A Slippery Scapin's Starry Makeover

Increasingly superseded by stainless, chrome has long been synonymous with Italian manufacturers, despite Columbus recommending their tubesets were not subjected to acid baths, filing and similar torture...

Scapin are an Italian marque, renown for coating their steel frames internally with phosphate and nickel plating the exterior tubes. Allegedly, this was also for corrosion resistance, though I remain convinced aesthetics were the biggest pull. This particular example came under my radar, while I was mooching around Maldon Shot Blasting & Powder Coating’s bat-cave.

Closer inspection suggests it was fashioned from Columbus’ thin wall Nemo or Genius tubing. I strongly suspect it was originally part-painted like this Rossin but chemically stripped once the livery had begun losing its tenure and/or succumbing to stone chips and other cosmetic damage.   

Persuading stove enamel and 2pac finishes to stay put on partially/ plated framesets has presented headaches a plenty for paint-shops. Acid etch primers ruled by default but given a few years’, the livery tends to flake and peel where the two overlap.

This customer has chosen to leave the rear triangle in its original polished state. Aesthetics aside, this means chain slap and hasty wheel removals won’t leave unsightly calling cards. Graham carefully mummifies these with masking tape to rule out any pitting from blast media.

Having passed the threaded uni-crown forks through the iron oxide cabinet, Graham decides to sand the main triangle. He fears even a gentle grit could lift the nickel in places, which is not something that can be disguised with additional paint. 

Instead, he opts for an epoxy based zinc primer. Epoxy offers superior adhesion and interestingly, resists chemical attack better than others. However, they aren’t UV stable; hence polyester powder is the good finisher’s choice for colour coats.

After meticulous plugging and masking of head, seat tube and threaded areas, the frameset disappears beneath a powdery grey mist. Seven minutes and some perfectionist re-touching later, its spirited off for a ten minute bake in their gas oven.

Monitoring progress around the seven minute mark, the powder has melted to a rich (and strangely attractive) grey skin. Next; Graham applies a gloss black, a common “colour” that including lacquer brings the price to £65 plus VAT. However, this is only the base for a very exotic commission.

Four minutes and some localised re-touching later, its back to the curing oven for another ten minute bake; I alter the camera settings slightly and sip some tea, while Graham heaves a huge box of powder across the workshop dung beetle fashion. “Sapphire Star clear coat” he shouts over. 

I’m told this acrylic is impregnated with tiny pigments of colour. The overall effect is timeless petrol blue under normal lighting but assumes a subtle sparkle on sunny days. It’s well known that colours have slightly unique characteristics, requiring different techniques but Graham explains; particular care is needed with this kind of specialist clear coats-including temperature. 

The Scapin must not be allowed to cool, otherwise crazing or clouding is on the cards-disastrous. Gun loaded with lacquer, he strides purposefully over to the oven, caresses the frame tubes, nods with a grin and retrieves the frameset.  

Powder lacquers always appear white, enabling the sprayer to see exactly where they’ve been. Anything other than exacting coverage here will ruin the effect but like any skilled trade, he makes this look effortless-done in five minutes. 

Back to the oven for another ten minutes, we’ve time to indulge in a biscuit; or three. Graham removes the masking tape while the adhesive is still soft and I get a final shot.  

Total cost is £162 including VAT.      

 

    

Punjabi weddings & Performance Enhancement

Found myself up in Bedford, shooting a Sikh wedding ceremony last weekend and returned to a nice big box of test kit. This included these Issi 2 triple pedals, bike specific degreasers and polishing products.

Monday was one of those stereotypically manic ones characterised by a liberal helping of faff n’ frustration; so I wasted no time performing pedal swaps, adding a few psi to the Holdsworth’s tyres and giving its Aheadset bearings a quick tweak.

Twenty miles of rural roads, carpeted in slimy bovine dung saw man and machine sporting a distinctly grimy patina but mentally rejuvenated by that sense of escape. Rolling to a halt outside the house, said head space was rudely interrupted by a gentle hiss...

Closer inspection revealed a sharp flint, burrowed deep within the Specialized’s casing but I was thankful it struck home then, not ten miles back along a dark, greasy lane.

More pressing duties called that evening, so Tuesday afternoon was set aside for some serious fettling, presenting an ideal opportunity to test those degreasers and polishes. Having whipped out the rear wheel and removed the injured Specialized, I filled the split with superglue and hung it in the workshop to cure thoroughly.

Next, a taller ratio, courtesy of this 15tooth Halo, followed by the 145psi Vee Rubber Rain Runner and a goo-filled tube for some additional security, if only psychological.

So then, these Issi 2 pedals...

Available in no less than eight colours, the fetching blue was an obvious compliment to the Holdsworth and indeed, my one-cog ‘cross inspired winter/trainer. There are two versions; this one boasts aluminium alloy bodies, cro-moly axles and buttery smooth cartridge bearings.

Now, those axles and the raised, SPD compatible cleat mechanisms are in fact, black chrome, a decorative process designed to offer better protection to surfaces than traditional electroplating. Glossy variants such as these easily pass for anodising.

Though apparently aimed at the burgeoning gravel audience, double sided pedals are particularly suited to road biased fixed builds-no correct side, simply step in and power away.  Issi have listened to criticism and improved the cleat mechanism, both in terms of release angle and compatibility with SPD/patterns.

Formative impressions suggest the broader bodies provide greater support than said machine’s usual, venerable Wellgo SPDR units, theoretically improving comfort over longer distances. Miles will confirm whether this is simply “new contact point syndrome” or genuinely so.

Disappointingly, the bodies are already showing signs of cosmetic wear, not something I would expect in several hundred miles from bog standard sub £20 fare. Mine may be a rogue sample, this could be as tatty as they get. Several weeks’ in different conditions will tell.       

Hadn’t seen John Moss in a while, seems he’s been doing some very involved revisions of his mango Velomobile. This now sports the couple’s tandem trikes’ tow bar for the weekly shop and running other domestic errands. While perfectly acceptable around town; existing gearing isn’t tall enough for that legendary recumbent rush on longer rides.

Its existing sun star crankset also seems rather fond of throwing the chain and being a double; even with a 70 tooth ring, 25-30mph is pretty much tops. However, he says the Rohloff hub is a more limiting factor, so is developing his own system reminiscent of 

overdrive, manual transmissions common in cars before 5^th gear became the norm.

This involves driving an 11 speed Shimano Alfine from the Rohloff and mounting a flip-flop hub beside the alfine. Being from an engineering background, he’s planning to fabricate a glass fibre cover to house the system and calculates with the correct ratios 40-50mph should be realistic cruising speed.

That’s it for now, off to check out my illustrator’s latest work, pop those magnesium BBB on the Teenage dream for a shoes test and have a play with this Topeak mini usb combo.

Oldie but Goodie: Fuquay Transformed

Remember the battle scarred red frame I got so excited about during my last visit to Maldon Shot Blasting & Powder Coating? (http://www.ctc-powder-coating.co.uk/) Well, as I suspected, it was a genuine Greg Fuquay.

Fuquay was an American builder, trained by Serotta cycles, who spent much of the 1990s crafting some very unique road and mtb framesets, before returning to Alabama and his earlier aerospace career. This one features his trademark combination of TIG welded and brazed construction.

Sure, most TIG welded steel framesets, especially production bikes have brazed bottle bosses, cable guides, mudguard eyelets and carrier mounts. Few combine the two structurally.

Speaking of which, the tatty aesthetic was apparently down to extended indoor trainer slavery-hence, sweat induced corrosion/pitting along the top and seat tubes. The dent damaged seat stay was filled with brass and smoothed flat for a modest £18, before passing through the iron-oxide blast cabinet.

Structurally sound, there was little trace of internal corrosion, so threaded areas masked and on with the phosphate base coat. While this baked in their curing oven, Graham heaved a huge box of chrome effect powder across the workshop and fed this into the gun. Several minutes later, the frame emerged ready to receive said electroplate effect.

Graham weaves around the tubes, shrouded in a silvery mist. Within five minutes, he’s done, given a quick visual twice-over with extra powder added around the bottom bracket shell. Then it’s returned to the oven for another round of curing prior to receiving a protective clear coat.

While generally an advocate of protective lacquers, in this instance it tempers the sheen, giving a nickel effect under normal light.  

However, when properly applied, polyester powder coating will trump wet spray finishes like stove enamels and 2pac in the durability stakes. Therefore, clear coat is very much optional. Total cost for his transformation came in at £116.40 including VAT.

As for the the Rosso Red Oscar Simonato Columbus frame; it re-emerged in this extremely fetching metallic blue. Another specialist finish, which brought the price to £110 including VAT-£45 over a standard gloss blue such as my Holdsworth’s-RAL 5024 (assuming no post blast remedial works are necessary).

Right, that’s enough distraction for me. Time I was back at my desk, penning some more adventures for the characters in my series of children’s stories.  

Toupes, Tweaks & Tug Jobs

Further plotlines and characters for my series of children’s stories devised and deadlines herded into their respective pens, Border collie fashion, I settled to slathering some fresh Muc-off Carbo-grip to the Holdsworth's Tifosi branded composite post. 

While about it, the Specialized toupe' was reinstated on grounds of grams and the coarse grain leather saddlebag substituted for this Zefal. Aside from superior capacity and zero sway,it includes retro-reflective detailing and LED tab. I had hoped this Cycliq fly 6 HD camera  and LED combo would cadge a lift but its specifically designed for post mounting. No bad thing, since the latter provides superior tenure and blur-free recording.

Polishing and preening complete, attention turned to its track nuts, which needed nipping tight. Obviously, I don't generate    the herculean output of a 90 kilo sprinter. That said; proves transmission braking and hard core honking call  for regular inspection.

Contrary to popular misconception, fixed chains wear faster than their derailleur counterparts. Sure; they’re no skipping up and down a cassette but those forces, coupled with grotty winters (and in my case, occasional trailer tugging duties) lead to hard and relatively short lives.

I’ve managed 3,000miles from this Z1X inox which is roughly twice that of a typical nickel plated speed derailleur chain subjected to similar conditions. Now well into late middle age, I’m probably looking at a further 700miles before it becomes bin fodder. Chances are, we’ll receive another beefy model for review by then; otherwise, I’ll go for another X1.  (Full report on Seven Day Cyclist www.sevendaycyclist.com).

On the subject of trailers, leaving the house without a camera is unthinkable-there’s always something interesting to capture. I overtook this rider on a bypass road while driving the KA and pulled into a layby several hundred metres away to get some shots of his Specialized and Burly combo.

Bikes are incredibly versatile and can haul surprising loads safely, at sensible speeds and for long distances.

Admittedly; the safe bit is clearly open to interpretation, depending on where you are in the world and I’m not sure, even with gearing lower than a snake’s testicles, that I’d attempt hauling Peter Eland’s payload www.eland.org.uk/

Nonetheless, a week’s family shop is easily brought home in a typical mid-range unit. In keeping with panniers, a low slung hitch and sensible weight distribution  are musts but so long as 35kilos isn’t exceeded, I can haul more in my Bob Yak homage than the KA and other micro-minis.  

Single wheel designs, such as the Yak and its followers track behind the bike and enjoy a low centre of gravity, which makes them a more obvious choice off road. 

Sneaking through tighter gaps and side alleys is also easier than their two wheeled counterparts. On the flip side, two wheelers tend to cope better with potholes and make stop-start parking more convenient. Hitches are similarly crucial, look for something low slung that bolts neatly to the rear dropout.

Chariot trailers used to employ a clever ball-joint coupling that was secure, yet counter intuitive to use. Avoid post mounted types crude, or otherwise since they’re agricultural and cursed with a high centre of gravity, which have a detrimental effect upon handling. Substantial twisting forces generated by the beam “wag” the rider, which is tiring to counteract and overcome, even over moderate distances.                  

Elsewhere, Green oil's workshop sized, gun-friendly 200ml tube has just arrived. This makes for very precise, mess and waste-free delivery ; especially to quick release skewers, small fasteners, bearings etc. Other than an initial squeeze, contents flow much faster than the original dropper-bottle, which often needs standing in hot water for a minute or so, particularly in cooler weather.                              

Initial reactions are favourable and it seems much stockier than the original recipe, which though good, degraded faster than PTFE or lithium pastes. Unlike these, it’s reckoned safe on rubberised components such as seals and suspension bushings. We’ll see…Off to watch some old frames restored now. 

 

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...