Yes, this is partly a message to inform Vinny that his bike is done and ready to be picked up. But it is also an opportunity to post something new to the site. It’s been over a month since the last post.
Spring has sprung and I got to meet two new members of the extended family today (1 cat, Smokey and 1 dog, Rockie). The weather can’t decide what it wants to be so it’s being a whole bunch of this and that. Blue skies, 68 degrees with a gentle southwesterly breeze. Overcast and 47 with a sprinkling of rain. Partly cloudy, 53 degrees with 23 mph gusts of wind. It’s been an interesting week to ride around town, letmetellyou.
So yes, Vinny you can come get your bike. It is complete. I took it to Seward Park to get some artful photos of it before you get your hands on it and I don’t see it again until sometime next year, when you are in between international bicycling trips and it’s a short enough brevet that my out-of-shape-self can join you for the first 11 minutes of the ride, before you smoothly increase the pace and leave me in the dust! Ha.
I had planned to get some pictures of the bike posed in the amphitheater seating area, but there was a couple having a heart to heart about getting jobs, spending money, taking care of “me”, lazing about and general discontentment. Not wishing to intrude on the scintillating conversation, though it is a public space, I changed plans and found a lovely cherry tree to frame the bike in lovely blossoms. The pearl paint was a fine match and looks great in the sun.
It rides darn sweet too, even though it is ridiculously huge for a rider my size. I had to insert a different seatpost and position it all the way down so I could turn the pedals. Looked just stupid, but I enjoyed the ride.
For workshop projects, currently in the frame jig is Dan’s bike. It’s nearly a bike shaped object. Fork’s done. Frame’s 75% complete. It just needs seat stays, bridges, braze-ons galore and a couple racks. We also get to team up with local bike luggage artisans Swift Industries, or Martina and Goods (if you prefer) to craft a custom bag for this bike’s porteur rack.
Then it’s off to the finishers and I get to start Greg’s bike, a disc-brake, sporty day-trip commuter with custom handlebar bag rack and lowriders, lovely fenders and hub dynamo lighting. Greg is thinking up a sweet colorway (I just learned this term. Am I a dork for using it?), or paint scheme if you prefer. I think we’re going with wet paint on this one. Can’t wait!
Pictures of Vinny’s completed Travel Randonneur are here. Complete build sequence is available here.
One new feature on this bike, aside from the S&S couplers, is the PDW battery powered taillight. Portland Design Works offers this bright, tastefully designed taillight, but it requires a phillips head screwdriver to open the case to change batteries.
This is not a benefit to the rider when it’s 3am, 40 degrees out and you have to fumble about in the dark trying to change the stinking dead batteries! That is not appropriate on a true randonneur bicycle. Solution? I modified the little bolt to use a wing bolt, so now Vinny can just turn the screw by hand to open and close the case of this otherwise elegantly designed taillight. 
You can’t get that at your local bike shop folks! (No offense meant towards your LBS, my LBS is awesome). Maybe from your local bicycle constructeur, if you’re lucky enough to have one in your neck of the woods. Or you might ask one nicely over the interwebs to hook you up, yo.
On a more personal note, My wonderful wife, Katie is due to give birth on April 8th. We are excited and she is really done with being pregnant. Please think of us in the coming weeks and send us good thoughts and warm wishes. Yipeeeee!
8 Comments
Beautiful! I want to see more. Hope you get some posted.
Craig
Very nice, Dan. Congrats all around.
Ryan
Wow… Vinny’s gonna be happy. Not that anyone’s seen him unhappy. Great looking bike Dan. And pre-congrats to you and Katie. Happy and healthy birth to you both.
The bike looks fabulous! What kind of brake pads are those in the front? I didn’t know post mount ceramic pads were available.
Awesome work, Dan! Best wishes to you, Katie and the new wee one.
Greg, Ryan and Craig – Thanks for the accolades and encouragement. I’ll have more soon and family updates, too!
Joshua – Vinny seemed pleased when he picked it up two nights ago. So, with only 1000 miles on it at this point (ha!), he might not yet have a true feeling about it one way or another. Probably needs another 7000 miles or so before he can really start to get a feel for it, so like maybe he’ll say next week. Hee Hee hee.
Thanks for the well wishes. It’s going to be a whirlwind month for us.
Kole – Thanks for your kind words. Post mount ceramic pads are not really available, off the shelf. TRP makes the pad holders and the pads are Kool Stop ceramics. I cut down the posts on Vinny’s bike, since they were way longer than necessary. It’s a pretty trick set up.
Your mount for the eDelux is really elegant and looks like it will work well to distribute the stress over enough of the fender to keep it from fatiguing. I have seen several bolts pull through those stainless fenders due to fatigue and your mount is a great solution.
The cut down brake posts are nicely done. The polished curved end of the short post looks like it was made just for those Mafac brakes. After I asked you about the brake pads I came across some Jagwire post mount cartridges that accept standard road pad. Perhaps they are rebranded versions of the TRP, although I think they look slightly different. It is nice to see that these are now readily available for all of the great old brakes out there. I will be installing a pair of these front pads shortly on our 20 year old tandem to switch to more durable ceramic rims for wet riding.
I agree that it’s important to support the fender properly at any point of attachment. Vinny’s fenders came pre-drilled for single eyebolt attachment. I drilled additional holes and added two more eyebolts to provide better support.
These fenders are stainless steel and the length of the fender that is unsupported ahead of the front rack is only 4 or 5″. There isn’t much movement or vibration on the fender there. Still a good idea to give support.
Cheers!