Sunday 22 November 2015

London Town Bike #4 -- or, Finally Just Right?

The saga of finding a suitable bike for use on the central London part of my daily commute continues... 

Back in August 2014, I had identified five options

1. Find an old frame and build it up with parts already to hand; 
2. Use an existing 'old' bike (of which I had one but wasn't quite prepared to 'sentence' to year-round all-weather theft-risk use); 
3. Buy another (complete) 'old' bike that I didn't have qualms about; 
4. Wait and buy a new bike via Cyclescheme; or
5. Buy a really cheap, new bike "for now". 

At that point, I had tried nos. 1 and 3. After setting out my options as above, I went with no. 5: the Viking Bromley

That experiment taught me a lesson: cheap bikes just don't work as well. (Well, d'oh!)

My latest venture is in fact a combination of option nos. 1, 2 and 3: 


This is Phase I of the Puch Princess Body Swap


Yes, this is Lorelei, my beloved Puch Princess -- or, at least, it's her frame!  (Plus headset and mudguards.)

All the drivetrain components (chainset, bottom bracket, front and rear derailleurs, wheels, freewheel, brakes, bell) came from the Puch Princess I bought a few months ago, which was in superb original condition. 

The handlebars came off the Bromley, with the Shimano brake levers (fitted just a few months ago, originally fitted to Lorelei back in 2010 in a previous incarnation) still attached; likewise the Blackburn rack. 

The original 27 inch wheels from the second Princess are now shod with Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres. 

The black Puch-branded handlebar grips were sourced from ebay. 

The saddle came off an old commuter bike of Adam's.

I have been riding her in London for the past month and can't believe how pleased I am, with the bike and her practicality. She looks trim, tidy and cared-for but doesn't attract attention. 

The only downside perhaps are the steel rims of the wheels. Of course she will never stop on a dime in the wet and cannot compete with disc brakes, but my experience has been that rim brakes on steel rims work sufficiently well, provided they are well maintained and adjusted and if you adapt your braking technique to keep the rims clear. Modulation is the key. I have ridden several days in driving rain with no issues -- including a couple of emergency stops! This brake + wheel combination is much better than what were on the Bromley!

When I purchased the second Puch Princess last spring, I intended to stagger the "body swap" so as to complete the 'modern road bike' build first. But the summer flew by and as autumn approached, my priorities shifted to getting a suitable London Town Bike up and running. The Road Bike Build is now well underway and I hope to share full details of both builds shortly. 

For now, the puzzle is:   which bike gets the name Lorelei?? 

8 comments:

  1. Nice job! It does look good, but also not super flashy at the same time.

    As for the braking issue, have you considered Fibrax pads? They are based over there in the UK, and they have "Raincheater" pads designed for steel rims. They have a strip of leather which is supposed to grip well on wet steel. I just ordered a set for a project of mine, so we'll see.

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    1. I wasn't aware they were still making brake pads for steel rims... this gives me hope for a 80s Univega of mine that was hydrophobic until I could find it a new set of wheels.

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    2. Hi, thanks for commenting. Yes, I am using Fibrax pads -- so far, so good! I may re-write that paragraph, my point being people often have concerns about steel rims but, while of course they are not in the same league as modern alloy + V or disc brakes, old calipers + steel rims are perfectly functional provided they are set up correctly. And it pays to bear their limitations in mind and adapt your riding style accordingly. :)

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    3. @Jake - yes, Fibrax pads readily available in the UK. Let me know if you want me to post you a few pairs. Also check ebay.

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  2. Since the parts have been swapped around, maybe the name should be, too. Using an anagram creator, I found the following names for your consideration:

    Lee Rilo
    Roil Eel
    El Oriel
    Reo Lile
    ... and my favorite, Reel Oil.

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    1. Ha!! Very good.

      The obvious solution is variants of Laura and Lee/Leigh.

      I wish I knew whether Jan ever named the bike I bought from her.

      I have very-nearly-but-not-quite decided to go with something new for both bikes.... musings in next post...?

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  3. Hi Rebecca. I think it's great what you are doing with both versions of the Puch and how rare it is to have found its twin. What an interesting double project!

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    1. Thanks, Annie! I've had a clear vision of what each bike should be. But I had to draw diagrams and write out parts lists to ensure the right things went on each one! :)

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