Zinger

Just truing up wheels shouldn't be a big deal or, imo, require a tension gauge. It would however require a basic cheap truing stand so that you can turn the wheel back and forth to make sure it's running centered according to whatever your using to sight it with......usually just a bolt threaded up to beside your rim.

It does take some patience and you'll only want to make your adjustments about a quarter turn of the spoke wrench at a time.....usually along two or three spokes along one side of the run-out areas. Sometimes, if the spokes seem pretty tight, you might have to loosen on one side as you tighten the other.

I realize though that I've practiced dialing things in for decades, as a machinist, and this might be a little frustrating considering that wheels have 32 or 36 places to adjust. If so I'm guessing some LBS could probably true it or tell you if the rim is too shot from some crash. They might even have a spoke tension gauge to put on it so you won't be busting a spoke on the road.

Good luck with your Fuji.
And I love those Suntour derailleurs.

LAJ

This is being delivered this week. Since crit racing seems to be a little detrimental to my health, I'm going to try this stuff. I've never built a TT bike, so I think it will be fun.

Zinger

+1 on the Jobst Brandt book. An older edition has been what I've used, although there are other guides out there I'll have to admit not yet reading. Lots of good spoke length calculators out there on the internet nowadays though.

Knowing how to true a wheel can be essential if you bend a rim out on the road, btw. You'd have to loosen all around, bend the rim back over some object like a tree limb, and true & tighten it back up on the upside down bike.....been there, done that.

jyl

I've started working on converting a '61 Bianchi Specialissima to a 650B randonneur. Yesterday I got a harebrained idea about combining the original Campagnolo Gran Sport/Record Strada drivetrain with an IGH hub. The guys in Bicycle Mechanics are having a good laugh at my expense. The other option, which will probably make more sense, is triplize + long cage RD. The frame is soaking in OA and I'm struggling to remove a freewheel sans remaining removal notches. So, very early days on this build. I'm actually at the "de-build" stage.

Spoke

I retired in April 2013. My first post retirement project was to build a new ride. I started with a titanium frame from Motobecane (BikesDirect.com), bought a Shimano Ultegra triple 10-speed group set, a set of Mavic Ksyrium Equipe S wheels and a few other components to complete the build. I set the frame up in a stand in my home office and added one or two things a week. After a couple of months the build was done and I took it out a ride; it is now my go-to bike. I am not the handiest wrenching on a bike, but by taking it nice and slow, the build and the ride has given me much pleasure. Enjoy!

Ride On,
Spoke

Doug64

PX 10 is all French threaded; parts may not be easy to find.

scott967

Looks very nice. I am rebuilding my 84 Fuji Touring. So far I have stripped the frame and about ready to powder coat it. It isn't a real restoration, more of getting back in good shape for future use (it has been my commuter/bad weather/off-road option. I'm replacing the BB and headset, other than that I think I am keeping the rest of the components I have (other than chain/freewheel/cables but that's a given). This thing has the Suntour Mountech RD which I guess has a bad rep and I was thinking about getting a Shimano Deore off flea-bay but probably will just remount the Mountech and see how it goes.

I was thinking dark blue for the paint but I'm not 100% sold on that. The original was gray-silver that I don't find so great (on steel, I think your Ti looks good), or at least I am tired of it.

scott s.
.

BluesDawg

I'm not sure if will happen during the winter or in the early spring, but once my name comes to the top of his list, Nate Zukas, an up and coming builder in Augusta, GA, will be building a custom steel frame for my idea of the ultimate gravel road bike. Once the frame is done, I'll get busy building it up.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nate-zukas/

Barrettscv 

Mine will just need a wheelset and the derailleurs.

tcs

Darn, my winter (re)build is finished and it's not even Thanksgiving. Dr. David Hon's masterpiece, a 1986 DaHon Classic III:



New Q/Rs, Schwalbe Marathon Racers, Sun alloy rims, Tektro R559 front caliper, Koolstop Continental pads, Shimano straight-bar levers, cork grips, Spurcycle bell, Sturmey-Archer DLS30 shifter, MKS Ezy AR-2 pedals, Gyes GS-17A saddle. So much fun.

Dan Burkhart 

I have at least one winter build project in the que, and possibly two.
The for sure project will involve my number one grandson who has outgrown the bike he and I built up two years ago. That time, I had everything prepared so he and I could do the build together in one day. This time, I will involve him in the process from the get go.
The platform is a curb find vintage steel frame mountain bike of decent quality, but it has been extremely uglified with gold spray paint over every part of it.
Not sure of the brand, hoping to find a decal when we strip the paint off.
Not sure yet if the project will involve building wheels. It will depend on what the hubs look like inside I guess.
Looking forward to spending some quality time with him.

rck

While I'm not planning on doing a bike build this winter, I'm giving some thought to having my Dean titanium bike unbuilt and moving the parts to a new frame. I really like the geometry on my old c-dale st400, however, like me it is getting a little old and creaky. The Dean rarely gets used because with that shorter wheelbase, it rides like a brick on the roads around here. I'm giving some serious thought to a light tourer Waterford steel frame. They are a bit pricey but are made in Wi. not all that far from here. I just need to convince myself to spend the dime. I don't know why I'm struggling with that as I've certainly spent more on less!

fietsbob

In advance of Last winter I Changed the Handlebars on my studded Tire Bike to albatross, so I could sit Up More..

scored a Bullmoose bar-stem combo so I may change it again. should have done a rattle can paint job , in spots ..

still havent repainted after the dropout replacement 15 years ago.

should rent the Chamfering cutters so I can do the proper Installation of my Mountain drive Crank on my Brompton
cutting the edge of the BB shell and adding their compressible conic grip washers .. It has a recurring creak.

JanMM

Planning to replace the shift cables/housing on the tandem during the dark months. That's a start.

ddeand 

I just picked up this hardtail frame for a winter build - should be an interesting learning experience!

Barrettscv 

I got the craving for a bike suitable for the Strada Bianche. To me this means room for 700x30 tires with fenders, center-pull brakes, pre1975, and something with some association with the Grand Tours of a bygone era.

I saw this Peugeot that Rocketsauce posted: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...l#post17249439

It's now arrived in Chicago. It will fit perfectly, it's dent free and ready for a new life.

It lacks a Reynolds 531 sticker, but it's as light as my 1972 Paramount.

Also, any suggestions for cleaning the frame and touching up the paint?

Barrettscv 

I sent the Peugeot out for a repaint by a local restoration expert who does work for Colnago. It will come back in February.

79pmooney

I have a project waiting for me. It's a currently rideable bike but weighs a ton. Schwinn LeTour Lux set up as a winter commuter with SORA triple, racks front and rear and fenders. Need to comb the local shops for a decent '80s sport bike set up for 27". (Put my 700cs on and I will have room for fenders and big tires.)

In the process, I will replace the SORA crankest (I think it is steel, it weighs so much!). It will stay triple as it will go over the Portland hills a few times, sometimes loaded with farmer's market produce. Gearing will stay 7 speed FW with SunTour shifters including the top mounted auto-adjust DT shifters. (Really sweet shifting, best I have ever had even with old school 7 speed! Just need to have DT skills which I have.)

Wheels are keepers. Phil hubs laced 4X with light butted spokes to Mavic rims. Current spokes will go 2 more rims so these wheels hae a few years in them before I have to do much. Brakes are Mafac Racer front, DiaCompe centerpull rear and work just fine. Levers will be Tektro. (Current ones were crashed and rideable but the plastic is cracked.)

No rush, but this bike will see a lot more use after I replace the frame and crankset.

Ben

Dan Burkhart 

You're using a mountain drive on a Brompton? I would have thought that would call for a speed drive.

fietsbob

M3L The low range uses the same 3 AW3 gears again , 54:15 "21.6":15 3rd to 4th is a double shift at same time*

SZpecial for Brompton the torque strut uses a knob that sits on top of the frame part behind the BB that has the rear fold pivot .

speed drive, of note, a 34-'54' requires the BB shell chamfering since that is the torque transfer, friction ..
since the overdrive, pushing air for speed, is not the torque load that a reduction gear + Gravity on a hill has ..

made the last part of the noises go away by taking off the EZ shift plates, over the crank arms. [they do make hitting the center button easier]
a running change was replacing the center button so the cover is magnetically connected . rather than just the bending at the pedal end springing back.

Think the crank arm flexing moves it away from the shift-plate cover, then clicks when the force past BDC is released.


* R'off does that internally between 7&8th .. no double clutching needed , just a bit of pedaling force hesitation..




There are coast range mountains to deal with Here, the Columbia changed course to go around them ..


OTOH the Ice ages pretty well leveled eastern Alberta. and into PQ. but did gouge out a few lakes in the process.