Well, I'm not quite sure what I'm building anymore. The plan was: Superator - as light, as possible, with Superbe minigruppo, shifters and brakes, SR extra super light crankset, stem and handlebar, possibly seatpost. It seems it's getting more and more French as I get on with it. Firstly, the derailleurs got replaced with Huret Jubilee and the shifters with Simplex SLJ. That can always go onto the next build, Moto C5, if I change my mind. But the brakes I was planning for it, and all the other brakes I had, are slightly too long. I would have to get Suntour CB-4000 and that's another 50-100 bucks (when I already have two sets of CB-4700).
So I have Spidel brakes on the way. And looking for Spidel / Mafac brake levers to match. It's very tempting right now to get it all French (except for the rim, there are no French clincher rims worth considering, other than Module 3, and these are not readily available and not in 32H configuration anyway). But that means weight calculations will go out through the window. If I use Spidel 105bix crankset I have, that adds probably 50g to the project. That would require another set of pedals (another 100g). Stem I have (Belleri forged) is good 60g heavier than SR R-ESL. Belleri handlebars add another 50g to the build. Any pedals I can get are another 100g... Not that the weight actually matters that much, but 250g when you're trying to get below 8kg mark does make a difference. Not mentioning that I took on these projects to downsize the collection of parts and components and now have several more things on their way...

Whilst I think what to do about this problem, I decided to do some parts inventory and cleaning. Firstly, going through the 35x1mm bottom bracket cups I have (one Swiss, the rest are French) and see whether any BB axle I have would work with Sugino cups I have to use with Spidel Crankset. The answer is no, I seem to have Italian versions of Suntour Sprint and Sugino MW. In the first case, the taper doesn't fully clear the cup, be it with caged bearings or loose bearing balls. This was meant for my commuting bike with Swiss threaded SR cups, but thankfully I do have cartridge bearing Tifosi carbon, which is just a little bit longer and still ISO, so it should hopefully work fine with the Sprint crankset. I also have another SR Royal spindle on the way and that one should be nearly perfect, providing it's not pitted too badly. Sugino MW fits the crankset very well, but this one is a bit too short at 114mm. And the taper barely clears the adjustable cup. I've got a TA Specialities 116mm spindle, so here's hoping that one will work with Sugino cups.




Belleri handlebar and stem, whichever bike they go on, will need different brake levers and normal handlebar tape. Motobecane rubber covers had to come off. Thanks heaven I've done it before and figured out the technique, so hopefully this time I won't be getting blisters. Now it will be time to get on with polishing all this stuff. Something I don't look forward to...