Gazelle Champion Mondial AB - sensible road bike

lae":24n2s5tu said:

Heh, what was that, 58? It was perfectly ridable but the saddle-bar drop made it uncomfortable over 25 miles or so.

Have you still got it? It was a lovely frame. I would get another if I could find a 25" one.

Click to expand...

Its finally moved on to a new home where it will finally get the paint its last two owners failed to apply !!

It was a belter...but ive got an even better one...ill pop it on here before you disappear.

Ahh, just took delivery of a 64x57 FW Evans 531c frame with eyelets... I've not yet checked tyre clearance but it looks like it'll be a great replacement, technically speaking. Unfortunately it does have a rather bland gloss-black paint job - no 80s fades here, unfortunately!

I have also re-discovered some 36h Shimano Santé hubs that I converted to Hyperglide about two years ago and then put in the cupboard. They have the most beautiful quick-release skewers ever made, and that 80s script is stunning; shame I don't have the rest of the groupset. As an industrial designer I am allowed to fall in love with skewers...

Sante group was a work of art apart from the headset which despite looking the part was shite.

So the Evans is a replacement for teh Gazelle? What about that 650c plan!?

I will do some measuring, but I expect the Evans has greater brake clearance and is therefore more suitable for a 650b fat-tyre-with-mudguards conversion (the Gazelle would only take 650x38c tyres with chopped mudguards - this has dimpled chainstays and will likely be able to accept the same tyres (or even the 'magic carpet' grand bois hetre 42c) with unmodified mudguards). Plus the toptube is a full centimeter shorter and angles are slacker making for a more relaxed ride. However, it may come to pass that the Evans actually has too much brake clearance and that with 650b rims, there would be no brakes in production that could fit (would the seatstays and forks need reinforcement to attach canti mounts?)

All of this is pure speculation, of course.

I have never seen a Sante headset so I couldn't possibly comment. It can't be worse than the 600 headset on the Gazelle which requires an incomprehensibly expensive proprietary spanner. I ended up making my own...

Have measured the Evans and the brake drop is 56mm to 700cs, which would be 75mm to 650bs. Whilst some calipers will reach that far, I think they would be too flexy for spirited riding. So - either run 700cs (the sensible but boring option) with something like Jack Brown 33.3c skinwall tyres and mudguards, or get canti studs added (the fun but expensive option). Either way, this frame's gonna be in storage for a few years before I build it up. There is plenty of room for either 700cx33.3 or 650bx42, both with mudguards, so in terms of being a comfortable and practical ride this bike should be perfect whichever wheelset I go for.