The Hunt for Hilton Wrigley (long and with photos)

The Hunt for Hilton Wrigley

Hi Owen,

Yep I noted the lead to this site in one of your emails to the CR List, Jon,and Peter..so here I am..

Not too sure about the build-up..ll that new era stuff..Suntour et al! You could do with trwling through my stores to pick out some period correct accessories..Don't know what Hilton would think about it!.

You must be very tall Owne..'cos the frame isn't small..and you have a dangerous amount of handlebar stem sticking up there. How much remains in the column? It's a good job that we switched frames otherwise the one you bought would have been way too small for you.

I like the rake up on the chainstays..the frame must have about a 10.5" bracket height..great for cornering.

With uck I will be back in Marsden on Wednesday..so might visit one or two other Wrtigley owners..

Keep up the good work
 
Well, I knew this build wouldn't make the purists happy, but I'm building a rider.

There's no Suntour there, although I'm quite fond of many Suntour bits. The aero brake levers are Cane Creek, which are the same as Tektro but have the gum hoods. These are actually my very first aero levers. I choose them because the hand rests are so wide and comfy. I have classic Campy on the Hetchins, but there is simply no comparison.

Same for the brakes. Given my 225lbs of heft, I need stopping power, so I have no hesitation of skipping period correct calipers.

The drive train is a mix, for sure.

DSCN2749.jpg


The rear is a 3rd Gen Rally, but the front is the Record O.R. triple on the right. The 2nd choice was/is the Euclid there.

Adjusting the thing has been a headache, not to mention my terror of over-tightening the clamp to crack the finish. The electrician tape on the inside of the clamp was a disaster, as it smear and slid. I cleaned it off and went naked. So far, so good.

More details to follow. Gotta run.
 
Just to complete those thoughts (I'm at work, so can't just hang...!)

The crank is a NR that Bob Freeman at Elliot Bay in Seattle triplized for me. An SR outer ring makes it look less bulky and more elegant (IMHO, of course).

The new chain and ramped freewheel help, but that rear shifts like butter!

This is also the first bike I've ever had with bar-end shifters. I find myself reaching for the downtube levers. Old habits.

The stem is at the min insertion line. I might lower it a few cms, but not much. The seat post could go down about a single cm., but I'm longer in the legs than my height would suggest. I'm barely 6', but have always ridden the French-size build.

The stem is a beauty, but I got it w/o the cinch bolt (to hold the handlebar). It turns out that it needs a 7mm bolt, which in a socket head is apparently unobtanium. It has an ugly 7mm flat top bolt & washers for the time being, but that is not a final solution. I'll photograph it later.

Here's a snap of my solution to the FD guide. I cut off the other side of the clamp, as the braze on is there for the rear.

IMG_0437.jpg


The Brooks came at a 50% discount because it was green. I liked the 50% discount more than the color, but it doesn't seem tooo bad. ha.

Anyway, no build is permanent.

I'll look forward to the opportunity to take you up on that invitation to peruse your stores!!!


:D
 

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