Supra biker
Retro Newbie
Hi guys and girls, as per the introductions thread I seem to have purchased Harryburgundys Endorphin frame and I'm hoping we can all overlook the age of it and pretend it's a 1997 model!
It's a blank canvas and to be honest, unlike I suspect a few borderline obsessive bike collectors/builders around here, I'm an almost complete novice when it comes to building one up.
A little background, I used to really like my biking, got a few from Sensible cycles in Liss, Hants way back when, mainly Marins Bear Valley SE sticks in my memory. A few years later and after never really being interested in road bikes I saw a Triathlon version of the first Giant TCR's in a fantastic bluey/purple colour and had to have it and still have that now.
Mountain bike wise, I kept getting older secondhand ones for some fun, I just couldn't justify the serious cost of these as American football, football, golf and fishing all are/were interests of mine but a few knee injuries have now put pay to most of them (days away from 40). I currently have a beaten up old 'Balance' mtb apparently an old race Team/American brand? but the Endorphin is to me, like the first TCR's, just a real stand out design and this colour scheme is for me 'the one' so I treated myself!
Anyway, first things first, I'm thinking forks, groupset and brakes ie V my preferred 'heart' choice or disk front what I suspect the local bike shop would recommend. Groupset wise do I have any chance of getting together a new 8 speed setup from that era or should I go (shudder) modern? Fork wise I'm after advice on length to keep a good geometry (see I'm not totally clueless!) and am favouring a rigid carbon fork possibly an eXotic ones I've seen on ebay or a Pace if I can find one, but perhaps even a steel Kona project 2 (not anti suspension just fancy rigid but this may be my rose tinted glasses)
Also on the bike shop front I know you guys can probably strip and rebuild your own steeds blindfold but advice on what you think I should consider leaving to a shop would be appreciated....I'm think of getting them to do the bottom bracket for example.
Basically any help appreciated, I've a keyhole knee op coming up so the build won't be rushed and I'm going to try and enjoy the process to keep me occupied until I can get back in the saddle.
It's a blank canvas and to be honest, unlike I suspect a few borderline obsessive bike collectors/builders around here, I'm an almost complete novice when it comes to building one up.
A little background, I used to really like my biking, got a few from Sensible cycles in Liss, Hants way back when, mainly Marins Bear Valley SE sticks in my memory. A few years later and after never really being interested in road bikes I saw a Triathlon version of the first Giant TCR's in a fantastic bluey/purple colour and had to have it and still have that now.
Mountain bike wise, I kept getting older secondhand ones for some fun, I just couldn't justify the serious cost of these as American football, football, golf and fishing all are/were interests of mine but a few knee injuries have now put pay to most of them (days away from 40). I currently have a beaten up old 'Balance' mtb apparently an old race Team/American brand? but the Endorphin is to me, like the first TCR's, just a real stand out design and this colour scheme is for me 'the one' so I treated myself!
Anyway, first things first, I'm thinking forks, groupset and brakes ie V my preferred 'heart' choice or disk front what I suspect the local bike shop would recommend. Groupset wise do I have any chance of getting together a new 8 speed setup from that era or should I go (shudder) modern? Fork wise I'm after advice on length to keep a good geometry (see I'm not totally clueless!) and am favouring a rigid carbon fork possibly an eXotic ones I've seen on ebay or a Pace if I can find one, but perhaps even a steel Kona project 2 (not anti suspension just fancy rigid but this may be my rose tinted glasses)
Also on the bike shop front I know you guys can probably strip and rebuild your own steeds blindfold but advice on what you think I should consider leaving to a shop would be appreciated....I'm think of getting them to do the bottom bracket for example.
Basically any help appreciated, I've a keyhole knee op coming up so the build won't be rushed and I'm going to try and enjoy the process to keep me occupied until I can get back in the saddle.