Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Upgrading "ma petite reine"

I've been submitting my "petite reine" to the "test of the road" and the conclusion was that she needed some "minor adjustments" and a few "major upgrades". To start with I should mention that this bike is not intended as a "restore-and-display" machine  but as a roadworthy randonneusse for long distance riding.

The "things to modify" list runs as follows:
a.- the Zeus chaingrings were bent. After considering various alternatives I finally opted for a Stronglight 49D.
b.- The Stronglight tread was really low and I had to replace de 107 mm bottom bracket for a 115 and, finally, for a 118 mm.
c.- The Simplex front mech was not working to my full satisfaction so I replaced it by a perior-correct Spanish Triplex
d.- 25 mm tires? I'm a 28 mm guy so I swapped them.
e.- No room for the 28 mm? No problem, replace those SKS mudguards by a wider and more classic looking stainless steel Berthoud's
f.- I know it's merely cosmetic but I also replaced the plastic bar end plugs by a pair of Velox.

That's how it looks now.

1 comment:

  1. The bike looks much nicer now, sure.
    Very successful changes, congratulations.

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