Rebuilding Vitus 979 - any tips?

Quoting spokes <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Just picked up a frame and about to start sticking bits on it. I've found
out about the 25mm seatpost (groan) - any other heffalump traps awaiting me?

Oddball BB thread? Always good for a laugh, especially when you remember
one side is left-hand thread only it's not because it's Italian, and by
the time you realise you've done the damn thing up tighter than anything.
--
David Damerell <[email hidden]> Distortion Field!
Today is Second Wednesday, February.

spokes said:

Just picked up a frame and about to start sticking bits on it. I've found
out about the 25mm seatpost (groan) - any other heffalump traps awaiting me?
Any tips generally about putting a bike together from the frame up? Any
advice much appreciated.

25mm seat post is easy - some of the USE posts come in that size,
otherwise try a bike jumble in your area. BB will be either English or
Italian. When I had my Vitus it was English thread. Make sure the
joints on the lugs don't creak - sign of the adhesive giving way

Pete Whelan said:

spokes said:

Just picked up a frame and about to start sticking bits on it. I've
found out about the 25mm seatpost (groan) - any other heffalump
traps awaiting me? Any tips generally about putting a bike together
from the frame up? Any advice much appreciated.

What size rear hub does it take? 130mm?

Quoted message said:

25mm seat post is easy - some of the USE posts come in that size,
otherwise try a bike jumble in your area.

Some very good ITM posts were 25.0 as well. Look out for an ITM Big One or
Millenium on the second-hand market.

~PB

In article <[email hidden]>, spokes
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Just picked up a frame and about to start sticking bits on it. I've found
out about the 25mm seatpost (groan)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160207150599

If you're not bothered about using period parts then 25.0mm shouldn't be
a problem:

http://wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5300001914

http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=12895
(also available with red or blue anodising)

Quoted message said:

- any other heffalump traps awaiting me?
Any tips generally about putting a bike together from the frame up? Any
advice much appreciated.

I guess you already know that these are bendy frames with a reputation
(possibly undeserved) for coming unglued. They're rather pretty though.

In article <[email hidden]>, Pete Biggs
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

What size rear hub does it take? 130mm?

126mm was state of the art in those days.

Pete Biggs said:

Pete Whelan said:

spokes said:

Just picked up a frame and about to start sticking bits on it. I've
found out about the 25mm seatpost (groan) - any other heffalump
traps awaiting me? Any tips generally about putting a bike together
from the frame up? Any advice much appreciated.

What size rear hub does it take? 130mm?

Quoted message said:

25mm seat post is easy - some of the USE posts come in that size,
otherwise try a bike jumble in your area.

Some very good ITM posts were 25.0 as well. Look out for an ITM Big One
or Millenium on the second-hand market.

I'd rate the Alien clamp above all others. Doesn't slip like a conventional
single bolt, much lighter than any two bolt, easy to adjust. The aluminium
alien is very good value for money.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; When all else fails, read the distractions.

Quoted message said:

I guess you already know that these are bendy frames with a reputation
(possibly undeserved) for coming unglued. They're rather pretty though.

Thanks for all reponses. Yes, I did a little googling around before buying
it...on one forum group someone had posted 'Vitus - isn't that French for
'wet noodle'?' But at 11 stone, I'm hoping I won't test its rigidity too
much; people who love them sem to *really* love them; and it was just too
damn pretty to resist.

Good to know that if push comes to shove 25mm posts are gettable. Oh, by the
way, the rear hub is 130mm, which is good, and everything feels very firm -
no squeeky joins or anything like that. Thanks again.

spokes writtificated

Quoted message said:

Just picked up a frame and about to start sticking bits on it. I've
found out about the 25mm seatpost (groan) - any other heffalump traps
awaiting me? Any tips generally about putting a bike together from the
frame up? Any advice much appreciated.

Front fork dropout spacing might be a tad less than modern bikes. Sheldon
has info on the different sizes, but you should be able to force the hubs
in anyway.

spokes said:

Good to know that if push comes to shove 25mm posts are gettable. Oh,
by the way, the rear hub is 130mm, which is good,

In that case I don't think you'll have any problems fitting moden
components. Good luck with the build. More importantly, good luck with the
glue! :-)

~PB

In article <[email hidden]>, Mark T
pleasegivegenerously@warmail*turn_up_the_heat_to_reply*.com.invalid
says...

Quoted message said:

Front fork dropout spacing might be a tad less than modern bikes.

Really? In a 1980's road bike with 700C forks?

Rob Morley writtificated

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Front fork dropout spacing might be a tad less than modern bikes.

Really? In a 1980's road bike with 700C forks?

Have a looksie at my fixie (admittedly it's a Raleigh, and they used to
pride themselves on making things difficult for us)

Mark T laid this down on his screen :

Quoted message said:

Rob Morley writtificated

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Front fork dropout spacing might be a tad less than modern bikes.

Really? In a 1980's road bike with 700C forks?

Have a looksie at my fixie (admittedly it's a Raleigh, and they used to
pride themselves on making things difficult for us)

Unusual, even for a (decent) Raleigh, but I'd be amazed if it were a
problem on a 979. As far as rear dropouts are concerned, I believe they
were all 126mm - perhaps they changed near the end - but certainly I
never had problems with 130 hubs in mine.

In actualy fact, I bought a 979 in the late 80s when my road frame
broke, just as a stop-gap. When I joined a team the next season I got a
new frame from them, and the 979 was mothballed. I was then involved in
a big crash in a stage race, and totalled my team bike - back to the
979 (hasty rebuild by me and the team mechanic before stage 2 after my
dad drove 200 miles with it! Good old Dad!). New frame - seat tube
cracked the following season. Back to the 979...

For all that people are deriding them, I found mine to be brilliant,
albeit that it's small, and therefore stiffer. In fact, it's still in
my parents' attic, if anyone cares to make a sensible offer for a
twenty-year-old 50cm model! Might be dusty, though...!

--
Simon

Mark T said:

Rob Morley writtificated

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Front fork dropout spacing might be a tad less than modern bikes.

Really? In a 1980's road bike with 700C forks?

Have a looksie at my fixie (admittedly it's a Raleigh, and they used
to pride themselves on making things difficult for us)

My 1984/5 Raleigh Royal's front spacing is 100mm - the same as the vast
majority of forks then and now.

Modern axle diameters are bit larger than older ones though. I needed to
slightly file my dropouts to get a Campag hub in - but this was a trivial
job.

~PB

In article <[email hidden]>, Mark T
pleasegivegenerously@warmail*turn_up_the_heat_to_reply*.com.invalid
says...

Quoted message said:

Rob Morley writtificated

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Front fork dropout spacing might be a tad less than modern bikes.

Really? In a 1980's road bike with 700C forks?

Have a looksie at my fixie (admittedly it's a Raleigh, and they used to
pride themselves on making things difficult for us)

Did they use those hubs in 700C wheels? They were a throwback to the
old utility bikes, but as you say Raleigh used to get away with all
sorts of [censored] because that was just the way they did things.

Quoting Pete Biggs <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Mark T said:

Rob Morley writtificated

Quoted message said:

> Front fork dropout spacing might be a tad less than modern bikes.
Really? In a 1980's road bike with 700C forks?

Have a looksie at my fixie (admittedly it's a Raleigh, and they used
to pride themselves on making things difficult for us)

My 1984/5 Raleigh Royal's front spacing is 100mm - the same as the vast
majority of forks then and now.

The old Raleigh roadsters are less, but Sheldon said it was OK to spring
it to put a 100mm hub in, and I tried this on mine. It's... not physically
impossible, but I'm not looking forward to getting a puncture, because it
will mean five extra minutes most of which will be spent saying naughty
words.
--
David Damerell <[email hidden]> flcl?
Today is Second Thursday, February.