Cycling UK Forum

Myoriginal Majestic seat post is stamped 26.4 mm (it's an ITM one).

Now it's confession time ... This will be the bike's second rebuild. The first was 10 years ago since most of the original components had by then worn out. I had the frame resprayed by Mercian so it's been a nice deep red since then, as I wasn't that keen on the gold paintjob.

Something else that I think I will need to do is install a cartridge bottom bracket bearing as I cannot get the present bearing to tighten with no slack.

mlteenie, are you sticking with the original drops? If not, have you chosen new drops, and levers?

I'm also pondering what sprockets to fit. Originally it had a 5-speed freewheel but I won't use the original axles as I broke several axles due to the silly arrangement of the bearings in freewheel hubs (the left-side bearings are inside the sprockets so there is a lot of force on the axle whereas cassette hubs have the bearings where they should be, at the ends!). I could easily get a Shimano 7 speed cassette in on the 130mm axle but clearly not an 8 speed on that axle. Anyone know anything about Shimano hubs and whether I can get a 130mm hub that will take 8-speed?

I don't intend to have my frame resprayed again at this stage, so I bought some clips to take a bottle cage on the downtube (I think they came from Dyason, they were bought at Mildenhall last year). When new, the bottle carrier was a wire frame type attached to the handlebars. I don't think I have it any more.

Does anyone know where the frames were made? I assume they were hand built in the UK in the early '80s but would be interested to know more.

Keith

By an extraordinary coincidence, I used the forum for the first time this evening, and spotted this post - extraordinary because this afternoon, I was pondering exactly the same question, and got my partially dismantled 1982 Majestic out of the shed to survey it for a rebuild. I was particularly interested in the possible replacement of the wheels with 700c wheels but was concerned that the old Majestic rear stays are 126mm OLN. Not a problem! I borrowed a 130mm OLN wheel from my road bike and it slipped in a treat.

I also measured the brake drop and that was more a cause for concern as I make the Weinmann centre pull brakes presently fitted about 60mm, which is quite deep. I absolutely detest the Weinmanns - I have never found an easy way to adjust them! Thanks, Rob, for the advice on the Alhongas.

I agree with mlteenie's comment about the cable mounts, but I came to the conclusion that I could work with the existing mounts.

The original Majestic had rather narrow drops, and it was only when I replaced it with a Thorn Clubtour that I realised how much more tiring they made it to ride than the wider drops on the Clubtour.

Like Rob, I want to retain the steel frame! It's far too good to part with.

Keith

Hi, I'm Keith, the Suffolk DA secretary.

We run a very active DA but much of this is centred on Ipswich.
There are about 800 members in Suffolk but we only ever see about 150, as the rest of you are scattered across a large area. We would like to see if there is sufficient interest to form new centres in any of the above towns.

If you are elsewhere in the county and would be interested in forming a local group in your area, please get in touch with me (for contact details go to http://www.greenlivingcentre.org.uk/ctc/).

Happy cycling!

Keith Halton