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A lot of the fun in bikes for me are the build choices...weighing the bike's features with what I want from it. This one is an interesting frame to use as a starting point. The chainstays are a bit short and narrow compared to most sports tourers and it lacks a true fender bridge. It screams fat tire roadie. but I have something to fill that post. I'm leaning towards something new and different; I've yet to make mustache bars or barcons work for me, but I've never tried them together and I've never really dedicated myself to adjusting the bars with the right stem. A 1x7 build might be interesting here, or possibly even IGH.

These photos don't do the beautiful red justice.

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/a...7/0f69e683.jpg

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/a...7/c95f9a0c.jpg

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/a...7/07066730.jpg

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/a...7/63919faf.jpg

I'll have better photos on Wed. when I pick it up...these don't really tell the story. The lugs are beautifully thinned, the dove panto in the seat stay caps are really cool and the lug panels are sharp. It's a neat bike, and the red pops.

I'd like to especially curse BBM for enabling...errrrrr....helping me decide to buy this one.

I might go with a poor man's Rivendell build.

650b?

Now that is interesting! I guess with the cantis, it's possible isn't it?

I do have a nice set of 700c wheels in the basement that I wouldn't have to spend new money on, and that's tempting too. I want to come in low budget with this one. 28c with fenders was my initial plan...or 32c without.

I know this - it's NOT going to be a restoration.

When's that leg of yours going to heal? Seems you are spending too much time acquiring and not enough time riding. Save some for the rest of us! ;)

That's a beauty! BBM's favorable comments about his Palo Alto have made me interested in these bikes as well. I missed out on one that was for sale on my local CL recently. Paint looks to be in excellent condition to boot.

I'm riding the Raleigh Twenty right now - I won't be cleared for a big boy bike for around 2-3 more months. I know, I've been bad. I sure as heck don't need this...but BBM is persuasive. Heck - even my wife liked this one and encouraged it (the price didn't hurt).

It might mean the Sachs tourer is on the block, but I haven't committed.

The build I'm really looking forward to is my wife's city bike. I'm picking up Lost's A-D tomorrow - I'll have it painted pink, it's getting flat bars, 7sp trigger shifters, Deore XT triple, tektro duals and RX100 7sp drive train.

With those braze-ons an IGH build would be pretty lame, in my opinion. Have you ever built an IGH hub up? Good lord, man. I know you save some weight by not having derailleurs and whatnot, but IGHs with more than 2-3 ratios are ungodly heavy.

I wouldn't fender it. I think I would change that headset for a silver one and then measure my brake reach with a 700c wheel, then see if it would fit these. I would also measure and see if 650b x 42 would fit. Then, I'd probably Shimergo it. Silver Veloce 10s brifters, Shimano 8s silver long cage RD and a nice compact double crankset. Unless the top tube on that bike is much shorter than your other bikes I wouldn't bother with mustache bars. If you've tried them and didn't like them, I doubt this is the frame that'll change your mind.

Cool frame, man!

OK - lots to respond to...the first thing is that headset is OUTTA THERE! I have a couple of nice campy headsets collecting dust...a NR and a pre-markings gran sport.

700c definitely fits and seems to be the original intention. PO had it built 700c with 32s. 650b might be an interesting choice - the only 650b I've ridden is the tandem, which I think rolls great over a variety of surfaces.

I'm definitely not going brifters...I don't want to re space it OR spend the cash. The TT is the same as most (56cm), but I have a dirt drop stem, quite short, I thought might be worth a try. With the bars sweeping back, wouldn't I want my normal TT position? I've never gotten the feel for how to set up mustache bars and haven't spent much time at it. I know that I don't like bar cons with drops, so mustache bars were an attempt to make it something that might work and DT shifting is out.

I let you have that. Nice frame, but it's just duplication with my current set ups. I vote 650b.

LOL - I let you have that Swede!

I had an inside track on this...I know the seller. This really is another version of your Franklin.

What's the current spacing? There's a pretty good chance a 130mm hub will slide right in there. Even if it doesn't, though, you can run 8s Campagnolo Ergo/RD with a 7s cassette or freewheel.

I reckon with the DirtDrop stem that'd put you about right. Most mustache setups are fugly, though. The claim that they are as versatile as drop bars doesn't ring true with me.

You can buy 10s Veloce Ergos for about $110 or so, but a budget's a budget, I hear ya.

126mm. I have a lot of older stuff laying around that I'd pulled off of my Raleigh Pro...it's been sitting around for over a year and I'd like to use what I have. If I went that route, I'd just need bar cons, cantis and mustache bars. I actually really like that look, I've just never been able to make it work for me. I never tried that hard either though.

The cheapest way to proceed is using the campy SR bits I have laying around...how big a free wheel will the SR rd's support? 26t right?

What is your riding goal?

anyway looking at it the thought of a clean, quick get around town bike comes to mind. I will admit I am thinking that way because I am in the process of doing the same to a torpado.

but think about it

maybe a postino type bar http://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...ar-22-2mm.html

simple levers

thumb shifter for the 1/7 (cheapies sun race or more bucks paul thumbies with current index, etc)

beyond that a small porteur rack in front perhaps?

Welcome to the club. I bought mine earlier this year and it is the most "natural" feeling, most smooth riding bike I've experienced.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...lto?highlight=

And, yes, thanks again to BBM.

J

I have mustache bars I'm not using.

I don't know what you mean by cantis. I don't see bosses for cantilever brakes. And if it had them with 700c being the intention, then I wouldn't expect them to work with 650b wheels.

Y'know...somehow I thought it had canti bosses, but it doesn't. I have PLENTY of calipers around, including some nice Campy Record dual pivots. This is obviously not dhaping up to be a fender build.

Squit - those do look good and I like your idea!

SR RD will handle 28th. Slide the wheel all the back in the drop outs. Moustache bar suck. There, I said it. Do not use Suntour barcons. Use the Riv silver or VO dia compe bar end shifter. BTW, I let you all have a shot at that frame. You can than me later.

They do look awesome though! I'm sure there's a way to make them work.

I've never tried the city bars squit posted, but a thumbie might work here.

Personally, if it will fit fat 700 tires, I wouldn't go 650. I see 650 as a sort of compromise for frames with narrower clearances.

All black 25cs, chrome or white fenders, white bar tape and cables, white Brooks B15 and a white barber pole on the seat tube...use your Campy SR & save a few $'s there.

Dat's how I'd pimp da ride. :thumb:

:lol:

I'm thinking I'm just going to use what I have as much as possible. I have most of a SR/NR gruppo that would work...I'll probably use, add some city bars and a thumb shifter.

Aaron,

I'd go the 'poor man's Rivendell' route with Mustache bars; that frame just screams for them! :p
Stem wise, personally I would go with a Technomic for the look. Fenders... maybe.

That frame set would look nice with an old Avocet crank and Phil hubs... ;)

Glad to hear you're back outside on the bike! :thumb:

Can a frame like that really be called the "Poor man's Rivendell"? I'd say the Rivendell is the "impatient man's Palo Alto". Not to knock Riv, I like those too. Ok, no more mentions of that brand... or we'll need to quarantine and burn this thread.

I'd go that route though. My Mercian and Lotus are essentially the same bike, but that is what I like about them. I find myself riding the Mercian and the Lotus most, because the fact that they are completely interchangeable. I use the same bags for both bikes, just hang'em on the rack and go. I think the evils of duplication or exaggerated.

Something new and different you say? I'm working on a funky mustache bar build right now. I mean, real funky. Might give you some inspiration (or it might convince you not to go with mustache bars. :innocent: ). Basically, I used MTB bar end extensions at the ends of the mustache bars. The bar end extensions are pointed in toward the headset, roughly parallel to the ground (a la the old Scott handlebars). I then mounted DiaComp aero brake levers at the ends of the mustache bars, and a grip shift on the end of the bar end extension (though I suppose you could probably use a bar end shifter there instead). With any luck, I'll be able to post a couple preview photos later tonight. Like I said, real funky, but it looks like it's going to be a fun ride.

It sounds...bizarre, I like it! Almost like butterfly bars in the end.