Just taken it for its first ride. It was wet so less than a mile. The frame feels good. A bit like a titanium road bike.
The handling was pretty tight and no over steer or wallowing in the corner. It takes a line and feels firm. Not an overly harsh ride. I am used to carbon forks and this seemed road buzz free, but no hard miles yet. There must be a reason why people have carbon. I am impressed at first call. Mostly by the lightness. I haven't put it on the scales, but is a lightweight bike, rather than a clunker. I could easily take it on a club run. The gear shifters are also fun. Set off in the big dog and felt pretty foolish. You have to plan your ride more.
The brakes squeel! I had forgotten this. I had been warned they split your ear drums! I was worried about braking distance.. and it turns out for good reason. How have they improved modern brakes so much? Is it the blocks? I really concentrated on rebuilding them with the right washers and spring tension, to try and get the maximum out of the design.
I am riding tubs. I was worried about punctures, but haven't applied the flint catchers yet.
I discovered I haven't routed the front mech cable properly, but it didn't affect the shifting. Very pleased with the shifters, as I had not expected them to be up to much. I expected a lot of drift, but none so far. They re also firm but light. Just a reach when you are used to Stis.
The bars? Well I was expecting the worse. They are narrow and the brake leavers are at a hell of an angle and look a little ungainly. But they seem to fit ok when riding on the hoods and not as un-natural as I expected. It reduces my profile to the wind and probably gives me a few extra watts. More importantly I love the look. It is so old school and remind me it is not a normal bike.
I have yet to really test everything on a really long ride. As you can see I have set it up with a tall seat post with a set back. That is to fit me. A straight candlestick post would not be enough of a saddle set back for my fit. This is really a race fit rather than a touring position, but hell I am sure that is what track bikes are for.
The paint I am really pleased with. I surprised myself. Applying CLR stopped the need to treat every area with a Dremel and sand paper, or fill in with paint smudged by hand. It meant I had to remove the minimum of the paint (I only lost a few flakes when polishing with 0000 wire wool). It looked really bad at first with no CLR treatment, but that just evened it out taking away the bright orange of rust and turning it to dark steel-grey rather than a deep black (as you get with some rust treatments). The lacquer has taken it down a shade or two in colour and made the pitting black.
But the four coats of lacquer has evened out the pitting. The colour sanding I did after with 400., 800, 1000, 2000 paper and finally T-Cut gives it a professional finish which is more rubust. Because there was so little paint I was worried my idea would make the bike look really rat. I did think my mates would be more impressed with a re-spray. But I stuck to my guns. To me it has preserved the originality of a period bike more than sending it off to Bob Jackson for a re-spray and paying £260. Yes a respray look is fabulous, but in the post war era of Britain on rationing such a look does not fit.
There are a couple of reallt desirable frames on ebay - a Legano and a Viking which look great resprayed. But they dont seem to be attracting much attention and have been on for a good six months. Maybe its the money - a bargain why you know how much a good respray cost. Or the fact the people who liked these bikes in their hey day are now in their late 70s and are unlikely to be buying them. I don't know.
But I am pleased with my little Mottram.