Got me a road bike.

[twizzle]

Before...



After...



Final cost... around $1800. So much for a cheap rebuild.

BTW - that's a 59cm frame.

Edit: frame size was re-measured by the frame guy, IHO 59cm not 60cm.

[brauluver]

Looks very crisp and clean.
I can't believe it, That's two Bennet framed bike in 2 days, yours and another single speed over in the S/S forum.
How does yours feel? Mine is a tad on the heavy side 2.8 kg frame but it rides really well.What does your total build weigh in at?

her is my ol beater http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewt ... ght=bennet

maybe it deserves a little more attention from me now I've seen your shining example.

[Newbie101]

Wow, that's amazing, esp the price
60cm frame plus that seat post and bar set up, must be 2.2m or above.
I have an oldie to do up too, see my post under Bike project 101 thread, can't post links just yet.
Alas, I don't have your budget, so it will be a spit and polish job for now.
enjoy your new ride.

[kukamunga]

Before...



After...



Final cost... around $1800. So much for a cheap rebuild.

BTW - that's a 60cm frame.

They look like two completely different frames to me

[kukamunga]

[munga]

They look like two completely different frames to me

+1. unless you went to the trouble of moving the cable stops/guides on an old hi-ten bennett

[531db]

I don't like questioning your obvious effort and money expended on this project by why go to the effort on such a low quality POS, at best high tensile (but possibly mild steel) frame. For the money expended you should have at least started with a reasonable quality double butted chrome or manganese moly frame.

[twizzle]

I'm only 191.5cm, but my pedal-to-seat height is ~105cm. The drop to the bars is a real pain - literally.

The frame had the derailleur cable stops removed, was re-spaced to 130mm and had new drop-outs fitted. It's powder-coated, but a really crap job. With the new fork and headset, the frame ended up costing $560. Wheels are velocity deep-v ($230), tyres are Specialized Armadillo's ($100), group-set is 105 20-speed ($430 on Ebay ) except for the rear calliper which is a long-reach Tektro (U.K. - $85 for a pair), a 48cm c-c Nitto 'Noodle' bar ($40), $15 ebay seat post and Crank Bros Egg Beater pedals (EBay - $135) and a seat from a mate. Add in tubes, rim tape, bar tape, stem, new chain, chain connector, cables...

After having done all this, it would have been cheaper to buy a Cell Team and upgrade the wheels. But - it wouldn't have been the bike I rode twenty years ago, would it?

PS - don't tell my wife how much it cost

[twizzle]

I don't like questioning your obvious effort and money expended on this project by why go to the effort on such a low quality POS, at best high tensile (but possibly mild steel) frame. For the money expended you should have at least started with a reasonable quality double butted chrome or manganese moly frame.

The frame mods and powder-coat only owes me $300. Just goes to prove how cheap it is buying an off-the-floor bike, doesn't it?

And after spending six months trying to find a 60cm+ frame in the local area (nobody will ship old bikes on for some reason) - I gave up and used the one I had. I did manage to pick up a Tange 2 "Ultralight" in the same size recently, but it needs frame repairs, re-spacing etc. etc. Future project.

[kukamunga]

But - it wouldn't have been the bike I rode twenty years ago, would it?

It's hardly the bike in the first pic! You changed the rear dropouts?!

So, where exactly is Ngunnawal?

[twizzle]

But - it wouldn't have been the bike I rode twenty years ago, would it?

It's hardly the bike in the first pic! You changed the rear dropouts?

It's the thought that counts. Re. the dropouts - The right hand drop-out and seat stay were bent, and I have a habit of pulling wheels out of horizontal drop-outs, so it seemed like the obvious solution. It was about $90 of the cost.

[kukamunga]

The end result looks great. Just seems a bit of a convoluted way to get there. Good on you for doing it. Were the frame mods done by yourself or somebody else?

[twizzle]

The end result looks great. Just seems a bit of a convoluted way to get there. Good on you for doing it. Were the frame mods done by yourself or somebody else?

I found a frame builder in the 'local' area (50km away). Nice guy... slow... and he needs to find a better powder coater. The other option was 'enamel re-finishers' in Syd, but that would have been really expensive. The fork was an unexpected cost - too narrow for a modern wheel and it seems they don't like being cold set. And it was more logical to go threadless (easy access to stems), so a new headset as well...

[twizzle]

Looks very crisp and clean.
I can't believe it, That's two Bennet framed bike in 2 days, yours and another single speed over in the S/S forum.
How does yours feel? Mine is a tad on the heavy side 2.8 kg frame but it rides really well.What does your total build weigh in at?

her is my ol beater http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewt ... ght=bennet

maybe it deserves a little more attention from me now I've seen your shining example.

Finally had time to do a quick weigh-in. It's about 10.5kg. It's approx 3kg lighter than my Shogun hybrid, but much nicer to ride and about 2km/h faster for the same effort with the lower bar position.

[AUbicycles]

I actually quite like the graphics on the old frame and could imagine them bringing in a nice flair if you could get them made up.

I had a Bennet BMX - so damn heavy that it was hard to win races on it - though I was very fond of it - it dissapeared one day on my birthday as a young teen, and in its place was a repco racer.

[twizzle]

So, where exactly is Ngunnawal?

linky. 'Canberra' sounds too boring, and has too many political overtones.

[twizzle]

I actually quite like the graphics on the old frame and could imagine them bringing in a nice flair if you could get them made up.

Tempting... but I like the anonymous look. But if I get the powder coating re-done (it really is a shockingly bad job) I might think about it.

A Brooks Team Professional is the next change

[AUbicycles]

Tempting... but I like the anonymous look. But if I get the powder coating re-done (it really is a shockingly bad job) I might think about it.

Ok - its a deal.

I really didn't want to comment on the paint job - after you have put so much effort into it - on the bright side, it should keep the rust off until it is ready to get done properly.

Here is a link from a guy who wrote to me a while back - they sell packs of decal papier (you can print yourself on a laser printer) and suitable for bikes. I havn't tried them however it is a low cost option - though you will need a bit of patience with a scapel... plus the digitalisation of the original graphics. If anyone has tried these, I would love to hear if they are any good.

Cheers
Christopher

[twizzle]

I really didn't want to comment on the paint job - after you have put so much effort into it - on the bright side, it should keep the rust off until it is ready to get done properly.

It's truly bloody awful - anywhere there was brazing work done (head tube cable adjusters, top of the seat stays), there are bubbles in the powder coat (probably the brazing flux wasn't cleaned off), and there are chips out of the coating on the top tube and one of the seat stays. If I had known how crappy it would be, I would have either painted it myself or sent it to Sydney. But - this is meant to be an 'interim' bike until I get down to 90kg when I buy myself something nice, so I really didn't want to spend any more on the frame. Sentimental value only goes so far.

Edit : But.... If I can get the powder coat stripped off when this becomes the 'spare' bike, I'll clean it up and either get it powder coated correctly or spray it myself.

[sogood]

Why was the rear brake cable run on the right side of the seat tube? A bit odd.

[familyguy]

Why was the rear brake cable run on the right side of the seat tube? A bit odd.

Because not every brake manufactured before 1990 was a 'left handed' caliper (face the caliper, cable lands on the left) to suit the american market and their "left brake to front caliper" way of doing things.

My old Shimano 600 arabesque calipers were 'right handed' (face the caliper, cable lands on the right). Hence the rear would've been cabled out the right side, as is shown on twizzles bike. Note the different sides the brake calipers pull from original to new in the pictures.

Bike looks nice though. Build and learn.

Jim

[munga]

I actually quite like the graphics on the old frame and could imagine them bringing in a nice flair if you could get them made up.

I had a Bennet BMX - so damn heavy that it was hard to win races on it - though I was very fond of it - it dissapeared one day on my birthday as a young teen, and in its place was a repco racer.

my pk ripper disappeared and was replaced by a malvern star renegade mtb

obviously your dad listened more than mine.

[AUbicycles]

Don't feel bad about the paint job - On my fixed wheel I just removed some stickers and did a cost effect upgrade - it is a little rough though rides well and that is the main thing.

obviously your dad listened more than mine.

I don't know - the repco racer wasn't that good for jumping off curbs like the bmx.

[Newbie101]

I'm only 191.5cm, but my pedal-to-seat height is ~105cm. The drop to the bars is a real pain - literally.

Have you tried lower the seat stem and stay with the same drop bar? Even with 105 pedal to seat, you should be able to get away with it.

[twizzle]

I'm only 191.5cm, but my pedal-to-seat height is ~105cm. The drop to the bars is a real pain - literally.

Have you tried lower the seat stem and stay with the same drop bar? Even with 105 pedal to seat, you should be able to get away with it.

Not sure I understand by 'lower the seat stem' (not that there is a seat stem). If I lower the seat post, my knees lock up. And I can't raise the bar any more as it's already a 10 degree stem, and I HATE the idea of an adjustable angle stem.