I made a couple of changes on my Ochsner rebuild. I replaced the stem and handlebar with a vintage look quill stem, 80 mm x 180mm, and replaced the Nitto bars with a compact Soma Highway One. The saddle is a Performance Endure that is comfortable and fairly light weight. The cassette is now a 9 speed Sram 12/26 and the chain rings are now 130 BCD 50 T Vuelta and a Shimano 39 T inner. It shifts and operates with no issues. The 9 speed shortened the shift lever travel and sped up the shifting.

Cleaned and shined!

I am going to ride it a bit and see how it fits/feels. I will probably wind up lowering the stem/bar. Today I also cleaned and shined the whole bike. I am still considering brifters but I really like the bike as it is. I have 3 bikes with brifters and this one with DT levers. It takes a bit of getting used to changing between brifters and DT levers. Very comfortable and quiet ride.

Looks real nice and comfy. Nice bike.

Cool!

But you're never "done."





BTW- what handlebar tape is that?

This.

Thanks Golden Boy. This is my first build and I am learning that one will want to make changes both during the build and after one thinks it is done. That is why the question mark. I got in 36 miles on the bike this morning and still not happy with the bar/stem set up. It may be the height or reach of the stem/bar, or it may be the Nitto is just more comfortable for me. I have issues with numbing hands and it was worse today with the Soma than it has been at any time with the Nitto.

First- I'm a dork that starts thinking about certain parts... whether it's a derailleur or something as trivial as a cable hanger... and then I have to make it happen. Looking at your bike- it's beautiful- it looks well put together and neat and thought out. I think "ordinary" people can put together, or get a bike put together and just leave it or maintain it. There's a class of people that have to **** with it. I'm there... I don't know if you are.

Second... I got my left hand crushed around 7 years ago and I'm left with nerve pain. It doesn't take much to trigger it- and sometimes it hurts, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes my fingers do what I want, sometimes they don't. But I do raise the bars up and I do cushion them- the less of a beating my hand takes, the better off I'll be. I guess I've been fortunate that the bars I've used have all been good for my hand. As much as I like the rando bends- I find the B177 to be my favorite- just because it doesn't flare out as much and the lower drops are pretty much parallel with the ramps.

Is that the Bontrager brown cork bar tape? I can't find that stuff anywhere anymore. They changed the color/pattern a few years ago- I even tried sucking up to Trek for anything left around the plant.

Thanks for kind the kind words on my build. I am, at present, one who it seems cannot leave a set up as it is. I really just started to do more bike maintenance myself about 1 1/2 years ago. I am still in a learning curve and watch videos and ask questions on BF and my LBS. To be honest, I think my Ochsner build came out really nice. When I started the project I was looking to do it on the low end of dollars and keep it close to what it was like before. Once I got it torn down and stripped to bare metal, I decided on powder coating. When putting it back together I decided to put some more cash into it to make look good and be a bit more up to date functionally. I thought if it turned out well it would boost my confidence and desire to learn more. It has become my favorite bike to ride again. Physically, I have chronic spinal and shoulder issues, including 5 surgeries, 4 on the spine at lumbar and cervical areas. I am quite happy to be able to ride a road bike. That is the kind of riding I really get a kick out of. This bike is still rewarding 27 years after purchasing it new in 1992.