The frame is a custom sized fillet-brazed steel frame made by geordie frame building legend Dave Yates, it is constructed from Columbus Cromor steel tubing and was made for me some time in 1991 if I remember correctly, when I was at university.
I have to confess at this point that I am a real 'steel is real' believer, I find aluminium bikes feel dead and harsh to ride; steel is definitely smoother. I actually have my eye on a steel Charge Cooker 3 as soon as my Cycle scheme bike is paid off, my Dave Yates has massive sentimental value to me but parts are getting expensive and hard to find and doing 2,400+ miles a year means bits wear out quickly!
Forks: Pace RC-35AB. The forks on the bike are period correct Pace RC-35AB. They were made about 10 years ago from a combination of slightly damaged forks from ebay and a few, expensive, new parts from Pace themselves. To be honest, they only really work properly for a few miles after a full strip down and clean out but I had the same forks at Uni and these are one of my absolutely favourite possessions!
Brake levers: Since I decided to run 1x9, I had to find seperate brake levers rather than an STI setup. I can't honestly remember what I ran before but I recently replaced them with Shimano M770.
Brakes: Front and rear brakes are Avid Arch Rivals, again from the early noughties. I really can't fault Arch Rivals, they're quiet and powerful and just sit there and do their job extremely well.
Rear mech: The rear mech is a Shimano M750 series (long cage I think...). Like most Shimano stuff, it works extremely well. The jockey wheels are starting to look a bit worn but they've probably got ~3,000 odd miles on them so I guess that's understandable!
Shifters: The shifters on my bike were actually only purchased a few weeks ago. The previous shifter was a Shimano Saint 9-speed SL-M800 which was great but had a tiny release lever so you really had to reach round to go up a gear. I spotted the M770 shifter in the new year sales for less than half price so I swapped out the Saint shifter. The beauty of the new shifter is that you can go up and down gears using your thumb as the release lever works whichever way you push it.
Front chainring: The front chainring is one of my favourite components on the bike. It is from Manchester company Renthal who are a legend in the motorbike world. It is made from 7075-T6 alloy for long life and has a sort of I-beam cross section under the teeth making it extremely strong and stiff. The current ring is a 38T which gives a gear range of approx. 30-90 gear inches but I think a 36T would be a better match to the 11-32 rear cassette.
Cranks: The cranks are early noughties Shimano FC-M751 and run on a Shimano BB-ES71 Octalink bottom bracket. Together they make an extremely stiff and durable crankset.
Chain: The chain is a SRAM PC-971. My chains only last about a 1,000 miles and at a tenner a piece now, they're a no brainer.
Handlebars: The handlebars are X-Lite cross-country, again from the early noughties. I'd like to replace these with a carbon bar for some buzz absorption but the world has moved on to a larger clamp size now - grrr :@.
Stem: Believe it or not, the stem on my bike came from a bargain bin at Halfords. The previous stem was a 150mm Salsa item that was way too long but hey, that was the early nineties for you!
Front hub: The front hub is a Hope from the early noughties, I don't know the model name but I remember it was the cheapest one they did at the time! The rims are Mavic X517 laced to the hubs with double-butted spokes.
Rear hub: The rear hub is a Shimano FH-M750 ball bearing hub. I've rebuilt it a few times and it currently has Finish Line grease and ultra high grade bearings.
Pedals: Pedals are Shimano Saint PD-MX80 models. I bought them because my previous platforms were cheapy ebay jobs and were getting very graunchy. They are heavy but they were all Evans had in at the time I needed them and they ought to be pretty bomb-proof.
Tyres: These Continental Travelcontacts are my joint favourite part of my bike. They have a smooth centre tread across the middle for low rolling resistance on the road and knobblies around the edges for when the going gets a bit tougher. From the moors around Rochdale to mud so slutchy I could actually wheel spin sitting in the saddle to many, many miles on the road these tyres have gotten me through, I LOVE them. They have two seperate puncture protection systems and even have tear resistant sidewalls, I've had one puncture in ~1,850 miles whereas James has had several!
The bling: I must have been feeling flush in the early noughties because the skewers on my bike are Hope with titanium rods. I confess I still love them...
And there you have it, my bike!
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