rBoTM Jan 2011 - Nominations Please!
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going to a new home
Citoyen du monde
rBotM Winner
Home-built frame/bike
Given that we are looking at a bike recovered from the tip, I thought it might be interesting to present my home-built bike, as many of the parts are reclaimed or re-used. I built the frame while working in a bike shop. At the time I was a poor university student, which explains many of the parts that you can find on the bike, as I was obliged to make do with what was available/affordable. The frame is a mixture of Reynolds and Columbus tubing, however I must admit to no longer remembering which tube is what. I do believe the stays and fork are Columbus with the main triangle being Reynolds. This was the first frame that I built and I did not have all the tools that are now reasonably easy to find. In fact, I made due with and Oxy-Acetylene torch, a set of files, a hack saw, a work bench vise and wood blocks (therefore no jig or other specialised tools). I initially took the measurements of my favourite frame with the intention to replicate the geometry, unfortunately I quickly came to realize that a small error of a few millimeters could bring about major changes to the final result. The end result was a frame that was more relaxed that I had expected (less than 72°) which forced me to make some modifications to the fork (less rake). I was also in a bit of a rush when I went to cold-set the chainstays and therefore left a ripple near the BB shell (I remedied this by applying a fork tang on the outside of the chainstay, over the ripple). In any case, notwithstanding the errors, I was very pleased with the final result. I used the frame as my racing bike for one season and then following some minor modifications it became my touring and commuting bike. Since being built, over 25 years ago, the bike has easily covered more than 100K km (perhaps even more than 160K km). The components have been replaced over time when they were worn, but the largest part thereof are still those that were originally fitted to the bike. The bars/stem combo was gifted to me by a shop customer when it was pointed out that the combination of 26,4 mm Cinelli bars in a 26,0 mm 3TTT stem was perhaps somewhat dubious. Upon hearing this the customer immediately purchased a completely new set. The Campagnolo Super Record pedals were gifted to me by a customer who was switching all of his bikes over to then new Look pedals. The shift levers were Rino show samples for the New York trade show. The chainset is a Stronglight 106 (which at the time cost me less than half the price of a Campagnolo chainset), the derailleurs are Ofmega Mistral in the back (a fantastic derailleur if I may say so, and light weight to boot), the front being the economy Campagnolo Nuovo Gran Sport. The brakes and the hubs were recycled from a bike that an insurance company had brought to the shop for a replacement estimate. They had been fitted to a bike that was inadvertently left on a roof rack when going into an underground carpark. The insurance company had paid off the bike owner and said that we could dispose of the bike as we saw fit. The Modolo Orion brake levers were received from a customer who passed on to Gran Compe aero levers. The bike was therefore largely buit up using recycled and re-used parts (through the kindness of my then boss and many customers).
Given that we are looking at a bike recovered from the tip, I thought it might be interesting to present my home-built bike, as many of the parts are reclaimed or re-used. I built the frame while working in a bike shop. At the time I was a poor university student, which explains many of the parts that you can find on the bike, as I was obliged to make do with what was available/affordable. The frame is a mixture of Reynolds and Columbus tubing, however I must admit to no longer remembering which tube is what. I do believe the stays and fork are Columbus with the main triangle being Reynolds. This was the first frame that I built and I did not have all the tools that are now reasonably easy to find. In fact, I made due with and Oxy-Acetylene torch, a set of files, a hack saw, a work bench vise and wood blocks (therefore no jig or other specialised tools). I initially took the measurements of my favourite frame with the intention to replicate the geometry, unfortunately I quickly came to realize that a small error of a few millimeters could bring about major changes to the final result. The end result was a frame that was more relaxed that I had expected (less than 72°) which forced me to make some modifications to the fork (less rake). I was also in a bit of a rush when I went to cold-set the chainstays and therefore left a ripple near the BB shell (I remedied this by applying a fork tang on the outside of the chainstay, over the ripple). In any case, notwithstanding the errors, I was very pleased with the final result. I used the frame as my racing bike for one season and then following some minor modifications it became my touring and commuting bike. Since being built, over 25 years ago, the bike has easily covered more than 100K km (perhaps even more than 160K km). The components have been replaced over time when they were worn, but the largest part thereof are still those that were originally fitted to the bike. The bars/stem combo was gifted to me by a shop customer when it was pointed out that the combination of 26,4 mm Cinelli bars in a 26,0 mm 3TTT stem was perhaps somewhat dubious. Upon hearing this the customer immediately purchased a completely new set. The Campagnolo Super Record pedals were gifted to me by a customer who was switching all of his bikes over to then new Look pedals. The shift levers were Rino show samples for the New York trade show. The chainset is a Stronglight 106 (which at the time cost me less than half the price of a Campagnolo chainset), the derailleurs are Ofmega Mistral in the back (a fantastic derailleur if I may say so, and light weight to boot), the front being the economy Campagnolo Nuovo Gran Sport. The brakes and the hubs were recycled from a bike that an insurance company had brought to the shop for a replacement estimate. They had been fitted to a bike that was inadvertently left on a roof rack when going into an underground carpark. The insurance company had paid off the bike owner and said that we could dispose of the bike as we saw fit. The Modolo Orion brake levers were received from a customer who passed on to Gran Compe aero levers. The bike was therefore largely buit up using recycled and re-used parts (through the kindness of my then boss and many customers).
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TheGreenRabbit
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for the story alone Citoyen du monde could well be a winner !
ive put a lot of love n effort into my fathers ernie clements 
worth a look may be?
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=131567
worth a look may be?http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=131567
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zotty":48ae8pk2 said:ive put a lot of love n effort into my fathers ernie clements
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=131567
needs a better pic to do it justice:
thanks Mr LGF
and yeah it does need some better pics taking, although theres a few good before and after pics in the thread its self.. also few things have been sorted on it since that pic was taken. matching pedal is now on and a better seat post (temp seat post that is as i'm awaiting a shimano 600 brake set and the matching seat post).. i'll sort a picture or two in the morning
and yeah it does need some better pics taking, although theres a few good before and after pics in the thread its self.. also few things have been sorted on it since that pic was taken. matching pedal is now on and a better seat post (temp seat post that is as i'm awaiting a shimano 600 brake set and the matching seat post
).. i'll sort a picture or two in the morning
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