Adventures in (Re) building my Saluki

[Michael Hechmer]

You may remember my previous post after retrieving my Saluki ( Serial #007) from the powder coating shop in White River Jct Vt.   I thought the rebuild would be simple and straight forward.  What could go wrong?!!

First, I discovered that the threads in the BB shell needed to be re-chased.  This required 25 miles of driving (rt) to the Village Bicycle Shop in Richmond, Vt.  Home again things went well until I tried to. remount the rear fender.  Now realizing that all the eyelits also needed to be re-chased .  Another 25 miles of driving, only to discover  that a family emergency  had lead to an unscheduled closing.  Tried again the next day..  Along the way I recognized that the stem would not tighten down.  I figured out that the wedge shaped nut was disconnected from the long stem bolt, and jammed in the head tube..  This required removing the stem, HB, brakes,  fenders and fork in order drive the now deformed nut out of the head tube.  Had another in my spare parts bin.   OK.  Now with everything (almost) tightened down, I set out on a shakedown  ride. 

What a joy!  I didn't buy any new parts for this rebuild but am still leaning toward a new front rack.  Contrary to GPs opinions I really appreciate hi end Paul's breaks, TA rings, and Campy derailleurs and smooth shifting..  I rode along grooving on the sweet, neutral handling of the Saluki; the easy & comfy rolling of the PariMoto 45 mm tires.  No break squeak from my Pauls Neo Retros.  Then, about 6 miles from home all hell broke loose! 

Actually what broke was one tiny bolt holding the rear deraileur cage together.  That left me  without a pulley or functioning rear derailer.  Fortunately I was uphill from home so could coast  half the way home, where I discovered the remaining half of the deraileur (Campy Centaur) was wedged  between cogs in the cassette.  It turned out I had another Campy Centaur deraileur to use. Yea.

To deliver the coup, either in the process of wedging itself or my effort to free the derairller managed to damage the threads in the dropout and neither derailleur would rethread into the frame..  Another trip to a bike shop.

It turned out that the replacement derailleur also had a broken part, which is probably why it was in a box of random parts.  After some some despair, (and a drink) I found a way to combine the two broken derailleurs into one functioning part!

Tomorrow will try another ride.  It looks good.

Some pics: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0oGGXqixGEaeNt

I guess we all have days/weeks like this.

Michael

[atreya...@gmail.com]

Phew! Bike looks so good. Good luck on our ride tomorrow. Keep us posted.

[Steve]

You resuscitated it!!! Judging from the pics the Saluki was worth the effort. The polished fenders really complement the gray color way  - sharp!!!

[John Dewey]

Yikes, MH. What an adventure. Plenty of fortitude and patience required. I rebuilt this one but not quite so exciting thankfully. Actually the trials and tribulations only make the bonds stronger, right? You now know the bike really well,,,inside and out. 

Good on ya for sticking with it. 

Jock

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[Patrick Moore]

Lovely setup.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CA%2BkTrE7bmho%3DAuV-wzA7yG3wtZu3-%2BGxUnTBG6ZcBKCL2of1Lw%40mail.gmail.com.

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

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[Eric Marth]

That's a great looking build, Michael! Sorry about all the compounded mechanicals. Mama said there'd be days! 

Jock, always nice to see one of your elegant builds.

[iamkeith]

Glad the bike is back working for you, Michael

  You and your stories are one of the main reasons I sought out a Saluki.  Glad you're being patient and taking the time to do it right, too.  I've gotten impatient and forced things, only to regret it later.  There was nothing particularly odd or difficult about a Saluki, but it took me forever to build too.  Mostly because it's a bike that deserves to as perfect as possible, so every part reqired lots of consideration or searching.  Hope you enjoy many more miles together.

[John Dewey]

Thanks, Eric. 

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[Bill Lindsay]

Michael

I'm not picking on you, but I strongly believe that anybody with the mechanical confidence to build a bike from the frame up should own a proper small tap-handle ($10), plus an M5x0.8mm tap ($5), an M6x1.0mm tap ($6), and a M10x1.0mm tap ($8).  That tiny tool kit would have saved you two trips and would get re-used innumerable times.  My recommendation to anybody who puts wrenches on bicycles to go buy those items today.  There are exactly three good reasons not to do that...

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

On Friday, May 17, 2024 at 5:50:41 PM UTC-7 mhec...@gmail.com wrote:

[aeroperf]

Or get them all at once:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093SKS6XV/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2

Second bike tool I bought, after a good workstand.  They have saved me enormous amounts of frustration.

[Michael Hechmer]

Well Bill, you are probably right but .... I turn 80 this year and find that every day I have less and less urge to buy anything (excluding red meat & red wine).  Most of my tool budget, such as it it, goes into wood working tools.  This rebuild included only one new item - a brake cable.  I did decide to buy a new front rack but haven't actually done it.  Every time I buy something I ask myself three questions - Is this the last time I'll make this purchase, e.g. shoes, car, cassette...; where am I going to store this item when it's not in use but still findable if I want it;  how am I going to get rid of it, when I have to?

Alas, both of my children, despite being quite well off, are minamailist.  Small houses, small cars... so not interested in my stuff.

BTW,  About the same time I bought the Saluki frame, 20 years ago, from someone on this list, I also bought a blue Specialized Sequoia frame, also on this list, which my wife rode for many years until I bought her the last Betty Foy, which she now rides.  The Sequoia hung in the basement for a few years, then got converted to 650B and given to my son-in -law.  This year he bought his "dream bike" and gave the Sequoia to our grandson.  That's a pretty good run even for a steel frame.

Michael

[RichS]

Michael, that's a good looking Saluki. Sorry for the travails you had to work through to get it road ready but I bet most of us have been down that path with our bikes or other things (cars?). Since I'm not far from you in age I'm with you in spirit on minimizing acquisitions. I too look at items like my dress shoes and think probably the last ones I'll ever need. Have fun on the Saluki!

Jock: two thumbs up on your Saluki:-)

Best,

Rich in ATL