SEVEN DAY CYCLIST
CYCLING, BUT NOT USUALLY RACING

Where were we...Seat collar reinforced, brake mount, brace and cable stop brazed on, and cantilever bosses removed by Winston Vaz, Ursula was sent to the powder coater...Mario Vaz is an enameller with decades of experience (supervisor for the Holdsworthy group’s paint shop until the Falcon group moved to Humberside in the late 1980s). However, my preference is for powder coating where possible, especially on bikes in hard service.

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Best Laid Plans & Acceptable Compromises 

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Reunited, I opened the box, relieved, but not surprised to find Ursula mummified in acres of bubble wrap. Ursula now matched the pipe lagging! Joking aside, serendipity had selected the right shade of grey.My inner child willed me to gather up the components, work stand, tools and get building, then and there. However, workshops and garages can become all-consuming hubs of euphoria or misery. The rational, patient adult side knew I’d lose track of time and find myself in workshop at 3am, which wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Preparation and quitting while ahead would win the race. I took this opportunity to weigh Ursula’s frame-4.85lbs (2.2 kilos).

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For all its many charms and plusses, powder coating is very invasive, and traces can still sneak past plugs and bungs. The reason I only entrust frames and other delicate parts to specialist/project finishers. Prices quoted by industrial “job lot” firms may be very enticing on paper. However, they may also rush your frameset and/or components through with chair legs and other ironwork with no thought to masking threads or sympathetic blasting.

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In 1996, I had a firm damage a set of cantilever bosses, during the blasting phase. They simply finished the fork in “post office red” and handed it to me, mummified in bubble wrap. The awful truth was only discovered upon returning home....

 

I digress...

 

Back to 2024, I started by taking a strip of 80 grit sandpaper to the seat tube, chasing minor overspray from inside, checking periodically to ensure the seat post shim slid flush and without hesitation, or scratching.

Having confirmed the other threads were clean, I treated the frame to liberal blasts of NZero Bike Degreaser to remove any residual oils or greases, not least as I wanted to get strips of helicopter tape applied at this stage, not when built. Head tube, top tube, seat, and right-hand chainstay were the main candidates. Areas where cable rub, bar bags, mudguards and similar can rest against the frame, chewing through lacquer and paint with alarming ease.

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Rinsed, Dried & Taped 

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Washed, rinsed and dried thoroughly, I carefully trimmed and applied the helicopter tape, smoothing it down with a fresh, clean microfibre cloth. Overkill perhaps, but I decided to leave the adhesive bonding overnight, rather than risk it lifting or peeling at the corners

 

 Inhibitions    

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There’s no shortage of options when it comes to internal preserves. Some people have told me it’s completely unnecessary, only to discover expensive internal damage come respray time. For me, a few minutes prevention offers peace of mind and is always cheaper than expensive remedial works.

 

My love of waxy corrosion blockers is no secret. I’d run out of my highly effective, dirt-cheap “hillbilly” brew, so chose an automotive aerosol formula designed primarily for sills and door panels. Quick, easy and comprehensive coverage in a matter of minutes. I also treated Denise to a generous blast or two since there was plenty left.

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I started by plugging the bottom bracket shell with some clean dry rag and delivered a generous squirt inside the seat tube, bosses etc rotating to ensure even coverage. I then removed the rag, blasted some inside the chainstays and rear triangle via the bottom bracket shell, rotating slowly as before. OK, I gave two liberal coats to each region as a precaution...

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Cleaner and quicker than the traditional wax preps, but a job for outdoors, preferably in warmer weather and on an old stretch of concrete. Again, I left Ursula’s frame curing overnight in the workshop sat on cardboard.

 

Gently Does It: Bringing Everything Together ...Back to Front...

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Given I’d cleaned and prepped components while Ursula was undergoing surgery, you’d think this was largely plug and play... Not so fast...I began by placing a small strip of helicopter tape around the seat tube as a buffer between band-on derailleur clamp and paint, thus preventing unsightly “bite” marks.

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The crank preload bolt and fasteners were also treated to the Oxford Mint Assembly Grease Oxford Mint Assembly Grease | cycling-not-racing I opted to get the bearing tension as near to bang on as possible, since if I was going slow with this build, I wanted it to really count. While titanium doesn’t strictly require specialist product, synthetic blends are arguably best, especially where galvanic corrosion is possible. The spacers were also split, so I replaced those. For the Deore crankset’s axle, I applied a liberal coating of Peaty’s Speed Grease PEATY'S SPEED GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). Though viscosity is closer to a heavyweight motor oil, we’ve been pleased by its durability-even through waterlogged winters. Horses for courses. I’ve nothing against generic greases, but there are occasions where specialist preps have genuine advantages.

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Headset came next, and before I installed the cups with beloved (read never loaned) Czech headset press. I made a protective “boot” from old butyl inner tube. Doing so protects the lower race bearings from water, spray and ingress. This time, bearings were given a liberal helping of Juice Lubes Bearing Juice, since it's specifically brewed for bearings. Both lubrication and longevity when used to rebuild cup and cone hubs (also in the firing line of all manner of wet, dodgy stuff) have impressed me.  

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I’d decided it was time to pension off the ONE23 stem, since it was showing signs of fatigue around the pinch bolts. Finding a replacement was easier said than done, given the 50mm length and 30-degree rise needed. A concerted wander round the web and I settled on this cheap, but very cheerful Zoom. 

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Forks in, I applied some carbon gripper paste to the steerer tube. Gripper pastes and aluminium alloys might raise a few eyebrows, but there’s some mileage in reducing the torque needed to keep everything performing and happy. I’ve also found it helps prevent stems getting stuck over time.A quick game of musical spacers and bolts torqued to 6nm-sorted.

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Seat post.

Again, wanted to avoid water and grot getting inside via the rear-facing seat collar, so I slid another “boot” over, using some Muc-Off Silicone Shine to lubricate. I reinstated the existing collar using the same technique so it would glide over the new paintwork. Stuck posts are an avoidable nightmare, so I slid the Kinekt shim inside the seat tube, gave the Kinekt 2.1 a nice layer of the Oxford Mint Assembly Grease KINEKT 2.1 SUSPENSION SEAT POST | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and binder bolt, snugging this to 6nm.  

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Time for a coffee and bathroom break. Refreshed, I returned to install the mechs and rear brake calliper. I initially had some unexpected difficulties with a TRP Spyre calliper, which, after close inspection, boiled down to a not-so-accurate pattern mount. Mount switched, and bingo! The Spyre was correctly aligned. I bolted an Avid disc rotor to Ursula’s XT hub since opportunity presented-another little job off the list.

 

Placing some helicopter tape where the front STX mech’s band-on clamp would sit was an inspired move. Not least since I had to slacken and move the mech down by a few millimetres. Nothing of note re the Tiagra- some of the Mint Assembly Grease on its threads and wind into the hanger with a 5mm Allen key. While doing so, I noted the barrel adjuster’s metal insert was showing some corrosion, so applied a carefully controlled shot of inhibitor to lock winter out.

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New stainless-steel fasteners with another helping of the Oxford Mint Bicycle Assembly Grease and quit while ahead. Cables, right-hand bar con and other components could wait another day. I also wanted to enjoy the rebuild, and winter was several weeks away.

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Little jobs, replacing the mysteriously flat tube, discovered while I was mounting the disc rotor, instating the right-hand bar con (before I mislaid it) and witching the saddle for this Ergon SR All Road Men’s Saddle Ergon SR All Road Men’s Saddle | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) followed. This also left plenty of time for contemplation. Though it wasn’t my primary intention when going the disc route, I could now run 650b wheels, should decent quality 26-inch rims and tyres become scarce.

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The Soma Condor 2 Riser drops were staying, but I decided to change both bar cons, rather than just the right hand-I'd come by a set before building Denise. These were offered at a ridiculously keen price, hence my indulgence. However, for the “Homer” moment; it transpired the right lever used an MTB pull ratio, meaning it wouldn’t mesh satisfactorily with a road rear mech. Swapping the mech for a long arm Alivio squirreled away in the transmission stash but would rather keep the Tiagra, so bought another, road model. 

 

I was also hoping to save the Cycology 8-days bar tape, but the backing adhesive had weathered and ultimately perished. I’ve reverted to the excellent Acros Silicone Bar Wrap LONG-TERM TEST: ACROS SILICONE BAR WRAP | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). the orange version, since winter was fast approaching. Mine was showing a fair bit of oily patina, so I applied some degreaser and worked this in using Oxford Tyre Scrub TESTED: OXFORD PRODUCTS TYRE SCRUB BRUSH (sevendaycyclist.com), before putting it in the washing machine- yes, it is designed to be machine-washed at 30 degrees. Responds beautifully, too. 

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Harpeth of Tar...

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It seemed silly to cut corners when it came to choosing cables. Fully sealed systems are a little more time consuming to fit, but repay this in spades by being virtually maintenance-free and top-quality inner wires are less prone to stretch and fraying. While I waited for a time when I wouldn’t be disturbed and/or interrupted, I put a drop of oil in Ursula’s cable guides so the ferrules would slip into place without scratching the paint (potentially allowing water to settle and encouraging corrosion) but still ensuring solid tenure.

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High-quality cable sets, such as the Jagwire discussed seldom stretch. I went with Shimano staples for the front and rear mech, leaving them overnight to stretch and pulling through the following morning. 

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Final Touches & Closing Thoughts

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There are exceptions, but building bicycles (or other vehicles) is a meditative process, where I contemplate, experiment and reflect. A way of bonding with the machine, it's also how I process other things going on in my wider life. I decided to take the rack route and was still considering a rear guard. Otherwise, just a question of adjusting the rear mech, double-checking the bars were straight, headset bearing tension was bang on, trimming cables and refitting the Acros bar tape.

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I also applied some high-quality wax to lock the shine in and elements out. Long story short, I’m delighted with my beloved all-terrain mile muncher’s rebirth. I may prune the chain by a couple of links and doubtless the odd tweak while everything settled down, but otherwise, time to explore the lanes and trails.

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Michael Stenning

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