Well i’ve only gone and brought Soul and a pair of Menjas for my sins.
As i’ve got time on my hands i thought i’d build it slowly and stick some pictures up on here.
Some old kit and some new but a black and silver theme.
Just need to get this **** leg fixed so i can ride it now!
Oh and i know the conservatory is a mess:-)
Lovely boxes of newness


Drive train

Negative wheels

Matching collar and cuffs

Shiny new head tube

Trial fitting



Tomorrow i’ll start to sort the brakes and drive train out.

Looks like a nice build so far! Had those silver seat posts in the shop the other day and they look pimp! 8)

Silver thomsons, i just couldn’t help myself;-)

Black and silver – good look!

all about the silver thomson (because i have a matched pair too) 8)

Just a little up date, been a bit busy so progress has been slow, but i’m in no hurry.
Need to sort the rear brake hose out, waiting for a mount for the front caliper.
I might just start on the wheels today.

Looks fantastic. I am old enough that a new bike frame that isn’t skinny steel looks wrong. I get a little shiver looking at these pictures that I didn’t get when I had a bare frame RC305 to build…. 🙂

Like the silver, too.

I got rather sick of black everything a while ago, so as and when kit is replaced), it’s silver these days. I need a new seatpost after Monday’s mishap, and a silver Thomson it will be.

Shame you clamped the frame by the top tube – careful you don’t squash it…!

Hi Speshpaul – Nice looking bike 😉 you can tell you have some time on your hands haha..

cheers for my hope stem plate too.. arrived the other day…

“Shame you clamped the frame by the top tube – careful you don’t squash it…! “
Its was only resting:-) theres enough weight on the rear to counter the forks now.

Hi Stu, glad you like the face plate, i told you it would look better in real life!
The physio say i can might be on the bike in september. So i better get a dust sheet for the Soul.
Just off the finish truing the rear wheel, and blimey it looks good.
(Although i say it my self:-)

Speshpaul:

nice one with the physio… september… cross fingers there is some good weather back end of year 😉

Still not given date for myself ;-/ it is very hard work at the moment too….

The bike will be gleaming by the time your ready!

Good luck with the recovery. Hope it’s before September.

Currently also building a black Soul up – bought off the Classifieds and a real dogs’ dinner mixture of bits (until I can afford to replace ‘n’ pimp), but can’t wait to get her rolling!

all about the silver thomson (because i have a matched pair too)

me too, though i have a masterpiece seatpin 8)

The black frame/ silver kit reminds me of some bikes I lusted after in the early ’90s – Marin Bear Valley springs to mind.

Love the negative wheels idea, should look very pimpy.

Len just for you:-)

Thanks for everyones positive vibes. I might build the front wheel in the morning as the back looks so nice. I guess i’ve got to crack on as the tour starts on saturday. That will 1/2 my time everyday 😆

Oh and road bike + turbo + conservatory + this heat = near death experiance

well done. my cotic soul is black and silver, by default….sale/forum buys
im after a silver layback thomson to finish (black now) however thomson only do them in 330mm/27.2 and i need a 410. they mailed me and said they were going to do a run.

PS More pics please as it progresses.

i take it you will be wire wooling the black off the spokes?

why not silver spokes to match all the other silver bits, especially the silver hubs and rims?

“i take it you will be wire wooling the black off the spokes?

why not silver spokes to match all the other silver bits, especially the silver hubs and rims?”

RD did you hear a wooshing noise as the whole negitive wheel thing went over your head 😆

i like the black spokes – well jealous 🙁

I think they look a lot better with a small bash ring instead of the big ring.

Other than that it’s lovely.

I think they look a lot better with a small bash ring instead of the big ring.

But then you can’t go as fast….

Pah, Souls are common!

(yes, I am just saying that because I want one but can’t)

Mates just ordered that frame, looks good…

Everyone knows silver finishing kit is lighter.

And if you look after them well they stay looking good for ages.

Why not go for a black wheel at the back and a silver wheel at the front?

how do you reach them levers bigjohn?

RD did you hear a wooshing noise as the whole negitive wheel thing went over your head

negative what now??

*ducks*

They feel in the right place for me, and I’ve only got little hands. Over the years, they’ve gone from nearly horizontal to nearly vertical.

“Why not go for a black wheel at the back and a silver wheel at the front? “
You mean the pro look! “I’ve got differant tyres on differant wheels and just swop them!” 😀

“I think they look a lot better with a small bash ring instead of the big ring.”
Most of my riding is from the house and not from the car, so i tend to use the big ring quite a bit just to cover ground.
I have toyed with the idea of 2+ a bash. But i think i’d want 36 / 22 on the front and a 34/11 cassette. Which means just about changing everything.

Big John you know what they say about little hands………..little gloves 😆

It might be little but it can fill a pram.

Oooo, not so sure about the wheels now… obviously you will strip the black off the spokes and spray the rims with black hammerite? 😉

No, as I suspected, they look great. Can’t wait to see it finished.

“It might be little but it can fill a pram.”
Nice one.

I’ll try and get something done today so i can post a up date.

Ok so i’ve done a bit more-
Rear brake, fitted nicely, braided hosed shortened (oh joy!) Bled and all ready to go.
A little more rotor tape added.
Front and rear mech’s set up and chain hooked up.
Just the front brake to fit but i’m still waiting for Tom White to send me the bracket. Oh and the front wheel to build, and the ghetto tyres to fit and other stuff i’ve forgotten about.

So i thought to myself i know i’ll just pop that rear tyre on with the old ghetto no tubes. And blow me the dam thing went on and up first time.
Wheres the fun in that?

Anyways heres a “in Motion” shot of the rear, showing the rather nice “no Spokes” effect you get with a negative colour scheme.

You just watch they’ll be everywhere next seasion, the new black even 😆

I’m enjoying this progress thread. Lovely subtle looking bike which will age well.
I can’t believe how tidy and clean the build is going too. Can’t you smear some grease or blood somewhere? Maybe knock over a cup of tea?

Tidy clean? Blimey. to be honest i’ve got a small workshop area in the garage which is right next to where she is being build. So all the mucky-cleaning stuff has gone on in there. I’m just assembling in the conservatory. Plus i’ve got more room in there so i can sit down and put my leg up.

Speshpaul, have you had a shaddow mech before? I just swapped to one myself, lovely and quiet they are.

You can loop the cable right around the bolt so the loose end points away from the spokes though.

Tinsy
Yes the shadow was on my 305 before, i haven’t done anything clever with the cable end just bent it away from the wheel. And having it trailing behind is more aero 😉

Looking forward to the next update!

Yes – definitely VERY tidy clean!

Very very nice, keep the pics coming. I got gyp from the fashion police when i put a silver thomson stem on my anno black blur, think it’s def the way ahead. Silver rims are ace.