Columbia Convertible Commuter *FINISHED*

[G-Matt]

I've used presta valves for year with & with out the adapters & also have drilled out the wheel also it's all a preference . If it were me I would get an adapter & go presta . If you do drill it keep in mind they may be double walled wheels so it may be hard to file all the sharp edges . Presta valves have a race look & that bike looks fast . Not hard to get Those tubes if you need them .


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[Fv2]

I personally would drill and file it,but that's just the prepper in me. Around here in worst case scenario I would be more likely to find a schrader tube.

 

[jats]

I do love the 700's Remman!!

 

[tvc15]

Work of art as usual!

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Thanks for everyone's input. No one gave me a good reason not to drill it so it's done.

I didn't have a 21/64 bit so I bought a new one and it did grab just a little but didn't do any harm. I first taped the nozzle of my shop vac under the hole to keep any shavings from falling between the double wall rim. Got the hole deburred and put a tube and tire on without any problems. Now that they are uniform, I can still get adapters for both if for some reason I decide that I want to run Presta tubes, but I doubt that I will.

I also got a Potts Mod bolt in from Porkchop BMX. Thanks to @kingsting and @gowjobs for the suggestion!

I've been ordering other parts and giving a lot of thought to getting the front brake problem worked out. More to come on that.

 

[G-Matt]

Like that pork chop ordered a few things from there my self


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[The Renaissance Man]

Got a little time in this afternoon to work on brakes.

The rear caliper is mounted but the cable still needs to be routed. This was a bit tricky to drill with the rack in the way. I haven't decided If I'm going to use the recessed nut yet, so for now it's standing in for a regular nut. There's no issues with fender clearance. That was a relief.

The front cable got routed through the stem. It needed to come out beside the fender instead of out the middle of the fork, so I drilled a hole at an angle between the crown plates. I'm waiting for a BMX style caliper to arrive sometime this week.

 

[G-Matt]

Looking good , every build is a little different, amazing how much I learn on every one I do .


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[The Renaissance Man]

Here's another profile shot after today's progress.

I'm happy with the black rims now. I've been looking at tires to order next. What ever I settle on will be solid black. these are just some old worn out tires that I used for the mock ups. The stem is just a stand in also.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

I had hoped to build this bike using the most basic tools and parts available to anyone. However, I ran up against a wall with the bottom bracket adapter. For some reason, the adapter is just slightly too big to fit the frame. I could have switched to a loose ball BMX style adapter but I really wanted to use a sealed cartridge BB.

So to get past this obstacle I had to get some machine work done. This is still something that anyone can have done, but it's not a DIY task for most of us.

Luckily, I have a good friend (Arnold Montgomery) that has a small lathe perfect for the job and he did it for me as a favor.

Arnold is a very talented craftsman and great musician. He and I have played in many bands together through the years. He uses his machine skills to hand craft saxophone mouth pieces and sells them worldwide. Check out his work HERE if your interested.

 

[Glen]

Luckily, I have a good friend (Arnold Montgomery) that has a small lathe perfect for the job and he did it for me as a favor.
Arnold is a very talented craftsman and great musician. He and I have played in many bands together through the years. He uses his machine skills to hand craft saxophone mouth pieces and sells them worldwide. Check out his work HERE if your interested.

I had a look at the AM Mouthpieces site... very talented craftsman indeed.

Just imagine using old saxophone parts on a bike build...

Glen.

 

[Dan Hampton]

I had hoped to build this bike using the most basic tools and parts available to anyone. However, I ran up against a wall with the bottom bracket adapter. For some reason, the adapter is just slightly too big to fit the frame. I could have switched to a loose ball BMX style adapter but I really wanted to use a sealed cartridge BB.

So to get past this obstacle I had to get some machine work done. This is still something that anyone can have done, but it's not a DIY task for most of us.

Luckily, I have a good friend (Arnold Montgomery) that has a small lathe perfect for the job and he did it for me as a favor.

Arnold is a very talented craftsman and great musician. He and I have played in many bands together through the years. He uses his machine skills to hand craft saxophone mouth pieces and sells them worldwide. Check out his work HERE if your interested.

We all need friends with a machine shop.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

We all need friends with a machine shop.

Nah, we all need our own machine shops!

 

[Chad T]

Wow looking good. This will be one sexy commuter. You got the tires tucked in the fenders just right. Can't wait to see some cranks on there. I think a lot of the "donk" look you were seeing is mostly the lack of cranks. All bikes look kind of naked like that without cranks on them.

This potts mod business has me on the edge of my seat as well. Looks like you might need a short reach caliper with those tall rims?

 

[OddJob]

Here's another profile shot after today's progress.

I'm happy with the black rims now. I've been looking at tires to order next. What ever I settle on will be solid black. these are just some old worn out tires that I used for the mock ups. The stem is just a stand in also.

Ren Man, the "crouched" look of this bike almost begs for a slightly dropped, mustache type bar that sweeps forward, a little down, and then back....I don't remember your thoughts / plans for the bar....?....and of course...in black.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

This potts mod business has me on the edge of my seat as well. Looks like you might need a short reach caliper with those tall rims?

You are exactly right. I bought this caliper off ePay thinking that it might work in the highest adjustment position, but it's too long.

I'm back to looking for a short reach sidepull caliper (in black if possible).

Any suggestions?

Ren Man, the "crouched" look of this bike almost begs for a slightly dropped, mustache type bar that sweeps forward, a little down, and then back....I don't remember your thoughts / plans for the bar....?....and of course...in black.

I've got a couple of ideas, but haven't decided yet.
Maybe something like this...

 

[Chad T]

I wonder if a 130 degree v-brake noodle would allow you to use the your matching front brake? Just run the cable in normally but loop it around with this.

Would be a shame not to use those Tektro dual pivot calipers. They're fantastic brakes.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

I wonder if a 130 degree v-brake noodle would allow you to use the your matching front brake? Just run the cable in normally but loop it around with this.

Would be a shame not to use those Tektro dual pivot calipers. They're fantastic brakes.

There's not enough room for the caliper, even without any cable at all.

This looks like it could work with the noodle turned down, but I hate the thought of spending $50 without knowing for sure.

 

[Chad T]

Ooooh that's hot! Didn't realize those came in a center mount. Love that!

You need to get a rough measurement on the reach you need. (distance from your mounting hole to the rim I think). Otherwise I don't see why that wouldn't work and that should give you some powerful braking.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

This is the only specs I could find:
Product Description

• System: Triathlon & Time Trial Brake
• Material: Forged aluminum arms
• Pads: P422 adjustable angle cartridge pads
• Dimension: 39-49 mm

I'm more concerned with the width of the pivot points being too narrow for the fender and tire. From what I could find, Triathlon & Time Trial bikes run 700x23c or 25c tires and I'm planning on using 700x35c tires.

I never thought that I'd be concerned about 700x35c tires being too fat!