Update on Peugeot Lautaret Project

I've decided to build up the Peugeot Lautaret as a single speed. No dangly mechs or levers! Opting for freewheel, not fixed. Here's a photo:

I sprayed frame saver inside the tubing. The HLE tubing material is interesting (those d/t levers will be coming off btw):

It's Peugeot own brand "Haute Limite Elastique". A USA 1987 Peugeot brochure that I found online describes it as follows:

"HLE Tubing: HLE is Peugeot's exclusive alloy tubing. It is a "micro alloyed steel" which is comprised of Manganese, Niobium, Aluminum, Carbon and Titatium[sic], which offers a lighter, yet stronger frame. These elements are commonly used in the production of aeronautical steel. The introduction of these elements results in a steel with dramatically improved mechanical properties when compared with more conventional steel. The strength to weight ratio of HLE tubing is far superior to that of conventoinal tubing. Using this tubing enables Peugeot to save more than 7 ounces in the weight of the frame. The HLE tubing, when used with our patented internal brazing system, gives Peugeot a frame which is at the top of its class in performance and reliability."

SEAT TUBE

As best as I could measure it, the seat tube inner diameter was 24.0mm. An odd size, and I could find no post to fit. So, I obtained a shim with 1.8mm thickness, to narrow the internal diameter to 22.2, the rationale being that this is a more common size for seat posts. Here are some photos (the shim is a black, USE brand):

Since the shim was for a larger diameter, I had to trim it along one edge and squeeze it in:

I have a cheepo 22.2 steel seat pin, and it fits beautifully. I may try to find an alloy one. The seat post clamp is a traditional steel nut and bolt type, which is less likely to damage a steel one when tightened.

STEM
I have a solution for the steering end. I sold the quill stem that came with the frame because modern handlebars didn't fit the clamp. It went on fleabay for £5.99. Since I bought the whole package originally for £13.10, that means the frame cost me £7.11! I got hold of a 11/8-22.2 quill-Ahead adapter. Luckily the adapter tube fitted perfectly inside the steerer, but the expander wedge was a bit too wide (probably 22.2). As the wedge was alloy, I was able to reduce it to fit using AlOx paper. The stem is a modern type from M:part, with a 25.4 clamp, perfect for the handlebars.

SINGLE SPEED CONVERSION OPTIONS 
Here is a summary of what I've been mulling over. Over the last few weeks, it was useful that I spotted some 1980s racing bikes parked in public places that had been converted to s/s. I've seen three different approaches:

1. Replace the multi-speed freewheel with a single speed freewheel, simply screwed on to an old style threaded wheel hub. Predictably, with a single chainset, the chainline is rather angled. It was not a very good solution for one of the bikes I saw. It could be made to work if the freewheel was shimmed out a bit, and at the front, one could use a shorter BB axle length and a different chainring that fits to yield a shorter chainline (that is, closer to the seat tube). One bike I saw achieved a good chainline by using the inner ring of a double chainset up front.

2. Keep the screw-on multi-speed freewheel, and use a single chainring at the front. I guess one selects the sprocket that gives the best chainline, so it may be a lottery to get a useful gear ratio. The one I saw had a super straight chainline. Not bad and a cheap solution. But the 6 speed freewheel is a heavy-ish rotating weight, five other cogs are spinning around unused. Not so elegant!

3. Use a modern cassette hub wheel, shim it up to take a sprocket on the back, with a single chainring up front. This is less dependent on the chainset and BB, as the back end sprocket position may be adjusted with shims.

I've bought my chainset, because it was a total bargain and suited a Shimano UN54 113mm square taper BB that I have in my spares box.  It's a Sturmey Archer single with 44T.  When I fit it I'll measure the chainline first, so that I have a reference to work from. It could be that Option 1 may not be possible. We'll see. I appear to have all the parts needed to try each of the above solutions.

Interesting thing is that standard 130mm rear hubs fit with just a slight hand springing of the rear dropouts. I guess it's only 2mm each side that needs to be sprung! The HLE rear stays are rather more flexible than those on modern frames. I'm guessing the ride will be soft. Anyway, next steps are to service the head set, fit the BB and shine up the frame with car polish...Photos later as I progress.


RECOMMENDED LINK
Velo Solo - A totally brilliant website for riders interested in single speed conversions. The online shop has superb photos, so that you can see exactly what you're ordering. Really worth visiting, even if just for idea-generation.

Graham Weigh Cyclocross Frame - Update

Here's an update on the bike I built up a few months ago.

 

And racing - bit of fun blurring up my face there! 

The steerer has been cut down to my preferred height. I used a Rothenberg pipe cutter for this - great tool - I'd recommend it. Saddle is a ProLogo Kappa, not expensive and fine so far for cyclocross, if a bit narrow for my "a-few-too-many-puddings-hips". Wheels are Mach1 Omega rims on Shimano Tiagra, 32h, shod with Michelin Mud 2 folding tyres - cheap as chips and go ok. There's a seat pack which obviously will be removed for racing. I've enjoyed this bike - three races so far, and all is well.

 That's the end of this 'cross season. I'm really looking forward to the next one!

Commuting bike for £15

Here's a photo of the Concept Excelsior that I bought on eBay for £15, on its first day as a London commuter. 

I fitted mudguards which were lying around unused at home (you can see that they were for 700c wheels, not 26", but they will work fine). Other than the longer seatpost and cheepo saddle, no new parts have been fitted. Since the front shifter was knackered, I removed the gear cable and adjusted the mech to middle ring (38T). After lubrication and cable tension adjustment, the 5 rear gears work reliably now. Basically, very little cost and work to get this roadworthy and working at an acceptable standard. The chain had surface rust, but was not stretched - in fact, it seemed hardly used. So, I wire brushed it and thoroughly oiled it. Gearing is perfectly sufficient for London. First impressions are that it rides well, but is heavy. After winter, I'll fit lighter, narrower, touring type tyres, and that will help a fair amount. 

Heart Rate on a time trial "out and back" course

I think this is a great chart of heart rate data against time. It compares my heart rate during an "out and back" time trial event, but 2 years apart. The red data is from earlier this year. Black is on the same course but 2 years ago in 2009.  This year I was faster by almost 2 minutes and set a personal best for this course. The data tells me at least three things:

1. I could have tried much harder this year. Especially during the second quarter and last quarter of the race.

2. On an out and back course, wind will usually reduce the overall time. (There's plenty of stuff online that explains why). This year there was more wind than in 2009, and it was a tailwind on the way out and head wind on the way back. This is clearly evident in the data, the dip in HR being the turn point. Indeed, in 2009, it seems I was actually quicker on the return leg, but slower overall.

3. Considering the above observations, it's great that I'm faster this year! This must be combination of training and equipment - but I like to think more to do with training than equipment :)

4. Older does not mean slower!

The data is very informative and makes me feel that I can improve further. It was gathered using Garmin FR60 heart rate monitor, which I think samples heart rate every 5s. Yes, I know this blog is about working on bikes, but working out on bikes has got to be included in that!

How to service a bicycle

I'm about to sort out the Concept Excelsior hybrid bike, which let me gloat again, I bought for only £15 (see my previous post on that). I thought it may be useful to jot down a checklist of things to do. Now, there's no real need to do these all at once. Actually, I see this exercise as a fact finding mission, so as to understand every part of the bike. I then prioritise the areas to service first. In this particular case, I do not want the bike to look pretty, as it's going to be used for commuting and parked in various locations in town. So with that background, here's the full list:

1. Frame - external: Inspect it all over, look for cracks, dents, corrosion, twists, bends, any defects really. Special care around the fork areas. It may be convenient to do this while washing the bike with a sponge and soapy water. Do ensure that it's rinsed well with clean water though, as most soaps contain salt that encourages corrosion. At worst, you may have to get something welded if steel, or end up chucking the frame because of a previously unseen crack.
2. Frame - internal: Look inside, where ever possible - down seat tube, look at drain holes in the forks and stays, inside the head tube. When bike is completely dry, spray frame saver inside, or at least Waxoyl. Remove bottle cage bolts to get the spray tube into the down tube.
3. Saddle and seatpost: Is the saddle tatty, comfortable, or hurty? Loosen the seat post bolt, take the post out. Hopefully, that will be easy, but sometimes it's jammed. In which case, spray some WD40 or Plus Gas around the top of the seat tube, allow to penetrate, then try again. Once out, clean the inside of the seat tube with a rag using a stick as a ram rod. Clean and grease the seat post, bolts and nuts, apply a bit of grease inside the top of the seat tube too, then re-assemble and adjust to the right height and angles. In a year's time, you'll be thankful you did this!
4. Steering: For a quill stem, do as for the seat post, ensuring especially that you grease the long bolt. I also grease the faces of the stem and the expander wedge where they slide together and very sparingly around the post and in the tube. The idea is that it should not jam later, when you want to remove it, but also, should not slip when you tighten it up. For Aheadset type systems, you need to check that the bolts at both ends of the stem are tight - but rather than stripping them by overtightening, it's probably much better to loosen them all, grease and then tighten up. The bars should turn fully and freely in each direction.
5. Headset: May well be fine. Stand over the top tube, bend over the handlebars, put the front brake on, and rock back and forth, with your weight on the bars, checking carefully for play in either top or bottom bearing. Turn and feel for roughness. It may be easy and perfectly sufficient to wind the lock rings up a few turns, squeeze some grease into top and bottom bearings and tighten it all up. A more thorough service may be fairly easy - dismantle it, clean, grease and rebuild, and you may have to change the ball bearings or races. It's up to you! At worst, you have to change the headset, which can be a pain if you can't seat the crown race or top and bottom cups easily, but in that event, your LBS should be able to help you out if it needs a full replacement.
6. Wheels: Loose, or much worse, broken spokes should be sorted out sooner rather than later. Check condition of the rims - how worn are they, how much life is left in them? Never risk running rims that are wearing out - look for wear lines or other indicators. Examine the hubs carefully, especially around the spoke holes. Any cracks or signs of imminent breakage? Are the bearings ok? Waggle the wheels - is there any play in the hub bearings? Again, you may need to strip and rebuild, but a quick tighten up of the axle nuts may be enough for now, the full service not being urgent. Next time you get the tyres off, check the rim tape and the spoke heads too. It may be worth oiling them, to make tension adjustments easier in future. Is it too obvious to say that you must check that the wheels are firmly fixed to the forks?! Track nuts, quick releases, whatever. Grease and lube wherever you see fit!
7. Tyres: Check for cracks, splits, holes and general wear and tear. Nowadays, I tend to make a washer out of an old inner tube, and put that on the valve before fitting it in the tyre. This stops the edges of the valve hole in the rim cutting into the valve base. But these things can wait until the next time you take the tyres off.
8. Brakes: Very important area this. Pads must have some decent thickness to them. Old pads can be revived with a file, or just rub the face on a cement floor or brick side. Need to get any bits of metal that may be embedded in them out! Oil everything that has a pivot - including the brake levers. I also oil cable entry points. Adjusting angle of the pads and ensuring that they move uniformly and hit the rims evenly can take time, especially with cantilevers, but it's well worth it. Toe in if you have to eliminate squealing. I use a bit of card at the back of the pad while tightening it up.
9. Pedals: Ensure they spin freely and aren't mangled up. Angle them and try to dribble some oil in the bearings. Do they suit your shoes!?
10. Bottom bracket: Grab hold of the crank arms and wobble them, holding the frame still. Do it while riding the bike too, with your feet on the pedals. Examine rings and cups to check they are tight. At best, it'll be fine, especially if it's a cartridge type. If not, either change the cartridge or service the axle and bearings.
11. Chainset: Clean, inspect the teeth for wear. Are rings bolted on securely? Check the cranks for cracks, especially around the pedal axle area. Are the cranks well secured to the bottom bracket axle? It's worth releasing them, cleaning, and re-fitting them securely. This will stop you cursing later when you want to get them off but can't.
12. Chain: Clean, inspect, lubricate (see my earlier post for full details).
13. Front and rear mechs: Clean and oil, ensure they move back and forth smoothly. It's very important to ensure that the L and H settings are adjusted properly, for safety. Otherwise the chain can come off and jam somewhere, causing injury possibly.
14. Shifters: Clean, and lubricate, but with care! Putting oil in the wrong places on some shifters can cause problems - e.g. slipping. Seek expert help for tricky things like STIs or Ergos. Check condition of cables, replace if necessary, and lube or grease cables at entry points. An easy one is the under bottom bracket cable guide - clean it and oil it.
15. Freewheel/Cassette: Remove debris, clean up, inspect for wear. Are teeth worn down or fresh looking? Try to lubricate freewheels with a good quality oil - need to exercise some gymnastics to make it dribble around inside to get to the moving parts.
16. Make notes: I think this is worth doing, and easy as you go over the above items. Frame number, dimensions, gear teeth numbers, all useful information that you may need to refer to later. A few years ago, I started to log my maintenance work in a spreadsheet document on a pc. I've found it more useful than expected - like informing me as to spoke breakages on a particular wheel, and creaking noises - information that gave me clues about other matters that needed to be fixed. 

Peugeot Lautaret and Hybrid commuter projects

Found a couple of bargains on eBay. Here is a lovely Peugeot Lautaret frame (£13.10):

After studying it carefully, I'm pretty sure it's from 1987, as this is the date stamped on the Sachs Huret down tube shifters, and according to brochures online, the rainbow paint scheme is from that era. It's marked 12 vitesses, and the tubing is Peugeot own brand HLE, neatly internally brazed (no lugs). Paint is in great condition. The BB seems to be English 68mm, the seat tube is weird size, probably a 24mm diameter, and the stem is a 22.0 French jobbie. Rear dropout spacing was 120mm, but it was pretty clear that someone had cold set it unevenly. By sighting down the seatstays, one could see that the right hand stay had been pushed in. I gently pulled it back to its original 126mm spacing. Now to figure out how to build it up - single speed or 6 speed? I'm certainly going for a single chainwheel up front. Options, options...

Second bargain is a Concept Excelsior 15 speed hybridy mtb type thing (£15):

Judging by the condition of the chainset, sprocket teeth, tyres, rims and brake pads, it's HARDLY EVER been ridden! A label on it says "Designed in England by Concept Cycling Ltd" and another "Mega Carbon Steel". The frame feels bomb proof. I know nothing of Concept Cycling Ltd, but a quick Google search tells me that it went bust in around 2005 and is now part of the Avocet Group, with Viking and other brands. The chain was rusted and wrapped round the 5 speed block. But it was simple to unwind it, lube it and in 10 minutes, it was back in rideable shape. It rides fairly well actually. Front twist grip changer is knackered completely. I adjusted the L set screw on the front mech to put the chain in the middle ring (38T) for now. Rear twist grip shifter is ropey, but seems to work in a fashion. There's a straight chainline with the middle ring at the front and the second smallest sprocket at the back (17T), which is ~58". I'm wondering whether to lose the rear mech completely, fit mudguards and make this a single speed commuting hack using existing cogs and rings (it has sloping dropouts). But I'll need a longer seatpost first. At least it's a standard ish size: 25.4mm.

Will post more photos as I sort these out. But first, allow me to revel in getting a frame and a functioning bike for a grand total of ~£28. I feel smug! Marvellous. Thanks eBay!

Cyclocross bike build: Graham Weigh Frame

Last year I tried cyclocross for the first time. I adapted my wife's hybrid for that, but she wants her bike back (iow, I want a real CX bike!) so I decided to build one up for this year. Below, the frame and forks. Graham Weigh 60cm alloy, which seems to be very similar to a Dolan cross frame. Kinesis Crosslight alloy forks. I was a bit worried about harshness of ride, but we'll see.
Below are the headset parts. It'a an Alpina integrated, I realise all the hullaballoo about integrated headsets versus external bearing ones, but as the frame is designed for this kind of headset, I thought I'd give it a go. It assembles, from bottoms up: crown race (silver ring), lower bearing (which drops straight into the bottom housing of the head tube), upper bearing (identical to the lower one and drops into the top head tube bearing housing), red compression ring, silver washer, top cover (black alloy, it has an o-ring inside it, and the black rubber washer/gasket goes under it), cap and star-fangled nut.

Below, a close up of the top bearing housing in the head tube, and the mount for the crown race. It's all incredibly simple and quick to assemble, dead easy I'd say.
Bumble-bee style headset spacer arrangement. Actually, I didn't want to chop the steerer, so decided to leave it full size for now. Hmm, that's a good name for the bike: BUMBLE-BEE, because I'll be bumbling about on it!
A little while later, Bumble-Bee is finished:
The wheels are Shimano 105 hubs on Mavic Bog Standard rims (32h MA3). Below, a cheepo Vitus saddle. That'll do for now, but I WILL experiment later - for the sake of my behind! One day I'll get the hang of those flying remounts... Maxxis Raze 700x35 tyres (wired). Not the best, but hey, neither is the engine!
Rear derailleur is a Sora. It's a really nice changer in my view, works very crisply with the Tiagra shifters.
Rear view of Tektro CR720 cantilever brakes. So much nicer than my old touring bike (which I sold a long time ago). The cable hanger is part of the seat clamp (Alpina). You can see that the cable is not perfectly straight and vertical, so there's room for improvement here.
Front view of Bumble-Bee below, showing the Tiagra shifters mounted on 44cm (c-c) Ritchey Comp bars. I found the shifters surprisingly easy to rig up and cable.
Close up of the front brakes below. Initially, I had the Mother of all Judders. This was easily rectified by a few mins with an allen key and a bit of card, getting the blocks nicely lined up to the rim, and with a slight toe in.
Bottom Bracket is a Shimano UN54 square taper. Cheap, reliable and simple. Front changer Sora triple, working a Stronglight 46-36-26 chainset. Although rated for a bigger road chainwheel, I encountered no problems at all encouraging it to work for the three MTB size rings here. Bottom gear is an amazing 26T front-27T rear! Now that's 26 inches! If I'm gonna have granny gears, then I may as well have ridiculously low ones. Yeah, I'm unlikely to use them in racing, but may do so if I take Bumble-Bee touring later.
Final photo below showing off Bumble-Bee's backside. Is that a sting in her tail?
All in all, I'm very pleased. She handles really well on grass and compared to the old hybrid, I'm loving the riding position, and no qualms at all about the alloy forks - they're great. Having only ever ridden cross with straight handlebars, I was worried about the change to drop bars. Would they give me enough steering control for tight corners? In practice, the 90mm stem and 44cm bars turned out to be absolutely fine. Indeed, I prefer the drop handlebars.