your saddle angle combined with that silly seat tube angle concern me...you know...because you're probably going to fall off...unless you just ride uphill.

:) the saddle will be adjusted before my butt touches it.

as a sidenote, that saddle was perfectly level on the bike it came off of, gives a good idea of how steep the seat tube is.

dolface,
that is a beautiful, classy build. congratulations. it's lovely.

This is my new sweetie.. The frame is that early 90s Yamaguchi US National TT that after nabbing, I saw was posted about (and dibbed.. sorry about that) in the CL/Ebay forum. The build, at the moment, is extremely stupid-looking, but the bike rides like a dream. I had a few parts already (rear wheel, saddle, pedals, front brake) and had a total of about $250 to spend on the whole bike (including the frame/fork/front wheel combo, which I BIN'ed for roughly $200) so most needed components were bought used and/or ugly.


http://djorigami.com/ljpics/newbike!.jpg


The front wheel is a 650c Ambrosio tubular rim laced radially with bladed spokes to a 32h Mavic hub. This wheel is going to be replaced with a clincher in the interest of easier patching and the ability to run a burlier tire.

Rear wheel is a Nashbar cheapo track special with an 18t Dura-Ace cog and a Vittoria Rubino Pro in Celeste. :)

Seatpost is a Sakae topped with a Brooks B-17. I have the saddle angled back a bit as I find it helps me stay on that slippery (for now) Brooks when riding without hands, which I love to do.

Stem is an old Specialized quill, married to the dumbest, highest, most BMX-inest riser bar ever (soon to be replaced, probably, with less-extreme risers or bullhorns), a Tektro BMX lever and Oury grips.

Headset is a burly, art-deco-looking old Stronglight that came with the frame.

Crankset/BB are a Truvativ setup that was robbed from my Pista to get the build going, but needs to be reunited with that bike so I can sell it.

Pedals are MKS platforms with MKS NJS clips (ooh!) and Soma leather straps.

---

Anyhow, it's about the least-clean build I've ever done and some might say "That Yama deserves GEARS!", but I can't complain about the results. For a bike with a small front wheel it steers very deliberately and rides no-handed well. It gets incredulous looks from hipsters, too, which is always a plus ;) The bike tips the scales at around 17lbs, which is pleeenty light for me.

Right now I'm waiting for my new front wheel and the tubular is in bad shape and flat so I'm not able to ride the bike, which is killing me.. I'll probably get some more pics up soon. The fork is a thing of beauty, I tells ya.

Whoop!

Very Nice!

icycles.com has SR 250mmx27.2 seatposts for like $9. Nothing fancy, but gets the job done, and a good thing to have in the parts box if you want a place-holder that won't slip when you sit on it.

:D

dolface, you should measure that seattube angle. it's hard to tell exactly when it's in the stand.

Hey everyone :). Good day for me. I just got my bike back from converting it and getting some new parts on, and I am very happy heh. Here it was before the conversion:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c4...Picture001.jpg

Here it is now. I got a new wheel set and tires, stem, seat, crank, pedals, straps, fork, cog (fixed and freewheel), chain, and brake (no new lever though):

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c4...Picture003.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c4...Picture002.jpg

Ok heh... before you guys tell me how ugly it is, I still plan on getting:

- a new paint job (with no decals)
- new lever
- new seat post
- new bars

Also... this is my first fixed, so I am happy to have something. I am also about to take off the spoke reflector heh. And I also want to know if that brake is any good? I got it used for $20, and the guy who sold it to me said it was pretty decent.

Any comments or advice?

Thanks :).

good. job... looks good and you have good plans

yeah, i will as soon as i go buy a protracter...

very clean, i like it.

Isn't your Makino like 80*?

I'm guessing G-'s ST angle is close to that. I was looking at some of the frames on e-framebank and the frames with 78* STs look slack compared to that 3rensho.

i'm a little worried that it's gonna feel like i'm riding a unicycle...

No kidding!

I'm also curious why the decision was made for that type of angle. Most of the keirin frames I have researched have the "normal" 75*-76* ST angles. But a few of the bigger frames have that extreme ST angle of ~80*.

Rider preference or fit requirement? Specific velodrome use?

I'd think that the point of being pitched that far forward would be to maximise acceleration out of the gate... probably at the expense of stability and comfort. Maybe it would be a good thing in shorter sprints?

Also, the bigger frames might have steeper angles to put the rider in a similar position over the BB that you would achieve with less severe angles on a smaller bike. The longer the seat tube, the further away from the Y-axis it will be at any given angle... if that makes sense. ie, a rider would need a much steeper seat tube angle on a 60cm frame to achieve the same setback from the BB that they'd have on a 50cm frame with a 74 degree seat tube angle.

my makino most definitely has an 80degree tube, but it's a pretty ****ing big frame. let's just say this about the feel of the angles: if i strapped a butt plug to my saddle, i'd be ejaculating in no time.

UH, wow. Just wow.

i know exactly what you mean. :D

Popluhv, are you sure it isn't left over from brazing?

That's what I'm hoping. It is yellow rather than orange. It just freaked me out. I've never seen that before, but is is painted white, so it may show through more. I have never looked so closely at a frame before either, this will be my first new lugged frame if I buy it. Thanks for the optimism, I have high expectations for this frame.

Just got the wheels in the mail and it's all done.

Starnord Paris Sport frame with stronglight cranks, chainring, and headset, MKS pedals, butchered brooks b17 saddle, IRO wheelset, GB stem(want to change), and nitto bars. 46:17 gearing.

I like it, looks classy. I think you should take the stickers off the rims though, but thats just me :D

I think you should get rid of the rims. but thats just me.

Pssht, you know how people with their f***ing silly ass deep v's.

I am going to take the rim stickers off, I just put the wheels on. I was thinking about getting different rims to keep the bike 70s looking, but I am a big guy and I am under the impresion that deep v's are a bit stronger than regular rims.