1995 Gazelle Titanium Pro Sort of Retro-Mod-Rat-Rod Build
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Captain Stupido
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Re: Scruffy TI build - don't hold your breath
Been sorting out some bits today. Being really nerdy about this - weighing everything, recording everything in a spreadsheet, adding up how much I've spent. And now I'm posting about it on the internet. What's wrong with me?
Love a growing box of bits...
Some pics of random scruffy bike parts on the scales.
Found a 110mm bb in my parts box. The cranks are designed for a 113. We'll see. Might need to mess about a bit to get the chain line right.
I think these bars are TI... came off an M-Trax. I have alloy ones which are lighter but...
Not sure if this is the right stem for it, but it'll do for now.
I cleaned the bits below up. I like cleaning bits up. Cheapish cranks and budget v-brakes but why not? I like the scruffiness of the cranks, and I can't see anything wrong with the brakes. Will fit decent pads and cheap Chinese narrow wide chainring.
I probably better not buy any more stuff for a while. Forks are on the way. Apparently I've spent £240.46 already...
Been sorting out some bits today. Being really nerdy about this - weighing everything, recording everything in a spreadsheet, adding up how much I've spent. And now I'm posting about it on the internet. What's wrong with me?
Love a growing box of bits...
Some pics of random scruffy bike parts on the scales.
Found a 110mm bb in my parts box. The cranks are designed for a 113. We'll see. Might need to mess about a bit to get the chain line right.
I think these bars are TI... came off an M-Trax. I have alloy ones which are lighter but...
Not sure if this is the right stem for it, but it'll do for now.
I cleaned the bits below up. I like cleaning bits up. Cheapish cranks and budget v-brakes but why not? I like the scruffiness of the cranks, and I can't see anything wrong with the brakes. Will fit decent pads and cheap Chinese narrow wide chainring.
I probably better not buy any more stuff for a while. Forks are on the way. Apparently I've spent £240.46 already...
paulvandermoolen
Old School Grand Master
Re: Scruffy TI build - don't hold your breath
That will turn out nicely
That will turn out nicely
Captain Stupido
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Re: Scruffy TI build - don't hold your breath
Haha, yeah, true, I think it it will look cool once the paint's come off, and probably the more I get into it the more I'll obsess and want to refine it. But if anything I'm trying to avoid that...
Still, it's always fun to change things around later - I often find if I get something "perfect" straight away I get bored and end up selling it, whereas the "works in progress" get ridden and tweaked over time - I can't quite let go if there are still changes and improvements I want to make.
Right now I'm quite happy with the way this is headed - rough is good, what works is good, I think it's going to look cool and ride nice despite a possible lack of BOTM potential. I don't want to get obsessed with getting it period correct or looking "right" or whatever, and I don't want it to be a bike that I worry about slinging in the back of the car or whatever general abuse comes its way...
Once I get stuck in I'll have some fun with the details, would be nice to get round to building a nice set of wheels, and hopefully end up with an individualistic bike that works for me as a rider.
dyna-ti":2xqgei6t said:If you remove the paint even the raw Ti will look a million times better. Might decide a better build from that, whereas currently you say its headed for a poopy build
Haha, yeah, true, I think it it will look cool once the paint's come off, and probably the more I get into it the more I'll obsess and want to refine it. But if anything I'm trying to avoid that...
Still, it's always fun to change things around later - I often find if I get something "perfect" straight away I get bored and end up selling it, whereas the "works in progress" get ridden and tweaked over time - I can't quite let go if there are still changes and improvements I want to make.
Right now I'm quite happy with the way this is headed - rough is good, what works is good, I think it's going to look cool and ride nice despite a possible lack of BOTM potential. I don't want to get obsessed with getting it period correct or looking "right" or whatever, and I don't want it to be a bike that I worry about slinging in the back of the car or whatever general abuse comes its way...
Once I get stuck in I'll have some fun with the details, would be nice to get round to building a nice set of wheels, and hopefully end up with an individualistic bike that works for me as a rider.
TOMAS
Senior Retro Guru
Re: Scruffy TI build - don't hold your breath
'IF' you do strip it, I'd recommend giving it a clean but brushed Ti finish by way of looping some 2000-4000 grade wet and dry or scotchbrite around the tubes and pull each end to finish it that way, rubbing end to end of the tubes looks awful and its incredible what a difference it will make doing it that way. Literally will look factory fresh, This gave me inspiration to try it and it truly does work... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaJqiUdmiA8
'IF' you do strip it, I'd recommend giving it a clean but brushed Ti finish by way of looping some 2000-4000 grade wet and dry or scotchbrite around the tubes and pull each end to finish it that way, rubbing end to end of the tubes looks awful and its incredible what a difference it will make doing it that way. Literally will look factory fresh
, This gave me inspiration to try it and it truly does work... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaJqiUdmiA8
Captain Stupido
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Thanks for the link. A brushed finish does sound nice but I'm inclined to think that removing the paint will be time consuming enough in itself. Brushing looks easy in the video but they're starting with a finish that's not too bad anyway - given that the TI is likely to be totally rough/unfinished under the paint on mine I suspect it might be quite a big job to achieve a decent finish. And it's also the sort of job that would be hard to quit once you've started... it might be better not to start - otherwise I may never get to ride it.
Part of me is tempted to find a local place to have it blasted and save a bit of time... I'll start by seeing how easily the paint comes off and what it looks like underneath. Might try heat first as I don't have any paint stripper at home... Am looking forward to having the frame in my hands! Don't think I've ever got so deep into a build for a frame I've not actually seen in the flesh...
Anyway, some news, the postman bought me a sunrace M90 9 speed thumbie today - interested to see how well it works with the XTR mech... seems well made and looks good on the scales anyway. I really like this build (viewtopic.php?f=6&t=390611), which uses one, and will admit to taking some inspiration from it. Even though this is a pretty different prospect I'm hoping to capture a similar-ish vibe. Been aware of these shifters, and had been thinking about a 1x build for a while, this seems the right bike to do it with, and 9 speed seems a good compromise all round.
Did some digging in the parts bin, found some stuff to fill the gaps but it's all a bit on the heavy side. I might give this FSA Pig a miss and treat it to a new Orbit MX. Actually I'm tempted to order a super cheap Chinese eBay job - there are some nice looking no-name alloy ones with sealed bearings for about £6, although I think the Orbit is probably lighter (and nicer). I'm sure a Chris King would be even nicer but I can't bring myself to spend that amount of money on a headset...
DMR V8 pedals will do for now although there's definite room for weight saving as and when funds allow. At least pedals are easy to change around on a completed build (unlike headsets!)
Thanks for the link. A brushed finish does sound nice but I'm inclined to think that removing the paint will be time consuming enough in itself. Brushing looks easy in the video but they're starting with a finish that's not too bad anyway - given that the TI is likely to be totally rough/unfinished under the paint on mine I suspect it might be quite a big job to achieve a decent finish. And it's also the sort of job that would be hard to quit once you've started... it might be better not to start - otherwise I may never get to ride it.
Part of me is tempted to find a local place to have it blasted and save a bit of time... I'll start by seeing how easily the paint comes off and what it looks like underneath. Might try heat first as I don't have any paint stripper at home... Am looking forward to having the frame in my hands! Don't think I've ever got so deep into a build for a frame I've not actually seen in the flesh...
Anyway, some news, the postman bought me a sunrace M90 9 speed thumbie today - interested to see how well it works with the XTR mech... seems well made and looks good on the scales anyway. I really like this build (viewtopic.php?f=6&t=390611), which uses one, and will admit to taking some inspiration from it. Even though this is a pretty different prospect I'm hoping to capture a similar-ish vibe. Been aware of these shifters, and had been thinking about a 1x build for a while, this seems the right bike to do it with, and 9 speed seems a good compromise all round.
Did some digging in the parts bin, found some stuff to fill the gaps but it's all a bit on the heavy side. I might give this FSA Pig a miss and treat it to a new Orbit MX. Actually I'm tempted to order a super cheap Chinese eBay job - there are some nice looking no-name alloy ones with sealed bearings for about £6, although I think the Orbit is probably lighter (and nicer). I'm sure a Chris King would be even nicer but I can't bring myself to spend that amount of money on a headset...
DMR V8 pedals will do for now although there's definite room for weight saving as and when funds allow. At least pedals are easy to change around on a completed build (unlike headsets!)
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TOMAS
Senior Retro Guru
Re: Gazelle Titanium Pro Sort of Retro-Mod-Rat-Rod Build
If it were me I'd get it dipped in a bath to get rid of the paint, local metal finishing shop should only charge you £20-40 at a guess, I would stay away from heat IMO, read a lot about heat and Ti and Ti doesn't like being worked or too much heat, either dipped or blasted. If you use lower grade paper first and work upto a higher grade it should give you a good finish and fairly quickly... do it, it'll be worth it in the long run
And if you do get it blasted, get the crank arms done at the same time maybe?
If it were me I'd get it dipped in a bath to get rid of the paint, local metal finishing shop should only charge you £20-40 at a guess, I would stay away from heat IMO, read a lot about heat and Ti and Ti doesn't like being worked or too much heat, either dipped or blasted. If you use lower grade paper first and work upto a higher grade it should give you a good finish and fairly quickly... do it, it'll be worth it in the long run
And if you do get it blasted, get the crank arms done at the same time maybe?
Captain Stupido
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Following some interest in the frame elsewhere on the forum I thought I'd post up the original photos the seller sent me. As you can see it's got some fairly nasty dents in the top tube. Seller assures me that it's "straight and rides good". I don't think it's worth too much effort making it shiny though...
Following some interest in the frame elsewhere on the forum I thought I'd post up the original photos the seller sent me. As you can see it's got some fairly nasty dents in the top tube. Seller assures me that it's "straight and rides good". I don't think it's worth too much effort making it shiny though...
