Bike built from bits
Bike built from bits
I've just built up this bike for a mate who's currently riding around on a BSO. Scarily, the amount of bike parts I've got lying around meant that the only things I had to buy were the tyres. I'm quite pleased with the way it came out and kinda want to keep it (I won't obvs) despite it being too small and me having no need at all for it.
Frame is a Cannondale M500 from around 1993 which I bought about five years ago, had powdercoated, then used briefly before concluding it was too small and stashing in the shed. Mavic rims on Shimano STX hubs. SKS mudguards and a load of fairly Mid-to-low-end-but-solid parts.
The Vittoria Revolution tyres came from planet X and seem like great value at £8 each. The bike is wonderfully smooth and comfortable and I think they are a big part of that.
The only thing that slightly irritates is the non-level rack, but the mudguard prevents it being rotated forward any more. Ah well..
Has anybody else got examples of bitsa-builds they've done?
Frame is a Cannondale M500 from around 1993 which I bought about five years ago, had powdercoated, then used briefly before concluding it was too small and stashing in the shed. Mavic rims on Shimano STX hubs. SKS mudguards and a load of fairly Mid-to-low-end-but-solid parts.
The Vittoria Revolution tyres came from planet X and seem like great value at £8 each. The bike is wonderfully smooth and comfortable and I think they are a big part of that.
The only thing that slightly irritates is the non-level rack, but the mudguard prevents it being rotated forward any more. Ah well..
Has anybody else got examples of bitsa-builds they've done?
Re: Bike built from bits
A bit of careful bending of the rack legs should let you get the rack dead level.
Rob
Rob
E2E http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk
HoECC http://www.heartofenglandcyclingclub.org.uk
Cytech accredited mechanic . . . and woodworker
HoECC http://www.heartofenglandcyclingclub.org.uk
Cytech accredited mechanic . . . and woodworker
Re: Bike built from bits
Hmm, not sure as I own anything but a shed special any more. Haven't bought a whole bike for decades.
My old CX race frame and some old Tri bars and MTB gears became a beater I didn't mind abusing. It serves me far more loyalty than I deserve and rides a heck of a lot better than it looks.
My old CX race frame and some old Tri bars and MTB gears became a beater I didn't mind abusing. It serves me far more loyalty than I deserve and rides a heck of a lot better than it looks.
Last edited by iandriver on 3 Oct 2019, 7:34pm, edited 1 time in total.
Supporter of the A10 corridor cycling campaign serving Royston to Cambridge http://a10corridorcycle.com. Never knew gardening secateurs were an essential part of the on bike tool kit until I took up campaigning.....
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Re: Bike built from bits
Looks like the light mount would foul the mudguard.
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Re: Bike built from bits
You should be really proud of that bike, it looks like it's just rolled out of a bike shop - such a great level of finish.
I can see that I'm going to have to put more work into my home build
I can see that I'm going to have to put more work into my home build
Motorhead: god was never on your sidehttps://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&client=m ... +your+side
Re: Bike built from bits
Cheers for the comments and contributions! The cross brace on the rack fouls the mudguard if it’s level, so surely bending the legs will make the problem worse as they are already too short?
The mudguards themselves have always been wonky, since being purchased new. The brackets that are riveted to the mudguard seem to distort it (it flairs out between the brackets) and generally they’re both rather crappy. I’ve never fitted another pair of 26 inch SKS guards to compare these to, but overall I was not impressed...
The mudguards themselves have always been wonky, since being purchased new. The brackets that are riveted to the mudguard seem to distort it (it flairs out between the brackets) and generally they’re both rather crappy. I’ve never fitted another pair of 26 inch SKS guards to compare these to, but overall I was not impressed...
Re: Bike built from bits
I built most of my bikes from parts. It's just how things were normally done when I joined my first club.
Re: Bike built from bits
drossall wrote:I built most of my bikes from parts. It's just how things were normally done when I joined my first club.
Yeah, me too. Perhaps I was thinking more about the random creations that come about mainly because the parts are lying around...
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Re: Bike built from bits
Just toadd that that I really like those handlebars - does anyone know what that style is called? I'd really like to get a set
Motorhead: god was never on your sidehttps://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&client=m ... +your+side
Re: Bike built from bits
cycle tramp wrote:Just toadd that that I really like those handlebars - does anyone know what that style is called? I'd really like to get a set
They’re “standard cykel” bars, as used on all the ‘normal’ bikes here in Sweden, which are akin to Dutch bikes. Holland Bike shop has lots of similar ones:
https://hollandbikeshop.com/en-gb/bicyc ... andlebars/
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Re: Bike built from bits
Nice bike, can you do anything to get the rack level?
Re: Bike built from bits
if the rack is mounted on the other set of eyes, maybe it will clear the mudguard?
cheers
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Bike built from bits
There is definitely something amiss with the rack. The mudguards appear to be well positioned clearance wise over the tyres but the tyres are pretty large. That means there isn't much space between mudguard and rack so perhaps a 700c rack would do better.
But the rack braze-ons seem quite high too, maybe positioned for a different rack arm. Bending the rack arms might do the trick. But there still seems to be something that isn't quite right.
But the rack braze-ons seem quite high too, maybe positioned for a different rack arm. Bending the rack arms might do the trick. But there still seems to be something that isn't quite right.
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
Re: Bike built from bits
robgul wrote:A bit of careful bending of the rack legs should let you get the rack dead level.
Rob
Or swapping the fixing points with the mudguards
Elcani
Nice job BTW,very workmanlike and would make a great doall bike
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Re: Bike built from bits
ElCani wrote:Cheers for the comments and contributions! The cross brace on the rack fouls the mudguard if it’s level, so surely bending the legs will make the problem worse as they are already too short?
The mudguards themselves have always been wonky, since being purchased new. The brackets that are riveted to the mudguard seem to distort it (it flairs out between the brackets) and generally they’re both rather crappy. I’ve never fitted another pair of 26 inch SKS guards to compare these to, but overall I was not impressed...
I strongly suspect those mudguards are foc700C wheel size
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden