Fillet brazed off road adventure bike of unknown origin.

[bikeworkshop]

It's a lovely looking thing...
A new roller bearing headset on a smooth road is lovely.
But a 30 year old one on uk tarmac, you almost need to adjust it by the second while riding.
I'd suggest you clean it up and polish it, and put it in a display cabinet to marvel at its beauty.

 

[pwebb]

<off topic> I tried some of these (https://bankruptbikeparts.co.uk/pro...edle-bearing-34mm?_pos=2&_sid=7b2ce7981&_ss=r) recently and they are really good btw - however 1 1/8 not 1" so no use here but the combo of roller bearing and ball bearings seems to provide the extra loading capability of the roller with axial stability of the regular bearing underneath ( or so I assume the logic goes) anyway they look cool too ;-) fwiw I think zzyzx is a place in California and not a cheapie chinese brand - they made tough downhill parts IIRC.

 

[pwebb]

Framebuilders bits and pieces sit in little drawers in a space that's often a little chaotic.
In my own experience, if I find some bosses, on they go.
My recollection of Overburys (the shop) is that it was even less organised than mine.

Overburys clearly had square bosses at some point, but you'd usually buy a quantity at a time.

If the supplier only had square, on they go.
If you can only find square in the drawers, on they go.

so true - and from my vivid recollection of Andy Powell and the shop in Bristol, chaotic is the word and he clearly also mixed and matched whatever he had to hand - including frame tubes of different types, let alone bosses and braze-ons. Still, its the end result that counts. I am hoping that the frame number finally clicks with someone and we get some finality here - a bit like trying to identify WW2 victims from their dog tags in Belgian fields ( sorry for the morbid analogy)

 

[Tsundere]

I found a brand new Stronglight A9 for less than £40 including postage, so I bought it.

Being realistic I doubt I've got 30+ years of hard riding left in me, so it should outlast my adventures. I only plan to use this bike for one maybe two bikepacking trips a year, rather than as a general workhorse, I already have a couple of those.

 

[pwebb]

Being realistic I doubt I've got 30+ years of hard riding left in me, so it should outlast my adventures.

pfft, nonsense Sir - you will surely outlast these forums, besides, old cyclists never die, they only lose their bearings ;-)

 

[legrandefromage]

pfft, nonsense Sir - you will surely outlast these forums, besides, old cyclists never die, they only lose their bearings ;-)

<wanders what I came in for, dithers, leaves>

 

[PhillB]

I found a brand new Stronglight A9 for less than £40 including postage, so I bought it.

Being realistic I doubt I've got 30+ years of hard riding left in me, so it should outlast my adventures. I only plan to use this bike for one maybe two bikepacking trips a year, rather than as a general workhorse, I already have a couple of those.

I think I am going to do the same probably, if I can't fix the existing one

 

[Tsundere]

While I wait for the frame to get a refresh I started planning the build.

As the intended usage will be on/off road bike-packing trips I'm going for reliability, a DX group that's been patiently waiting for this frame.

It's only been used for some dry weather gravel runs over recent summers and is overall in great nick. The only parts I'm going to switch out are the middle and granny rings. The original granny is fine but I had this little green one for a while and think it'll suit the build, the original middle ring has plenty of life too, but as the chain and cassette will be new I've switched it out for a new Stronglight.

The Gorilla brake booster is just to add a little reinforcement to the rear stays and some old trusty Ritchey grips.

Cleaned it all up, added some lube where its needed, pedals are good as new!

 

[retrobikeguy]

Gotta love a DX groupset, proper workhorse kit.

Just got my 88 Roberts out for an annual trip to Brid, just noticed it too has the squared single hole cantilever boss too.

Does the fork steerer have anything stamped on it by chance?

 

[PhillB]

Gotta love a DX groupset, proper workhorse kit.

Just got my 88 Roberts out for an annual trip to Brid, just noticed it too has the squared single hole cantilever boss too.

Does the fork steerer have anything stamped on it by chance?

Its that the Black Leopard? Just went back and read that thread - gorgeous restoration !!

My money was and still is on this unknown frame being a Roberts