta crank at eBay, if you're stil interested in getting it. Last time I checked his auction for them was still on and that was only about a week ago. I'll forward the link to the auction if I find it again...
I have a Delta crank with the "Carbone" CF wrapped big chainring on it in my stash that I'm reserving for hopefully a full Stronglight Delta build on a Vitus 979 aero frame with the oval tubes on it......that is if I ever find one....... I got it for a really good price too about two years ago. I'm surprised that the Delta cranks don't go for more as I thought the Delta line was considered as one of their top of the line models in the mid to late 80's

Chombi

KvltBryce

That's the guy that's bought the crankset from. He had around 10 sets, I have no idea where he got so many. (they are on my watch list )
I was surprised that they were so cheap as well. Especially for NOS. Guess they haven't been driven up because of the name yet.
I am waiting to see if I like the FSA chainrings, before committing to another buy though. The bike budget is almost gone... Although I think I just sold a bike, so it may be refreshed soon.
The Deltas (in the mail) and the chainrings (in my possession) are both 130BCD, so it should work. I have experienced subtle variations with some chainrings though that were supposedly 130BCD though. It's a waiting game now

KvltBryce

Hmmmm, I have some black hoods coming in the mail, I'll take a side-by-side comparison shot and post it when they arrive. But it would definitely be good to consider the white hoods as well.

RFC

BTW, do any of you remember when the Nashbar catalog in the early 90's actually offered one of the Looks? I think it was either the 86 or 96. That catalog got passed around the office among the bike geeks. We all thought it was the coolest frame we had ever seen.