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Thanks Dixie - Part of what Im doing is hobby horsing, building up the bike as an exercise in understanding it, another is building a bike that'll serve well as my road ride for the commute and for long out of town jaunting, and finally its partly an excercise in seeing just how damn pretty I can make the thing. I take your point though, and have settled on the 50/34 for now.

I appreciate the help from everyone - ta ;-p once I have final decisions I'll pop up some pics in the projects thread as things develop, and then hopefully see some of you around LMNH. If you're ever short of tools around there drop me a PM, I'm nearby ;-p

Frame for current project. Rossin, labelled 'DuPont system, hand made in italy'

Doesn't have the typical Rossin marks cut into frame, or flattened seat stays, or fork tops, which makes me wonder if its a rebadged something else.

Any ideas?

I agree its not good, but I dont think its terrible. The puller is annoying as its a new tool, and adds 15 quid to the part, but I can get a 2010 ultra torque Athena crank (they're still around) for cheap, and it doesnt seem worth the hassle of selling on the power torque for a heavier, marginally more convenient part.

The change from ultrashift to powershift seems a much bigger deal. I'm actually wondering if I can put the Athena levers on a chorus STI, but I suspect they'll be incompatible.

Anyhow - MercianMechanic - do you know the 'lip' width on your puller so I can make sure the one I pick up will fit behind the crank ok?

Ta.

Anyone got a recommendation for getting the left crank off? Otherwise I'll try the below, and hope, when the time comes. The bolt isn't self extracting, but it seems fairly straight forward - I just have no particular need for a gear puller other than this... ;-p

http://cpc.farnell.com/draper-tools/13906/2-leg-gear-puller/dp/SI14045

Looks lovely - enough to make me rethink going for a subtle retro colour, esp given the current one is bright pearlescent banana yellow

In manchester today and tommorow - pics on wednesday ;-p

Certainly not open to only buying new - in fact one reason for the athena set is just how damn ugly everything else new appears to be (or at least - how poorly the carbon look will fit the frame). Pity that Pista isnt right for my barely competent ride skills ;-p

I figure I'm going to do the setup myself. I might then get it checked over by a decent shop before comitting myself to a clowncar long ride with bits falling off ...

Perhaps building my own wheel is a bit too aspirational to start with? ;-p

I have a 10 year old, lightly ridden but very scuffed up Tiagra set. If you're looking for cheap it might be the thing. all functional. Main chain ring is worn. I will get some pics up for you if you're interested - have all the cable outers, etc. Possibly some of the bolts want changing out in that they;'re beginning to spot with light rust, but the actual body of the calipers, derailleurs, etc, are all still immaculate.

9 Speed. You need wheels too? Open Pro Mavic's built up on matched tiagra hubs.

thanks Ed ;-p There is no current derailleur (or at least, its the Tiagra wedded to the horrible flappy brake levers I hope to get ride of) so I should be able to choose a groupset to fit the casette.

don't suppose you have any advice on the rest this bright sunday morning? ;-p

So, I'm a very new rider. This post is really me trying to understand if I understand right based on the reading I've been doing; sorry if a lot is repeats ;-p

I've been doing a small commute daily - just 7 miles in city traffic - on a relic of a hybrid for a few months, and am recovering a slightly surface rusted Rossin steel frame that I've stripped the components off and am going to get armourtex'd as a hobby project to get me and my girl out on the roads on the weekends for some longer rides. I've done basic maintenance (reindexing gears, adjusting derailleur limits, changing brake & gear cables, etc) but a whole build is going to be fun new stuff for me - especially the headset ;-p

I'd like to get the bike comfortable enough for some all day rides, looking pretty, and flexible enough for quick jaunts around town or 'fitness rides' to try and build my strength and speed for the future.

Right now it has a late 90's 9 speed Shimano Tiagra set on it. I've killed the bottom bracket getting it out (needed a lot of force), and the main chainring looks pretty worn to my novice eyes - uneven tooth sizes with many beginning to 'flop backwards' in a shark tooth fashion.

I figure at this point, new chainset. And, given the levers are scuffed and worn, with cables don't run along the bars, I'd also like to change out the groupset entirely for something that'll suit the frame with a bit more elegance - hidden cable, etc - as well as teaching me a bit more about maintenance and setup. As I said, hobby project.

It seems to me that of the groupsets available at the moment Campagnolo are the only ones to really do a modern interpretation of a classic steel groupset - the Athena - but this is going to mean rebuilding my wheels too, right? Currently Mavic OpenPro rims on the Tiagra hubs.

So; question time, any direct suggestions or websites/books to read up on a groupset, hubs, wheels, headset races and bb? I'll stick with the frame, seatpost, bars and pedals I already have, I think.

I know really nothing at all, and having sucked in a load on groupsets the basic state of the art seems to be 'outside the bargain sets, bike tech is at a level that if you're not competing they all work well'. Anything else to compete with the Campy Athena? True of hubs/rims/races/bbs too?

I'm currently noodling on a compact chainset 50/34 with a 12-25 cassette for a decent 'all round' starting range of gears - the majority of the time will be London, but I'd like to be able to take it out of town to some hilly areas too - sound about right? I guess eventually I can build a new wheel with a 'hill cassette' too, but right now I'm looking to make the bike flexible enough that I can just hop on most days and go; I guess the question is with a 12-25 cassette do I want compact front or the more typical 53/39? Thoughts?

I'm completely guessing at 172.5mm crank length (6 foot tall, 13 stone).

Final question; is an 11 speed going to be a complete nightmare of constant gear readjustments? How fiddly is it? Is this a retarded question to be asking on a forum for fixed gear and single speeds?

Oh dear.

Thanks all ;-p

Matt

I'll give it a go tonight. Once its clear of all its parts I'll take the frame to armourtex, provided they'll let me put decals on between powder coating and laquering.

Frame is a funny one - lugged bottom bracket (very pretty) but looks like welded joins at the seatpost and headset. Late 90's, early 2000's frame, Rossin branded. Any idea where I might be able to get more details? Or is it just an 'email Rossin and ask' job?

I'm trying to learn what resources are available to self service ;-p

VICTORY.

My arms hurt though.

Braced the frame against both knees, put in a socket, socket driver, socket driver extension then the damn bike seatpost to finally get enough leverage, with a tonne of GT85, and got it out. Frame is fine. Bracket is beyond repair though ;-p

I couldnt use the sheldon tool as it was the first cap I was getting off I had trouble with - once that was off putting the penetrating oil inside to loosen the other, and that side came off far, far more easily.

Time to take it off to armourtex! Woop!

Except. Urm. Embarassing question but... Top of the forks, the crown race, I think its called - bit the bottom set of bearings sit on. How exactly does one remove it? Its not split like the upper compression ring, but it doesn't appear to have much give, and its very snug with the top of the forks.

Maybe I'll post a pic of the bit - Looks like a wide collar, with a groove in it, and a smaller collar just poking up above it, that has a washer type affair in the groove.

This is the stanley knife job?

Many thanks all. First bike strip down and rebuild for me, so apols' if Im asking the stupid questions ;-p

Hey ;-p First post, woo.

So I have an unloved steel framed Rossin with an old Shimano Tiagra groupset on it. Some surface rust, but Im hoping the frame itself is ok - was considering taking it to armourtex to get bead blasted and powder coated.

Guess what?

Bottom bracket is *****ing not playing. Right now its covered in GT85, and we'll see what happens. When you guys talk about a bath, what do you mean? I sprayed some into the frame itself through the little holes that hold the plastic spacer for the gear cables off the shell, and left some sitting around the crank shaft but its not a genuine bath. Figure of speech?

Im worried about putting enough torque onto the frame to hurt it - I dont have a workbench, so this is all just using the Park Tool shimano BB plug, a halfords socket set & ratcheting handle, and what leverage I can get swearing and cussing.

It's an Italian frame, so I want to turn counterclockwise both sides, as I understand it. The one cup with writing on it says 36x24t. I so want to smash it with a hammer. Must resist. Stupid Italians. (with apols to any actual italians here!)

Right now Im applying almost all my force to the left (non chainset) side - thats right, right? Any harm in giving the other side a try? I assume not, despite the advice on the web to always start left side.

Guess I'll try the LBS if no further joy tonight, having left it making a puddle on my tarp all day.

Oh well. It'll be a very pretty bike if I can get the bracket out ;-p