Bob Griffin fashionista singlespeed

rogerzilla

Retro Guru
This project started out with an Ernie Clements frame, then a Dawes frame, both of which were unsuitable in various ways, and ended up with this c.1982 part-531 frame made by Bob Griffin. Bought as a rather tired gold frameset from the Gloucester bike project, where they are still in touch with Bob. Gear guides and hangers removed and resprayed in this anthracite colour which, with the brown bits, matches my car. It may look like a fashion victim but it goes extremely well and has very neat handling, unlike my Holdsworth which has the turning circle of a supertanker.

The 26TPI fork was a nasty surprise as I'd had the crown seat and head tube reamed to ISO to ensure they were plane. Raleigh cups are 30.0, not 30.2, and Raleigh crown races are 27.0, not 26.4, so this is a fairly toxic mix (Sheldon Brown's website was totally wrong on this, saying Raleigh was the same as ISO except for the thread pitch, but John Allen has agreed to correct it). Ended up with a frankenheadset using an ISO bottom end and a Raleigh top end, cutting a neat Coke can shim for the top head cup, which would otherwise have been loose.

20170922_135513 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

20170922_135832 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

20170922_135539 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

20170922_135605 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

20170922_135550 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

20170922_135633 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

Frame: Bob Griffin (former Cheltenham bike shop owner), 531 main tubes.

Fork: Raleigh 26TPI threaded (what was Bob thinking?)

Headset: Top half Raleigh, bottom half Tange Falcon cartridge
Stem: Zenith Gran Compe
Handlebar: Cheap bullhorns
Bar Tape: Fizik fake leather

Brake Levers/Brifters: Dia-Compe 188
Brake Calipers:Dia-Compe GC700 centrepulls
Brake Pads: Kool-Stop dual compound
Brake Cables: Shimano M-System

Shifters: no
Front Derailleur: no
Rear Derailleur: no
Derailleur Cables: no
Cassette: Shimano 18T freewheel
Chain: Connex 3/32"
Cranks: Sugino XD2
Chainrings: Stronglight 42T
Bottom Bracket: Tange 103mm
Pedals: Shimano M540

Rims: Mavic
Hubs: Campagnolo Record, rear respaced on a shorter axle so it's dishless
Hub Skewers: Campagnolo straight lever
Nipples: DT brass
Spokes: DT Competition, 28 per wheel
Tyres: Cream Schwalbe Durano folding
Tubes: Schwalbe

Saddle: Brooks Swallow
Seatpost: Pro (not very) aero
Seatpost Binder: Generic CrMo bolt

Bottle Cage: no
Extras: none

Weight: 20.5lb
 
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