JonR - a good point if it wasn't for Shimano. As well as my wages, I'm gonna need all my birthday money (thank god for my wages, parents and a wealthy grandma) to get the bike back upto scratch. At the moment it's a twenty one speed mix of Shimano XT, Suntour XC Pro, Shimano LX, Unknown Campagnolo rear derailleur some of which is seriously on it's last legs (student budget maintenance*)... Basically, if anything goes really wrong on the bike, I'm going to have to make the move to 27 speed which means new rear hub and cassette, B/B, cranks, derailleurs and shifters - all of which is gonna be bl**dy expensive.

The good news is the cost of repairing the frame. It's a custom fillet brazed steel frame and the drive-side chain stay has been gouged by the chain so many times (see previous*) a small crack has appeared. The brilliant news is that it's only £47 to have the stay replaced after which it'll need a respray. It'll be shot blasted down to the steel, etch dipped and etch primed, several layers of colour with a bake in between each one, all new decals and several coats of laquer (all baked) so it'll look brand new again (the paints knackered at the moment, mainly battle scars form Scotland but it's been bashed around in my parents garage for 7 years !) - the good news is that a single colour job is only £53 for frame and forks (Project 2s). I'm using the bike in a couple of weeks on holiday but then it's upto Newcastle-upon-tyne for a restoration !