Pimp my Galaxy

[PpPete]

Well here she is folks... against a background of last years fallen leaves and other gardening tasks that have been neglected whilst I've been tinkering with various bikes.

Wheels are handbuilt new Open Pro rims on 105 hubs (had to do buy rims & hubs separate because SWMBO would have noticed value of a whole wheel on credit card statement)
Also new are HG50 Cassette 12-25 & KMC chain
Ebay bargains include Tiagra Triple chainset...Tiagra Rear mech... very cheap Suntour Front Mech.....Nitto Randonneur handlebars....New black hoods for the original Weinmann brake levers....Fizik Pave saddle (yes I know it's at a funny angle, but it was horribly uncomfortable when level)...M520 pedals.....Suntour SE rear cantis
Then Lidl saddle bag, mini pump, computer. Tesco handle bar bag (mount only in pic)

The only LBS item is the Bontrager handlebar tape.... finishing strips adorn the top tube to cover scratches !

Still to do - mudguards, the originals are pretty bent and rear is several inches shorter than it should be. May try a different saddle too. But as is she fairly flies (downhill that is, not when powered by my old legs !)
The new wheels and drivetrain gave me a max of 62kph against a previous max of 49kph..... even the average for an hour's ride was up to 26kph, whereas I never used to average much more than 20kph

 

[John the Monkey]

You've made a really nice job of that - looks great in the blue too.

 

[MadoneRider1991]

very gd, like what u done with the pump

 

[fossyant]

Very nice...straighten that saddle though !!!

 

[spandex]

Looks good but you need to move the nose of the seat up because the way it is is not good for you pelvis. What is up with the cables they are way to long and the routing is not right.

 

[PpPete]

As I said - I tried the Fizik saddle level and it was not at all comfortable. That angle works for me (on short rides) until I can find something that suits my a888se better ! Keep hoping for a cheap B17 or a Spesh Avatar on eBay. I'll keep trying different saddles until I find one that suits (without being set at odd angles)

Although cables have been replaced their length & routing is AFAIK exactly same as when it came from the LBS 20 something years ago... but if you can offer some detailed suggestions for improvement I'll be happy to try them out.

 

[betty swollocks]

Looks v nice.
You're a tall fellow aren't you? What size frame - looks like 26 inch-ish?

 

[PpPete]

Yes, 25-1/2" frame, biggest size they ever made AFAIK. I'm 6'3" with a 35" inside leg and even with a 130mm stem it's only just long enough.

 

[PpPete]

Time for an update ....

Well, the Fizik saddle was replaced by a Spesh Avatar, which I didn't find comfortable beyond about 2 hours, then got lucky with a second-hand Ti-railed Swift, which is perfect. New SKS Chromplastics replaced the tatty 20 year old originals. And the Lidl saddle pouch fell off & was replaced by a Topeak edge.

On the drive train front:
For some reason the Tiagra rear mech got mad when I fitted some Sora shifters (bought from MacB) and tangled with the rear spokes, necesitating a wheel rebuild and new rear mech - an Ultegra 6500 that I picked up for less the RRP of a new Tiagra (model changes are great for generating bargains).
Front mech was next -- another end of line bargain, Shimano 105 this time.

To give a wider gearing range I butchered an 11-32 and a 11-34 cassette to give enough suitable sprockets for a 12-30, just at the limit of what the rear mech will handle, however my early summer rides convinced me that while the range was good, the standard 52-42-30 triple chainset was too "high" and anyway the 170 cranks were supposedly too short for me, so I was lucky to find a brand new 175 mm 105 crankset with no rings - and a compatible 50 tooth TA ring, both at ludicrously cheap prices. Had to pay full price for a matching 38 ring and a 26 granny, but total was still way less than a complete new chainset at that quality.

On my JoGLE in August I found I was getting slightly numb hands from being on the hoods for extended periods so decided to try that ultimate fettler's solution: the "shimergo" ( 10 speed Campag shifters made to operate a 9 speed Shimano drive train by means of the "hubbub" cable routing )

The Randonneur bars put the levers at an "odd" angle (as they did with the Sora), but very comfortable all the same.

So ... here is the revised cockpit in full "Audax" mode, with Garmin in a RAM mount, and bar bag modified to take a R&K fitting.

And the complete bike.... more modifications on a 531 Galaxy you will probably never see. I keep telling myself to stop playing, and save my pennies for a new Ti frame, but I don't know if OH will ever allow that.

 

[montage]

looks good! Liking the levers