gna

You may need to respace the frame.

sloar 

Crank situation taken care of.

AdventureManCO 

I really like V-brakes as well, but if they won't work on this one, then run w/ what ya got.

I was going to ask about that mega thing as well. I now have one on a bike I just picked up, and the XT derailleur rubs on it when in the second-to-lowest gear, and isn't really happy with it while on that lowest gear. I plan to switch mine out, and it seems like you already have plans there.

All sounds good to me

USAZorro

That threadless stem looks awful on that bike. If I had something that would have a chance of meeting your apparent height and reach needs, I'd send it to you.

Another vote for cantis here. My opinion is largely formed by my challenges in setting them properly, though the stated need for minimal clearance of the rim could become an issue that would compound any incident that throws the wheel out of true. I'm a long-time fan of bar-cons, and 3 x 9 is a great intersection of ubiquity and functionality. Just know your riding preferences and study the gear charts before deciding on cassette and ring details.

Are you thinking of a Holdsworth-ish orange (which I think is close to a Lemond orange, but different from Molteni or Crescent)?

Eager to see how this turns out.

Piff 

A nitto dynamic II stem might work to get the proper height and reach. I've got a spare available for sale with a 25.4mm clamp diameter, PM me if you're interested in the exact measurements.

(not my picture)

sloar 

Im still messing with the fit, once I have it for sure I’ll search for a proper stem.

bikemig 

By and large, most people liked bar end shifters over brifters for touring bike for a long time even after brifters took over the road bike market. That may be changing now as few classic touring bike are being made. Two possible advantages to bar ends (or barcons if you like friction) is that they are less likely to be damaged in a fall and they have a friction option which on a long trip may prove useful. Personally I'd go 3 x 7 or 3 x 9 with shimano indexing bar ends over brifters. Indexing never made a lot of sense to me for the front chainrings particularly with a triple.

bikemig 

Soma sells a really good looking stem which is not as tall as a nitto technomic but it is taller than a conventional stem. Also Nitto makes the M11.

https://www.benscycle.com/nitto-mt11...tto_mt11_870/p

https://www.modernbike.com/product-2...RoCmxwQAvD_BwE

I'm using the Soma Sutra on a build. It is a good looking and finely finished stem. I wouldn't be surprised if it is made by Nitto.

sloar 

Thanks, I’ll look into those once I have the fit down. This frame initially threw me off having a 56cm st and a 54cm tt.

mstateglfr 

- Why is this bike the one and not any of the other dedicated touring bikes you were going to tour on? You had a well equipped Surly Trucker, or 2?, that fit and was touring ready.
- 3x9 is, to me, massively better than 3x7.
- Its always cool to have a good powdercoating guy that does a quality job for not much money. Its frustrating when lug corners are too thinly coated or something like that due to cost.

Best of luck on your touring.

sloar 

The Surly is a great bike for touring but that’s about it. I want an everyday bike that I can also take trips with. Plus I like to blow my money on bikes and parts. When I’m finished with this one it will be 3x9 with modern parts and all the braze ons I could need.

kroozer 

For a long tour I would first pay attention to fit and comfort, then the luggage system, then the wheels. Tourers are going to get beat on, so aesthetics comes last. But it's your baby!

sloar 

Fit and comfort taken care of, wheels are coming soon.I have Tubus racks and Ortlieb bags.Winter work will be a little brazing work and powder coating. I’m retiring soon and want to narrow down to one bike since we will be traveling. I want a do everything bike but still want it to look nice.

non-fixie 

In that case I would suggest keeping aan eye open for a larger version of that - otherwise beautiful - frame. Over the past ten years I have been moving up in size and found that taller is better, i.e. more comfortable.

I started at 60cm, and via 62 and 63 I am currently riding 64cm:



Oh, and I have a 35" inseam.

bwilli88 

I really like Shimano's 9 speed 12x36 cassette and 48x45x28 chainrings. I have that on my Witcomb shifted by barcons.

beicster 

what derailleur are you running to get to 36?

sloar 

So I’ve picked up a set of Velocity Dyad wheels, and a better stem. I’ve got several 9 speed cassettes that I’m going to try. I’ve also ordered cage bosses and fork bosses, but that’s a winter project. Only thing left is a front derailleur and 9 speed barend shifters. I’m still under budget so I’m pretty happy so far.

sloar 

Love the bike, and that’s a great build.

bwilli88 

That is a Dura-Ace 7700 GS, works terrific.

trial build in Pennsylvania before I shipped it to Cambodia and it is now back in Pennsylvania waiting to be rebuilt and ridden hard.


Thanks, I had some great input from BF and also great sources here.
gugie did great work on the frame and fork.

Bianchigirll 

These are great bikes for longer rides, I used to know lots of guys who had various Fuji tourers but they mostly did “credit card” touring with a van to boot but long 100+ miles days were commonplace.

Anyway what did you decide on the brakes? I tried to upgrade my '86 Volpe a year or so ago and I decided the brakes were not far enough away from the rim and therefore the 'arms' were not in the correct upright position. Maybe someone used to working on V brakes can make it work but I'm not sure I just don't think the older bosses just aren't far enough away to allow for Vs





Also I'm not a big brifter fan, please don't get me started, but especially for this project not having them makes a lot of sense. If the derailleur or hanger gets bent in the middle of nowhere you might be stuck, but with the barend or Dt shifter that has a friction option you can likely keep moving. I only have two bikes with brifters and if they ever break those bikes get retrofriction shifters.

bikemig 

Some modern cantilevers won't work on old bikes as the posts are too narrow. I don't know if this is true of v brakes as well (although your experience suggests that this is the case) as I've never bothered to install v brakes on an old bike. Cantilevers are swell in my book particularly on a touring bike.

Bianchigirll 

sloar I forgot, I’ve bouncing between the tablet and desktop, I have three or for of those quill adapters and while they may look a clunky they do offer my a great more upright riding position and if you have a little cable slack lots of adjustment. You could turn the stem upside down and get slightly lower or easily replace it for more height

52telecaster

Someone else mentioned frame size and I never tell people what to ride but an inch taller frame looks like it would fit pretty well with your current touch points. Of course you already have a frameset you love so there is that.

sloar 

ST is 56cm, at 5’9” that’s perfect for me. I normally use an 80mm stem on 56cm toptubes. But this is a 54cm tt so a 100mm stem is perfect.

sloar 

I’m leaving the brakes alone for now. They work pretty good with the Kool Stop pads.