Spa Cycles Wayfarer frame set build from donar parts

[bagpuss]

As I am grounded at the moment, I thought i would post this thread .
I purchased a 20 year old Dawes Kara Kum some 18 months ago. It had hardly seen any use & was far too small for me, but the sum total of the parts was worth far more than the price being asked . It sat in the work shop for quite a while.
The Kara Kum was the early model with a full Shimano Deore group set & quality wheels . The only down side it had was a 1 inch handle bar stem & a ladies saddle
A couple of months back I purchased a new Spa Wayfarer frame set in my size so that I could transfer most of the components over.
The only new parts I needed came out at a headset , handle bar stem and a Brooks Cambium all weather saddle.
So after some quality workshop time here is the result . This is a very comfortable machine to ride and one I will age into nicely!

 

[All uphill]

Bike looks good, so does the garden!

 

[raleighnut]

Nice

 

[weareHKR]

Nice work... 👏

 

[bagpuss]

The Garden is all the good ladies work . I only get involved if there is any heavy lifting to be done . Our allotment plot is my dig!
With regards the Spa . The frame set is very good value imho. Excellent paint finish and scope for updating to disk brakes if required . The build cost came in at about half the cost of a complete bike .

 

[Alembicbassman]

I have a set of butterfly bars, I'm still trying to find a geometry they work with. I think I need a longer headtube like yours.

 

[bagpuss]

My main reason for choosing a Spa Wayfairer frame was that they are available as a short or a long top tube . Althought I still ride other bikes that have drop bars, I wanted something that would afford me a good upright riding postion as i get older .
I went for the short frame set as opposed to the long version following lower back issues . Plus I am no longer in a hurry to get place to place! and I do not carry camping gear when touring ....B&B or YHA for me.
Another driver was been able to fit wider tyres with full mudgaurds .
I have not given the bike a good long run yet as I am waiting for new tyres {The ones fitted from the donor bike are 20 years old!} I will post an update as and when .
I am still mystified by the term gravel bike when the word tourer has covered all bases for decades .

 

[Vantage]

These Wayfarers seem to be gaining in popularity

 

[Blue Hills]

The Garden is all the good ladies work . I only get involved if there is any heavy lifting to be done . Our allotment plot is my dig!
With regards the Spa . The frame set is very good value imho. Excellent paint finish and scope for updating to disk brakes if required . The build cost came in at about half the cost of a complete bike .

Well done. I have both 1 inch and aheadset headset bikes, am about to setout on a third build of a 1 inch thing (i don't find 1 inch a problem, just different) but have long thought of buying a spa frame (prob the tourer for me) for another build. I have lots of bits.
Two questions - can i ask how much the entire project cost, including the donor bike?
Was the frame supplied with the headset fitted? And if so, which headset? I seem to recall some folk casting doubt on one of the spa headsets but don"t know if there was anything in this and can't remember which one.

 

[Blue Hills]

Yes i would change the tyres bagpuss, or be very careful with the old ones. I bought a 20 year old bike that was in near showroom condition but the tyres had near perished while it had been sat in a garage.

Another question, can i ask what the main differences are between the spa tourer frame and the wayfarer one? I fear @Vantage once told me but I forgot.

 

[Vantage]

Spa used to have stated max tyre sizes for the 2 bikes which now seem to be missing. If memory serves, the Tourer can take tyres up to 37mm including mudguards whereas the Wayfarer can take 47mm including mudguards.
The Wayfarer short tube can take both canti/V brakes and discs, Wayfarer long tube can only take discs and the Touring is limited to canti/v brakes.
The Wayfarer was their first bike to be designed with ovalised tubes at the head tube and bottom bracket shell. I believe the Aubisque also had that frame quirk.
Some minor frame sizing/geometry variations too.
I think that's it really.

 

[Blue Hills]

Ta vantage - can someone educate me about the short/long tube variant - thinking behind?

Just to accommodate our varied twisted bodies or is it something to do with making it more suitable for builds with drops or flat bar?

(by the by I intend to stick to rim brakes for the rest of my days)

 

[Vantage]

I think I remember Colin saying the long version was primarily for those wishing to use flat bars.
If anyone knows for certain, it'll be him.

 

[bagpuss]

For the swap over I only replaced components that would not fit or had perished {Tyres}
1Head set . 2 saddle . 3 Bottom bracket .4 Inner cables . 5 seat post maybe. 6 Tyres
First the headset . The Dawes had a 1 inch .A 11/8 was required for the Wayfarer.
The one supplied was a basic get you going imho . I decided on a M elite for the build which came in at £34 including p/p
The saddle on the donar bike was a ladies {transfered to our tantrum .} This was the expensive part .Saddles are a what works for you item . It also needed for me to be able to sit on it for 5/6 hours at a time , sometimes more .I have a Brooks Cambium on other bike for winter riding {Rain likely}. So this was a no brainer . I found "Mantel" to be the best price .
I left the b/b insitu on the Dawes . A Shimano ST came out of my spares drawer . New inner cables from spares.
The suspension seat post on the Dawes was not for me . An alloy post from the shed has done the job fine .
Tyres The 20 year old Cross Town Paneracers are to be replaced with Paneracer tour guards.

This is the Donar bike

 

[bagpuss]