tgot 

I failed to post anything fun about rpogress last weekend, just binder bolts difficulty. But in the spirit of "make *some* progress" every week, I put in a stem, the VO randenour bars, and clamped on the Dia Comp brake levers that match the brakes.


Stem, bars and brake levers.

The stem is jarring I admit. Once I get things dialed in and can ride it, I would like to replace it with something more vintage. But C&V stems seem to mostly have low adjustability, you better know what you need before you start buying. Or else keep a bucketful for variety!

tgot 

I received the FSA BB,110.5mm.

Test fit seemed to be about 47mm chain line, close enough!



I installed the BB to full torque, and then the crankset. They definitely are visually more appropriate, less outboard than with the 113 mm BB.

Then I figured why not test fit the FD?

It came with a nice plastic piece keeping the cage aligned with the outer chainring. That gave me more chainline confidence, and a guide to where to place it up/down on the seattube.

FD has the nice spacer and guide tab.

tgot 

So, the generic M6 bolt replacing the non-slotted side of the seatpost binder seemed to fit OK...

Until I added the brake cable hangar I had bought to replace the rusted one. It contacted the seatpost instead of the ear.

Gap between hangar and ear, as hangar hits the seat tube.

Both have flat areas presumably for seattube accommodation, but the old one is much nearer to the hole for the binder.

The old hangar is in vinegar since yesterday, I'll give it a brushing tonight.

tgot 

High on the frame looking like a bike list, shifters!

Nice ratcheting feel, can't wait to try them out for shifting!

That of course brought on other issues...

The plastic cable guide I can cut to fit, and work around the thick weld-blob under the BB. I've seen contact cement recommended, I think I have some.

But also, I don't have a chainstay cable stop! A BF search tells me I need a clamp on cable stop. They seem to have disappeared from normal sales channels. Ebay...

tgot 

So, my wheel plan for the Gran Turismo was to borrow the freewheel pair from the Ironman. With it non-indexed, swapping wheels back and forth seemed OK, pretty quick, until I decided I needed more.

I don't even know if I'll like riding the thing!

But, those are 126 OLD, and the frame is 120ish.

So, I'd be spreading the stays to cold set this frame.

As a security blanket, I put some tension on the frame at the brake bridge and the crosspiece between chainstays.


Tourniquet method to tighten. You can also see my string-method for frame alignment check.


Also here.

The actual spreading processes was pretty scary. I definitely felt as if there was no progress, no progress, no progress, big change!

The string method of alignment had about 1.5 mm difference when I was done, as accurately as I could measure (which isn't very accurately, perhaps).

When I was done, they were about 127mm at the far back. But even before I started I felt that the dropouts were visually not parallel.

tgot 

I assembled DIY alignment tools. Tightened down at 62mm per side.

Couldn't find a big flange nut, but these seemed OK.

I used big 2" washers to grab the whole stamped dropout. I was afraid of weird bends otherwise. Just enough leeway to have the bolts basically at the QR position but keep the metal washers off the tube bullet-ends. There's a thin plastic layer between washer and dropout.

When first clamped on.

tgot 

After:


Pretty well aligned in each axis.

tgot 

Then I test fit the rear wheel.


Cogs kind of scrape against the chainstay as it slides in, but there seems to be appropriate clearance once it's in place.


The axle sticks out past the stamped dropout. The QR doesn't tighten onto the dropout!

So, I'm not sure what to do here. Advice welcome!

I think the *right* way would be to shorten the axle, or move it towards the other side by adjusting cones and all. But that sure isn't going to be conducive to moving the rear wheel between bikes.

tgot 

I also put on the seatpost binder with cleaned up old cable stop. No longer rusty, although some dark patches. No picture.

Also, I cut the knob off the bottom of the cable guide, and filed a slot to straddle the welded bead on the BB underside.

Wish there had been colors other than blue.

At that point I went and spent 20 minutes trying to find the ShoeGoo, with no luck, and was done for the day.

(Also rode 27mi, 2.3kft, and am starting to feel a little stronger and more confident with standing under power, etc.)

tgot 

The wheels currently have a 14-34 MegaRange on them. With the 26-36-48, I can go pretty low!

My current riding has been with a 12-32 cassette and 30-42-52. I've not exactly been tearing up hills, and so the IronMan with 14-34 and 39-53 has hung in the garage.

[Converting the IM's gearing, so that my go-fast bike had a lower low, is a whole 'nother project. I have both another square-taper triple and a 130mm OLD wheel.]

If I use that rear wheel for the Gran Turismo, I'm pretty sure I bought a 13-32 7-speed IRD at some point, thinking it was better spaced.

But looking at charts, the 14-24 six speeds of the MegaRange are nice and tight, and don't overlap a lot when paired with this crankset.

Same crankset, two freewheels, 14-34 and 13-32.

Maybe it's silly, but I feel that the 15->17->21 jump would be really weird, too.