Pace RC100 to fixie

[Papillon]

Hi just done a deal on a Pace RC 100 you no the one sort of silver grey with yellow graphics I do expect a bit of negative I put but hey it's my frame and better to be used and loved than not used.
I have gone for a 21" frame as the geometry will allow me to use it on the road as a winter training hack so if you feel you could help with some information it would help.
A good rigid fork that will go with this frame for 700 wheels
Going to run disc brakes any thoughts on hubs and wheels also brakes
Going to need a stem, headset any thoughts
Cranks and single chain ring and bottom bracket to match frame and cranks
Many thanks in advance Papillon :xmas-cool:

 

[feetabix]

:shock: ........Hack?........

 

[Papillon]

Slang

 

[boxxer]

And retrobike implodes in

3

2

1

.......

 

[pete_mcc]

Make sure you buy loads of spare bottom bracket bearings as one winter on the road will be enough to knacker a set (actually, one month would be nearer). There's a guy that sells them on eBay.

Forks are limited by the fact that the frame is old and not suspension specific, and 1". So to find a short A2C fork in one inch with disc mounts is a big ask. Just use maguras to match the rear instead and get a set of RC30s. You can't use discs on the rear as there's no mount and most of the after market adapters won't work on a pace, partly because of the rear facing dropout and partly because of the thickness and size of the dropout.

Beyond that, you don't say what your budget is, but I'd just buy any old bits from the classifieds rather than spending money on this.
If I was you I would actually sell this for a couple hundred (hell, the cranks alone will bring in £100) and buy a more suitable hack bike with some modern features like disc mounts, 11/8" headset etc

 

[Papillon]

Hi, thanks for the info and advise not really got a budget but to say that I would rather build it once with good kit so that it lasts and does the job just got rid of a Pinarello Paris and a Colnago Dream HP as fed up with the roads, with living in Derbyshire I have the Monsal Trail about 20 mile round trip so it is for shooting up and back on a big ring ( well from my front door it is 29.3m round trip so just to keep me a bit fitter.
Have to re think this over and if worse comes to worse I will hang the frame on the wall as art as 21" is no good off road as my RC200 is 17"
But thanks (Pete)
Papillon

 

[pete_mcc]

As a work of art the RC100 is right up there, I love mine to look at but hate riding it as it's so fragile due to its eccentricities and unique features (I still do on high days and holidays).
It was a superb holistic solution to the mountain bike rather than the usual 'bolt a groupset to a frame' approach. Sadly it's that very unique approach that makes it a nightmare to ride as a regular bike unless you're really willing to make some sacrifices and fork out regular cash or carry out seriously regular maintenance.

I have seen some great fixie conversions of RC100 in the past but most fell into the 'ride it into the ground' camp, having been bought cheap in the 90s, and most of them are now little more than scrap due to (almost without exception) people letting the crank bearings turning to dust and then the cranks destroying the BB shell. The other issue is people using the wrong seatpost or a shimmed post that causes the seat tube pillar above the top tube to crack.

You could trim the BB shell down to 73mm and use a mavic type BB or have threads cut in to use a normal BB and crank, but then you'll be adding daft costs. Much better save the cash and spend it in the CRC or wiggle sale on sealed bearing bikes! And save a bit so that Argos can respray the Pace, they have the paint and make them look like new:

(Mine just after I restored it)

 

[Papillon]

Hi Pete, thanks for the further info so your advise would be get the RC100 changed to take a threaded bottom bracket, or purchase another frame to make my Fixie! Think the restoration of your RC100 looks fantastic makes me think should I just look at restoring this to its former glory for the odd ride and a bit of UK MTB history as sounds like I might have bit of more than I can chew as seems a lot of difference between the RC100 models up to and around RC F2 200 my other Pace is a F4 200 and I find the ride good but it is built up with ritchey carbon and xtr well plenty to think about what sort of money did you pay to have the frame refurnished and transfers done?
Cheers Papillon