JaccoW

Just a quick shot of a shiny, clean bike.

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Together with the rest

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Ordered a few more items (suchs as a new stem) and received MKS half-clips in my size. Pics when everything is mounted again!

non-fixie 

Thanks for the update! Is it me or do saddle heights differ significantly within the fleet?

BTW, I just realized we've been working on the same cranks. Triplized mine as well:

JaccoW

And another tandem! Guess that's another data point for that theory.

Not all bikes are mine though. The one on the right is my girlfriend's and the one on the left is a 59cm frame that I loaned out to a friend recently. It os slightly too small for me bit still a fun ride.

JaccoW

Autumn is finally arriving in the Netherlands which means leaves!


You can see the VO bottle cage and the MKS half-clips (which work great by the way)
Last week I received a few small parts and this weekend was still excellent weather for some outdoor tinkering;


First off, a Gilles Berthoud leather mudflap in brown:

I have never seen the actual hardware that is being used on these so I was unsure if it were at all possible to mount these on the inside of the fender. They can but expect to drill a fairly large hole.
As with all leather gear that I have I gave them a good soak with a liquid leather care product and when that one was dried used a paste wax to really waterproof everything.

The flaps end up about 9 cm (3.5 inches) above the ground which should be enough to protect the chain and not pick up unwanted branches and such.

Next up are the Honjo dove stay fender mount and 5mm R-clips. All stainless steel and reinforced where necessary and they tidy everything up.
Especially the clips were a great improvement. because they are closer to the hole they provide much less leverage and thus less wiggling. And it's nice to just loosen them up a little bit and be able to pull the fender stays out.


I would have liked to follow @Lascauxcaveman's solution in his thread as the VO rack looks really great mounted like that but unfortunately I cut mine too short long ago. I could mount them like that but then the fender would rub the top of the tyre. Maybe next time.

Finally we have the Velo du reve EB-fittings by Grand Bois Japan. They have a really clever solution for connecting rando bags to the rack (in combination with a decaleur). The clips are a set of resin sliders which connect to the bag and slide to close. If our bag does not have a reinforced bottom like mine you can even use two spokes clamped underneath to keep them fixed. Simple, lightweight and easy to use.
It's a shame these are really expensive to order from GB on their own since $20 for the parts + $20 in shipping is just too much. I found a store in the Netherlands who stocked parts of theirs and was willing to add these. Made it a bit more bearable.


(Test mount to figure out the distance with spokes in between)


(View from the inside)

Bonus:

Added a single rope chain sinnet (monkey) braid to make carrying the front bag little bit more comfortable when heavily loaded.

JaccoW

Does anybody know what this is by the way?
It is on the drive side seat stay but not on the other one.

non-fixie 

A chain hanger, to keep the chain from touching the frame paint when removing the rear wheel.

JaccoW

Seems like you are correct! https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Braze-On-Bicycle-Frame-Seat-Stay-Chain-Hanger-Braze-On-Bike-Parts-NOS-/332257744912 - eBay

I could/should have used that before the paint got so beat up. Then again I think the previous owner didn't take that into account either. Thanks!

non-fixie 

There are aftermarket versions as well:

The Golden Boy 

That GB mudflap is on my short list! I think the color, shape, size and the contrast of the large brass fittings speaks volumes!


Talk to me about that rando bag clamp thingy... I have a canvas bag, but it's not a bike bag- but it's the perfect size. Do you have to punch holes in the bottom of the bag?

JaccoW

Agreed, and since price is practically the same as a Brooks (€21 vs. €20) the choice was easy.

I used a soldering iron to punch 4 holes. On cotton you could probably punch a hole or use a drill.



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JaccoW

Today's trip was cold but fun. Took the waterbus to get to the other side of the city to pick up some new parts.


Among other things I picked up a Zefal HP-X 4 pump. It's a bit banged up but for the price I don't mind. I'll probably strip and polish most of it anyway.


Another one is a Miche Primato headset with needle bearings. My current headset is slightly pitted and I have a bit of shimmy when riding without hands at the upper end of my cruising speed, supposedly a needle bearing headset might help with that. And it's certainly cheaper than IRD's Double Roller Drive Threaded Headset.
One thing I am slightly worried about is stack height and leftover thread. I'll have to measure that properly, otherwise it's going back on eBay.

JaccoW

It's a chilly 4°C (39°F) outside right now but that's perfectly fine for some quick and focused tinkering.

Last weekend I took a short trip with friends outside and shot a picture in historic Delftshaven, Rotterdam. One of the few parts of the city that still looks like it did before Germany and American forces bombed the city in WW2.


Anyway, last week I received the Nitto Technomic stem with a slightly shorter reach than the VO threaded to threadless adapter that was on there before;


After taking off the bartape on one side and rewrapping everything:


It does look much more fitting than the threadless adapter and seems to be more comfortable. Will know more next time I take it for a spin.

P.s. I'm not buying Brooks' leather bartape again. The stuff is a pain to wrap around the bars nicely and the seam is ugly and fragile.


Bonus cold weather photos:

non-fixie 

I had the same problems with the Brooks tape. For a couple of builds I've used this faux suede stuff. Feels nice and seems to hold up well. And at $15 a pop it is a LOT cheaper.

JaccoW

Exactly, $15 vs. $45 is quite a difference.

Hell, even their microfiber version is a lot cheaper @ €20.

JaccoW

New goodies for the bike.

JaccoW

Decided to weigh the bike today.

16.9 Kg including pump (500 g) and ring lock (700 g), rack (~600 g) and kickstand (542g).
~14.6 Kg for a bike with fenders and dynamo lighting isn't bad I'd say.

My plans for this year are getting some lighter wheels (these are 580g each) ,tyres (765 g each) and wrap them around a modern(ish) hub with a dynamo front.

Anyway, let's get some parts on here;


Not the greatest of images, but the Dia Compe's do blend in very nicely.
The canti studs are 55mm apart so they required older narrow cantilevers or brakes with a thinner pad. I replaced the ones included with thinner Tektro's I had lying around but in the end decided to order Koolstop Thinlines.
That works out great.





Also, the 1245 cable hangers are nice too.


We are expecting snow tomorrow morning so perhaps I'll take the bike to work. I love riding in snow.

non-fixie 

One quick way to lose a couple of pounds would be to replace those tires. I have been converting most of my bikes to folding Pasela PT's over the past years. Not the cheapest, but at 280g a piece (700x28) they make a big difference. Make sure you have hooked rims, though.

JaccoW

Yeah, that's what I figured. They were great for touring this summer and I haven't had a leak yet but I am aware of them being relatively heavy.

I was thinking of having wheels built around the H+SON TB14 (490 g) and 35-622 Continental Grand Prix Urban (350 g, I'm a sucker for hidden reflective striping).
That should net a weight saving of almost 1 Kg @2690 gram vs. 1680 gram.

And I hear you about the hooked rims.

JaccoW

As the saying goes: YEAH SNOW!

mikemowbz

Haven't checked in on this thread for a while - this bike just keeps getting better and better!
The silver Dia Compe cantis do complement things nicely, and the a set of polished (or grey ano) TB14s would certainly not look out of place.
I hadn't seen the Conti GP Urban before - might have to check with our suppliers at the shop I work at to see about NA availability and get a couple of pair in if possible...
Lots of steady and considered changes and improvements to this build, lots for the rest of us to think about when considering adding accessories or making changes to our own similar projects...

The Golden Boy 

It was your post and pictures that got me going on that GB mudflap- I finally got one!

620 Build Mudflap by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr



Your bike is looking fantastic- I don't know what size tires you can fit- but I really dig the Compass tires- I'm running 700c x 35 on 2 bikes and love 'em.

JaccoW

Glad you enoy it! It is the process I enjoy and documenting everything. Same as with everyone else who keeps a log like this.

The Continental GP Urban tyres are now also available in other stores, often for much lower prices than Schindelhauer (€30 vs €50) but only the black version. Only Schindelhauer dealers can get their hands on the skinwall/brown version for now it seems Superiorbikeshop.

JaccoW

Excellent selection of parts! I see quite a few familiar bits and pieces. Let us know how the TRP's and Dia Compe shifters work for you. I've found the intriguing ever since I've seen them on here.
Do you keep a build log on here or is it all on Flickr?

I'm currently riding 37-622 tyres. Which work fine in the front but are a tight fit in the back. So tight in fact that I have to deflate the tyre to take out the rear wheel.
Slightly narrower tyres should make it a bit easier and are fine for what I'm using it for.

The Golden Boy 

Thanks!!

Right now, I only have it on the Flickr- still sorting out a few things...

I have the Command Shifters with the 10 speed mod working on my Trek 720- along with the TRP levers. I thought the TRP levers were the ugliest thing ever- but somewhere along the line, they were intriguing... and after I got them- I was absolutely in love with them.

You bring up an interesting point- I have the 35mm Compass tires on my 720- but I have the SKS chromoplastic fenders on there- I don't know if there'll be less room with the Honjos, but they should clear between the caliper bodies both front and rear.

I really love the way my 620 is set up- but I REALLY really love the 10 speed more. I think I could just swap out the wheel set and be happy- but... well...

JaccoW

That just means you need a second one.