Bandera

At the risk of Heresy non-British mixtes would serve perfectly well for a distinguished scholars' transport.
Finding a mixte in thin-walled high strength tubing like 531 or Japanese 4130 CroMoly might take an extended search.

Late 70's to mid-80's quality Japanese machines had the horizontal dropouts necessary for your IGH project, clearance for fenders and rack mounts. They are more common and command low prices vs. contemporary British and French machines. A Miyata, Panasonic (they made Schwinn models as well) or Nishiki would be a good rider, less visible and more easily replaced than a 531 Brit-bike. A campus environment is a tough environment for bicycles, and livers.
Even in Hi-Ten tubing they are much lighter and livelier than a plootering about Sport.

-Bandera

arex

I think sixty-fiver is running 700x32's with fenders. 37's or 38's will maybe fit without fenders...it's a crapshoot at that size. I was able to fit 700x37 Continentals on mine, but 700x38 Schwalbe Marathons don't clear the fork crown at all.

JMONAY

Oh, I have a few non-British bikes pulled up just now that I'm looking at. Plus, I suppose I could move the components onto a 531 frame once I either have enough money or get out of school.

JMONAY

That is stunning, oh man I love it

jiangshi

He is not to be trusted, anything you buy there will be in terrible shape, cross threaded parts, cobbled together junk, and stuff that was left out all year and power washed to look shiny.

Try Sic Transit for older stuff, pricey, but done right.

JMONAY

Ah, fair enough. Actually I've always passed by Sic Transit when riding home from work but it was always too late and closed - Meant to check it out but never have. I guess I will sometime. There's also this shop at maiden lane and broadway that specializes in old bikes but the guys didn't seem very friendly or patient when I stopped in there.

3alarmer 

...as a rule, bikes with slacker angles do better with loads. That's why touring bikes look the way they do.

For what you are talking about doing, you will be disappointed by folding baskets. I think you can still buy
the one piece double rear baskets brand new, but in a college town like Ann Arbor the used ones must be all over the place.

JMONAY

Yeah, I know the slacker angles are better for loads, I just don't understand exactly why. Also, thanks for catching this - in what way will I be disappointed by folding baskets? Are they not good for loads that weigh more than a gallon of milk or for textbooks?
I saw this post on a blog that I follow while I was thinking about baskets, and it looks to me like it carries her work bag just fine. On my current bike, my basket is actually attached with hose clamps which makes me hesitant with putting heavier things directly IN the basket. I never put my milk in the basket right now; I have a "special" cardboard box with holes cut in it that I tie to my rack on shopping trips. I figured the brackets that came on the Wald baskets were at least stronger than my current setup, shown below. Of course, I could be wrong.



And yeah, I saw one of those double baskets at the re-use center but it was for $20. I was hoping for something cheaper but I didn't look very hard, either. The stuff there is kind of pricey, though.

Road Fan

If you really look around in AA you will see a lot of everyday bikes that are 531 or other similar high-strength, light gauge tube sets. There is some thing to the price, but really in this town the response usually is "ugh, steel, heavy," not "that's too good for everyday." And honestly 531 double butted tube sets are physically very robust. Not too many folks will appreciate the difference between your Sport and someone else's Raleigh Pro or International. So yes, vintage 531 is viable for our environment.

Over my years here I've heard a lot of good stories about many shops and bad news about a few. I would not go to Campus unless I needed an old part, where I would know that what they have is actually what I need. I don't really need them to build a bike for me or anything else. I really like Great Lakes, which I live close to. If you are getting along well with the folks at Midwest, go there. I appreciate what Sic Transit is doing and has accomplished, surprised, actually.

Your thought that frame geometry has something to do with carrying loads is mistaken. What you need is a frame with fender and rack eyelets, especially in the rear. Then you can add either a cheapish Pletcher rack or a higher-end Dacia or Tubus. To those you can attach a good-sized book bag, or improvise big panniers using kitty litter buckets. But more convenient probably is a good messenger bag, like a Timbuktu or similar, which slings quickly over your back, can carry dozens of pounds and can be used for all your hauling: books, workout, beer, groceries, et cetera. Any of these steel frames can carry a student commuting around town and campus, probably anyone even north of 300 #. Your steel frame just needs to be the right size for you so the seat tube and stem fit the frame safely.

If you're really looking forward at carrying 50-60# of gear on the back, you probably need to get a real cargo bike, rather than a used racing roadie or a flexy ladies' Sport.

JMONAY

Dang, you answered so many of my questions. Thank you. I am planning to install a Pletcher rack on whichever frame I get. I may get one of the larger Timbuktu bags or something similar when I find something of that price to be a worthwhile purchase. I just found a Raleigh Olympian 555sl for $120, seems to be in nice shape. Do you know if that bike or tubing is worth getting or should I just wait for a real 531 bike?

3alarmer 

...the best attachment without actual braze on fittings on the stays is done with your lowers in the fender eyes on the dropouts,
and your uppers mounted to vinyl coated or rubber padded P clamps of the appropriate size for your seat stays. Hardware store item.

jiangshi

Sic Transit IS at Maiden Ln and Broadway. The owners (Micheal-not Mike, and Joe) can be a bit put offish, but they do know their stuff, and have somehow managed to turn a former bike flipping venture into a real business.

JMONAY

Whoops, my mistake. I must have seen their back end not knowing it was actually Sic Transit - I only recognized their showroom/store front that faces Swift because of the sign. Worth a second try, I suppose.

Grillparzer

I bought a Torker Graduate about five years ago with a X-RD5 rear hub and had trouble with it. I lost first gear the first time I removed the tire to fix a flat and, despite the efforts of two mechanics and my own clumsy, Internet guided attempts, never could get the hub adjusted properly afterwards. The disc brakes worked fine, but were noisy. I assume that had something to do with the need to remove the dust cap and pour water out of the hub periodically. I bought the Graduate the first year it came out and Torker made changes to the model during the next year's run, although they kept the hub that year. I never complained to the company, but I assume others did. If you go to their website now, they've abandoned the X-RD5 on the Graduate and changed to an external derailleur system.

JMONAY

Sheldon Brown's site also says that SA's newer 5-speed hubs had trouble up until maybe 2009, maybe later but it's not clear. They have been through quite a few redesigns in the last decade. I've also heard some good stories about the hub outlasting the frames they were put in; however, info and reviews about the 5-speeds are very limited on the internet. Thanks for your account, though. Since both you and Sheldon Brown's site have given warnings, I should probably think about other possibilities. I suppose if I do end up getting the hub, it would be a gamble. It reminds me of the situation with the SW hub they had nearly 60 years ago. I have one on my '58 and consider myself very lucky that it still works perfectly.

Pashley still uses these hubs on some of their bikes, probably to keep it all British, but I guess I could also check out reviews on those to see if any hub issues spring up. I didn't think about doing that before.

JMONAY

Another update:
Hmm, so the bike here seems to be more along the lines of what you guys have been suggesting: a Super Course with my hubs of choice.



Not gonna lie, the idea has grown on me a lot since day 1 and y'all have taught me so much. I think what I will most likely end up doing is purchasing and (maybe partially) modifying the Sports since I love them and I found a bargain, but then keep looking for a decently-priced 531 frame to move as many components as I can onto. I'll probably then hold on to the Sports, return it to stock, and keep riding it for fun once I get the 531 frame. I'd like for the old AW hub to see some more miles anyway and what I wanted more than anything was to just have another Sports. It's silly, I know

noglider 

And don't get hung up on 531. There are many other good sets of tubing that are light and strong and give a good ride. 531 is just the most famous. And for what it's worth, it's pronounced five-three-one, not five thirty-one, because it's a ratio.

Velognome 

But there cheap and plentiful....and why don't they print the decal 5:3:1....my guess is the ratio is branded making it five thirty one?

-Drift-

and it's not even snowing

JMONAY

Ooh ... did not know that. There's hardly anyone I talk to in real life about vintage bike stuff, so thanks for the pronunciation heads up.

JMONAY

Drifting? Snow? I'm actually kinda bummed out it hasn't legitimately snowed in Michigan yet this year. For one, I have been looking forward to riding through the snow again in my old Sports despite the wet-steel-wheel problems. Being so heavy, it rides well and I have yet to fall in the snow while riding it. Going sideways is fun, too. Second, being a car enthusiast and home for the holidays meant I was going to fling my old station wagon around the snowy curves on empty roads just like I used to. Sadly, I have been unable to do either. If it's gonna be cold, give me snow! Whatever, I digress.

JMONAY

Actually, do you mind if I ask you what sort of upgrades and components you bought? Just so I have sort of an idea if I do something similar in the future