Capecodder

I'm finished with the rebuild of my Gran Turismo......

I took it completely apart and did the following:

Clean and repack wheel bearings.

Clean and repack bottom bracket.

Clean and repack headset.

New brake cables and housings.

New shift cables.

New bar tape.

New seat bolt and cable hanger.

Clean and adjust derailleurs.

Clean and adjust brakes.

Clean and lube chain.

New rim strips and tubes.

Handlebar Bag.

Brooks B17 Saddle.

MKS Touring Pedals.

Wash and wax........................

I had to drill out the old chainring bolts cause they were so rusted and would not budge. I've taken it for a ride, and this is a super riding bike and very comfortable.

Components: Suntour VX Front and rear derailleurs and Suntour DT shifters, Sr triple crank, Araya 27x 1 1/4 wheels, Sunshine hubs, Dia Compe center pull brakes, and Dia Compe levers. I'm pretty darn excited about this bike.......

Grand total including purchase of bike...... $60.00

Comments are welcome.

Before:





After...

wrk101

Great job, and great deal too! I paid $120 for my Gran Turismo, and I thought that was a pretty good deal!

Sculptor7

Very nice job! Don't know how you did it all for that cost. Looks like the tires are new, too. Must have been a challenge, particularly the rusted chain ring bolts.

Capecodder

I got lucky with this one...... I paid $20.00 for the bike and the guy include the brand new brake and shift cables, and new Jagwire housings. He bought the parts but never got around to doing the work so he threw the extras in.

ilikebikes

I like that fact that you didn't polish up all the aluminium, I love that "I've been used AND loved" look. ;0) Don't get me wrong as I also love a vintage bike thats been totally rebuilt to look show room new its just not what I want to own. One thing I don't like or understand is the seat tilt? I think it makes a bike look like total ****, if theres a reason for it can you or someone else explain it to me?

wrk101

On saddle tilt, the handlebars are tilted the same way.

Capecodder

As far as saddle tilt goes....... if you note most all Brooks B17 saddles are set up (nose up) that is the comfort zone on the Brooks. If you set them up level they give the sensation of sliding forward off the saddle and they are not so comfy.

I have to level the bars though.....

Capecodder

The seller gave me the new tires as well. He was going to rebuild it over the summer but never did. The tires, cables and housings cost well more than the $20.00 I paid for everything. The only cost to me was the chainring bolts, bar tape, cable hanger and pinch bolt, and tubes everything else I had on hand. The Brooks gets swapped to evey bike I ride and the bar bag was a birthday present from my Son.

ilikebikes

Ah yes, I remember now. When I had my B-17 its was a bit of a hassle, I did slide forward a bit when I rode it the first time and I tried all angles but couldn't get it to work for me, I also found the side "flaps" chaffed my inner thighs. I refused to alter it by punching holes and lacing it up and that "nose up" thing made me feel sorry for witches riding brooms! I only had three Brooks, the B-17, B-17 Narrow, and the Pro, of all three the Pro seems to work best for me. Funny thing is I was trying to get rid of it for the longest! I'm glad no one wanted it!

Capecodder

Yeah, you can ride the Pro level but for whatever reason the B17 just won't allow it? I'll be honest, I hated the Brooks at first and almost gave up on it, but I gave it more time and I don't like any other saddle now.

Grim

I found that after I got my both my Brooks broken (a Flyer and a B17) in that I ended up leveling it out. When it was new I did have it a bit more nose up.
Another thing I found that helped a lot with the sliding forward...the Profide tacks up the leather and removed some of that slick feeling. Using it regulary was a big plus.

Very nice clean up.

Capecodder

Now......... the big question. Fenders or not?

raverson

Excellent build there Capecodder. If you keep it, this bike will serve you well for years to come.

At the risk of adding 30% to the project cost, have you considered treating yourself to toeclips and brake hoods?

auchencrow

^ Sure, why not?

Great bike there CC - and a stellar deal too. (= The best kind!)

RFC

I have to disagree here. While some seem to like the tilt, many others, like me, set them up flat. That way you have the hammock effect without driving the nose deep into your pelvis, etc.

Capecodder

I have a brand new pair of MKS toeclips I just have to put them on. Brake hoods, yes I need to get a pair.

Grand Bois

The bike looks nice, but I don't agree with you about tipping Brooks saddles up. It's not at all comfortable for me and it looks lame. Maybe a lateral adjustment is in order if you feel like you are sliding off.

Capecodder

Well now......... is this any better? I leveled off the bars, and dropped the nose on the seat down, and it is still comfy. I may have just been me when I was trying to get used to the saddle, but it feels fine in this position now.

rootboy 

Looks good. Now I can tell your nose is not slightly elevated.

Maddox

IMHO there's nothing wrong with a slightly-raised nose on a Brooks. From everything I've read, they're designed to have a steeper sway/angle than normal saddles.

But YMMV. To each his own. Find a saddle angle that suits you, not some opinion-jockeys on an internet forum.

rootboy 

I agree. I prefer a very slight upward tilt to my Brooks. FWIW, In my previous post, I wasn't referring to his choice in saddle position.

Kimmo

Seat angle's within the bell curve now, ie more likely to be appropriate. You should be suss if you need to set things up at weird angles, IMO...

Trying something more normal is often a good idea.

Bike looks nice, except here's an emphatic vote to lose the dork disk ; )

Grand Bois

What's an opinion-jockey? Someone who gives their opinion in a forum?

gerv 

Probably someone who expresses an opinion different than his....

rootboy 

I'm glad you said it that way Grand Bois. Sometimes I'm diplomacy-challenged and struggled to hold off. Anyway, imagine! ...what would these forums be without opinion jockeys? They'd shrivel up and die.

But oops ...we're digressing here. NICE build Capecodder. hey ...fix that saddle , will ya !