Hi guys. I am planning to put together a bike for city riding and a little bit of touring. It'll be my primary transportation, at least until I cut enough weight and rehab my knee enough to start really enjoying my fixed gear bike again.
I would really appreciate some feedback & guidance on my plan. It goes like this:
1) Pick up a vintage steel frame. Went looking for a Bianchi, but came across a pretty nice-looking Gios Compact that seems to make a lot of sense.
2) Put some modern 700c wheels on it. I feel like a cretin saying it, but I really love the look of Velocity Deep V wheels, and I know that they're very tough for city riding.
3) Quill stem and original-style drop bars with modern brake levers/hoods actuating modern dual-pivot calipers. No integrated shifters or fat/aero/ergo bars.
4) Internal gear hub.
I expect that's contentious in some circles, but what can I say? I just really, really hate derailleurs for a bike I want to ride every day and just not worry about. Please resist the temptation to offer me an education on how nice derailleurs are if they're set up and maintained properly. I hate the looks and the weight of an IGH, and I hate the thought of sullying a nice Italian frame with one, but it's just the best compromise for my intended usage of this bike. The framesets I'm considering have either horizontal dropouts (Bianchi), or adjustable (Gios).
5) Fenders/mudguards. This is to be an all-weather bike.
My questions:
1) I might BE a jackass, but I don't relish LOOKING like one. Just how awful would it be to do the Deep V's and IGH on a vintage road frame?
2) Would Tektro R540 calipers and RL340 levers work OK with an older frame/fork & bar?
3) Can anyone recommend a hub/shifter combo that is suitable for use with drop bars? I don't like the looks of the hubbub setup: any reason that a twist shifter can't go on the bars up by the quill? I guess there would be interference problems with the brake cable if its run under the tape... I'm aware of people using an indexed 8-speed indexed bar end shifter with an Alfine or Nexus hub via an inline Travel Agent to match the ratios. I'm not sure I want/need that many gears (although I do want that large of a range), and would prefer a simpler setup if one is doable.
4) Is it possible to fit a modern external BB crankset to a late-90's Bianchi or Gios frame?
Thanks a lot for any info or advice.