The Great Frankenbike DIY Competition

sketchley

I think this is the correct size for me. It has v-brake mount looking at the picture. What size are those wheels?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/22-Gents-Bicy ... 5d30022413

veronese68

I was tempted to take Snooks up even though I don't need the frame or wheels and offer the left over bits to anyone in the civilised part of the world.
Unfortunately he's (very selfishly) keeping all the bits I need.

snooks

Veronese68 wrote:

Unfortunately he's (very selfishly) keeping all the bits I need.

I think you'll find he's unselfishly getting shot of the bits he doesn't need

rjsterry

Probably 27 x 1 1/4" - i.e. slightly larger than 700C. Also the rear dropout spacing will most likely be 120mm or 126mm instead of 130mm. You can either source some old hubs and you can still get 27" rims/tyres, but it's a bit of a faff and probably not cheap. ALternatively, you can change to 700C but you need to spread the rear dropouts - look up cold setting - and use long-drop brake callipers front and rear (Tektro do some). Fine for a project, but fails on the 'cheap' criteria for a true Frankenbike I'd guess.

Greg T

BEWARE SNOOKS BEARING GIFTS!

Any fool can see that that frame is suitable only for the majority of componentry available at low cost / high availability price point.

that's right everyone. If you are a Frankenbiker you are bound by Sod's law to buy / get / get gifted obscure (like the freakish and very rare "disk brake wheels" higher in the thread) kit that WILL NOT fit Snooks perfectly normal and easily modified steed.

I suggest trawling bizaree hand builts / vintage Ethiopian cycling sites for your parts - I am far more likely to be able to fit two parts of a astro-hungarian unicycle / Russian zero gravity bike than i am of buying two fundamental bits of kit off ebay that share a common dimension / colour / material / thing.

snooks

Sketchley wrote:

I think this is the correct size for me. It has v-brake mount looking at the picture. What size are those wheels?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/22-Gents-Bicy ... 5d30022413

I don't know, but that might be an MTB frame :?

Here's my thinking why...The front wheel clearance doesn't look much on the fork and the brake bosses look way too low down to be proper V brakes (see pic of my bike above) So it might have had 26in wheel, and not the 700 (ish) pictured. Also it doesn't have the gear bosses on the downtube, and it has a triple, the latter two are not definite deciders though.

rjsterry

Hmmmm, just looks a bit skinny for an MTB and the geomtery doesn't look right, but I agree the brake bosses do look rather low. Can't quite make out the name on the downtube, but fairly sure there's a Reynolds 5?? sticker at the upper end where you'd normally find shifters attached. Worth further investigation I'd say.

sketchley

Anyone got an e-bay account as I don't have one* and wouldn't mind sending the seller a couple of questions about the frame? Make, model, wheel size, hub size, any other stickers etc. Also get a phone number or e-mail so I can offer £20 cash if the answers come back positive.

*Once I get an ebay account and start buying stuff my marriage will be over!

snooks

Sketchley wrote:

Anyone got an e-bay account as I don't have one* and wouldn't mind sending the seller a couple of questions about the frame? Make, model, wheel size, hub size, any other stickers etc. Also get a phone number or e-mail so I can offer £20 cash if the answers come back positive.

*Once I get an ebay account and start buying stuff my marriage will be over!

Well you've got an hour and a half to get the answers.....and an Ebay account

veronese68

Chris, they are probably canti bosses. V brakes should fit them. Wheels look like 27", but could be 700c.Yours may fit. I can ask the questions via Ebay tonight, unless someone does it sooner.

sketchley

snooks wrote:

Sketchley wrote:

Anyone got an e-bay account as I don't have one* and wouldn't mind sending the seller a couple of questions about the frame? Make, model, wheel size, hub size, any other stickers etc. Also get a phone number or e-mail so I can offer £20 cash if the answers come back positive.

*Once I get an ebay account and start buying stuff my marriage will be over!

Well you've got an hour and a half to get the answers.....and an Ebay account

You are probably right I'll need an account for this Frankenbike anyway.....

veronese68

snooks wrote:

Sketchley wrote:

Anyone got an e-bay account as I don't have one* and wouldn't mind sending the seller a couple of questions about the frame? Make, model, wheel size, hub size, any other stickers etc. Also get a phone number or e-mail so I can offer £20 cash if the answers come back positive.

*Once I get an ebay account and start buying stuff my marriage will be over!

Well you've got an hour and a half to get the answers.....and an Ebay account

Not much good me asking tonight then. If there are no bids I could still get the phone number so he can sell offf Ebay.

sketchley

Questions asked....

rjsterry

Sketchley wrote:

snooks wrote:

Sketchley wrote:

Anyone got an e-bay account as I don't have one* and wouldn't mind sending the seller a couple of questions about the frame? Make, model, wheel size, hub size, any other stickers etc. Also get a phone number or e-mail so I can offer £20 cash if the answers come back positive.

*Once I get an ebay account and start buying stuff my marriage will be over!

Well you've got an hour and a half to get the answers.....and an Ebay account

You are probably right I'll need an account for this Frankenbike anyway.....

As a brake on overuse of ebay, you could start a family => no money + no spare time

veronese68

rjsterry wrote:

As a brake on overuse of ebay, you could start a family => no money + no spare time

When I was a kid I once asked my Dad what he wanted for his birthday. He answered "time". I thought that was a ridiculous answer, being a kid I had all the time in the world. Now with 2 kids of my own, an old house, job, wife, etc time is a truly valuable commodity, and I'm always broke.

getprg

Veronese68 said

Chris, they are probably canti bosses

Possibly not. With the cable guide across the seat stays (see above the bridge) this looks to me like a 1970's or older tourer with centre pull brakes (eg weinmann 999's or similar) - now I'm dating myself!

The bosses may only be mounted on one side (the drive side for the UK market) and are probably for lamp brackets - stop those giggles at the back - see here

http://www.theoldbicycleshowroom.co.uk/lamp-bracket---fork-mounted-1955-p.asp

Some tourers were built with front and rear lamp bosses - however if that is the vintage then the triple is a (much?) later addition.

You can still retro fit caliper brakes and 700 wheels provided you sort out the drop out spacing - Sheldon Brown recommends using muscle and a piece of wood. The bottom bracket and crank replacement would be the biggest challenge I think.

I'd agree it looks like a Reynolds frame - nice project for someone.

sketchley

It does look at rear at least as if there is a canti mount on both seat stays, it's less clear on the front. Would I be able to change the front fork with the carbon front fork from the specialised? Would I even want to do this?

Doubt I'll get answers to my questions until after the auction now. Do I stick in £30 bid anyway? Not sure about this ebay millarky.

Greg T

getprg wrote:

You can still retro fit caliper brakes and 700 wheels provided you sort out the drop out spacing

Also . . .

If the canti calipers are new ish then they will have a "recessed bolt" arrangement - the thread will not come through the bridge / crown and teh bolt will have to slip into it to meet it - you will need you to bore out / file out the difference - hilarity ensues . . . .

rjsterry

Sketchley wrote:

It does look at rear at least as if there is a canti mount on both seat stays, it's less clear on the front. Would I be able to change the front fork with the carbon front fork from the specialised? Would I even want to do this?

Doubt I'll get answers to my questions until after the auction now. Do I stick in £30 bid anyway? Not sure about this ebay millarky.

For £30, if my guess at a Reynolds tubeset is correct (look very closely at the top end of the downtube), I'd chuck in a bid and cross my fingers. You'll be able to do something with it, just might have to adjust your plans slightly.

@getprg: I wondered about old school centre-pull brakes

snooks

Sketchley wrote:

It does look at rear at least as if there is a canti mount on both seat stays, it's less clear on the front. Would I be able to change the front fork with the carbon front fork from the specialised? Would I even want to do this?

If the carbon fork is 1inch then probably, but if it's new carbon it will probably be 1 1/8...so npe, you're entering the world of pain that is New Vs Old

Your only help is Sheldon Brown

At the moment you should read this about Steerer Sizes

Read up on things before you buy something, no matter how good a deal your think you're getting is.

Don't buy a "Bargain" and read up later only to find out your "bargain" is going to cost you ooodles more

My advice, let it go, get a frame that you know something about....like the make for a start!

sketchley

snooks wrote:

Sketchley wrote:

It does look at rear at least as if there is a canti mount on both seat stays, it's less clear on the front. Would I be able to change the front fork with the carbon front fork from the specialised? Would I even want to do this?

If the carbon fork is 1inch then probably, but if it's new carbon it will probably be 1 1/8...so npe, you're entering the world of pain that is New Vs Old

Your only help is Sheldon Brown

At the moment you should read this about Steerer Sizes

Read up on things before you buy something, no matter how good a deal your think you're getting is.

Don't buy a "Bargain" and read up later only to find out your "bargain" is going to cost you ooodles more

My advice, let it go, get a frame that you know something about....like the make for a start!

This is what I thought, I wanted to consult the oracle that is this thread.

sketchley

Nobody bid, e-mail sent. Let's see what he says!

sketchley

Ah ha the plot thickens

It's a Dawes Ascent Mountain Bike

http://www.bumblebeeauctions.co.uk/XcAP ... p?ID=52451

sketchley

rjsterry

Snooks was right. This is a good game. Post up another name-that-frame!

itboffin

I wonder if my eye bleeding creation will still be waiting for me at waterloo?

veronese68

Sketchley wrote:

Ah ha the plot thickens

It's a Dawes Ascent Mountain Bike

http://www.bumblebeeauctions.co.uk/XcAP ... p?ID=52451

MTB frame, must be canti's. V brakes will fit. But also presumably for 26" wheels. Will 700c fit? That bit I don't know. Winter hack with 26" would work, but you have to buy more shite. Ebay will drag you in.

sketchley

Veronese68 wrote:

Sketchley wrote:

Ah ha the plot thickens

It's a Dawes Ascent Mountain Bike

http://www.bumblebeeauctions.co.uk/XcAP ... p?ID=52451

MTB frame, must be canti's. V brakes will fit. But also presumably for 26" wheels. Will 700c fit? That bit I don't know. Winter hack with 26" would work, but you have to buy more shite. Ebay will drag you in.

I don't think 700c wheels will fit. But I don't mind the idea of slicked up MTB as a winter hack / commuter. If it has rack mounts I'm going to be tempted, would just need to find a pair of MTB wheels that have rim breaking surfaces and go from there. The Shimano RS10 wheels are not suitable for my weight carrying a rack with panniers so I need to swap for something else anyway might as well be a set of MTB wheel as a set of road wheels.

What do people think this frame is worth? It's 530 Reynolds (not 531). If the guy gets back to me I'll go have a look next week, what should I look out for?

Keith1983

Well I picked up my almost complete free bike last night from Kieran last night. I did have initial thoughts of stripping it and painting it spome ridiculous colour but it is in far too good nick to do that with and so will stick to the original silver/grey colour. All it needs to be rideable is a pair of wheels and a rear cassette. So to sum it up I have an almost complete bike which has yet to cost me a penny so according to the rules I still have £200 to spend right? I may go for some strange looking 3 spoke carbon wheels or something to give it some character, and introduce a splash of colour some how.

I did wonder about fitting a front suspension fork, but would then have to look at different options brake wise and with 700c wheels on it its not ever going to be a mountain tamer so probably not worth it. Any suggestions for some "quirky" modifications to make it stand out from the crowd?

snooks

Sketchley wrote:

What do people think this frame is worth? It's 530 Reynolds (not 531). If the guy gets back to me I'll go have a look next week, what should I look out for?

FFS I'm giving away a frame

Yes, I know it will be too small for you, but it will add to the comedy element!

You'd be better off going to your local tip and seeing what they have, they'll usually have wheels/tyres and BSO

Failing that a quick trip to http://www.retrobike.co.uk

MTB For Sale forum

Road bike for sale

If you thought Ebay was bad, this could be the start of a whole new relationship, and the end of one too