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Post by cusqueno on Sept 16, 2019 13:51:11 GMT
I was able to spend a few hours working on my current most-used Viscount at the weekend (Viscount 400 with mainly Suntour Cyclone and Superb components from late 70s - early 80s). Replaced a broken spoke and trued up both wheels using new toys - tensiometer + dishing tool with the truing stand and fitted a new front tyre. Also replaced the Selle Italia Flite, which is falling apart, with a new saddle. Also Selle Italia but very blue. What do you think?  V400_blue-saddle_170919 (2) by John Cockaday, on Flickr Also the front of the bike (sorry for the busy backgrounds - in the cycle sheds at work.  V400_front_170919 (2) by John Cockaday, on Flickr |
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Post by oldroadietehachapi on Sept 16, 2019 14:50:25 GMT
Colorful and too nice to cover with ones butt! I struggle with saddles. My most comfortable saddles are Brooks B17 Imperial and Selle Anatomica X. They are comfortable but are so very heavy. I have found the Specialized Toupe in 155 (I need a wide saddle) to be acceptable but occasionally leaves me with a saddle sore. I have discovered that when you grow older your skin loses its elasticity and becomes thin and fragile. Despite riding nearly everyday I have become susceptible to saddle sores. 
Cheers Jim
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robt
Viscount
Posts: 558 
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Post by robt on Sept 16, 2019 15:59:59 GMT
A welcome dash of colour for the Departmental bike shed, I guess, John! Looks like a good choice for a commuting saddle, avoiding the paranoia that comes with leaving or returning to a rain-soaked Brooks. In addition to a couple of Brooks saddles (B17 and Cambium), I have a Charge Spoon that, for under £20, has proved both comfortable and rain-resistant. Along with a good dollop of Chamois cream, of course! For a brief period, I rode my refurbished Sebring with its original saddle, but quickly swapped it for something more forgiving. I don't know how many miles you'd need to break that in, but it was too many for me. I think that I sent it to Busaste to complete a Sebring restoration project he was working on.  DSC02554 by RMT@261, on Flickr I've found great joy in building and truing wheels - almost like meditation, and definitely a good 'Mindfulness' activity, where you have to give your full attention to the task in hand. Did you put your tensiometer readings into the Park Tool Wheel Tension App to check their consistency/variation? Be careful with it - whatever inner peace you may achieve with the wheel building can be destroyed by trying to achieve a better balance around the wheel! |
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Post by whippet on Sept 16, 2019 17:20:09 GMT
Is that a picture of a Sebring saddle Rob, think I remember my International having something similar.
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robt
Viscount
Posts: 558
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Post by robt on Sept 17, 2019 7:24:15 GMT
Is that a picture of a Sebring saddle Rob, think I remember my International having something similar. It’s what came fitted to my Sebring in about 1976, Kev. A plastic/nylon base covered with ‘quilt effect’ PVC. Solid as a rock. |
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Post by whippet on Sept 17, 2019 9:15:31 GMT
My International was 76 so probably the same. It’s funny how I do t remember it being uncomfortable despite just wearing jeans. Almost certainly looking back with rose tinted glasses.
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robt
Viscount
Posts: 558
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Post by robt on Sept 17, 2019 13:48:44 GMT
I recall riding a good few miles on it 'back in the day' without really complaining, but I’ve obviously softened up over the 40 intervening years!
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Post by triitout on Sept 18, 2019 0:51:53 GMT
I took out my "Mojave" Aerospace GP for it's once a year ride this morning. It only comes out in perfect conditions. It has the original rock hard plastic saddle. That was the first thing I replaced on my original Gran Touring back in the day. I think my arse can tolerate anything these days as it kind of felt fine for 20 miles!
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Post by cusqueno on Sept 18, 2019 12:14:42 GMT
I have an X-Tools tensiometer - probably the cheapest you can buy new, currently £35 on Wiggle. This is the first time I've used it in anger and the first time I've had occasion to tinker with these wheels. I was impressed that the spokes on the front wheel (apart from the replacement) had a fairly narrow range of tension numbers on the meter, although comparing with the chart supplied the real tension changes quite a lot over those numbers - so perhaps not that good. The real wheel, for reasons unknown, has bladed spokes, the front being normal double butted. I bought them as a pair but they clearly weren't built as such despite having the same rims and type of hubs - the front is 32 and the rear 28 spokes. The actual tension for the bladed spokes varies more rapidly with the indicated tension. Interesting to be able to measure the difference in tension between drive & non-drive sides when the wheel is correctly dished.
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robt
Viscount
Posts: 558
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Post by robt on Sept 18, 2019 16:31:24 GMT
I guess Park charge the extra £25 for their blue anodising. Apart from that, the tools look very similar, though the scale on the X-Tools one is calibrated from 0-135 and the Park Tools one from 0-45. My guess is that dividing your readings by three will give you a set of numbers that the Park Tools Wheel Tension App would plot for you.
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Post by wheelson on Sept 18, 2019 23:29:01 GMT
I guess Park charge the extra £25 for their blue anodising. Apart from that, the tools look very similar, though the scale on the X-Tools one is calibrated from 0-135 and the Park Tools one from 0-45. My guess is that dividing your readings by three will give you a set of numbers that the Park Tools Wheel Tension App would plot for you. Rob, I also find a lot of joy and relaxation building and truing wheels as well, hence my adopted bike business name of "wheelson". My first stint in a bike shop was from 1966-1970 and wheelbuilding was one of my first duties. The old guys in the shop taught me one method, Schwinn Bicycle Co. service school another, and I sort of developed a meld of both. A tensiometer is a relatively new thing for me, an older Park one I picked up online is a fun toy (but aren't most bike tools??!!). I am, of course, a tool junkie and seldom see a bike tool that doesn't somehow follow me home. I use the tensiometer mostly to verify the newer, more exotic spoke and hub systems. When you're working on someone's expensive wheelset, one wants to do the right thing, of course. For myself, I don't remember ever buying a pre-built wheel and I've used quite a few over the years. Wheelbuilding demands patience, to be sure, but it's one of the most rewarding feats in the bike world. Best, John "wheelson" Wilson
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Post by wheelson on Sept 18, 2019 23:39:28 GMT
As far as a saddle is concerned, I picked up one of the leather Viscount originals, the one with the tie holes. It was used but still remains as hard as a rock. There has been quite a discussion on the Classic Rendezvous forum on breaking in or softening leather saddles. I'm not sure there's any hope for that one. I may move a Brooks B17 "pre-aged" from my Schwinn Voyageur SP touring bike over to my new-to-me Viscount Aerospace that I'm currently building up. As I'm also building it up with sewup tires (sprints), I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment!
Best,
John "wheelson" Wilson
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