I’m helping a friend build up a new bike.

He’s getting a Feather- http://www.feathercycles.com/

It’ll be a while coming but he’s after some tips for the build. I’ve got my own “new but old” build but it’s built up for function over prettiness (the spec is now full current Ultegra with Ambrosio/Stans wheels and 3T bits). I have a rough idea of where to go (freshtripe/brick lane bikes/sjs) and what brands I should be looking for (Nitto/Velo Orange and probably Campag) but has anyone got any tips in particularly for the wheelset. I’m normally very anti-silver but I reckon it’d be perfect. Campag hubs on a nice Mavic rim sounds right.

This is my own- he saw this and decided he wanted something similar but prettier.

Replace (or rub and polish) all the black parts with shiney chrome/polished ones

A pair of polished R45’s or Royce would be nice.

The Royce hubs are lovely with a slight pearl like finish.

Campag Athena (all silver, no carbon), Silver hubs on Ambrosio Nemesis rims. Skinwall tubs or Vittoria Pave.

Campag record hubs with Paris Roubaix rims, or some Abrosio if necessary with tubs. I have a pair of these and they still knock spots off a lot of new wheelsets. Royce hubs would also be a good shout.

Not all Campag hubs are equal, if you can find them get the older Centaur/Daytona/Chorus/Record version, Alu axles and you can run a shimano free hub if you need to. If you want something a little different in the rims department try Ambrosio.

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WPAMEVOTQB/ambrosio_evolution_tqb_clincher_wheelset

hubs are probably a little on the heavy side, but give some idea.

270 by Ample Brew, on Flickr

I got some Ambrosio wheels – all polished silver and a 3 cross spoke pattern.

Light and look fairly retro too.

You will have to ditch your prejudice’s as it will have to be silver if you want proper period build. You might get away with some black if you are going fairly modern , you could get black bars in the 90’s. Mavic rims are nice in that grey/brown and would be from a wide period of time. You can get them new as well. I would assume you want class as well as looks so it would have to be Record. Old stuff polishes beautifully. How about GP4 rims. Halo do a fake classic wheel set.
now as it happens I am selling a pair of wheels, Record hubs, 10 speed cassette, silver. with non matching brown Mavic rims. clincher. or can find several pairs of GP4s. 😆

Matt- I suspect he’d want all new stuff.

Seems there’s also a dearth of nice silver stems in 1 1/8″. The Ritchey Classic stuff looks good.

I suspect the build will end up being Mavic Open Pro on those beautiful Royces, Campag Athena and Thomson bits. Thanks for the Royce recommendation, they’re great bits of kit.

i eventually and reluctantly went for open pros on white industries hubs, very nice but not cheap,

Sounds like hell. Your De Rosa looks nice without trying to be. Seems odd buying a modern steel frame from a relatively new british frame builder with no racing pedigree, and then trying to spec it like an italian race bike from the early 90’s, but with bits that arent quite right (like Thomson – come on, not on a bike like that!)

Either do it proper, or just go for a build with some decent modern bits like Pro/Zipp/Fizik etc.

Word on the wheels though – check out PMP hubs.

And you cant put Thomson on it, get an old campag seatpost deda stem?