Spring Project #2 : Vit T2

I picked up this frame via ebay but a little digging they were a user on here. Anyway the deal was done, the wife was unimpressed, but 90's me couldnt stop smiling.



Behold, the 1994 Orange Vit T2 in all its slightly battleworn glory. Frame is tidy enough but could do with refinishing really, a bit shiny in places. And it looks to have a bit of repair work at the seat clamp that wasn't described in the listing. "I never noticed it" he said, because you wouldn't would you. Hmmmm. Fortunately I can hide that a bit by looking forwards while I'm riding it and hope it goes away.

I have been collecting the parts over the past 6 months or so for a 'proper tidy' build. Bouncing around various users here and on the evilbay I have made a few wrong turns but now have almost everything I need. Looking to fit out with xtr 95x kit with some nice silver hope touches and a sprinkling of Ti. Thats the plan.

The plan has changed a few times, for example I spent AGES finding some nice 95x hubs, found some, then while Im working out what spokes to get I came across some nice hope hubbed wheels and decided to use them instead.
Same with the crankset, I got some cranks from on here (vinevo I think), then spent AGES finding a decent BB, gave up when i came across some nice middleburn jobbies with a nice simple square taper. Then just when I think I'm settled on that and have sourced a nice BB, I end up with 3 octalink v1 BBs!, back to plan A then. But by then I had sold the xtr crankset. bugger, plan B. Then the buyer said he didn't want it anymore and asked to return it, which was fine with me and plan A was once again...er...plan A. round and round and round my head goes.

Wrong turns...
Shifting. Thats what started it all off. I got a shifter and mechs job lot from a user on here (steviebexplosif IIRC), thought to myself "ace, xtr it is then". front mech was wrong clamp size for this frame, and one of the shifters was missing the stupid barrel adjuster sleeve thing making the the whole thing a bit less nice. So i got a different front mech and some nice brake levers, just waiting on the new 9sp shifters. Oh yeah, the others were 8sp, but I found a tidy Ti cassette in 9sp flavour so decided that since i needed different shifters anyway I might as well go there. Chaos.

Brakes. I sourced what should have been a nice set of V's from on here but they never arrived (all sorted with the seller, top bloke), so i gave up on brakes all together. Then thought maguras might be interesting, but my shifters were STI combi jobbies so I would need to look for new shifters too. Then came upon another nice set of V's (not like they are rare I just wasn't looking!) so back to plan A there. Now it looks like I'm not using those STI units and have separates anyway so... my head hurts.

Other than that it should be easy. apart from the 1" headset, thats been a pain. First off the supplier sent me a mismatched headset with 1" top and 1+1/8th bottom races, took a month to send the replacement. Then I couldn't fit the bugger, it just would not go in straight for me. So I took a deep breath and did what any self respecting greasemonkey would do... went to see user drystonepaul who fitted it for me using his big tool. Getting that fitted is basically the starting gun for me, now i can get building.

Hopefully I can make a start over this weekend...

....or maybe I'll work on the zaskar...

....or maybe my entire family is about to descend and I'll get no time to get anything done.

Probably that, but heres hoping!

Re: Spring Project #2

It's a minefield for sure! :facepalm:
Have you got cranks sorted. There's your next headache as I note one o them silly BBs. :roll:

Still, be nice when it's done.

Re: Spring Project #2

Yep, cranks and bb sorted. Hope its bloody worth it.

Re: Spring Project #2

Sly hour in the shed this morning, forks chopped to size (ish) and first lot of components bolted on. BB just finger tight at present.



Marzocchi bomber z2 with bolt - in 1 inch steerer.
Cane creek 40 headset
Hope stem, shimmed
Xlite x county bars
XTR 95x brake levers (bought as NOS but really not)
XTR 95X V brakes

Re: Spring Project #2

That tyre won't fit.

Re:

Gentle hammer, no worries

Re: Spring Project #2

seems to be coming together rather nicely, at long last. all the bits so far harmonize well together.

Re: Spring Project #2

This is where it all starts coming together.....





Wheels are Hope with mavic 517, modern hope skewers. Decals are all gone but that's a minor thing, and hopefully Gil can help with that. Tyres are temporary.
XTR 951 crankset, a few scratches but not much wear.
Use alien ti seatpost, shimmed,
Fizik ti saddle
Kcnc ti cassette 9 speed
Shimano carbon brake booster

That's about it for today. Next up will be setting the drive train and brakes. Waiting on some new shifters then I can set the front end up and choose some grips, get setting the gears.

The forks are good and ride well but I'm on the lookout for something a bit closer to the rest of the look in due course.

Re:

Shifters arrived so time for cables. Grey, obviously. Some grey / black lizard skins clamp on grips and we're nearly ready to roll.

Quick update....

Finished the build, went for a test ride and it felt too small. Dammit. So, stripped it back down and sold the frame. Happily, the following day another one came available, this time in 21". I theorise thst Orange tend towards sloping tubes and measure small, so I take a punt. Trouble is I think this one really is too big, popped some wheels in and j can barely stand over, and it's not as if I'm going to grow into it. And its a really good frame too with bright, original looking decals and hardly a mark on the tubes. Ho hum, back to the drawing board.

Having spent 20 years without a vit t I now have 2 and neither of them is working for me!

Anyone got a 19" they want to trade up?