Full-retro randonneuse
 

I have had some Columbus SL sitting in a box for some time. I got it from Nova on one of their specials, and I don't particularly like the lugs. I was inspired to spend too much money on some Nervex Pro lugs to finish this build. I really like the shape, but the finish on them out of the box is just horrible. But hey, they aren't making them anymore.

One thing I'm working on is to update the seat lug ears. I'm not making any other radical changes, but I'm going to add a little bit to the top of the seat lug because the lines of that don't do anything for me. I have spent a lot of time on them since I took this pic. The points on the front lugs are way off center, gotta true that up. I'm going to fill in above and below the top tube socket on the seat lug with brass to smooth out the sharp transition there. Seems like everyone does that. Not sure how much I'm going to modify the outside shape of the seat lug ears

BB shell would have cost too much, so I'm going with a modern IC shell. Not sure how much I'm going to worry about that, I thought about adding the little horns that nervex had and possibly filling the windows cut in the front and back.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4161/...762aff7e_c.jpgIMAG1022 by unterhausen, on Flickr

This will be fun to watch come together

Subscribed! Any advance thoughts on geometry? :)

I am going to try an inch longer top tube so that my stem can be shorter. I saw that the French guys did this so that rando bags fit on the front a little better. Otherwise, it will be classic road geometry 73/73. Probably not doing low trail, but somewhere in the middle. A little bit longer chainstays to balance the front being longer so the CG doesn't change too much.

I am going with Mafac Racers brazed on, because this one will be built for 32mm 700c. Front rando rack and maybe a rear rack. I am thinking about using Llewellyn rear dropouts. The front are Schmidt for connectorless dynohubs. Going to use the Columbus rando fork blades.

I am going to use a Pacenti PBP crown. Trying to figure out if I should match the lugs or something simpler. I don't really like the way it comes stock.

I'm not sure how retro to go. I will be using modern parts on it. Probably put DT shifter bosses, but I will be using stops on them. I have a chainstay guard I'm going to use. I might put the pump on the seat stays, gotta think about that.

I don't think I want to use a seat tube mounted tail light because I'm too short. I will probably run the wire through the DT, but just exit at the BB shell for a fender mounted light.

I'm looking forward to this. :)

Me too!

I'll try not to let you down.

I am up in the air about rear dropouts. I have a set of the Llewellyn drops, but they don't fit 14mm seat stays. I have some 16mm seat stays, but they might make the bike look overbuilt. So I'm thinking about getting these paragons: DR1045 - stainless steel Frame Components for Vertical, Rear Dropout 70 degrees eyelets

It looks to me that Peter Weigle uses Henry James drops, but I don't like to deal with plugs.

The Schmidt front dropouts are huge, whereas the Columbus rando fork blades are pretty small. I'll have to think about making them work together.

I like a short-ish stem (80mm) with my handlebar bag, too. Brings the bag and the "riding on the tops" position a little closer, which are appreciated on long rides. Then, bars with a healthy amount of reach put my brake levers and "in the drops" position back out where I want them. I kinda stumbled into that whole thing when I started drinking the "French fit" kool-aid and my bigger frames necessitated the shorter stem. :thumb:

Those dropouts are a quandary! In my book, skinnier stays win out over the fancier dropouts.

I have sleeved the socketed dropouts to accommodate the smaller seat stays. It makes the walls of the sockets look a bit thick (fat shoreline), but not really noticeable. I've also run the sleeves longer and shaped same as the sockets. It's a pretty nice "stepped" look. Nova has some socketed dropouts for small stays, but not in SS, and no eyelets.

I thought about putting sleeves in the dropouts, but I'm not sure I could make it look good. I'm not a big fan of skinny stays. but that's really the look I'm going for on this bike.

I'm not going to change my position at all with this, just make the frame longer so the stem can be shorter. I have worked pretty hard to get my position so it works on my long distance bike, and shorter reach would result in hand numbness and a feeling of being cramped.

lugs are a mess, still putting in some time filing them a little bit at a time.

I was really tempted to run a slip ring in the head tube for the taillight, but this is a bike I'm going to ride a lot, so I'm just going to poke a hole in the lower head lug and put the wire through the DT.

Still a little up in the air about how to wire the headlight through the fork. I think I'm going to have the wire exit at the crown, even though it might be slicker to exit at a rack attachment point.

I was looking through the ceeway catalog a couple of days ago and they have a few 11 mm socket stainless rear dropouts. IIRC that is the standard tip size for 14mm stays. The shipping will probably cost twice as much as the dropouts

I decided to go with the 16mm seat stays. I really like the Llewellyn dropouts. I would go with the paragons if I wanted something different. I probably will do some light touring with this, so I'm going to make a rear rack and 16mm will not be a bad thing.

I modified the seat lug. I have no idea why the finish on the lug looks so horrible in this pic, maybe it still had flux on it then. Got some filing to do. I didn't thin the lug to the final thickness because I wanted this step to be a little less tense. I'm going to braze an extension to the top of the lug when it's closer to final shape.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4292/...b8a3343a_c.jpgIMAG1121 by unterhausen, on Flickr

getting somewhere. Not quite done. I wasn't going to show the sausage making pics,
but then I decided I should. There are a number of pictures on a flickr album if you follow the link.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4297/...2545c0d4_c.jpgIMAG1125 by unterhausen, on Flickr

I'm glad I don't do this for a living sometimes, I'm trying to be disciplined about finishing these lugs, and the temptation is there just to braze everything together and stop fussing over them.

Why would you not use a slip ring for a bike you will ride a lot? And are slip rings truly durable?

Yes, I would worry about the slip ring failing. You have to be able to get a crown race over it, so it has to be really thin. I don't like things that I'm going to worry about, even if the worry is somewhat irrational. I might put a tube for the brush in the head tube, that is the only thing that would be a real problem retrofitting.