IMO it would seem that yellow housing and tape would have been the simplest solution for the white bike.

Black is lifeless and just totally sux on that bike


BTW if it was my size I would find it easy to hate you

Yep, this is my goal with this one, Emphasis Andy's work on the frame vs my usual bling out and color. I don't want to distract from the frame or the wonderful thunderbird logo. I'd add color if I thought it would accent things but it seems to me it would just distract. The black wheels, saddle, and tape will sort of work like a frame around the bike frame to showcase the subtle beauty of it.

I will have no hesitation in saying I told you so.

If you want the frame to stand out don't build it, hang it on the wall.

If you want an attractive bicycle, bin the black and compliment the frame .

Black is stone dull.

JMO of course.

LOL, well you and I hardly ever agree on anything so I'm not too worried.

Heck my white Olmo has even more black and the frame sure does pop out when you look at it. Yet the whole bike is gorgeous.

My joshing with Steel Charlie aside, this won't be finished today as planned. I put 'er up in the stand to finish it and did a little work on it. Made sure all fasteners were lubed and properly tightened, lubed all the pivot points and such, cut and installed the chain, and mounted the STI shifters on the bars. I also did a rough set of the limits on the RD and FD. Oh, and there was a badly bent dropout adjuster on one side. So I put a new on in. But I'm having one of those "bad brain" days this afternoon were I just feel confused. So I just walked away from it for now. A shame because it just needs cabled up now and the bars wrapped. A lazy hour of work at most. But I've learned not to do anything important when the fog moves into the brain. Heck I've had to rewrite this little blurb three times already....

This has to be the longest from when I've gotten a frame to when I'll finally have it on the road.


Set aside so I could pull the Miata back in. There's always tomorrow, I hope. LOL!

You have my total sympathy. I do fog too. I wish I knew some secret anti-fog but I don't. The closest thing I do know is 5HTP.
It's on my training table.
Cheers

This is still proceeding as the bike buy from H E double toothpicks. Something wrong with the rear shifter. Cannot seat the head of a shift cable in it. Tried several shift cables same issue. Other side is fine. I can fit in a smaller head campagnolo shift cable but I'd hate to have it break in there over time. And of course with my useless close up vision I really can't see anything wrong in there. Didn't help that I had three annoying salesmen ignore my no soliciting sign and come bug me as I was working on this. I just don't enjoy this like I used to, especially all the problems lately with all these STI shifters.

I think I'm going to just pull all the crap off the frame and use the mint 600 Tricolor groupset with DT shifters I've been hoarding. But, despite having a bin full of bottom brackets I don't have the Italian 115mm one that it appears I need. Sunlite makes that size but I've never used their stuff. May have to settle for that though if I can't find anything better.

I've got a 6800 groupset I could use but despite being told the STI shifters for it worked at shipping time both of them came in dead too. I got the rear working but not the front so far. Plus I just don't like the look of these parts for this frame.

So another day of not getting done what should be an easy job done. I forgot how easily I get fed up and annoyed anymore. I may just order the BB then let my LBS do this. Heck, with my scrambled brains I could just be doing something totally stupid and not realizing it. I've never had this problem though with any STI Shifters unless they were not clicked into the right position.

Oh and the other weird thing is the braze-ons for the rear brake on the top tube. Every other bike I have these one use a ferrule on the housing and the ferrule slides into the braze-on. These are tighter and seem to just fit the housing itself, so I guess that's good? Here again, the little voice is saying I'm missing something and being stupid.

Just messed with the shifter more and nope, something has to be broken inside. The right number of clicks both ways but when it get's to the end there seems to be "stuff in the way". The cable will go through but even that doesn't feel right. Like more restriction then there should be and then yeah the head just will not seat. I even filed a bit off the end of the end and it's not even close to going in, I've should just save myself the frustration and take the frame with the brand new 6800 groupset I have down to The Bike Shoppe and leave it. I can ride and live in peace and let them put it together. I have no tolerance for problems anymore, one of the reasons I retired so early. I was just angry all the time and right now I'm angrier than I've been for a year. This is supposed to be fun...

And the Miata for the win. Took the Miata for a little drive into the mountains to relax. Came back and decided to just cable it up with the Campagnolo cable in the shifter to see if there where any other issues. Well, everything worked just fine. So I cabled up the FD and got that all going. Still not sure what really is going on with that rear shifter but I guess I'll run it like this and see if the cable breaks. This one isn't geared for the mountains so if the cable does break on the ride I can easily get home on the 39/12 setup if I have to. There is also a ferrule stuck in the adjuster of the front brake. Not a big deal but another strike against these parts. Can't remember where I got them.

Well, crazy brain or whatever, I just can't quit. Sometimes I wish I could. Anyway, finished it up tonight except for the bar tape. Took it around the block as is and dailed in a few things. I was right, there was a cut off ferrule in the one brake adjuster. I found a screw to turn into it and then was able to pull it out. Got it all done and took it down the street and ping, ping, ping. I had gotten out some rubber donuts to put on the exposed part of the rear brake cable but had forgotten to put them on. Fixed that and she's running pretty silent now. Out of curiousity I weighed it with the full box of bar tape and it came in a 19 lbs 8 ozs. That's respectable. I'll do the tape tomorrow and also decide if I'm leaving the white bottle cages or going with black ones. These white ones don't match the paint so it's bugging me a bit.

As it is now waiting on the bar tape.



Love the thunderbirds on it!

That paint job ... Idunno ... somehow, it's like staring into the eyes of your first serious love.....

Wisdom is knowing when to fight through the fog and when to walk away. I'll let you know if/when I get there.

Nice project!

Very nice bike

Tha last time I discussed this with the VA docs, especially the mood swings, their solution was a concontion of 8 different drugs, Screw that, I'll take being half crazy every now and then, LOL!

Pill pushing docs can certainly be problematic. Big Pharm has its own interests more at heart maybe. It may be worth chatting with someone knowledgeable about cbd. My sil benefited big-time from just sleeping better
https://www.healthline.com/health/yo...%20in%20cannab

BTW the chain looks to be a bit on the short side. I'm a big-big + two-three rollers kinda guy so I don't break anything if I'm stoopid. Seems like cramming ferrules into shifter bodies and brake adjusters is a popular pastime. Pisser getting some of them out too. I've had to snip the old flight deck wiring out of a couple levers before they were happy shifting.
Cheers🍻

Yeah, I ran two different chain calculators and that's what they said. It is big, big in the picture but it bugs me a bit. In fact it's one link longer than both said. May give me an excuse to get in a KMC SL chain for it.

I didn't know chain calculators existed. Never done it any way but hands-on in the workstand. Totally luddite.

Wrapped the bars this morning and then took it for a short test ride after finishing my morning ride on the Giordana. I'll be nice and say yet another bike has failed to unseat the Giordana as my favorite. Now that said, this bike sure did move out just fine when I got on it. I sort of set it up for failure by taking it out for a ride after the Giordana. Everything worked fine though on the Gilmour and it sure did look great in the sunlight. Took it through a few fast tight curves and it carved them just fine. Andy was his usual great and responsive self also. I sent him an email about the brake braze ons and he sent back a detailed response. Totally cool dude!

One shot from this morning ride. I'll get a proper photoshoot of this one done today or tomorrow and share that.

Heh.

It is a lovely bike