10 speed v 5 speed

[legrandefromage]

A 5 speed could have been either a cheapy or a specific time trial or similar

and cassettes are up to 11spd these days.

11? Well I never. How thin is the chain then? There's only so much you can dish a rear wheel.

'Tis a madness creeping upon them, sire

 

[bhill22]

Dura ace hubs, headset, stem, seat post, have rear and front mech, chainset, callipers but not the ones in the pic as they are too long, short reach required please, levers and shifters, rims are mavic gp4 (?)

 

[Old Ned]

That's definitely a time trial bike - and it has 6 gears. Ron Spencer still has a shop in Warrington but - as far as I know - doesn't have (or didn't in this case) a resident frame builder. I know that some of his frames were built by Bill Whitcomb and if this one was then it's a 'good'un'. I like it!

 

[bhill22]

Thx ned, i could not determine who made frames for ron spencer but now I know, and I think you are correct as now I have the name and can google it looks very similar to other frames.

What should I do with it? keep it six or double on front?

Was going to complete the build in keeping with dura ace and period if possible, see how it rides if ok then invest in a finish as there are some scabby rust bits at the moment

BTW this is where I started
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... highlight=

so its likely then the other ron spencer I have is a whitcomb as well, but any idea who made frames for graham weigh?

 

[Old Ned]

Yes, I remember the thread now. It's possible that other builders may well have worked for Ron so it might be an idea to have a word with him, he might tell you. As for Graham's frames, he had a long relationship with Terry Dolan but this does not mean that your frame is one of his. Graham is still actively involved with the shop in Queensferry.

What have you done with the other frames?

 

[bhill22]

still have them, made the mistake of trying to do them all at the same time, so very little progress, apart from sourcing bits, the graham weigh is mainly campy record although mixed, the ron simpson in this thread dura ace, and the other ron simpson suntour cyclone, the concorde i have been using, the langdale lightweight most of the componets have been swopped to a smaller frame for my youngest son, and a Dave Lloyd my eldest has taken to Oz where he now lives.

But should this remain 6 speed or put the double front on?

 

[Spokesmann]

5-speed is nice esp without the complexity of 10-sped bikes.

I have a couple of 5-speed Corsas and I love them for the simple no-nonse approach, they dont misbehave as much as some of my 10-speeds.

That said on mass produced bikes the fewer gears made them cheaper too!

 

[fiks]

"These go to eleven."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeOXsA8sp_E

 

[dant]

Keep it 6 speed. I have a time trial lo-pro made with just the one braze on and am keeping it 8 speed dura ace. I have a 13-21 uniglide cassette which will be sufficient on the short rides from the south of Brisbane where I am to somewhere near the Gold Coast.

Pics in next post - my 3rd.

 

[dant]

Here are a couple of pics originally included in the above post.

More pictures of frame and Dura Ace 74xx on Flickr