Modern thru-axle cranks (yes this is in the right section!)

[The Ken]

Brilliant work Pete, I found retrobike trying to find shims for my bulleyes - Gil came to my rescue,

A few things I have found - they eat shimano BB - less than 6 months - SKS and Hope bearings on mine have lasted on average 12-18 months

The custom spider might resolve some of the issues I'm having on clearance with the BB cups - mine almost touch, and did on my hope BB on one occasion :shock: I stuggle to get the right chainline.

I have noticed that Superstar are now selling angular bearings for external BB's this will stop the preload issues I have at the moment and will be the next upgrade for me.

 

[pete_mcc]

Thanks for that!

With regards the clearance, that was certainly an issue on the road one, so I just countersunk the bolt holes on the rear of the spider and used countersunk bolts. With the MTB one I have less of an issue as I used low button head bolts (although countersunk would probably be better), but I also use a Hope Single speed hub at the rear with 6 cogs from an actiontec 9 speed cassette so the chainline is never quite as extreme as a full cassette.

I'm currently using Hope BB, but I will take your advice and keep a look out for those angular ones once these are shot through!

The one noted downside of the 94bcd is that the rings are smaller so the front mech sits lower down and can foul the arm dependent on the mech you're using (its fine with a 9 speed frt mech but could get close with 8.

 

[pete_mcc]

Here's the rear cassette:

 

[john]

Thanks John, I will get some suitable full bike shots up in the post 1998 section at the weekend so you can see them both in their full titanium glory.

The Egg rings have been a firm favourite for many years, I've had a set on one bike or another for 15 years now. These are certainly my most egg like ones - I bought them as I moved from Cambridge (flat) to Bucks/Chilterns (very hilly).

They do take a little getting used to, but that is not because they feel odd, its because you ride in a far more natural way with the whole stroke feeling more even (imagine spending your whole life with one shoe 2" taller than the other and then one day removing that odd shoe!). You feel totally normal after a few rides.

These ones are at about 20/25% ovality, which is fairly high but not as extreme as some of the TdF bikes in recent years, or like Mr Wallace on here. You really feel the benefit on the hills so I went for a higher ovality on the inner (36T @ 25%, outer is 50T @ 20% I think).

The only down side is Chris Bell has stopped making them so these will have to last, but seeing as another set is still strong after 15years I'm not too worried.

The couplered Seven was a wish list bike for a very long time. I used to spend a 50% of my time living in hotels and motels (a few years back I was in Holiday Inns top 10 residents - I am Alan Partridge) and always wanted a coupler bike. This one turned up on ebay a year or so ago and with the help of a US member I snagged it.
Ironically I have been ill for the last year and my doctor has banned me from travelling so the bike has yet to be uncoupled!

Pete, look forward to seeing the bikes in their entirety.

Not ridden the egg rings since I had biopace back in the day, although I have a vague memory they're orientated differently to the egg rings.

Did you have a holiday in platinum card or somesuch. Impressive stuff!

Sorry to hear about your poor health.

 

[The Ken]

I countersunk the bolts myself, not the neatest job and done with a hand drill - I now own a tower drill - I should be allowed near power tools. So

I'm looking for a new spider but I'm going to make it thinner near the centre and I might convert the granny ring bolts to metric, although that is more for convienience than anything else (I'm already using 6mm bolts in the imperial hole for the mounts so I might as well re-tap the holes to suit )

Starting to realise my method sounds like a what not to do compared to yours

 

[pete_mcc]

Pete, look forward to seeing the bikes in their entirety.

Not ridden the egg rings since I had biopace back in the day, although I have a vague memory they're orientated differently to the egg rings.

Did you have a holiday in platinum card or somesuch. Impressive stuff!

Sorry to hear about your poor health.

Biopace were oriented incorrectly, there's some great info on Chris Bells website:

www.highpath.net

which talks directly to the orientation issue, but effectively the biopace ones were 90 degrees out of sync, so you were pushing the high gear at totally the wrong time! It's little wonder that they died a death and its taken an entire generation for people to forget them and be willing to trust oval rings again.

As far as the Platinum card, my illness was so bad that I had 12 operations last year ranging for fairly simple to decently major. During that time I gave up smoking, drinking and eating curry - it is amazing how much you save. In my case every cloud has a titanium lining!
With the saved cash I was able to buy the Road bike. The MTB was a present to myself when I lived in the US. Just before I left I sold all my furniture and put it all into a bike - best waste of money ever.

 

[pete_mcc]

As promised John:

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... 54#1128354