Rebuilding the Classic Handbuilt Sovereign

Couple of months ago I get an email+attachments from my buddy. "I've got a harlequin project (one of his deceased brother's half finished bikes), are ya interested?". Always interested in one of my former riding partner's bikes. Bring 'er round.

He came by the next day with the Sovereign. I had looked at the cell phone pics the previous night and started to plan what needed to go on it (seat, post, BB, crank, pedals, brakes), and what I wanted to swap out (bars, stem). Got a seat/post in it, got 'er up in the stand, and started to wrench (after opening a few Cameron's).

Put a Hope Ti BB I had in the shell, a XTR cassette on the freehub.

I don't know about the plastic bars, or the yellow stem, but those are easy fixes with what I have on the shelf.

My 2 biggest concerns were pedals (I didn't have much in the way of platforms lying around), and brakes. I have some Avid Ultimate levers and Machine Tech cantis handy. I prefer matching brakes, but.........problem solved. Buddy started laughing and pulled a pair of decent shape 730s and a set of Grafton brakes out of his messenger bag. Gotta love swag.

Time was short, so we fired up the BBQ to make lunch and retired to the house to eat and catch the TPC coverage. Back at it tomorrow.

Months later, the bike is finally where I want it. Went with Altek levers and polished some NOS Avid Tri-Align IIs I found buried at the LBS instead of the Graftons, which I could not get along with. Here's a few shots from a ride along the Bruce Trail on the escarpment by my house.

Frame: 95 Brodie Sovereign in B.C. Racing green Fork: Brodie Gatorblade Headset: Shimano XT Stem: Ibis Titanium Handlebar: Answer Hyperlite Grips: Onza Ules Brakes: Avid Tri-Align II Brake Pads: Kool Stop Eagle Claw Brake Cables: Shimano Cantilever cable hangers: Avid Tri-Dangles Brake Levers: Altek Shifters: Shimano XT Thumbies Front Derailleur: Shimano m900 XTR Rear Derailleur: Shimano m900 XTR Derailleur Cables: Shimano Cassette: Shimano m900 XTR Chain: Shimano HG Cranks: Race Face Turbine Crank Bolts: Syncros Crank 'o Matic Chainrings: Race Face/Syncros Chainring bolts: Race Face Bottom Bracket: Shimano UN-91 Pedals: Shimano m730 Hub Skewers: Salsa Rims: Araya RM-17 Hubs: Shimano m730 Tires: Panaracer Smoke/Dart Tubes: IRC Saddle: Selle Italia Flite Seatpost: Syncros Hardcore Seatpost Binder: Brodie Weight: As always, don't care

FJM

via/ retrobike.co.uk