19th December 2020 - Mercian build and Surly LHT ride

Finally got round to putting the tourer back together. 

So here are a couple of photos that I managed to take this afternoon before I went out for a ride. 

It still needs finished off, cables cut, chain shortened slightly with the main things being fitting my guards ready for a Scottish winter but most of all fitting new hoods to the Mafac levers. These levers are my nicest Mafacs as they are the smooth slim blades but I put on some Dia Compe hoods a long while back, they looked good and functioned fine but when I fitted them last week I noticed that they don't come right down to the bar. Not sure how in the world I missed that but anyway am sourcing new hoods. This meant that I had to be a bit creative with taping the bars and while it does look very rubbish it will be replaced hopefully by next weekend. The tape will still be white but will be my nice Silva white cork. Thankful that I realised before putting the good bar tape on and was lucky to have this cheaper stuff in the shed to use.

Also had to use my front Shimano derailleur off of the repainted Mercian as the matching XT I bought with the rear is a top pull, which again, I only realised when I fitted it. So hopefully before the end of winter I will have swapped for another XT.  

Mix of parts used as more a creature of function than of looks. 8 speed Dura Ace shifters, XT rear Derailleur, XT front soon, Stronglight triple crankset and Stronglight adjustable bottom bracket, Tange Mercian headset, Nitto B135 randonneur bar with 80mm Nitto stem, Mafac brake levers and Mafac Cantis. 

Current wheels Ultegra hubs on Open pro rims with Jackie Brown Mile Muncher 130mm tyres. These wheels are temp until I finish my Dura Ace 36hole hub to Wolber Gentleman GA rims with the same Jackie Brown tyres.

When the weathers better will take better photos. 

So I then thought with the weather so dry and a nice afternoon I would ride into town on the LHT and drop in at the Bike Shop and see if he had any old hoods that might fit and also to check out some mudguards before fitting the old ones. No luck on either count but was a nice ride and while it was very cold I had  all my gear on so was fine, with the one exception being on a long downhill that my head was freezing through the vents in my helmet, like an ice cream headache :)  I have ridden with my skull cap but I tend to overheat with it too quickly. Should have just pulled my buff up higher.  Anyway it was a really nice ride and after I left the shop I went down around the harbour and seafront before taking the backroads home. I am really liking riding at night lately out in the backroads. 

Hope everyone else has had a nice day and maybe got a ride in. 

Take care, stay safe and have a lovely Christmas no matter where you are. 

Jamie