ryansu

Does that come with a cloaking device I'm just happy when my friction set up works correctly- hats off sir

repechage

RiddleOfSteel

Unfortunately no, though the black does a good enough job of stealth all by itself!

RiddleOfSteel

Finding a wire guide solution was difficult. Criteria were 1) less than 1/4" x 1/4" in cross section 2) rigid 3) light weight 4) at least two feet long 5) preferably similar to automotive wire loom bundler/protector in that there's a slit that allows the loom to be put in and taken out 6) preferably black.

I drove to about five different places looking for anything that was in the ballpark, no matter what the originally intended use was. No luck until I rolled up to a favorite local hardware store. Found some small diameter aluminum piping that checked #1-4 off, but would require length-wise dremeling to make a large enough channel to slot the wire into. #5 will be accomplished with paint.



Channel dremeled out and then reamed a bit. It's crude, but paint will help, as will tucking it against the down tube.


The wire just squeezed into the slot for test fitting. I'll likely grease the wire upon final installation. Getting the wire out without having to pull hard will be something to avoid. Getting the below wire out of this had the pipe putting up a small (brief) fight, but I got it out a few seconds later. So far, this theory of mine is working out, and I enjoy the added protection that the pipe will provide. The pipe/wire combo will be mounted between two downtube shifter stops (ok, at least one on the upper end). Orientation about the down tube is TBD. I might have it at a 45° down angle on the non-drive side. I need to make one more section for the chain stay as well.

Lascauxcaveman 

This whole thing is Sick and Wrong.

And pretty please, @RiddleOfSteel, bring it to the Seattle bike swap so all us tall-bike guys can take a turn riding it.

merziac

Nice work,

I would be very leery of these hacksaw inspired cable guides. I would be inclined to go at them with scotch brite and or foam sanding blocks to get the majority of the burrs and sharp edges smoothed out. As we know wiring always finds a way to gravitate into trouble.

RiddleOfSteel

Thanks. I've been filing those edges already, and they'll need a bit more. If I can make a nice trough that the wire pops into with only a hint of retention, then that is the goal. That way the insulation won't be forced to do hard protection work. I'll still use grease on the wire to ease it in.

RiddleOfSteel

If the day is dry and the logistics are favorable/figured out, I can bring the bike. Getting to the place and locking up or having bike parking may be fine, but if we go some place else for food, then it's going to need to be in a vehicle. It's one thing to cut $5 cables, it's another to cut a wire that's part of a $100-200 part (even if I got most everything for far cheaper than that). I could transport it in my car, but you know, bike thieves. It may need an introduction to Port Angeles. The gearing is optimal for Hurricane Ridge being that I hung onto a 39-28T low combo two years ago, and the low for this Paramount will be 34-29T. We'll see what happens.

SurferRosa

I rolled into the op's place one night on my '60 paramount with its well worn paint. And I saw his black '74, but just as a frameset. I was in awe. So beautiful.

RiddleOfSteel

@SurferRosa I remember! I also remember your Paramount looking very nice as well. And a 1960! I don't remember when you came over, I must have been between builds with that. Who knows! It's nearly a runner now. Just need the cassette to technically complete the bike. That cassette is currently in Europe though, so.....

merziac

The scotch brite would smooth it out so the wire could "snick" in without abrading with good tension to hold it.

pastorbobnlnh 

I don't know whether to or !

Since I'm all into mods and making it your own, I'll come down on the side of

Great work around with the wire camouflage.

RiddleOfSteel

I do have scotch brite and will give it a go. I need something squishy and somewhat flexible to get inside the tube to clean things out and smooth them over.

RiddleOfSteel

Well, thank you for the vote of confidence and giving me the benefit of the doubt here.

The single, largest olive branch I can extend to the number of you members that are on the fence, not thrilled, or simply against this type of thing, is that this is completely reversible, and I set out with that in mind. I would like to think that given this frameset was dead to rights when I came across it, that it has led an interesting and enjoyable second act under my stewardship. I've built it in the traditional, era-correct (pretty close) form, rode it for a while, and then began transforming it to a modern and much more capable (sport) tourer. I've kept (and saved!) the chrome, and kept the original Campagnolo headset before it succumbed to deteriorating threading etc. Through all of these component compositions, the bike has shown me its character in one form or another. This iterative process via discovery/learning has guided further exploration. Perhaps this EPS build is me at a metaphorical tip of the spear, and that spear is tilting at a windmill. Or perhaps it isn't. Time will tell.

In a grander, longer term vision for this bike, I become more of the mindset to actually make this an actual Tourer in function, at least in the mid-'80s and newer modern sense: triple bottle cages, rear seat stay rack mount, mid fork/low-rider mounts, down tube shifter bosses, and perhaps a pump peg. That's some permanent changes that I think many can get behind.

squirtdad

I am a fan of modern components on classic good riding steel frames. You get the best of both worlds.

I don't see a big jump here conceptually from me putting a 105 5800 group on my De Rosa.

Just waiting for the ride report

merziac

The scotch brite should be perfect, jam it in the groove and scrub away.

SurferRosa

The ending of Truffaut's Jules et Jim didn't turn out so well for Jim. But you're sure to have better luck with Jackie. Watch for closed bridges.

RiddleOfSteel

Totally. This Paramount in its reborn form has been a test bed of sorts, and has certainly been the catalyst for my interest and subsequent purchase of touring and sport touring bikes/frames. It's an education, and if it's a bust (but still functional) and I want to sell it, I can more than make up the money I've put into it. All positives, IMO. As always, I just hope it works and works well when it's all together!

cudak888 

Just came to the end of this thread after intently reading through it.

I think the phrase the kiddies use nowadays is "Want MOAR."

-Kurt

RiddleOfSteel

Thank you! Yes, so do I! Haha. We've entered another stretch of dry yet quite cold weather (DRY is the key word), and riding this would be great, but I still need the cassette and further wire harnessing. A weekend of riding coming up means I will need to be working on it prior to that, and I have a busy week lined up. At least I can ride a non-fender (aka fast) bike for a few days, which I am very excited about.

RiddleOfSteel

Small update:

Upon further thought, I don't like how a fully rigid-yet-suspended (essentially) wire-in-metal-tube combination would react to anything getting caught in the 18" span I'd be running, no matter how tucked against the down tube I'd have it. I have decided to order some adhesive-backed Shimano di2 wire guides that have a plastic, protective yet low profile channel for the wire with adhesive on either side. The wire is kept fully flush and as snag-proof as possible along the length it's run. It's also black, so no extra work needed there. I am thinking of still employing some of the aluminum tubing, just only 1.5" of it on the chain stay where the paint ends and the chrome begins. Raw aluminum is a light grey, and will best blend in with the chrome--better than black ever would. It will protect the wire from chain slap until it terminates at the RD cable stop braze-on. I didn't really want to go with the sticker route given the paint's lack of robustness, but it's, I think, the best solution for safe wire routing.

cudak888 

Have you thought of black ABS tubing instead?

-Kurt

RiddleOfSteel

It would need to be pretty stiff, and there'd be work to do on it. Ideally, having it in hand is best for evaluation of properties, and I would have had to do a bit of hunting.

Michael Angelo 

Why??

RiddleOfSteel

Why what?