some upgrades

I've ordered hubs and rims for the crazy bike of Christian, the "Gun", with 650c front wheel.

I also bought a traditional fork, sold as for 26" wheels, but it doesn't fit the "Campagnolo Vento" in 650c size, so I tried a 24x1-1/8  wheel and it's quite perfect, but with a too wide rim. I think that a 520 ETRTO size will fit properly.  Anyway I need another fork for the Gun for 26" wheels, and I would like to try to cut and weld a 28" fork and to reduce the rake (I'm working on now!).

I'm always waiting for the belt form the Gates, it seems to be a mission impossible... hope to have in September. But i ride a little brakeless with the chain: it is a bit rigid, not comfortable, with a very overlap and I don't feel very good with 165mm cranks. the good thing is that the rear stay it's like it was never cut and screwed! 

Parallel to the Gun project, we thought to an opposite bike, with a road frame and huge wheels. And that is rim and clincher...! this will be the "use-less" bike. Who will skid with that?

waiting for the belt

while I was waiting for the belt and the front sprocket, I've mounted a  traditional chain. The frame is still raw, because I'm pretty sure I'll need to create the space for the front sprocket in the down stay.

show time

In this week-end I am in Genova to a music fair.
I show the bikes and Christian of Plan B Motorcycles shows his motorbikes. 
The fair location is an amazing place to take some good pics! 

lacing

Too many thing at once, but when I ordered the CDX belt I found the right spokes and nipples to lace the carbon wheels.
It is the first time that I lace, and I'm a bit scared to do any injuries to the high profile rims, but I've followed one of the several tutorial on the web and I'm satisfied about the result. I've underrated the numbers of the beers, but I'm pretty happy also to the roundness of the wheels.
Initially I would lace the rear in 3rd and the front one radial, but I hadn't found the right lenght for the front wheel, so I decided to keep the 3rd even to the front. I used sapim cx ray with 14mm's aluminium nipples, the polyax, all in black. I've decided to use the Tufo tape with Tufo tubular, that is cleaner than the glue, and quite fast to apply. 
The next step for the belted bike is to prepare the frame: I like the semi integrated seatpost, so I lathed a spacer, with OD of 31,8 and ID of 27,2mm to accomodate a short seatpost with a full carbon saddle. Now I want to grind the original welds, eliminate the reinforcement on the down tube (it's not connected to the head tube, so I hope it isn't a structural part...) and do something to the rear bridge, that's really ugly!  let's do it!

 

new frame, same addiction

I bought a far east frame for a few money, with his own carbon fork.
It comes with a soft gold anodizing and with many rough welds.
anyway it seems strong, with a quite tight geometry and not so heavy.
I'm cooperating with a guy, Christian, that builds amazing motorcycles: Plan B Motorcycle, and he use a chemical way to engrave aluminium. The aspect is really particular and we think to use that method even for my new frame, but before I have to prepare for the belt!
Yes, I'm yet addicted to the belt drive, so, after lathing a little the seat of the lower bush, I cut the oblique tube of the rear stay and I put an aluminium hanger with two M5 screws.

Now it's time to weld, then I would like to grind off a little bit the "oriental" welds and engrave.
I'm looking also for spokes, but with high flanges hubs and 88mm's deep rim I need shorts spokes.

The fork had the anti-slippery tips, no good for a fixed bike!