Writing break

Am back in Londinium and ready for a week of finger-blistering productivity. It was great to leave the work for a couple of days and just chill on the Isle of Wight. We had a barbecue on a remote beach, went to the county show, watched fireworks etc. Just what I needed.

To keep my bike-bore quota up, I've decided to go a little old-skool with my road bike (a custom-made Reynolds 653 beauty, which has mellowed in old age into a sort of fast club-run / audax machine). When conceived, it was a race mount - but that was before the days of carbon fibre and UCI weight-limit busting machines (have a look here, drool).

I've decided to look back to the Pro machines from the years when my bike was new - think of the climbing machines of Bugno, Chiapucci and Lemond. To this end, I've bought these and these. The idea is to remove the left-hand Ultegra STI (which is as heavy as the right one, and never trims the front mech finely enough) and to replace it with a Shimano 600 aero lever. Then, on the left-hand side of the downtube I will fit the Dura-Ace friction shifter. Beauty.

Pics and weights coming up. Plan is to weigh what I take off, and weigh what I'm putting on. Then I'll know the difference. I mean, how often do you *really* need to adjust the front mech? Other benefit is that I can flog the STI. More soon folks. PS > Applied for a great job today. Fingers crossed!