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Post by busaste on Dec 2, 2015 23:20:54 GMT
This is my year round, all weather, go anywhere Viscount. And, it's a right lashup!! A real use what ya got parts bin special... Here's some piccies of the finished bike: ![]()        All sorts of bits and bobs have gone into this bike! NOS Klein 125mm BB spindle (gives a perfect chainline), Shimano 600RD, Suntour Cyclone II FD, Shimano gear levers, Mavic Module rear rim, Maillard Helicomatic rear hub (weird thing - check them out here: velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=1B0C2437-D84F-4FC8-B187-68DE658A2A30&Enum=110&AbsPos=167) and 13-34 6 speed freewheel (yes, it easily fits in the drop outs), Campagnolo front hub (my first ever Campag part!), Panaracer Pasela II rear tyre, Michelin Select front tyre, Super Champion front rim, SR Apex crank (off an Aerospace Pro), Taya TB-50 chain (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and very cheap), SR bars and stem, Weinmann brake levers, NOS Lambert seat post, Brooks B17 saddle (can't ride on anything else!), MKS pedals, MKS 'Deep' toe clips, cheap flexi Taiwanese side pulls, Cane Creek brake blocks (a must have for long rim life), Wilkinsons inner tubes(!), Leung chrome fork, Tange Seiki headset (ISO dimensions mated to a chrome fork with JIS dimensions), Clark cables and unknown and rather wobbly/bent mudguards. Frame stickers were simply what I had lying around. I just pulled old forgotten bits out of the shed and put them on a freshly powder coated (Ruby Red) 1978 Aerospace Pro frame. Inspite of being almost totally made from second hand parts, none of which were really intended to be together, the bike is a joy to ride. So smooth and mega comfy (helped by the bars being level with the saddle - note the spacers on the headset). The frame is actually from a Potters Bar made Aerospace Pro that I got for buttons from a flea market. So, the rear drop outs are 125mm apart and made by Suntour (which is good). I especially like the Pasela rear tyre. Smooth, comfy and easily up for a bit of 'spirited riding' (when my gammy right Adductor Longus tendon allows - it's been a problem now for almost 2 years  ). The long cage '600RD is a classic too and doesn't it look nice? Hope this project helps people see what parts can easily be accomodated on an Aerospace frame. Honestly though, a Campag part on a 'blue collar' Viscount (the hub does spin nice though). Whatever next? Answers on an empty Caviar jar please  |
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Post by busaste on Dec 2, 2015 23:23:40 GMT
Forgot to say, the Klein BB spindle uses Loctite circlips! Works a treat and is super smooth. And the pedals are equally spaced apart.
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Post by triitout on Dec 3, 2015 2:26:18 GMT
Excellent work! Nothing like a "new" old bike. It's a beautiful thing to customize every aspect of the build in such a well thought out way to optimize your enjoyment! Damm, that sounded very wordy but you get the idea. Many miles of happy and healthy pedaling on your early holiday gift to yourself |
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bendo
Viscount
Posts: 538 
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Post by bendo on Dec 3, 2015 12:00:43 GMT
OK, I think Steve you are probably the only person on the planet who can raid his "parts bin" and come up with a Viscount build like this... Ticks all my boxes. Even got the tyre labels lined up with the valves. b
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robt
Viscount
Posts: 558
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Post by robt on Dec 3, 2015 19:04:25 GMT
Steve,
That must be a deep parts bin you're pulling bits out of!
Seriously lovely and a benchmark for me to kit out my 'flashed up' Sport frame.
Are you pleased with the Tange Seiki headset? I need a new one for mine, but don't know quite where the quality vs. price balance tips from unsatisfactory fit & feel to unnecessary indulgence.
Are the brakes the Alhoga 'deep drop' ones, and how do you like them? I have some similar Tektro ones that I could use instead of the original Weinmann centre pulls if my choice of paint job hasn't shocked our purist restorers enough.
Best wishes for an improvement in your Adductor Longus.
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Post by busaste on Dec 3, 2015 23:35:18 GMT
Steve, That must be a deep parts bin you're pulling bits out of! Seriously lovely and a benchmark for me to kit out my 'flashed up' Sport frame. Are you pleased with the Tange Seiki headset? I need a new one for mine, but don't know quite where the quality vs. price balance tips from unsatisfactory fit & feel to unnecessary indulgence. Are the brakes the Alhoga 'deep drop' ones, and how do you like them? I have some similar Tektro ones that I could use instead of the original Weinmann centre pulls if my choice of paint job hasn't shocked our purist restorers enough. Best wishes for an improvement in your Adductor Longus. My poor old parts bin is looking a bit depleted these days! Worst it's ever been in fact so I need to start restocking. Thanks for your kind words. Yes, I love Tange Seiki headsets. I usually get them for around £11. The quality is amazing for the price and they do of course have a nice 'vintage Campagnolo' look to them and plenty of shiny chrome. I've never had any fitting problems. It's worth bearing in mind that they are to ISO dimensions so if you are using a JIS spec fork then a bit of slimming down is required at the base of the fork stem so the bottom bearing race can fit (JIS is 27mm whereas ISO is around 26.4mm if my memory serves me right!). My LBS Hewitt Cycles has the necessary tool to do this so I have never bothered buying one myself (I think the Campagnolo one is over £300). Yes the brakes are the Alhonga 'deep drop' ones you mention. They came with a rusty old Aerospace frame for buttons so I felt compelled to use them (okay, I found them in an oily carrier bag under my work bench and I fancied a change from centre pulls!). They are okay considering that even a new set only costs around £20. They stop the bike okay and the anodised finish is nice. Less good are the wonky brake arms which needed straightening to get rid of the MASSIVE brake block toe in. If you fancy a change from centre pulls, I would go for your Tektros. Now them's proper brakes! |
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Post by busaste on Dec 3, 2015 23:48:03 GMT
OK, I think Steve you are probably the only person on the planet who can raid his "parts bin" and come up with a Viscount build like this... Ticks all my boxes. Even got the tyre labels lined up with the valves. b Some of my mates have parts bins to die for... Not convinced? One mate has a big garage with one of those open plan type loft spaces. No intrusive roof trusses there which is just as well because: a) he has a locker full of NOS Campag Super Record group sets in their original boxes b) a rack full of NOS Michelin tyres from the 1970s c) boxes of NOS Shimano 600 chains d) a rack full of NOS Super Champion, Milremo, Weinmann, Mavic rims e) boxes of SH Campag Grand Sport RDs f) boxes of Harden 'Bacon Slicer' hubs g) NOS Dura Ace cranks h) Campagnolo Rally RDs all over the place i) loads of 1950s - 60s hand built frames by the likes of Bates, Johnny Berry j) NOS Bayliss Wiley, Harden and Airlite hubs k) etc, etc, etc. Then I have another mate who had to rent a separate lock up for his collection of 60 vintage bikes (Bates, Hetchins, Claud Butler, Mercian, Jack Taylor, etc). His own garage is full of parts!!!!! That's a lot of parts, believe me... However, none of these misguided fools have ANY Viscount parts!!! (partly because I took the few that they had) There's nothing down for some people |
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Post by busaste on Dec 3, 2015 23:52:34 GMT
Excellent work! Nothing like a "new" old bike. It's a beautiful thing to customize every aspect of the build in such a well thought out way to optimize your enjoyment! Damm, that sounded very wordy but you get the idea. Many miles of happy and healthy pedaling on your early holiday gift to yourself Thanks! I had an MRI scan today and I am meeting an orthopaedic surgeon in January so fingers crossed, my 2 year old nightmare may be coming to an end. |
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Post by kickstandman on Dec 4, 2015 2:33:05 GMT
Hope you are better.
I won't say if I have a collection or not, a few nick-knacks here and there but somehow in my "brakes box" I have a brake with the "V" nut on it. I have no idea how it ever got there, I imagine from recycling a few bikes but I know I never came across a Viscount and salvaged it. So somehow, it got in that box and it puzzles me.
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Post by 54roadie on Dec 5, 2015 7:30:35 GMT
Beautiful build. Every bike deserves at least one Campagnolo part. I love that you raided the bins and put it all together. I also appreciate the spaced steerer tube- I learned to do that from pictures of Greg LeMond - some of his Grand Tour bikes were set up that way, and I always thought it a neat solution.
B-17, of course.
Helico-matic hub, YES. Weird, hard to find parts, but it was the first functional cassette system and set the stage for all that followed. In some ways, especially with the helical spirals in the hub, it has yet to be matched. I've always thought it fun to use stuff like that.
And it rides and shifts like magic. Partly because of the Aerospace frame and partly because those are all fine parts that work well and last nearly forever, and mostly, I think, because it was put together with care and attention to detail.
"Not bad. Not bad at all." I'm told is the correct way to properly complement a Brit, so there you have it.
I would like to ask if those deep toe clips overlap the fenders (oops, mudguards). My Aerospace GP now has a full length set, and Viscount pedals, but no toe clips. No bumps so far. The front-center measurement, from bb center to front hub center is 24" exactly.
Frank
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Post by busaste on Dec 5, 2015 18:24:43 GMT
Beautiful build. Every bike deserves at least one Campagnolo part. I love that you raided the bins and put it all together. I also appreciate the spaced steerer tube- I learned to do that from pictures of Greg LeMond - some of his Grand Tour bikes were set up that way, and I always thought it a neat solution. B-17, of course. Helico-matic hub, YES. Weird, hard to find parts, but it was the first functional cassette system and set the stage for all that followed. In some ways, especially with the helical spirals in the hub, it has yet to be matched. I've always thought it fun to use stuff like that. And it rides and shifts like magic. Partly because of the Aerospace frame and partly because those are all fine parts that work well and last nearly forever, and mostly, I think, because it was put together with care and attention to detail. "Not bad. Not bad at all." I'm told is the correct way to properly complement a Brit, so there you have it. I would like to ask if those deep toe clips overlap the fenders (oops, mudguards). My Aerospace GP now has a full length set, and Viscount pedals, but no toe clips. No bumps so far. The front-center measurement, from bb center to front hub center is 24" exactly. Frank Hi Frank Yep, it's turned out not too bad at all! As soon as I rode the bike off for the very first time it just felt so right. The fit, comfort and smoothness were just what the doctor ordered. There really is something special about Aerospace frames. It's the ride quality for me; they give a perfect compromise between stiffness and comfort. The stiffness comes - I think - from the tight rear triangle with decent size stays offset against a more comfortable raked out front end. So, you can put the power down pretty efficiently but the old scar tissues don't get a relentless battering from too much frame stiffness (alloy frame riders please take note!). |
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Post by 54roadie on Dec 8, 2015 23:43:54 GMT
Hi Frank Yep, it's turned out not too bad at all! As soon as I rode the bike off for the very first time it just felt so right. The fit, comfort and smoothness were just what the doctor ordered. There really is something special about Aerospace frames. It's the ride quality for me; they give a perfect compromise between stiffness and comfort. The stiffness comes - I think - from the tight rear triangle with decent size stays offset against a more comfortable raked out front end. So, you can put the power down pretty efficiently but the old scar tissues don't get a relentless battering from too much frame stiffness (alloy frame riders please take note!). Gotta love that first-ride-feels-just-right experience, don't you? The Pro I built last year did that for me, as did the Grand Prix that followed me home earlier this year. Totally different builds, but still with that just-right ride. |
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). The long cage '600RD is a classic too and doesn't it look nice? 
