Budnitz Alpha

[wvoldguy]

Not sure the best place to put this, because it's not a vintage build, but my frame arrived just a short while ago. I'm swapping a lot of parts from my older Big Red frame, and as you've read, building up a new front wheel. I might end up building a new rear wheel, too. For now I'll be riding it as a SS, but I am considering eventually switching to an IGH, either a SA 3-speed or Shimano Alfine 8-speed. My wife has already asked if I'm going to build it with gears. I don't want another derailleur bike. I don't want to add a lot of weight to what's going to be a lightweight build. We'll see. Let the fun begin.

 

[wvoldguy]

The Best Laid Plans, Pt. II. I was just going to swap my Sugino cranks over to the new frame, but when I got them in place, I saw I had 2mm or less clearance between the crank end and chainstay on the rear sweep. The 650Bx47 are tighter in clearance than I expected, but the image is deceiving there; I have about the same tire clearance I have on the Specialized Crossroads. So a set of cantilever crank arms are on the way to give more chainstay clearance. Any illusions (delusions?) of this being a quick build have basically evaporated.

 

[wvoldguy]

My biking experience is about to get a bit more interesting. I decided to go IGH with the new build and ordered a Sturmey-Archer RS-RK3. It has a disc mount and instead of the little chain that comes out of the axle, shifting is done by a rotary mechanism. So more wheel lacing. Should be fun. Here's a pic:

 

[MattiThundrrr]

3 speed? That's some cool tech

 

[wvoldguy]

3 speed? That's some cool tech

Indeed. The black version has been hard to find, and one popped up in stock this morning. I figured if I wanted it I'd better not dither.

 

[wvoldguy]

New cranks showed up this morning. Much better clearance at the chainstay. Front hub is supposed to arrive this afternoon.

 

[wvoldguy]

Just arrived a short while ago. Let the fun begin.

 

[wvoldguy]

Progress pic. New hub successfully installed and trued on the front. Still need to pull the drive side crank and chainring and install the new ones. This evening I'll be working on lacing the SA 3-sp hub to the back rim. Not long now.

 

[bleedingfingers]

I think the 3 speed is a good idea I have the Alfine 8 but don't really need it or use it where I live and it does add a lot of weight to the bike .
Your bike looks Great .

 

[wvoldguy]

I think the 3 speed is a good idea I have the Alfine 8 but don't really need it or use it where I live and it does add a lot of weight to the bike .
Your bike looks Great .

Thanks, but it seems my first (and likely only) experience with an IGH is a total failure - I cannot get a straight chain line between my chainring and the IGH cog. There is no way to adjust the cog in or out; it is in a fixed location on the shaft. After working hours to get the IGH laced to my rim, and truing the wheel (with a lot of help from the LBS owner), I cannot ride the bike as it is.

My original plan was to ride the bike as a SS, but I got the genius idea to buy the 3-sp hub. I'm just going to relace the original hub and try to recoup some of my lost $$$ on eBay. But not tonight; I'm pretty disgusted with myself and I think I'm just going to sit down with a book and chill.

 

[RustyGold]

How far off is it? You can get non-dished or dished cogs and you can flip the dished ones in or out for quite a bit of adjustment.

 

[wvoldguy]

How far off is it? You can get non-dished or dished cogs and you can flip the dished ones in or out for quite a bit of adjustment.

The cog is dished already, and it was off by about the width of my index finger even with the flange pointing out. I've already laced the original hub back on, and I'll finish truing the wheel today. I might have been able to get it in line with a BB that has a shorter spindle, but I just didn't want to spend any more $$$ chasing possible solutions.

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

3mm off on a chainline is as far as I ever go for personal builds and with builds for others, dead-on is the only acceptable tolerance IMO.

 

[bleedingfingers]

Can you do anything with the front cog?
It Seems odd that if the wheel is centred in the chain stays that it would be that far off.
I switched out the cog on my 8speed because of the plastic chunk on the cog that prevented me from flipping it .
There was some concern by my friend at the bike shop about chain line when I was building it and he said we could do a little with the front chainring
but things lined up .
I can't say for certain but think most of the internal hubs out there are 135 mm and Budnitz sold them with internal hubs so it should work .
Also using 8 speed chain as recommended by Alfine .
Hope it comes together looking great so far.

 

[wvoldguy]

We have a bike. I finished truing the rear wheel with the original hub this morning, and finished all the other bits after lunch and took it for a short test spin. I ended up using a chain tensioner for now because I couldn't get enough slack out of the chain with the adjustable dropouts. I'll go back and shorten the chain and adjust the dropout location after I've ridden it for a bit; I'm sort of tired of being a bike mechanic right now. I also need to swap out The World's Most Uncomfortable Seat. My derriere is going to be most sore if I ride that seat for the 20-30 mile cruise I'm planning in a couple of days. 3rd bike on which I've used the Jones bars, and the tires are 650Bx47 Specialized Pathfinder Pros.

 

[wvoldguy]

Early morning shakedown ride along the river. 30.7 miles. No mechanical issues.

 

[wvoldguy]

Just arrived. Bit of a splurge to top off the new bike.

 

[wvoldguy]

8 miles in and around a nearby small river town this morning.

 

[wvoldguy]

One final early morning ride for the week, a tad over 15 miles. The Brooks C17 is not a comfortable seat, at least not yet. My backside will need a few days of rest before getting back on a bike.

 

[wvoldguy]

I've decided to end my Brooks experience and send the saddle back while I have a return window. I'll just go back to my previous gel saddle for now.