Williams lightweight project

[12boy]

I have a Surly Steamroller which I go back and forth between a single speed and a SA S-Rf3 hub which, using an 18 tooth sprocket and a 42 tooth chainring yields 48, 64 and 85 gear inches. I have a bar end shifter and a bit of cabling and a joiner permanently under the bar tape so I can switch back and forth in about 15 minutes. I can use the 3 speed setup with studded snows in the winter as I like the lower gears for wind and hills which are harder with thge heavy studded tires. I have had the Surly for 12 years and don't mind riding it in the gritty salty slop we have in the winter, but a gorgeous paint job such as yours deserves better treatment. In the pic you can see the bar shifter on the right side of the handlebars.

 

[RichardB]

I have a Surly Steamroller which I go back and forth between a single speed and a SA S-Rf3 hub which, using an 18 tooth sprocket and a 42 tooth chainring yields 48, 64 and 85 gear inches. I have a bar end shifter and a bit of cabling and a joiner permanently under the bar tape so I can switch back and forth in about 15 minutes. I can use the 3 speed setup with studded snows in the winter as I like the lower gears for wind and hills which are harder with thge heavy studded tires. I have had the Surly for 12 years and don't mind riding it in the gritty salty slop we have in the winter, but a gorgeous paint job such as yours deserves better treatment. In the pic you can see the bar shifter on the right side of the handlebars. View attachment 561142

That's a nice-looking bike. I was thinking about getting a SA hub ...

 

[12boy]

Thanks, Richard B. It and my Brompton are my favorites. That paint color was called "maroon", but in the fixie community it was often called "bloody stool". I went to the aerospace section of the Smithsonian and saw a Wright Bros. Bicycle, which from a distance could have been the Steamroller as you see it. From the little I've read there were some bitchin lightweight 3 speed bikes in the UK back in the day.

 

[RichardB]

From the little I've read there were some bitchin lightweight 3 speed bikes in the UK back in the day.

Oh yes. I spent a lot of my youth on my mother's old post-war Raleigh, with 3 speeds and roller-lever brakes. It took a ton of punishment and always came back for more. Bicycle soccer ("Boccer") in the street was its main use - I had a (gasp) 5-speed for other uses. My friend had a Raleigh Palm Beach 3-speed, and it was a decent bike. 3-speeds seemed almost indestructible back then, and they bloody well needed to be.

 

[RichardB]

Quick update. Got a bit further forward this week, dodging the rain and the cold. Bars, brake levers and brakes fitted and cabled up. First time I have had side-pull brakes in decades, and they were remarkably easy to set up. Bottom bracket, chainset and pedals fitted. Have decided on a plain 5-speed for the time being, trying to keep things as simple as possible. Have fitted a 14-28 cluster to the rear wheel, and hoping that will be an adequate gear range for the hills round here. With the 44T chainring, that gives a range of 42" to 85". My MTB has a low gear of 26" and I use it, but I have accepted that I will be doing a lot of standing up and, failing that, walking, with the new gears. I keep telling myself it will improve my strength and hill-climbing ability. I have cut about 10 cm off the huge seatpost and fitted that, along with a Brooks Cambium saddle. I'm a big fan of the B17, but I have heard the Cambiums are super-comfy so will give that a try. Bargain-basement Tourney rear derailleur now fitted as well. It is good for up to 7 speeds, so I have future options there if I need them.

Next, fitting chain, shifter lever and cable. Then a shakedown ride, final tweaks of saddle and bars/levers, fitting the bar tape and I should have a completed bike. Had a quick scoot round the driveway without a chain - felt very strange - and the bike felt good and 'right'.

The green towel around the top tube is to protect the paint from the handlebars. I've dinked the soft paint aleady once, skoolboy error. Once I have the bar tape in place I can relax.

 

[Archie_tect]

I've got an 11-14-18-24-32, 5-speed Suntour freewheel on the back of my old Dawes with the original 52/39 front chainrings. I spend 70% of the time, according to the Cyclemeter app, on the 39/18 for just about everything

 

[RichardB]

I've got an 11-14-18-24-32, 5-speed Suntour freewheel on the back of my old Dawes with the original 52/39 front chainrings. I spend 70% of the time, according to the Cyclemeter app, on the 39/18 for just about everything

That's 59", close to the 60" I have heard as a recommendation for a general-purpose single speed bike. I must say I tend to use 'all the gears, all the time', to borrow a motorcycling theme.

 

[newfhouse]

View attachment 562091

Elegant simplicity, lovely.

 

[12boy]

Nice work, dude....that is one good lookin bike.

 

[RichardB]

Frustrating day, all self-inflicted.

1. Went to fit the chain. Quicklink supplied with the chain fell off into the gravel on the drive and I spent 20 fruitless minutes looking for it. Gone. So I tried to fit another quicklink I had in the toolbox. I must have spent an hour battling with it, getting sore fingers and a scratch in the frame in the process. In the end I realised it was never going to fit, checked the box and ... the chain is a single speed chain, bought when I was thinking of building the bike as a SS/fixie. It’s a 3/32nd chain, but the side plates are too big to allow the quicklink to engage. So off to my LBS for a new 5/6/7 speed chain. Took half a dozen links out and it now fits fine. A ten minute job just took me about 2 hours, and i was freezing.

2. Fitted the great shifter and attached the cable. Found a length of gear outer for the loop round the rear axle. Put the inner cable through it so I could measure the length of outer required with the outer secured in the chainstay braze-on. Cut the outer to length, thinking ‘these cutters are struggling more than usual’. Then remembered that the inner cable was still in the outer. Well, some of it.

At this point, I realised I was tired and cold, and it was 4 pm, so I packed everything away and had a bath.

Tomorrow, new gear cable (will probably buy two just in case) and get the derailleur working. Then test ride, final tweaks and fit the bar tape. Knowing me, I’ll probably fit it sticky side out, or something. Then we’ll have a bike. Perhaps.

 

[12boy]

I don't know how many times I've become aware I'm tired, too hold or too cold and I am approaching a job impatiently and will therefore FUBAR it. The irony is that the task can well be something I would enjoy and even look forward to doing, so by rushing I deny myself some fun and wind up with a POS job. You have done such a beautiful job so far I can sympathize with the urge to get her done. Tomorrow it will be fun again.

 

[RichardB]

I don't know how many times I've become aware I'm tired, too hold or too cold and I am approaching a job impatiently and will therefore FUBAR it. The irony is that the task can well be something I would enjoy and even look forward to doing, so by rushing I deny myself some fun and wind up with a POS job. You have done such a beautiful job so far I can sympathize with the urge to get her done. Tomorrow it will be fun again.

Thank you, my friend. You are right. I have learned now, after many years, to walk away from a job if I am cold, tired or getting frustrated. It is ALWAYS better in the morning! I have FU a bit so far, but not BAR. Tomorrow is another day. With luck, I will be riding it round the lanes by 4 pm.

 

[biggs682]

We all have day's like that especially when messing around with bikes.

It's coming along nicely so keep it up .

 

[RichardB]

OK, bike is now complete (so far). Gear cable bought and fitted, rear derailleur adjusted, saddle and bars tweaked for comfort, quick test ride round the driveway and garden, bar tape fitted. And she's ready for a day out - except the weather here is horrid, cold and damp and not much fun. Perhaps tomorrow. Anyway, just for now here is a pic of the finished article.

A couple of initial observations:

The frame is very light (a not-too-shabby 11.3 kg as pictured), and feels springy and resilient. I think it's going to be a nice ride.

The brakes (humble Tiagra side-pulls) are awesomely good. Far, far better than the Weinmann centre-pulls on my Carlton, which almost planted me into the front of a car a while ago.

The Brooks Cambium saddle already feels as comfy as my B17. I think this may be the way to go.

Possible upgrade routes if the gear range proves too narrow - rear mech will cope with a much bigger tooth difference, so a bigger block and a compact dual chainset are both quite possible with minimal work and expense.

First ride out tomorrow, assuming dry weather and a short task list from the Domestic Manager. Thanks to everyone for comments, suggestions, encouragement and sympathy.

 

[raleighnut]

Very Nice

As for the Cambium I've heard good things about them apart from a tendancy for the top to split across rhe rivets, maybe they've addressed that issue now.