Viking owners club.

[Colin_P]

A drink fueled Sunday night e-bay impulse purchase, yes it was, no actually it wasn't as I don't drink but it was done in the spirit, I'm sure you all know that state and frame of mind.

At the time did it make sense and it still does.

I was looking at all sorts of bikes and in particular the TDF's at Halfords as for a budget bike they always get good reviews, Tribans again highly talked of and loads of others. The two main ones I was considering were

Cararer TDF, nope compact double and they don't make them in a 59cm frame. I must have a triple and lower gears

Triban 500, has got a triple but was a nope as it has carbon forks. Carbon anything scares me and being on a budget bike even more so.

Anyway, I went for it, hit the "buy it now" and then went all funny thinking I'd made a mistake. It arrived yesterday. Got it out of the box and commenced putting it together which was front wheel on, handlebars, pump the tyres up and give everything a good check over.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2013-Viki...20370?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&var=&hash=item20d714d5d2

I made the decision as it had a triple, STI's, Sora bits and a steel fork!

All good, everything worked out of the box so I went off on a ride. Did about 20 miles on it and was very impressed. Got back home checked it over again, had to adjust the brakes and true up the wheels a bit although not strictly necessary. Very impressed indeed with the bike.

During the wheel truing I decided to peel off the horrid stickers off the wheels and also noticed it had blue tyres, not black ones as in the picture as advertised. I started peeling and, and more more to come !

 

[Colin_P]

So the peeling today continued.

I thought it would be a good idea to de-bling the bike so stripped it down, right down and sanded the bling off of the frame. I bet nobody has done this before, bought a new bike and then the day after stripped it down and then re-sprayed it !

As she stood note the bling and the horrible blue tyres!

Stripping

Stripping

"Chin Haur" bottom bracket

Chav nasty blingy saddle. I'd started to wipe it by this time.

Plain saddle, much better. I wiped the bling off with some cellulose thinners.

The bike frame is currently hanging up between coats of satin black paint, no pictures of it sanded sadly but I'll post up some more of it done and the re-assembly.

I know a lot of people will think I am bonkers for doing this but I had explored all options, my favoured one was to build a bike up from scratch but you couldn't buy the components for the price of the whole bike, let alone the frame as well. Speaking of the frame, it is quite good, the welds are no worse than those on my Giant Hybrid and it is very light.

More madness to follow.

 

[IncoherentJeff]

I quite like the paint job but the original saddle is awful.

Interested how it turns out.
Is that the same saddle de-coloured? Nice looks like it was always black.

I've afew Chin Haur parts on my folding bike, they've been performing well so far.

 

[Colin_P]

Cheers Jeff,

Yes that is the same saddle believe it or not.

The chav-nasty blingy paint on it wiped off with some cellulose thinners.

 

[Drago]

Believe it or not Chin Haur BBs are tough old things. Still running an 18 year old one on my Saracen and its still silky smooth.

 

[Colin_P]

So, whilst the apprentice was on the telly which the Wife watches, I thought what better else to do than to got back out to the garage on this dark and damp evening.

I've been painting bikes and cars since I was a boy with very good results, now mid 40's but still like messing about with stuff, so I thought as long as I'm careful, why not start building it back up.

All the bits on the bench.

Frame in satin black, not to everyones taste but I really like the satin finish.

Frame again.

Partly built back up, I have GOT to change those tyres ! Also got the shiny bottle cages on, I'm swapping tastless bling for shiny bling.

So, I've been looking at the brakes that came with the bike and they are Pro-power or some other make, I cannot remember the exact name. I have got some very old Shimano Sora calipers which are identical in every way. I might polish them up and fit them instead.

Also I've decided that I would like to raise the height of the handle bars a bit. I'm stuck back in the 1980's when it comes to bike bits so have no idea what the bit is called but I believe it is called a steerer? I've seen them the go up at an angle. A schoolboy error meant I put the existing one back on before measuring the diameter of the fork. Would anyone know what diameter this would be, I'll probably have to take everything off and measure it. Also any recommendations as to what my options are, I'd really like the bars up a bit and a little bit closer to the saddle? Is this a normal thing to do ?

 

[IncoherentJeff]

Also I've decided that I would like to raise the height of the handle bars a bit. I'm stuck back in the 1980's when it comes to bike bits so have no idea what the bit is called but I believe it is called a steerer? I've seen them the go up at an angle. A schoolboy error meant I put the existing one back on before measuring the diameter of the fork. Would anyone know what diameter this would be, I'll probably have to take everything off and measure it. Also any recommendations as to what my options are, I'd really like the bars up a bit and a little bit closer to the saddle? Is this a normal thing to do ?

I can't tell from the photos if there's much on an angle on your stem. But before you buy anything, I'd see how it feels with the stem installed upside down. That should raise the bars a little.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

^^^^
I have a Viking Tourino (2008), almost identical bar the odd things (like brakes), flipping the stem did raise it a little, it has a different set up know though, and a 10sp 105 triple.

 

[jagman.2003]

Good on you for making it how you want it...!
I had been looking at the same range of bikes myself as a cheaper winter commuter.
Ended up with a Claud Butler San Remo. Probably very similar frame (with less bling).

Good luck with the rest of the rebuild/upgrades.

 

[cyberknight]

Nice job !
I am thinking of having my boardman repsrayed eventually as the white has been a chip/scartch magnet and as much as i would like a new bike i cant afford one that would better what it has on it, most of the bike in c+ bike of the year were about 1 lb lighter for 3 times the price of what it cost me .

 

[dan_bo]

I have a '63 Viking SS-t.

Perhaps a tad removed from their modern day namesake, however I'll try and dig out some pics.

 

[Colin_P]

Cheers Gents,

They are not that bad and certainly do not deserve the dogging they get. The stripped frame amazed me at how light it was, the components are the components and you get them on any bike in this price range. I couldn't find anything comparable in the price range in my size or with a triple crank. Practically every bike is made in the far east these days and probably a lot of frames in the same factory just with different stickers on them, so I think these are no better or worse than the others. Now that the bling has gone I look forward to putting a few miles on it. I would have done the same on any bike I got unless it was something quite exotic, but I cannot justify exotic, the Wife thinks £300 is an insane amount for a bike as it is.

Dan, you have a proper one English built one, bet it is lovely.

I'm hoping to get "Vicky" fully built up tonight ready to ride.

Oh, tyres...

Vittoria Zaffiro II's or Schwalbe Luganos and I'm going to go up to 25c from 23c, any thoughts?

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Colin_P I have 25c Gatorskin on the rear and 23 on the front, it hasn't worn out yet after 9,000 puncture free miles, I do have mudguards fitted most of the time and with a saddle bag it's about 12-12.5 kg's, I have a Spa triple crank, with their 50/38 zircal rings, and a stronglight 26th inner, I would have got a spa matching but couldn't justify an extra £10 when I already had a 26th and a 28th 74BCD rings. It weighs in at 740grms, but even with the change from Sora 3400 9sp setup I don't think its any lighter with 105 Kit.

I have done nearly 17,000 miles since June 2012, but it has had a lot of reworking, 7 to 8sp, just the right shifter and cassette, various RD's as I have tried out different things, then from 8 to 9sp, I was quite happy with that till the right shifter failed, but I love the 105 triple set up, bar the 17-19th gap.

 

[simon the viking]

I've got A 2012 Viking Clubmaster that was looking a bit tired after 2 years all weather commuting.... Graphics worn etc.... When it became surplus to requirements with the purchase of my Defy2 I converted it to a flat bar hybrid on 28c tyres for use on trails with Little-un, I always found it a capable and reliable bike if a little dull... I think yours is a step above it.... mine was also called Vicky I guess its a generation thing.... Mrs V (a few years younger) hadn't got clue who Vicky the Viking was (let alone Noggin the Nog) Hope you enjoy it

 

[Colin_P]

It seems there are more of us than I first thought.

Anyway, got the bike fully built up and swapped the tyres over for the ones that were on my old Pug, 25c Vittoria Zaffiros.

I'm very pleased with how the bike looks now and am looking forward to taking it for a spin at the weekend.

The finished product.