The bit of the site where we take a look at interesting or extravagant bikes that the members have cooked up...

Chromoly minimalism

I picked up a second-hand Orange P7 in the summer, it was a good price and had barely been used. It was supposed to be a hack bike for using around town but things got a little out of hand.

First to go was the suspension; Manitou Mach 5SX forks got replaced by a nice set of Tange rigids and I dropped the knobblies and whacked on some slicks that had been hanging in the garage since Foot and Mouth. The gears were next, first to a single front chainring then a singlespeed with a chain tensioner.

From there it was back to knobblies, drop the gearing (considerably!) from 42:18 to 34:18 and a trip to Glentress to have a go at the Red Route. That wasn't the disaster I had predicted, the bike and I both survived reasonably intact. The wheels seem to have taken all the punishment and were in tatters after that excursion, an accident with a credit card and Merlin Cycles' sale saw me end up with a set of Mavic Crossrides. Ooops. That led to the purchase of a set of Kryptonite security skewers to stop some junkie piking my wheels when the bike was locked up around town. It's a rare day when it isn't ridden, even if it is only the couple of miles to Tesco.

Next to appear was a set of Avid Single Digit Ti Brakes I bought off a mate, a vast improvement on the STX cantis that were on there before, and a set of 27in riser bars.

I sold most of the discarded components, raided the box'o'bits extensively and the only new bit was the wheelset. Including the donor bike the whole thing has cost me a smidge over £300. Can't argue with that, eh?

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