Today is a bit of a milestone so far as preparation goes – We have one bike ready to roll.
Caressed and kindly worked upon by cake motivated mechanics, Stef’s bike is primed, greased and raring to go. So, what sort of steed is it that’s going to be taking her across the Alps, Apennines and even Austria?
Well, as you might have guessed, this ride isn’t a race, so, if you were hoping for carbon fibre, you may want to take a trip on the next URL out of here. Steel being the real deal, Stef’s bike was built of tougher stuff up in Sheffield. Spotted, with all paint stripped in a local bike shop, the frame itself is an old handmade Orbit frame. A bit of spit, (varn/pol)ish and TLC got this bike looking pretty mean.
Glammed up for a tour around the Black Forest, Stef had soon made it a little name badge from brass and “Silvester” as he was now dubbed, got kitted out with a Brooks B-17S saddle, which Stef immediately said was the most comfortable thing ever.
Wrapping our own leather around the bars along with some old inner tubes just to mute those vibrations, we finished the handlebar area with some Champagne bottle corks and a pair of cross stop levers. Nope – there was sure not to be an issue with braking in a hurry at the first sign of a goat/child/men carrying a pane of glass.
Keeping things simple, we decided to get a tough, sturdy and wide-ranging set of gearing on this bike. With a Shimano Tiagra 10 speed rear cassette and a triple front chainring, Stef has no reason to complain about the 25th kilometre of 7% on whichever mountain route we choose. Super tough, easily replaced at most bike shops and easily maintained, this gearing choice should be robust enough to cope over the distance.
Wheels wise, Stef’s bike uses H Plus Son’s TB14 rims to keep things a little classic. 36 spokes flaring from each hub and rim, we went for a combination that was sure to prove super tough over the distance, meaning limited buckling over time and even the most terrible roads. Fitting it up with 28mm tyres, in this instance, Panaracer’s Gravelkings, we’re hoping we’re going to take a lot of the buzz out of the road and make the ride a little comfier.
Having done lots of the stripping and a bit of the building on the bike ourselves, it’s already got a little more personality to it than your standard off the peg bike. The basic mechanics of the bike all sound and durable, we’re hoping that this special little frame proves itself out on the roads…
Comments
Sounds exciting, I didn’t realise so much planning had to go into your mode of transport, it’s going to be a very memorable experience for you both.
I’m sure Tim Peak didn’t do as much planning for his trip.
Enjoy the journey ,and keep us updated.
Hey Rose! Aboslutely – Tim Peak had his own team of boffins. Sadly, Stef has to rely on my limited powers of foresight, so, I’d best make sure she’s got a comfy saddle!
Plans are coming together! BTW I love the photos.
Absolutely! Lovely having something physically ready to conquer the trip. A big relief too! Thanks for the kind words on the pictures! Hoping to sharpen things up as we go…