The Eagle has landed ........

[Minority]

And my wife has threatened to divorce me if I do any more scavenging!
(I forgot to mention about the Diamondback MTB that I "scavenged" to build as a flatbar bike with Shimano Deore parts I got from a very small frame Giant MTB that I "scavenged")

[europa]

And my wife has threatened to divorce me if I do any more scavenging!
(I forgot to mention about the Diamondback MTB that I "scavenged" to build as a flatbar bike with Shimano Deore parts I got from a very small frame Giant MTB that I "scavenged")

I'm sure you won't miss her for long

Richard
single Dad

[cray-]

I picked up an Indi Condor recently (free bulk rubbish collction).

Damn...you must have woken up earlier than me. I went hunting again on the w/end but came back empty handed. Was amazed by the amount of cars with trailers/station wagons/etc doing laps of the burbs looking through other peoples rubbish. Was quite disgusted by the way some of them did it though...literally flinging things all over the place making a big mess. Made me feel like a real scab, not that I spotted anything that got me out of the car [hey it was raining!].

Anyway I've given up on the bulkies and gone back to my more natural home...eBay. No bargains anymore but at least I won't have to clean the rust off my "new" parts. Good luck with your builds.

[MichaelB]

Hiya Minority - sounds like you have done really well !!!

OK, so here's me thinking I have got a reasonable bike, and then a newbie to the forums, and some further info from Tallywhackers lets me know that I've got the low end frame, with plain gauge CroMo tubing, with about the only thing being decent is that it was free .... Pah, I'm still happy as a pig in shite

This weekend might see a bit of a clearing of the shed, and the start of the stripping of the frame, the flinging of the multi speed bits, the planning for the conversion, and then off to the strippers to remove the 18 year old paint

Stand by in the Fixie forum for some progress shots ....


Things under debate at the moment :
Bullhorn bars or keep the std ones ?
Brakes (levers and calipers) to be replaced with better ones ?
27" or 700C rims ? Europa has kindly offered his 27's as interim


Things I have got sorted already :
The bike of course
Pedals - SPD from my current LeMond
Paint scheme - Metallic Blue/Pearl with highlighted lugs
Blue/White bar tape - on order from PBK
39T front chainring (38T going on to the LeMond)

let the fun begin.....

[europa]

Things under debate at the moment :
Bullhorn bars or keep the std ones ?
Brakes (levers and calipers) to be replaced with better ones ?
27" or 700C rims ? Europa has kindly offered his 27's as interim

Bullhorns are okay until you hit a headwind and want to get out of it - keep the drops and if you don't, I want the bars, that bend are hard to find

The levers are probably okay but I like the clean look of my aero levers - something to look out for on ebay?

700c rims are the way to go. Trouble is, unless you make mods to the frame, you'll need long reach brakes. Good thing Tektro make them, but that can be done when you finally get the tom tits with the rubbish that's on there now - funny how I'm not scouring ebay for brakes to replace my oldies (the power of the back pedal )

Richard

[MichaelB]

Bullhorns are okay until you hit a headwind and want to get out of it - keep the drops and if you don't, I want the bars, that bend are hard to find

The levers are probably okay but I like the clean look of my aero levers - something to look out for on ebay?

700c rims are the way to go. Trouble is, unless you make mods to the frame, you'll need long reach brakes. Good thing Tektro make them, but that can be done when you finally get the tom tits with the rubbish that's on there now - funny how I'm not scouring ebay for brakes to replace my oldies (the power of the back pedal )

Richard

Good point on the bullhorns - but then again extra taining .....

The levers will get a decent clean and lube, but would definitely need some form of rubber hood to help soften the grip.

Brakes will probably get done anyway, as the units on there are not real flash, but will get the same clean and inspect as the levers and cables.

So with teh reach issue, 'normal' modern brakes from a 700C modern bike are no good ?

[europa]

So with teh reach issue, 'normal' modern brakes from a 700C modern bike are no good ?

Nope. 'Normal' modern brakes are very short reach, designed to go around small tyres with buggerall clearance for mudguards.

The old 27" bikes were designed with the extra clearance for mudguards, plus the style of frame you've got was designed to take wider wheels and higher tyres, which necessitates a longish reach. Then whack your 700c wheels on which drop the rims about 5mm towards the hub.

Your old brakes will probably reach the 700c rims. Modern 'normal' reach (which used to be short reach) won't and probably the mid range efforts won't either. However Tektro (if that's the spelling ) make a dual pivot brake that does reach (Glenelg Cycles have some ) Shimano are supposed to, but I haven't seen them advertised anywhere in yonks.

The other thing to remember is that on a fixie, you've got your feet as well. Good, powerful brakes are great, but not as essential as on a free wheel bike. Part of the skill and a lot of the fun IS riding without using your brakes, I just think they're good to have for when you need to really shave the braking distance.

Leave the brakes till last. Get her on the road and then worry about them. It'll all sort it itself out, believe me. Like you, I was determined to put modern brakes on the Europa. I've got some Shimano600 dual pivot brakes here and the alluminium to make the brackets to drop them low enough the rim to use ... and you know what? I can't be bothered either fitting them or phaffing about looking for something else.

Richard

[LuckyPierre]

... The levers will get a decent clean and lube, but would definitely need some form of rubber hood to help soften the grip ...

This bit is relatively easy. Hoods for most older brakes (both aero and non-aero) are still available - just search for 'brake lever hoods' on eBay. I don't know of any local suppliers off-hand, but I'm sure that yuor lbs could get them if you wanted.
ps. this statement does not hold true if you want white Shimano Exage aero hoods

[mikesbytes]

... The levers will get a decent clean and lube, but would definitely need some form of rubber hood to help soften the grip ...

This bit is relatively easy. Hoods for most older brakes (both aero and non-aero) are still available - just search for 'brake lever hoods' on eBay. I don't know of any local suppliers off-hand, but I'm sure that yuor lbs could get them if you wanted.
ps. this statement does not hold true if you want white Shimano Exage aero hoods

Ah you learn something new every day, I'll have to get some for my Zuess (spelling?) brake leavers

[MichaelB]

... The levers will get a decent clean and lube, but would definitely need some form of rubber hood to help soften the grip ...

This bit is relatively easy. Hoods for most older brakes (both aero and non-aero) are still available - just search for 'brake lever hoods' on eBay. I don't know of any local suppliers off-hand, but I'm sure that yuor lbs could get them if you wanted.
ps. this statement does not hold true if you want white Shimano Exage aero hoods

The brake levers on the bike have the cable runs along the handlebars - is this "non-aero" or "aero"

Most of the hoods seem to be for the ones with cables coming out the top ?

[LuckyPierre]

The brake levers on the bike have the cable runs along the handlebars - is this "non-aero" or "aero"

If the cable comes out of the top, then they're 'non-aero', but if it goes under the handle bar tape, then they'd be 'aero' levers to my mind. My Exage levers were described as 'aero' and the cable runs under the bar tape. Shimano still makes theseaero levers, so hoods for them would be available.

[MichaelB]

Had a look at the cost of the hoods vs buying some levers locally via Ebay.

May standby. $40 for a set of hoods is a bit dear at the moment.

The seat is also sorted. The Eagle will be getting the Bontrager Race Lux from my current bike, as the new Selle Italia Max Flite Gel Flow just arrived

[LuckyPierre]

... $40 for a set of hoods is a bit dear at the moment ...

Hey, this is madness after all - it was never going to be cheap.

[europa]

The Europa ran for a long time with a pair of modern hoods cut down - it's really only the extension over the top that's different. Mind you, I had cables coming out the top of my levers, but I don't think that's an issue.

Richard

[MichaelB]

Well, I got a bit eager last night. Found out two very important things last night ;
#1 - a 10" shifter does not open wide enough for some key parts on a pushy
#2 - a hammer, regardless of it's size is the natural enemy of a thumb It took several goes to really prove it


Anyway, the bike is almost stripped to the bare frame. I still have to take the headset apart, remove the last bit of the BB, and then take the wheels out.

To chemically strip & undercoat the frame is about $55, and sandblasting is probably not ideal, so that looks like it is set.

Richard has kindly offered to assist in painting (want to keep him onside), but may end up getting it powdercoated, as haven't found peoples to paint it locally, so still working that out.

Snapped up a nice set of aero levers for the bike from eBay for the same cost as the hoods discussed earlier

Roll on "der Adler"

[europa]

#2 - a hammer, regardless of it's size is the natural enemy of a thumb It took several goes to really prove it

Never hire a carpenter with flat thumbs

Richard

and just what did you assault with a hammer?

[MichaelB]

[
and just what did you assault with a hammer?

The inside of my thumb joint. I was meant to be encouraging the cranks to part themselves from the square taper of the crank.

In the end, they saw the wisdom of the idea, oer was it that they were laughing at my pain

[tallywhacker]

Snapped up a nice set of aero levers for the bike from eBay for the same cost as the hoods discussed earlier

Were they the white Weinman's I had my eye on ?

[MichaelB]

Snapped up a nice set of aero levers for the bike from eBay for the same cost as the hoods discussed earlier

Were they the white Weinman's I had my eye on ?

Nah, some Shimano 105 SLR's. See here

[Mulger bill]

and just what did you assault with a hammer?

The inside of my thumb joint. I was meant to be encouraging the cranks to part themselves from the square taper of the crank.

In the end, they saw the wisdom of the idea, or was it that they were laughing at my pain

Remove the crank bolts or nuts then ride up and down the street for five minutes, loosened cranks and intact thumbs shall be thy reward

Shaun

[MichaelB]

and just what did you assault with a hammer?

The inside of my thumb joint. I was meant to be encouraging the cranks to part themselves from the square taper of the crank.

In the end, they saw the wisdom of the idea, or was it that they were laughing at my pain

Remove the crank bolts or nuts then ride up and down the street for five minutes, loosened cranks and intact thumbs shall be thy reward

Shaun

Stage of disassembly of the bike prevented this, plus the 10+mm of side float due to something being amiss in the rear axle meant that I used the much more common and ultimately painful methodology of neanderthal based primate.

Interesting tip though. I'll have to remember it for next time.

Anyways, they have realised what the noise was about and gratefully succumbed to my efforts.

Still gotta buy that 12" shifter though.

[europa]

Generally speaking, if you need to reach for a hammer, you're doing it the hard way. Not always, but it's a fair axiom to work with, though to be honest, people tend not to tell you the work around until afterwards (this being a typical case in point)

Richard

[mikeg]

[Nah, some Shimano 105 SLR's. See here

It was you who got them

Mike

[MichaelB]

[Nah, some Shimano 105 SLR's. See here

It was you who got them

Mike

I think that he has some more for sale as well. Can vouch for him and the quality of the parts.

Update 10th Sep :

Frame is now completely disassembled and ready for stripping/painting.

Bought some new headstem & BB bearings, as the original parts cleaned up a treat.

The rear axle though is stuffed. It was loose when I got the bike, and the bearing cup is badly worn, so the same will be true inside the hub. Givem that they are 27" wheels, and the front is a steel rim, the move to 700C's will be on. I may take up Richards kind offer and borrow his 27" Europa ones, until I can come up with something to replace them with.

The hunt is now on for a suitable Crankset and seatpost to complete the package. Missed out on one set over the weekend

[europa]

The hunt is now on for a suitable Crankset and seatpost to complete the package. Missed out on one set over the weekend

The purple ones? I got them

If you mean the Dura Ace set that they were advertising as 'fixed' for some reason, I nearly went for that and would have while the price was still reasonable.

One trick is to put your last bid in at 30 sec to go. A sniping program hits in the last few seconds and if they don't out bid you (which would get you anyway), you're in front because you got in earlier. The other trick I use is to bid odd amounts - most people would put in a max of say $50, whereas I put in $51.50 which just edges them out for no real cost to you.

Sniping programs - yes, I know they exist but they take all the fun out of it and the 'hunt' is part of the game for me

Richard