Rack Aesthetic
 

Opinions please...

While I hem and haw (and try to pry the wallet open on the Ti Tubus Airy), I picked up an early Jim Blackburn rack, laying around at the co-op, for the Spectrum.

It is of course bare aluminum...I can:

a) clean it up/lightly "polish" it

or

b) paint it to match, as some of the early Treks had apparently.

Here's the Spectrum again (sans tape) for reference:

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=203180

???

Love this project.

I am waiting for the quote on a stainless steel Capricorn rack, so
I'll let you know.

Did you ever get the fenders to fit?


Also, the Blackburn would look great cleaned, polished, and installed. Ready for action.

I dont know, but the bike is looking great!

I'd vote for a matte or polished finish, paint matched racks usually look a bit forced to me, especially if they're not custom.

Love that Bertoia chair by the way!

Sounds good Grady...Rear fender can be made to work with slight cuts under the brake caliper...front fender will have to be split...or...rear only. Waiting on 25c Ultremo ZXs to be back in stock...might be able to run modified/cut under caliper full front fender with 25c.

This is an early "Jim Blackburn" rack but I still think I will drill an extra hole and/or weld an extra boss and mount the fender to it to make as little clutter near the caliper as possible.

I've also been sidetracked by the Meech build (which is done minus tape and fender mounting...fenders were painted by my guy this afternoon, I believe!)...I'll probably post pics over at Serotta since it doesn't really fit in over here...

Now sporting Fizik brown tape...imported all the way from England (say it in a hee haw voice)...updated pics after the rack is mounted.

Thanx guys...

I've done two of them recently...one seemed to be bare, one seemed to be anodized. The obviously bare one polished up nice and would go mirror if you wanted. The one that seemed to be coated I "refreshed" by using Turtle Wax red rubbing compound rather than a polish. It will clean the surface yet leave it a more matte finish. I could do the same thing on the bare one if I wanted to just take the edge off the shine.

Thanx...I have a few of them around the house/"patio"/porch. I bought them years ago for dirt cheap because they had quite a few broken tension welds and had been painted with latex paint. I blasted them, TIG'd each and every joint that had separated and had them powdercoated different colors, all with black bases...most live outdoors with some level of rust now and one lives indoors pc'd red with a modern Knoll gray wool cover...I have a pint size side chair as well, all black, also outdoors.

Love the mid-century stuff...have a lot of different pieces actually.

Love the Fizik brown as well.

Using it on the John Hollands.

Probably will post her next week.

Had an issue with the BB, and it's in the shop for persuasion. :)

Watching your fender saga closely, as I am going down the same road soon.

Hey Keith...yeah, I don't think I will literally polish it...cleaning and rubbing compound followed by never dull should be fine...maybe a quick wetsand first...

-Mark

Did it just need a chase...or was brass involved?

Can't wait to see it!

Brass.

It's in very good hands though.

Much better than the hack that screwed it up. :)

Hey Mark, it's funny how I've come full circle...I started initially trying to make things as shiny as possible...like I did on the America (and on that frame I feel it was appropriate). However, I've since come to appreciate more factory-like finishes and have been working on methods here and there to do that. The vibratory experiment was one of those as well as things like using rubbing compound rather than polish. It cleans, it smooths...but it just doesn't get blingy. Once of these days I'll get to a full arsenal of methods and finishes, and be able to do them on demand (hopefully) :).

I agree with not painting. paint could be ugly down the road. if the bike was red or a nice blue maybe but I think the weatherd silver will look good with te somewhat neutral grey and white.

are you planning to put tires on this or just ride the big innertubes?

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...0&d=1306210036

Mark,
I took some #0000 steel wool to an 80s Blackburn and it turned out great. These are cell pics, but . . .

http://gallery.me.com/justinhughes/1...12865534260001

http://gallery.me.com/justinhughes/1...12865573930005

Hey Justin... That looks just about right...I think that followed with never dull and/or some wax/polish will be good to go!

FWIW...That's metallic silver and metallic charcoal gray...overexposed sunny-day photo...

I'll stick with the big innertubes...they ride pretty damn nice...may switch from 28s to 25s though!

i just "polished" a rack similar to ColonelJLloyd, but i went a little heavier handed and gave it the appearance similar to a new Kleen Kanteen. the key is sanding/rubbing perpendicular to the tubes.