Why do fools fall in love....?

Well, that was the song playing in my head as Justin reflected upon the crown race that wouldn’t fit snugly. Older bikes, no matter how well loved can present unexpected challenges and it seemed as if the Teenage Dream’s fork crown had been subject to some minor distortion over the years. This left three possible solutions (a) build up the affected area with molten brass (b) Replace the fork (c) try the other headset I brought along as a contingency.

Much as 531c is nice, benchmark tubing, replacing the fork with a budget carbon offering makes greater economic sense in the longer run. Mercifully fate came to my rescue and the arguably nicer alloy headset slotted straight in without recourse to cutting steerers, Justin executing installation with his usual precision. Perfectionism and meticulous attention to detail are essential qualities in a bespoke builder. Headset assembled, Justin turned his attention to the seat-tube. The late 1980s and early 90s saw many manufacturers engaged in ruthless price wars, frequently offering complete bikes with high end framesets for little more than the groupset's asking price. I recall seeing 531C framesets festooned with XT parts for £400- badly reamed seat tubes came as standard and deluxe versions enjoyed major frame failure.

Casting a critical eye, he noted some distortion of the collar-not uncommon on steel frames and easily remedied. We explored the possibilities of opening it up by a further point two of a millimetre, thus allowing a much greater choice of post- the collar was certainly substantial enough but closer inspection of the internal walls left Justin uncomfortable pursuing this. Banishing temptation, five minutes judicious reaming removed the offending burr and with post in place, drawing the seatbolt tight, the collar resumed its round profile. The post remains a closer than ideal fit but safeguards against dirt and ingress thrown up by the rear wheel entering the seat-tube.Back home, it was a question of rounding up the other components and assembly. I began with the transmission, fitting a new chain and tweaking the front mech cage slightly. Other than some cable stretch, the rear breezed effortlessly up and down the six- speed block. Closer inspection confirmed my fears of warped chainrings-something I attribute to Dural’s soft characteristics rather than my mechanically sensitive riding style. A quick wander round the web uncovered a new old stock Campag Xenon for less than the price of two-replacement rings- sold to the man with the green frame Regular readers of my column will note I am notorious for changing the script and sees me revert to the original Cinelli cockpit. These feel closer to 44 than their actual 42cm width suggests and have quite a pronounced drop better suited to long steady summer miles. This also saves a perfectly good set of contact points and brake levers from languishing in the spares drawer. Some would argue Spinaci clip ons serve only as mounting points for lights and other accessories but they’re less obtrusive than full tri bars and add negligible weight. From here it was simply a question of fitting control cables and fresh bar wrap. The outers are a little on the long side but quick trims and tweaks are timed to coincide with the new crankset's arrival.

Next Week: Flight of The Phoenix