Showing posts with label steel bicycle frames. Show all posts
Showing posts with label steel bicycle frames. Show all posts

Tuesday 12 April 2016

Hooking up with the Holdsworth & Other Steel Frames













Spring has sprung and the Holdsworth emerged from seasonal hibernation. Much as I suspected, adding two 2mm spacers beneath the stem sorted the minute but very annoying play in the beautifully sealed, Woodman Saturn Aheadset.

Staying with the front end, gone are those BBB aero bars for a less cluttered cockpit; saving a few grams while freeing up space for high power lights and other gizmos.

The bargain bin pink/black fade bike ribbon bought originally for £2 in a clearance sale has also been substituted for some Genetic Silicone (off-cuts from my Univega’s moustache bars). Though delightfully easy to clean, the bike ribbon’s glossy texture is also seriously slippery and damping doesn’t compare with mid-range modern tapes either.

Discovered said fixer’s colour-coordinated Knog Nerd computer display blank and unresponsive- nothing more serious than dead CR2032 and LR44 cells; thankfully they hadn’t leaked. This also presented an opportune moment to pop its silicone blankets in with some training kit for a decent low temperature spruce up. 

Lick of Vaseline, new cells, recalibration and back on the bars!

This particular Nerd is a simple, five-mode unit-easy to read and arguably all that’s needed for a general riding, though won’t win bragging rights down the clubhouse, or deliver in-depth scrutiny of riding performance demanded by elite racers. Backlight would’ve come in handy too.

Nonetheless, that huge, touch screen display is extremely clear, allowing me to focus upon maintaining decent cadence and average speed. Accuracy, even when riding close to strong electro-magnetic fields has been consistently good too. Not everyone’s cuppa but works for me.  

I also came across some these grey, magnesium bodied BBB Keo pattern while undertaking a much-needed bin/sell/keep inventory. Lightweight, low profile and slightly unusual...Temptation to reinstate was strong but the Wellgo are lower profile, recessed cleats permit dignified, safe walking and more importantly, don’t chew holes in very expensive lino...

Talking of which, the old 96 Shimano patterns were looking decidedly dog-earned, so I pensioned them off before sometimeish or dodgy dis/engagement struck with embarrassing consequences. Besides, shoe cleat hardware is an excellent test of a lubricant’s anti-seize properties and I’d just received Green Oil’s revised formula Eco grease.

Like many projects, the baby blue fixer was conceived as a simple, fun classic. I’ve always loved the road path concept-bikes that were practical for daily service, yet equally capable on the track.

Arguably borne from necessity; (the average post war club rider could only afford one machine) this genre and indeed, cycling’s mass appeal was extinguished by the abolition of petrol rationing in 1957.  

Gifted by a friend and respected bike journalist, the frameset had been languishing unloved in a garage, hidden behind old Land Rover parts. To complicate matters, it seemed the garage was owned by a friend’s ex-wife, who wasn’t particularly willing to co-operate with its release; prompting all manner of sneaky retrieval plans.

The initial brief was new paint, 700x28c tyres, full length mudguards and a hotchpotch of carefully selected parts to make it stop, go and handle in good proportion...However, new bottom bracket shell, minor dent filling, and other remedial works hence, it will remain my sunny days plaything.

Love of old steel framesets established; you can imagine my excitement upon spotting this tatty Fuquay. Judging by the distressed enamel, someone had either left in languishing in a highly corrosive environment, or had been attempting a DIY paint strip using DOT or similarly corrosive fluid.

Look closely at the seat stay, which sports some serious battle scarring. Structurally sound, the obvious solution is to fill the affected area with brass, then sand flat prior to blasting. Metafil; an aluminium based filler is another option and worked wonders on my Holdsworth’s corrosion induced acne. 

However, in this instance, the dents are too deep and would show in the new paintwork. This also illustrates the importance of giving your paint-shop a ring once your frame’s been through the blast phase...

        



Tuesday 29 March 2016

Fending off Storm Katie












The Teenage Dream has to be one of the trickiest configurations where fitting full-length mudguards is concerned (fenders, should you prefer) hence my delight when an editor sent me a pair of BBB BFD22 Slim guards. The Dutch brand asserts these will accommodate pretty much any road biased frameset-within reason and with the sensible caveat, that some minor adaptation/compromise may be required. 
Their video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fIB3-cyvvM) makes fitting look incredibly straightforward but my quaint n’ contrary road build from 1991 still had some surprises in store. Ultimately, achieving sufficient clearance meant filing the rear mounting bracket and substituting the 25mm B’Twin X light for a Lifeline’s virtually slick, prime armour road tyre.
I could’ve forgone the rear’s lower section (arguably the only option for bikes with curved seat tubes) but doing so was an aesthetic no-no. Besides, the whole idea is to prevent the seat tube and to a greater extent, front mech and bottom bracket shell getting blasted with dodgy, gritty water!  
Having also discovered said bike’s front hoop was suffering from a minor wibble and flat spot (an occupational hazard given the local infrastructure’s poor condition just now). Alan at Riverside cycle centre kindly popped it on his jig and tamed any samba dancing tendencies within a matter of minutes-for a measly fiver!

Fag paper clearances foxed; aside from some minor tweaking (including some glue to achieve more secure bond between stays and sections) the joys of a dry derriere and relatively clean bike have been fully realised, despite the wet and windy wrath of hurricane Katie. This photogenic couple also seemed to approve!

Matt finishes stir mixed emotions in me. When I lived and rode in London’s less salubrious, transient districts characterised by bedsits and brothels, flat colours were a great means of keeping motor/cycles under a thieves’ radar.

However, it wasn’t long before this urban warrior theme caught on commercially, thus inviting unwanted introspection from thieves. BBB offer these in any colour you like, so long as its stealth black that compliments contemporary and traditional road builds very convincingly. Think I’ll add retro-reflective stickers at key points and know I’ve some plug-in mud flaps hiding in the spares stash-somewhere...

Next phase of fleet fettling is to replace the Teenage Dream’s fork sensor battery (computer is registering big fat zero, though digits suitably bold) and address the Holdsworth’s headset play. Nothing serious-just a question of adding a spacer or two and possibly substituting the so-so expander wedge for something more substantial.     

Talking of commercial, Green Oil announced they will be joining Lee Cooper and some others in advertising with Seven Day Cyclist. www.sevendaycyclist.com

Simon Nash has also sent us their latest range of anti/lubes, greases, which includes SLIP-the brands first foray into general purpose lubes. Plant based, it’s reportedly suitable for chains, bearings, locks, hinges and other moving parts.

They also suggest its safe on rubberised components, plastics too.  We’ll be putting them through the mill over the coming weeks and longer term, to see how they compare with previous blends and petrochemical competition. We’ve also received the MK3 eco-brush.

Previous versions were extremely effective on tyres, chain rings, cassettes, hubs and other drivetrain components. I’d shied away from paintwork and other delicate finishes, such as silicone/polymer based handlebar coverings, so it will be interesting to see whether the softer bristle plot can deliver all-round.   

Elsewhere, my illustrator is confident he will have brought the characters for my series of children’s stories to life by close of April and I’m working on some new storylines/adventures.


This trike also came under my radar while mooching around the midlands. Seems to be based around a Reliant engine and Honda CB750 front end-didn’t have chance to speak with the owner but would love to know more, so will drop by another time.