Where was I? Ah yes, stemā¦ 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 hasnāt got a hanger either as it was designed for Maguras. Then we have the issue of the old Rohloff hanger tab, the fact that the steerer is too long for the headtube and the paint on the legs and rear end is poor and totally missing on the stem.
What I need is a some sort of bearded super star who is equally adept at frame building and powder coating and has a passion for retro bikes. Step up
@August Bicycles .
Gav is a rare breed. He crafts beautiful steel bikes through his frame shop
https://www.augustbicycles.cc/ with his better half, Amy. He creates cool little trinkets like coffee tampers and seat clamp light brackets, but he was also willing to find time to help me out.
He has a genuine passion for retro, and that came through in the discussions I had with him about what I wanted to do. I gave him my list of tasks, āno problemā he said. He didnāt even blink when I didnāt send him the whole frame, just the rear steel bits, the front steel bits and some dodgy drawings
He has an amazing attention to details, things that no normal person would think of.
-When he cut the steerer to fit, he welded a stainless cap on the end as a normal steel cap would rust due to exposure under the crown.
-He had me mark the stem exactly where the hanger should go to ensure the brake cable ran parallel to the headtube
-He designed the front hanger to mirror the rear hanger so they both matched perfectly
Despite the fact that he managed to almost cut his thumb off (not on my job, I hasten to add), he ensured that the tiniest details were monitored. He wasnāt happy with the finish on one part so the powder coat was redone until perfect, and they were all perfect.
Honestly, if you need a new bike or some expert advice on sorting your old one, Gav is your man