ALERT: MASSIVE INITIAL DEVELOPMENT!!!
Originally, I envisioned this project as something that would likely end up being a sort of restomod on an older steel-framed road bike. As often happens, though, life had other plans for me.
Since I made the first post about this project, I got in touch with an awesome individual who had a partial road bike sitting around that needed a new home, and who was also in need of a service I could provide. Barter has since ensued, and I now have a major portion of a proper road bike.
I now have a Viathon R.1 carbon fiber road frameset, some nice Knight alloy wheels, stem, bars, and a few other bits and pieces.
At the bottom of this post, I’ll include a table that details everything I currently have and everything I need to finish this project and make it a rideable thing. There is no set timeline for any of this, and while I obviously want to get this finished as quickly as I can, it should be noted that I presently have a lot of other costs that are vastly more pressing, and so there’s a lot of money I need to make before I will be able to put anything into this bike project.
However, there’s always the option of barter (like how I got the frameset and wheels), and you never know who’s got things lying around that they don’t need who’d be down for a trade. So even before the financials get worked out, some additional progress may be made.
In short, what I need at this point:
- Cassette
- Chain
- Crankset/chainrings
- Brifters (hydraulic)
- Front and rear derailleurs
- Disc brake calipers (hydraulic)
- Tires and tubes
- Saddle and seatpost
- Shift cables and housings
- Handlebar tape
- Probably some narrower handlebars (I like narrow, and 44cm is what I’ve got, which is just too wide for me, though I can make it work initially if I have to)
Definitely some cost to those components, but there’s nothing that says it has to be exorbitant. Secondhand components are plentiful and cheap, and there are now many Chinese-made groupsets/components that represent excellent value.
I haven’t decided on what gearing it will have, including if I’m aiming for a 10/11/whatever speed cassette setup. It doesn’t make a huge difference for me, really, and it’s going to come down to what I can find that fits the budget for the project (the budget being whatever the lowest possible cost for this is)
What I end up with will at least partially come down to what I can find used for cheap and/or what cycling friends have lying around. My basic thought is to aim for Shimano 105 in general, though we’ll see what happens. A mishmash of parts is always fine by me, too. I am nothing if not a pragmatist, and this is all about building a functional road machine that I can use daily. This will not be a show piece. It will be awesome, but not because it’s going to be anything close to perfect.
To do everything right assembly-wise, I’ll need to pick up a torque wrench (really should have one already) and a bleed kit for hydraulic brakes, but beyond that should have everything else I need on hand.
I will post more updates when more things have happened. If you’re in Japan and have tips/leads on relevant components, or have parts you’d be down to barter for, please let me know.
Finally, here’s the spreadsheet I’m working with to track things:
