Ladies' Favorit 1981

[dimrub]

Did the first layer of final paint, used a dispenser and tried to be lighter on the trigger. I think it went better now. Will do the second layer tomorrow, then apply the decals, then do a clear coat layer.

Also laced the front wheel today, while watching explanation by Truman from Park Tools. He said something about "if you have troubles zeroing out the spokes, they might be too short". Define "troubles", Truman. Anyway, they might be a tad on the short side, which means they're probably spot on for the rear wheel - which is good news. I haven't finished the front wheel, because my truing stand hasn't arrived yet. I'll wait for it to arrive, or will come to my LBS and ask to use theirs, or maybe just use the frame as a poor man's stand - but it's all troubles for when the hub arrives, there's no point dealing with this before that.

 

[Chris S]

Anyway, they might be a tad on the short side, which means they're probably spot on for the rear wheel - which is good news.

If the spokes are too short then use 2-cross lacing instead of 3.

 

[dimrub]

If the spokes are too short then use 2-cross lacing instead of 3.

Great idea. Should work fine for the front wheel, too. However I think it should work ok for 3-cross, even though it's in the grey area.

 

[dimrub]

I am getting cocky, and am getting punished for it. Tried to assemble the headset. Back when I was taking it apart, I threw away the bearing balls without looking, and put everything else in the "headset" bag - after all, what can possibly go wrong with that? It's just a vintage headset. So now it was time to reassemble it, and I tried using the balls that are said to be used "usually" in headsets - 3/16". Except after the bottom half was assembled, I could see the balls, because the crown wasn't fully covering the cap, because the balls are too large. Well, I guess I should have taken a second look - and at the very least measured the balls. And once there, doubts began to arise. Could it be the caps are different, and I'm using the top one where the bottom one should have gone? But no, probably not. Used 1/8" balls instead, seem to do the job. The headset is back together now, BB is next up.

 

[dimrub]

 

[dimrub]

I put on the MBK's front brake and mudguard on the Favorit:

Looking good, isn't it? There's just one problem: the wheel does not revolve. I don't get it. This mudguard connects via an ingenious system, with a bolt going up into the fork, where the brake's bolt goes through it, but other than that, it's just a mudguard, it should be no different from the one it had before, yet the end of the bolt is rubbing on the tire. It's too late now, I'll try figuring it out tomorrow.

As for borrowing the rear hub from the Starkenburg, I had second throughts about it, due to the fact that the chain there emerges on the left - a very strange setup, and one that would require creative cable routing on the Favorit, which I'm in no mood for.

 

[dimrub]

Ok, suddenly it's time to think, rather than do.

So, the wheel rubbing the mudguard resolved easily once I realized it's rubbing only in one point - yep, the wheel wasn't true. I resolved that easily.

Next issue is the brakes again. I put on the MBK's front caliper and the pads from the brakes I got from Ali (the ones with the short bolt). All seemed well until I tried to adjust the pads - the calipers won't move close enough. The MBK's rim is wider, so it makes sense. My options seem to be:

1. Add a bunch of washers under the pads, so as to move them close when the jaws are open - doesn't seem like a very safe option.
2. Replace with pads with longer bolts (if it's even a thing) - requires ordering the said pads and awaiting their arrival
3. Attempt to replace the bolt in the Ali caliper with a longer one, and use that one after all
4. Shop for narrow calipers with longer bolt and wait for them to arrive
5. Drill the fork. This option has to do with the fact that the calipers with the short bolt have a nut with a prolonged neck of sorts. This neck is probably meant to go into the fork, but for that the exit hole in the fork needs to be wider.

Option #3 seems the safest (and in the hindsight, I should have done a better job choosing the calipers to begin with - well, now I know). The hub is stuck in transit anyway, so I have all the time in the world.

 

[dimrub]

The hub has finally arrived - and you know what that means - a lacing part-ey!

And OMG is it heavy:

 

[Chris S]

That's about twice what a freewheel and derailleur would weigh, it's only an extra 500g or so. It's even less with a modern Sturmey Archer hub, they've got alloy shells instead of steel.

 

[dimrub]

Today I took another stab at the front caliper. I went back to the one I got from Ali, but this time tried installing it without the front light. It worked. The front light then goes on the steerer tube - which is fine. I then connected the front brake's cable and installed the shifter, the levers and the grips.

The rear wheel is laced, I need to true it now - and the front one too, it's rather out of true as I discovered while trying to adjust the brakes. The proper truing stand (not the piece of shoot on the photo) is supposed to arrive any day now.

After that it's the chain and figuring out the cables to the rear. I should have the clamps somewhere out of the set that I ordered for the Alpina. The brake cable is going to be the tricky one, lots of sharp angles.

Oh, and I still need to replace the sprocket.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Looking good

 

[dimrub]

 

[dimrub]

Lots of adjustments still to do. The gears, the brakes, the ever troublesome mudguards, connecting the lights. But it's bike-shaped once again.

The bill. The bike itself cost me 200 ILS (about 50 EUR). Now the parts cost a pretty penny - about 230 EUR. The hub, of course, was the most expensive - at $78.75. Then we have the tires + tubes - $63.84, and then brake levers and saddle, $15 each, dynamo + lights at $12, etc. So a total of 280 EUR, the most expensive project to date, by far. The most striking rebirth too. I hope once it's ready, my wife can be persuaded to ride it more than she rode the previous bike.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Lots of adjustments still to do. The gears, the brakes, the ever troublesome mudguards, connecting the lights. But it's bike-shaped once again.

The bill. The bike itself cost me 200 ILS (about 50 EUR). Now the parts cost a pretty penny - about 230 EUR. The hub, of course, was the most expensive - at $78.75. Then we have the tires + tubes - $63.84, and then brake levers and saddle, $15 each, dynamo + lights at $12, etc. So a total of 280 EUR, the most expensive project to date, by far. The most striking rebirth too. I hope once it's ready, my wife can be persuaded to ride it more than she rode the previous bike.

With all the different currencies, does that mean you bought the parts from countries using those currencies?

 

[dimrub]

With all the different currencies, does that mean you bought the parts from countries using those currencies?

I buy most of the parts on Aliexpress. It gives the prices in a variety of currencies, and switches between them - and between interface languages - arbitrarily. However, I keep track of my purchases in dollars. I quoted euros here for conveniency, given that most users on this forum appear to be from this side of the pond.