Big thanks to every one on here who helped out, I’ve tried to make sure I mentioned everyone, but biggest thanks to @uno-speedo , @elite504 and @August Bicycles . Their expert assistance is so obvious in the final build quality! It’s another big tick as far as the bikes the teenage me wanted but...
Every bolt was replaced, every thread was retaped, every part was as NOSish and age correct as I possibly could. This was a joint Retrobike build so I had to do you proud and do it right!
Saddle is a 1992 perforated flite courtesy of @Tomianson , seatpost is the original Formula 1 carbon, the rear mech is Mavic thanks to a good friend in Germany, freewheel is a Maillard from the spares box, skewers are Ringle because, why not!
Home stretch now.
Italian FRO brakes with hard anodizing matches parts of the Mavic group and are age perfect. They’ve been sat in a box for far too long. Married up with Mathauser superpads and some funky, tiny hangers that I picked up years ago:
At the back, the FRO cantis (which are end...
So. Bullseyes and Mavic rings from my collection and a rather nice chap in Germany, the Mavic front mech bolted together out of a few in my boxes, Frankenstein style and a NOS set of DX spuds like the first set I ever owned fresh from eBay and a nicevNOS sedismchain to compliment the black and...
The bike needs parts. The headset, rims and bottom bracket are Mavic so I’m wanted to continue that theme.
Only downside is that the front mech is a direct mount bandless affair like the ones used on Alpinestar, Kirk and others and that would either mean using a shimano front mech, which would...
Now to get this project rolling. Needs wheels.
The frame uses a Formula 1 carbon seatpost, that seatpost uses an American Classic head so it felt right to continue that theme with American Classic hubs. This was also driven by the fact that the frame was 130mm spaced and AM hubs can be adjusted...
Where was I? Ah yes, stem… so the issue with the bike is it was designed for cantilevers but the original owner has clipped off the cantilever hanger when converting it to v-brakes, and the Pace stem steerer hasn’t got a hanger either as it was designed for Maguras. Then we have the issue of the...
This is it.
What’s the quote - “It takes a village to raise a child”? Well let change that as children aren’t as good as bikes - “It takes a forum to build a bike”
Forks sorted, but stem? Well, if I’m going down the Pace rabbit hole then why not a Pace stem/steerer? Its clean and smooth lines would go perfectly with the carbon monocoque, it would integrate with the forks seamlessly and, of course, it’s British.
Obviously, not an easy part to find. The few...
Right, getting serious now.
More parts. The original F1 forks are long gone, finding another set is as likely as a Rishi being our PM after the next election, so what next..
Well, British bike, steel rear end, there’s only one option. This is made an all the more easy decision when you look at...
So, first issue overcome. Next issue, parts….
As a standard, Formula 1 used XT M732 or Cooks CQP cranks. But that’s standard, and this bike isn’t standard.
I love Bullseye cranks and, being steel, they fit perfectly with the steel rear end. Only downside is that Formula 1 use Mavic BBs as they...
So. First issue. This is an older bike, but worse, it is an older bike with carbon and alloy. Things break. The original owner was taller than me and used, albeit briefly, a USE suspension seatpost.
USE Seatposts are great for poor tolerance fits and for generating stress points. Sadly this...
Over the years the bike had had many forms. The owner went from cantilevers to Hope discs briefly, but he disliked the noise so then went to V brakes, the original F1 forks were converted to but on the shift to V brakes were put aside in favour of RC31s, and finally the bike had a Rohloff...
Well, I wasn’t going to let this one slip through my fingers so Nik put me in touch with the frames owner. A lovely guy now approaching his 80s. His wife had decided that he wasn’t allowed to hang the frame on the wall of their new house in Spain so time had come to move the frame on to a new...
Gotta say, I have always loved Formula 1 bikes, partly their cutting edge F1 inspired carbon, partly their British steel rear end, partly as they were made a mile down the road from me.
My F1 guru has always been @uno-speedo , another Surrey boy who knows more about F1 bikes than anyone. Years...