1992 Gary Fisher Prometheus

[kingoffootball]

I'll start my own thread for this bike.

It was previously owned by clockworkgazz:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=28385

but I picked it up on a local Ebay auction. Not difficult to spot it as the same frame, given the repair work on the top tube!

My reasoning for buying it, despite the need to actually cut down my number of bikes, is that I intend to build it up as a winter bike. I've needed a new one for awhile, as my Claud Butler has been somewhat wrecked by riding very salty roads through several winters with minimal cleaning and maintenance. I'd not considered it before, but a titanium frame should be ideal for this purpose. I have a few ideas about what components would help minimise the winter destruction, but quite a few would cost too much for me to be able to get them this year, so the chances are for this winter it will be built up around the STX RC it already has.

This is as purchased:

Obviously, firstly I need a seat post (27.4mm?). The forks, being aluminium, would in some respects be well suited and less prone to corrosion than steel forks and giving me the option to run a disc up front if that was more winter friendly (no idea, I have zero experience of discs). However, they are too long and also have no facility to mount mudguards, which I will undoubtedly need.

The adjustable stem will definitely be replaced with a proper long, flat one. I'll have to have a look and decide whether any of the other parts are too good to be wrecked and if so check what more scruffy parts I have, if even just to get me through this winter.

 

[mynchiboy]

Re:

Nice score! I also went down the titanium route for a winter bike and built up a Raleigh RSP frame that I bought very cheaply a while ago. It's performed great as well - 2 winters in and it's still looking good. The only problem is I've ended up using it all year round recently, at the expense of my other bikes...

My route to work includes a canal path that gets very filthy indeed when the rain hits it. I've managed fine with v-brakes personally, although I do tend to get through pads at a fair rate come the winter. I've considered running a front disc as I have a salsa fork that I could swap over, but to me the extra braking performance isn't worth the messing around with swapping over.

I'm currently running SS with a 46:16 ratio but have also used the bike as a 1x8 to keep the amount of bits requiring maintainence down. I too have no guard mounts on the frame but have just about managed to get away with a crud catcher and one of those ass saver things.

I'll look forward to seeing what you do with this one

 

[kingoffootball]

Thank you, that's helpful advice.

My previous winter bike was 3x7 and apart from not needing that range the from mech seized regularly and got worn very quickly, so I was thinking I'll probably go down the 1x7 or 8 route. I was considering going single speed with it, as it's flat around here, but I was concerned it would make it harder to keep traction when it's icy or snowy.

I thought the fork was 440mm a-c, but it appears to be 420mm, so maybe I should try it and see how it handles. Full mudguards aren't actually likely, given the frame obviously doesn't have fittings. I could use the ones from my previous winter bike, but I might look for something a little better, as they didn't off that much protection to me or the rest of the bike.

 

[kingoffootball]

Another not-great picture, but almost there ready to test for commuting duties. I just need to get a rear dérailleur and mudguards and fit the chain and finish cabling.

I've also bought some studded ice/snow Schwalbe tyres to try if we have a proper winter.

 

[Mike Muz]

Re:

Ooooh, nice!

There's one of these on my eBay watch list. Hasn't sold for a loooong time.

Can't see that last picture :? I do like a nice Fisher

Mike

 

[kingoffootball]

Ah, is that the earlier (nicer) one? For some reason I much prefer them with just the Fisher name, rather than Gary Fisher.

Odd, I'm not sure why the photo stopped showing, but the same thing has happened to the photo i added to my Richter 8.0 thread. I'll delete and replace the links and hopefully that will fix them.

 

[Mike Muz]

Re:

Can see the photo now, looks great!

The one on eBay is thousands!

 

[kingoffootball]

Modern Shimano Zee dérailleur has now arrived, so hopefully I'll be test riding it before the weekend is out. I still need to buy some p-clips to allow me to fit the mudguards though.

Also, before I even finish it and test it I'm thinking of other problems. Using Sheldon's invaluable gear calculator I work out that the highest gain ratio with the 44T Raceface chainring on the front will be 7.2 (with the current tyres, when I switch to larger tyres that will increase a bit), which I suspect won't be enough for commuting duties, given that on my Karakoram Elite is about 7.9 if I remember correctly. There doesn't seem to be that many larger compact chainrings around (ebay has a 48T for £20) so I may end up having to switch cranks. That would be a bit annoying as the STX-RC match the hubs and shifter, but I'll look to see if I have any 110 BCD cranks kicking around that don't matter if they get wrecked over winter. If I do end up switching cranks, that might make it easier to find a decent chain ring guard, which is something I was considering adding.

 

[HK-II]

Re:

Thanks for sharing. Looking good. Not enough Prometheus on here! Enjoy

 

[kingoffootball]

All finished and ready for duty! The mudguards feel a bit bodged due to the lack of eyelets, but as long as they remain steady then that's fine with me. My winter bike needs to be as functional and low maintenance as possible.

The snow/ice tyres are ready, but I won't change them on until necessary. I'll fit some light brackets this afternoon and be using it for commuting this week.