RoadRat3 build ... is it bird? Is it a plane?....

[2manyoranges]

Thanks Jim … on hold after two weeks in the mountains … made it into France just as it closed, so RetroGrom was able to ski and board for the first time in two years … today just picked up front wheel from Truewheels in Brighton - recentred for 100mm spacing - so all go … will do wheels tomorrow and post on that ….

 

[2manyoranges]

Finally…after the winter preoccupation with Alps…the frame came down from hanging forlorn in the roof of the workshop, the wheels were retrieved and the various components of choice brought together….

 

[2manyoranges]

First off…the frame. Many chips and dings. Careful sanding of bad pits and bare-but-rusty metal. Application of the right RAL code paint - thanks Cy for the code number. Delicate and fine painting with a high quality model-making brush, using three layers to build depth. Looked horrible. But the moment the paint dried, it matched exactly. Phew. This was a two hour job, done in good but diffuse sunlight to see precisely what needed to be done, and the May heat caused the right sort of paint curing - fast but not too fast.

 

[2manyoranges]

Next - setting the rims up tubeless. The paraphernalia looks like a drug den tool kit. But….after application of TESA tape of the right width (this is where Stans source their tape, I am told, from Switzerland) the tyres went on and tubes went in…pumped up to 50 PSI. The tape had been stretched tight on application, six inches of overlap at the valve hole, then a pinprick with a pick to make a hole for the valve. Assembled with tube, left overnight, this really causes the tape to adhere well. Next morning, the usual strict routine of tube out, valve smeared with Stans in, then bead locked with a blast of air from an inflation tank and a brush of tyre mounting fluid. Valve core out, Stans in, valve back in, wobble and shake, then to 40PSI and hope the next morning all will be airtight. And lo and behold…..everything fine.

Hope enduro - 23 internal - 29inch 32 spokes
Tyre - WTB 45 gravel Riddler (Only non British bit so far….but Shimano to come….)

 

[2manyoranges]

Black Hope BB prep’d with lots of antiseize - a used BB but nice and tight and good and smooth. As usual with a COTIC, the BB threads are slightly tight - cleaned them really well and brushed with a brass brush, but still tighter than optimum. Oh well, no reamer in the workshop, so in it goes, slightly wearing the alloy cups. But hey ho, not too bad. All good. 68 shell so two spacers on the drive side and one on the non-drive side.

 

[2manyoranges]

Headset….I want Hope….give me Hope.
I have Accor. Top cup and bearing King. Top cup and bearing Cane Creek. I search for matching lowers on line. Nothing. Don’t want to use the Accor. I want Hope.

I resort to buying a newish gunmental Hope on eBay. OK, not perfect colour but it will do.

I then find (DUH!) that I have a perfect Black Hope in a box on the top shelf….bah…..in it goes.

Of course…if I had read this thread I would have known I bought a black Hope bottom to match my random top, and it was in that box….oh the error of leaving a big gap between starting and continuing with the build….

And it goes in simply. Carefully align bottom cup and press H A R D to get it to catch - gently tap with soft hammer to get 2-3mm of insertion and the alignment spot on…same at top…fret that I should have put bottom in first, fully, and then done top. Oh well….proceed slowly and carefully. Install headset press and slowly wind up, watching that both cups are aligned in the tube properly and are keeping their alignment as they go in. All good, got away with it…

 

[2manyoranges]

And then a stem….simple, I have reserved a Burgtec and cap and bolt and that goes on simply. Looking good. All black and orange all BRITISH….

 

[Peachy!]

Of course…if I had read this thread I would have known I bought a black Hope bottom to match my random top, and it was in that box….oh the error of leaving a big gap between starting and continuing with the build….

Done this a few times!

 

[2manyoranges]

Good ride in the forest with The Grom on Sunday AM - then back for family stuff and a frantic chase around the workshop in the hope that I can finish the build for Monday commute.

Saddle - check….poke around and find demo Fabric - nice, British…done…already have HOPE seatclamp.

15 mins in.

Seatpost - argh….27.2….raid the Simple, but find that the 400mm USE which is on there fouls the bottle mount inside the tube and I am NOT going to cut it. Rummage rummage rummage … ah ha … 27.2 orange logo post from an EVO O2. British…sort of…but also check out USE outlet store and find they are selling carbon posts for 25.00 … 27.2 300mm click done. British. I’ll use the Orange one for tomorrow then install the USE when it comes. Set up for 69cm bb to top of saddle, 73.5cms rear of saddle to bar centre. Nice.

45 mins of flapping.

Brakes - Shimano. SLX. will fit Hope stoppers when I have saved a bit or sold a few bits. I’ve some purple Hope Tech3s but they are due to go on the Grom’s Transition Patrol. Brake hoses are exactly right length thank goodness both F and R. Bit of a decision re routing to left or right of headtube for rear pipe - bring it up the down tube and then rider’s right to bars, and that creates a nice loop which won’t wear the frame…then discs off Hope XC 26 set and onto the 29ers. Brake adapters….would like to use Hope but only have one Hope ‘B’ adapter (160 rear) and so opt for two black SRAM adapters for F and R - 160 discs both ends. Alligator 92g disc on rear, Shimano generic on front.

90 mins of getting them off a Cannondale F9, then cleaning and servicing each - pads out, clean pistons, silicon grease to ease…working nicely.

Bars - horrible - Cannondale C3s. Or C2s. Or a Nukeproof carbon but I‘ll need to cut that down. Not doing that. Check out USE outlet … Ha! 660 width Carbon 31.6 bar for 20.00 …. Click…done…British…I’ll just put on the C3 and wait to install the USE when it comes.

60 mins of faff.

Called in for supper. Crunch crunch crunch, yum yum yum

7.30pm

Chainset - XT 175mm. Mucky as hell…good clean and ready - 36T Race Face chainring…remove the inner Middleburn 26T, since I will be running SS … or will I? Check the cable run …drat…missing plastic cable guide under the BB…drop an email to COTIC to get a replacement, but then will have to set up SS…but ratios on a 29er? I opt for 36-16 and hope it’s going to be OK. Just use the 16 on an XT 9 speed block as an experimental bash at it. Soak chain (GT85 then MucOff pink, rattle about and wipe off), and shorten - a Hyperglide 9spd. Fingers crossed.

60 mins to clean the chainset, two mins to instal the XT and then 20mins of faffing to get chain clean and the right length, capable of being removed, yet tightened if I want to use a smaller rear cog. Remember, a loose chain is a fast chain.

…approaching 9pm and looking OK….

Fettle brakes to get zero bind...10 mins…
Check reach.
Check saddle height.

Ride….feels good…30m up the road and back … ratios seem workable

Dash in to be sociable before kids go to bed.

Tomorrow … W E R I D E ….. (said in the tone of Rango).

 

[2manyoranges]

Thanks for the thumbs-up Jim….here’s the final (ish) thing.

Monday morning - first ride to work….as usual plying the thorn-strewn cycle paths and Pfffffffff puncture …. But instead of usual early morning tube panic, simply resealed thanks to Stans.

Hurrah.

Here it is with USE seat post installed….huge improvement to ride quality…fast…yet comfy.

COTIC under bb guide arrived yesterday - thanks Sam.

Ride and position justify going for a medium (with me at 170cm tall and 31 inch inside leg) even though that was outside the MED size range - small would have been a cramped ride.

Soon … I hope to have HOPE stoppers, and HOPE cranks and pedals. Much Britishness and home-grown. This is a fast, sharp and smooth ride…

R E S U L T