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Does anyone know if Franks is open again this year? I know it's LATFH, but if you can find a better view from a bar in London do let me know.

On Brockley Way yesterday, pulled out of the New Cemetery and a van started reversing towards me as I went round it. This is a no-through road, so I figured he'd gone the wrong way and would see me as he was going dead slow and was a good 5 metres away from me.
I pulled around the side and stood over my bike, stationary but still clipped in on the right. It took a couple of seconds before I realised that he either hadn't seen me or was was just fucking mental and was going to run me over. Somehow managed to jump out the way as he came past me, and 'only' clipped his wing mirror with my wrist, smashing it off.
I thought he'd hit my back wheel but somehow he missed it, and my bike (first time with my new frame as well) was totally fine.
Turned out he'd just crashed into a car and was fleeing the scene, which involved reversing at 20 miles an hour down a residential street, thankfully 10 or so people saw it and got his details.

By far the most FUUUUUCKKK moment I've had and luckily no injuries, even my wrist is fine (I reckon it's the muscle from 15 years of bass playing).

Can you plot this on a map? Interested..

What's that Cinelli XA lookalike stem? Provisional dibs..

Built this up over the weekend and took it the 23 miles to and from work yesterday and today, honestly, amazing.
Tight and responsive but smooth and great for the SE23 hills.
(653, 600/7400 STI)
http://i.imgur.com/PBazq.jpg

But. But... You have a point. It just seemed an odd choice of frame to pay to get powder coated. Although it looked like an OTP "retro fixie with cool white tyres and flip flop hub".

This isn't even a major thing but someone must agree with me. Saw a SS conversion of a Raleigh royal on the train last night. Powder coated red, white brakes, chopped bars etc.
I just don't get it. Of ALL the frames at your disposal why choose something designed for touring with every braze on imaginable, that isn't even that CHEAP in the first place to make single speed?
my only conclusion was that he had bought it like that, which is forgivable in some ways and totally not in other.
(this all may just be because I recently finished a touring Raleigh build using the same frame so I'm more easily offended.)

Just got this 653 from ebay, experimenting with 54cm to see if it'll fit me any better. Gonna switch my Tricolore/7400 group over to it this weekend.
In the meantime, anyone recognise that logo on the forks? It's also on the downtube but has been painted over (and Colnago decals added...)
The serial number is preceeded by an SR logo, so I assume it's one of those, but what's the whites business?

Sweet pink fixeh http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SKY-PRINCESS-TRICYCLE-1950s-STYLE-SIDCUP-KENT-OR-SE-LONDON-/251002276778?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item3a70e6cbaa#ht_562wt_1185

Yeah, got a few things to send down armourtex anyway. Any idea if they do job lots/is there someone cheaper/better round SE?

This is my size, and I reckon it could end up cheap for 531c but is it too rusted? Looks pretty substantial on the chain stays.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ORBIT-HARRIER-RENOLDS-531-STEEL-FRAME-ROAD-BIKE-CYCLING-VINTAGE-/230763520082?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item35ba93e052#ht_500wt_1202

Cheers mate, good to meet you!

Potential dibs pending pics of frame.
Ta.

'Twas dark. Looked like water, felt like ultra glide.

No idea what this was, it was slippy as fuck though. Took a couple of miles before one of my wheels wouldn't occasionally lose traction and that was after wiping them with my spare set of shorts.
Police got there quite soon after the chap I'm talking about rang them so hopefully there were no other casualties.

In other news, what a total load of nobbers out tonight. Never seen so much ridiculous 'getting ahead at red lights' from other commuters, usually slow ones.

Posting this with the hope that the two guys I saw today in Knightsbridge see it. There was an oil/grease spill by the lights outside Mandarin Oriental and I somehow managed to stay upright while the bike disappeared from underneath me (I think the 28s and full panniers helped me stay straight). The chap in question had not had such an easy time and was complaining of a sore shoulder and that he'd have to go to hospital. Someone on here might know him, riding fixed and had a Linkin Park patch on his bag. Didn't notice the bike maker but it was white.

If you're reading this mate, and you need any witnesses to the oil/grease then send me a PM.
Either way, the person responsible for it needs to get in shit, I just hope no one else was hurt.

Another thing:
It has NO repairs. All original.
Anyway, until tomorrow (when I can hopefully post it here properly as FOR SALE)...

£55 as well? I'll take it!

ebay US now seems to have MUCH bigger photos as standard, also they have that scroll over plugin working in most categories. Ebay UK GET YOUR SLACK FINGERS OUT!
I just tend to hotlink/ html in some photos from photobucket at 1028x?? resolution into the description, doesn't cost and ebay don't mind.

As for the bike, yeah I saw it, but nearest person is about 90miles away and not at home right now. Grrr Would go for it, even £200. If your mate could do it, cash from him would be better, as £200 - 5% -10-15% sucks for the seller.

Mate's game, just waiting to hear back from the seller. I really can't afford it but have justified it with the "if it doesn't fit then I'll split it and sell it" (because of the weirdly mixed group), and if it does fit then even better!

Not sure the Fiancée agrees, mind.

it works really well, allthough it doesn't look like it. handling is perfect, the bike does not lift the front when going up hill or carrying it down some stairs. guess this is due to the design of the carradice bags, very narrow (front-rear) but wide and low. had ortliebs before and they where shit. all of the stuff mentioned above...before starting in the morning i had to manually weight them and distribute the weight. with the carrdice i simply don't care about packing.

thanks! it is a 1978 worksop build, full 531 frame. model is in this case a "record", seems to be build for the german and dutch market. i have the frame 3 times (it simply justs fits for touring) and is 100% similar to the "competition" frame for the same market:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/multiburst/4784972694/in/set-72157622797505986

guess at that time, the components made up the model name.

and: no problems with the rear mech running 34/26, but it's also not a dura ace one, instead it's the much more skinny suntour cyclone.

your raleigh also looks really, really nice and deliberate functional- thinking about sti's on the traveller also, but am afraid i may run into problems when something is broken on a trip...

Ah ha, I think my teeth on the cassette might be a bit more severe than that, perhaps that's it. Could be my cack-handed mech setting up, or a slack spring though, tbf. (I thought yours looked like a 7402 but must be my eyes.)
Thanks for the compliment, I took it to work for the first time today (23 mile round trip) and was amazed at how smooth it was even with two full panniers. Old Kent Road was a bit of a test though, as well as the constant fear that I was going to clip cars when filtering.
The STIs are just for now, I might swap them out as I have a feeling that they're 7 speed and the cassette is 8, so the indexing is not working correctly. I think the ability to keep one's hands on the bars when climbing and shifting is a good thing, but I have done absolutely ZERO touring so far so might take your advice and swap them out before doing anything too exciting.
The frame is from around 1990, 531ST throughout. Identical to the Royal except that it has SPOKE HOLDERS on the chainstay. That sold it to me really.

Hold out for Lidl, they do great Ortlieb rip offs for £15 a set.

The one in AberdeenShire that didn't sell for 200? yes, a good buy.

Yeah. I was surprised it didn't go but contacted the seller and they definitely won't post. I reckon it might be a bit big for me, but worth a punt I reckon. Seems like it's in great condition, I just wish ebay would sort out their 'ridiculously small photos' issue.

Ha ha. It's in a ridiculous location but I happen to know someone who lives there who's offered to post. It's a good deal though, no? Seems like that's not even an extortionate price for just the frame.

I've offered £175 for a 753 frame with a mix of Dura Ace, 600 and Campy (including large flange hubs). Good deal plus postage? I'd post a link but fear someone would step in and take it!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150772242674?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_1018wt_102

Anyone watching this? Not sure where the Bob Griffin comes in, Vida Sport is a shop in Belgium.

new touring setup finished and tested on cuban roads. works!

this was the shifted upgrade to my previous fixed tourer:

more here on flickr

Lovely! Is that Raleigh a Royal? My Randonneur's further up the page, it needs a respray and I love the job on yours. There's something about the Brooks Honey and Royal Green though that stimulates my inner old man.
Do you not have an issue with the Dura Ace rear mech not handling the drop in chain tension between large and small front rings? Maybe the cassette is too varied on mine but I found it would skip with a 600 mech, which is why I put the XT on.