My 1991 Arthur Caygill 653

I've just completed a full renovation of my Arthur Caygill 653 from 1991. I wanted to get it finished for its 20th 'birthday', but have missed out by a few days. I ordered it, made to measure, on 25/10/1991, or so the date on the original receipt says. I collected it on 20/12/1991, according to the same receipt (which I still have after all these years!). It served me well for several seasons, had a repaint in 1997 as a Brian Rourke, and a year or so later when I moved away it was put away in the loft, but not forgotten!
Earlier this year, a friend found an almost NOS Gios, and started building it up with NOS Campagnolo bits (mostly Croce d'Aune I think). That sparked my interest for doing a retro build, and I remembered my old frame. When I got home in July this year I took it down to Bob Jackson's in Leeds for a full respray. Six weeks later, it arrived on my doorstep here in Spain, restored to it's former glory. The build has taken me a long time, as I've tried to use parts that are from the same period as the frame. It has a real mix of parts, because I've tried to use those parts that I longed for back in the day but couldn't afford - the best, most beautiful part (in my opinion!) for the job in each case. I've finally finished, but it's absolutely chucking it down today, so I haven't been out for a ride, and I can't take it out and take photos either!
So I'll just post a scan of the original order form, as I still have that too! When it stops raining, I'll take some photos!

Andy

Look forward to seeing the build - it will be interesting to see what components you've chosen.
Rolls will be rolling it's way to you tomorrow.
cheers!
J

photos tomorrow hopefully!

although I haven't ridden it anywhere yet and it has a slow flat in the rear tub!

the rolls might end up on this one, but it has a regal on there now

well the sun is out again, so I've been for a short ride to see how it rides and to take a few photos. the ride is as I remember it, if anything even better - complete silence, very smooth, and lively!

So where do I start? Almost a year ago I found a bargain on ebay, a NOS set of some of the best looking and working brakes ever made (no, not deltas, although I did have a set that I contemplated using, I chose these instead for the final build!)

After finding the calipers, I had to find some suitable levers... It took me ages to find the correct ferrules, but I got those too in the end!

I already had a few bits that I intended on keeping for the build:





and found a matching front mech too!

I've always preferred shimano over campagnolo for early 90s stuff. maybe it's because that's what I had BITD, maybe it's because it just works so well. Campagnolo stuff isn't ugly by any means, but somehow I just prefer the shimano stuff. Despite that, I can't decide on my favourite chainset of all time - either dura ace 7700, or c-record. I used to have a chorus chainset on this bike, so when I found this, I just couldn't say no!

so that's all the brakes and gears. now what about wheels? I always liked mavic hubs, but they seem to go for silly money, and the cassette versions are not that common (at least, I couldn't find any!). I was thinking of ultegra, but then found something even better - and possibly even better than mavic hubs!
I also needed rims. Although I'd only ever had clinchers on this bike, I though it deserved a set of tubs, so got a very nice set for a good price from a friend.
The hubs don't come with QRs, so I found a campagnolo chorus set.
Spokes are modern DT comps, x2 front, x3 rear.
tubs are also modern - schwalbe milanos; great price, tan sidewalls, and traditional tread pattern!

I already had the bars, but needed a longer stem. Cork tape always seems to make the bars too fat, and to me thick bars just look wrong on a bike with thin steel tubes. Besides, on a bike that rides as smoothly as this one, not much padding is required, especially if you wear good gloves! There's just something about pearl white benotto tape, wrapped from the centre down!

I already had a regal (I do have a rolls on the way, which will end up on this bike - the regal is my everyday saddle on my modern pinarello paris carbon), and found a campagnolo chorus seatpin to hold it in place