1997 GT Edge Aero

[novocaine]

Hi Novocaine,
Thanks for the compliment. I became cycling aware in the very late 1960's. I had a subscription to one or two english cycling newspapers from that period. I was heavily influenced by time trailests and their bicycles. Their bikes were beautiful, drillium, big rings, clipped track bars, bar end shifters, toe clips/straps, and magnificent polish and paint.
It made a big impression and I would say it still does as it was a simpler time and I had no worries.
I think it's a touch point that reminds me to enjoy the day and go play.

Have A Great Saturday: Mike

run day then out for tea with wife no. 1. that's a good day for me.

Hi Bob,
Photos of the Viscount are buried in the family albums box that I haven't opened in years because I'm afraid of what else might be hiding in there like photos of my first wife and a portrait I commissioned... You see I'm a bit like Dorian Gray. If I look at my portrait or touch a brifter I will turn to dust.

https://flic.kr/p/2qbPVeA

Brooks Pro... I would like a little French culture, like a Ideale Titanium 90, lightly broken in by Isabelle Adjani.




Been there, done that, only with a Brooks Swallow, maybe a Bagman support...

https://flic.kr/p/2qhiL2q

I have a Goldie Lookin Chain with a pristine drilled Huret Jubilee derailleur attached around my neck and a Carradice Zipped Roll Bag swinging from my saddle stuffed with a collection of ladies undergarments purchased from vending machines in the darker corners of Japan. I would consider a decaleur but only to stack fresh delicious warm doughnuts on and maybe a gimbaled coffee cup holder.
Do you have a initiation in O.B.B.U. ? Does it hurt ? Will I be humiliated ?
Sign Me Up!!!

Welcome To Saturday: Mike

amazing, you look just like my first girl friend.

which is why I don't look back.

 

[Blackbike]

Assembolism has started, crank assembly was quick and painless, the front mech not so much...
First attempt resulted in the tail of the cage dragging on the big ring with the mech at the top of the slot and no adjustment left...
So it was time to call up my super powers of perception and engineering. I grabbed a Marlboro and a generous shot of 12 year old Glenlivet and went to work on the problem...
After ruminating on my conundrum I consulted my box of weird stuff and found a bag of various Chinese derailleur shims, A 3mm shim resulted in a near perfect alignment, I will revisit the hardware and clean up the installation sometime tonight.

After the rework photos.

https://flic.kr/p/2qW4zjt

https://flic.kr/p/2qW4Ta7

https://flic.kr/p/2qW5vJM

Have A Outstanding Day: Mike

 

[bikeworkshop]

Is the big-ring chainline ok with the triple Mike? And if these alloy race frames have no step in the stay, forcing the whole chainset out 5mm for clearance, throw in a short chainstay and you can end up with quite a few unusable gear combinations.
Of course if it's octalink, then it must be ok

 

[Blackbike]

Is the big-ring chainline ok with the triple Mike? And if these alloy race frames have no step in the stay, forcing the whole chainset out 5mm for clearance, throw in a short chainstay and you can end up with quite a few unusable gear combinations.
Of course if it's octalink, then it must be ok

Hi Bikeworkshop,
I have Dura-Ace triples on 4 bikes right now, the shortest chainstays of the bunch is my Land Shark at 16 inches (the GT is the same) so I run them like this, on the big ring 7 useable, middle all 10 useable, small ring 7 useable without trimming the triple, with trimming I can squeeze another gear out but you can tell it's not happy doing it.
Coastal San Diego, riding from Harbor Drive to Balboa Park I will be in the bottom of the range a few times on that climb.

The 753OS Land Shark. (The GT is mechanically identical to this bike)

https://flic.kr/p/2qPcRq1

Have A Grand Sunday: Mike

 

[Blackbike]

I will just leave these here...

https://flic.kr/p/2qWeyRP

: Mike

 

[PhillB]

Assembolism has started, crank assembly was quick and painless, the front mech not so much...
First attempt resulted in the tail of the cage dragging on the big ring with the mech at the top of the slot and no adjustment left...
So it was time to call up my super powers of perception and engineering. I grabbed a Marlboro and a generous shot of 12 year old Glenlivet and went to work on the problem...
After ruminating on my conundrum I consulted my box of weird stuff and found a bag of various Chinese derailleur shims, A 3mm shim resulted in a near perfect alignment, I will revisit the hardware and clean up the installation sometime tonight.

After the rework photos.

https://flic.kr/p/2qW4zjt

https://flic.kr/p/2qW4Ta7

https://flic.kr/p/2qW5vJM

Have A Outstanding Day: Mike

I have made a mental note to ensure I have a nice malt whisky to hand, for the FD on my next build

 

[Blackbike]

I have made a mental note to ensure I have a nice malt whisky to hand, for the FD on my next build

Hi Phil,
I learned early, when the train comes off the tracks just get outta the way...
I find if I give myself some mental space the outcome is usually much better.

Have A Outstanding Day: Mike

 

[Blackbike]

So what did I accomplish today.

1. Removed the lawyer lips from the fork dropouts and cleaned up the clamping faces.

2. Swapped out steering head bearings and related pieces with nicer parts as rotation did not meet expectations. All fixed.

3. Ordered a few bits to tidy up the front derailleur installation and put the works back in the bag.

4. Lubed the QR skewers so they actually self center and actuate smoothly.

5. Turned the bike around in the workstand, stuffed the rear wheel in and sized the chain.

6. Cleaned lubed and roughed in the brake installation.

Now we wait for parts, more news as it happens.
Best Wishes: Mike

 

[Blackbike]

Finally after screwing around with it for days the front mech is installed, aligned, tooth gap set at 1.5mm minum, and it's shiny new concave clamp washer with titanium bolt and washer is torqued to 65 in lbs.
I know it should only take 10 minutes to install but the OCD is strong with me and everything turns into sort of a bizarre art project, but I love the process.

https://flic.kr/p/2qX5dBe

Have A Impressively Splendid Friday: Mike

 

[Blackbike]

Dura-Ace 7803 Rear Mech, The Search For Shabby Chic...

So the 7803 I have has seen better days, somewhere along the line it was left in a ultrasonic cleaner with a nasty detergent and the heat on for days. It destroyed the anodizing, erased the logos, and resulted in some corrosion pitting.

In the parts bin I had a 7800 short cage mech, functional but beat all to hell, I did a test fit with the 7803-GS cage, It's a perfect bolt on... That saved some money and I found a nice 7800 short cage on ebay.

The salvage of the GS cage was a trip through through media blaster to strip the paint and remove any flakey anodizing and stripping the remainder with Easy-Off Commercial oven cleaner, it contains a healthy amount of sodium hydroxide (lye). Spray it on wait 15 minutes anodizing is gone.

The finish is fine Scotch Brite and I'm debating whether to use a few coats of wax or polish the cages, I'm leaning toward the wax as the current finish looks understated and I like it.

https://flic.kr/p/2qXejh2

https://flic.kr/p/2qXd5Lu

https://flic.kr/p/2qXe3cx

: Mike