Last Autumn, I bought a 1972 Raleigh Super Course frame from Craigslist. It had been painted flat black and run as a fixie/SS. My intent was to build an all-weather commuting bike around a quality frame without spending much money. I stripped the frame down to metal, tweaked the alignment, and fixed a few dings. Paint (Rustoleum Pro) was applied with an HVLP gun and allowed to harden up (this took months). I had planned to use some wheels that I already had, but a check of the dimensions told me that for 700c wheels, I would have to use very long reach brakes. I'm guessing that the Super Course was designed for 27" wheels. After some thought I opted for drum brakes; SA dyno in the front and SA 5 speed IGH in the back. All other components came from the old parts bin.

I have put a bit over 60 miles on it so far and am still dialing it in. It rides reasonably well but I suspect that I will need a bit shorter stem. The fenders are used PB Cascadias - these will be replaced by nice alloys after I decide what tire width is right. The head set is ok but not as smooth as I would like. The 26 TPI threading on the stem limits my options. Weight is 31 1/2 pounds in current trim.



-G

Nice job, I like the Drum brakes and IGH for a commuting. Paint job looks great too! Congratulations on a nice build.

Nice save GMT! - I'm sure that old gal is happy to be back on the road again with you.

I like the looks of the Cascadias on that bike, BTW.

Looks great. Is that "Royal Blue"? I like that color.

Yes, it's Rustoleum Royal Blue. The paint went on really nice and smooth with a lot of gloss when thinned 50:50 with acetone. I consider it an experiment in a cheap paint job - we'll see if it lasts. As you can see, I am waiting on investing in decals.

It was a rainy commute this morning and I was very impressed by the drum brakes. The best part is not having to deal with all that black residue on the rims when wiping it down after arriving at work.

-G