TiHabanero

Interesting you bring up mention of 39t. I first started touring in the 70's on a Schwinn Super Sport and it had a 39t ring. Never left that ring while on tour. Had a 28 low out back, and in those days I could muscle it up some steep climbs, but no longer willing to suffer like that, plus I like my knees the way they are!

The rear hub is freewheel type and I am unwilling to go to a 10 speed freewheel as it will put the axle out there too far for the bearing to support the axle properly. Yes, really, a 10 speed FW is available. As it is, the 7 speed Sachs FW I have now is fine, however I have become used to the close ratios of an 11 speed cassette on my road bike, which is why I am thinking of doing an 8 speed freewheel to get closer ratios in the midrange.

djb

That was my mistake, you wrote that the chainrings are 10 spd ones, I was thinking 10 at rear....
This winter I may play around and see if I can change my 9 speed gevenelle to 10spd, using the parts of 10spd thumbies I have.

mstateglfr 

Spoon and fastback are two of many ways to attach the top of seat stays to the frame. Spoon stays are brazed to the seat post lug and the cap on the top of the stay is scooped out like a spoon. The scoop can vary from shallow to deep. Fastback stays attach the stay to the back of the lug and often incorporate the seat bolt into where the stays are attached. There are lots of different styles/looks of fastback, depending on where on the back of the seat tube the stays are attached.

Spoon seat stays-


Fastback seat stays-

TiHabanero

Thanks, mstateglfr. I forgot to answer that question. I think fastback stays are more elegant and technically superior to the standard method of attaching to the side of the seat lug. Regardless, they do rob width from the interior of the stays, but I really like them! I also like fillet better than lugs, however to do fillet well is very difficult. Lots of issues come into play with fillet joints that lugs solve.

djb

thanks fellows. I was going to ask The Google about the terms, but you took the time to respond.
Neat to get a better understanding of frame construction techniques.
I agree, the fastbacks do look nice , but can see how they take up some real estate.
Went and looked at my old tourer, just put it on trainer yesterday for the winter, and here are its cutlery bits.
Its a quad butted Japanese made Kuwahara , dont recall tube details, maybe Ishiwata or something. Too lazy to look again...
This is the bike with nice little details, two spoke chainstay thing, a rear hub positioning screw thingee at rear of dropouts to align wheel properly, and some nice little "K" details here and there.
Keep it for sentimental reasons, and its my winter trainer bike now, dt shifters and all.

TiHabanero

Djb, Kuwahara made some excellent frames, and if not mistaken, became a cult brand with their appearance in the movie ET. On this frame I took a clue from a Bicycle Quarterly artical explaining roku, and all cable stops are slotted, which allows me to release the derailleur cables, and not the brake cables from their anchors should I need to remove the fork for travel. I never will, but the idea impressed me enough to make it super easy to do. Literally takes no more than 3 minutes to pull the bars and fork off the bike. Takes another 5 minutes to reassemble.

If you ever have the chance, build a frame on your own. The little things you can do to make it just exactly the way you want it are endless.

J.Higgins 

This bike looks drool-worthy!