Graham Weigh Cycle Renovation
Iteration #1
1989 to 2005
Iteration #2
2006 to 2019
I had the frame resprayed in 2005, fitted lots of new bits and added decals to advertise our business which sparked off quite a few conversations. This was my ‘best’ bike for several years. When I upgraded to a different machine it became my winter bike and gradually deteriorated until another renovation was neccessary.
Iteration #2 in action: Bealach Beag Sportive (Bealach na Ba) and Southern Uplands Sportive (Talla climb)
Iteration #3 – 2020 Onwards
My Thinking
- The renovation is a nod towards my dad’s memory.
- I have large pile of old, random, cycling gear,
- I fancied creating a gravel bike.
- I thought it might be an interesting project.
Assembly
This took a while and was a bigger job than expected; I wanted to get it right. The only major problem was that the bottom bracket threads turned out to be badly worn, and keep coming loose. At present, May 2020, a cartridge bottom bracket is held in place with epoxy resin together with the remains of the threads, but if this fails I have a threadless bracket waiting in the wings.
I used our spare bedroom for the initial assembly.
The Kit
The frame was powder coated by a local firm, MK2 Powder Coatings, Gilmerton, East Lothian. They mostly work with motorcycle parts but also do bike frames. They did a good job. Check them out at – www.facebook.com/Mk2PowderCoating
The oldest components are the Campagnolo handlebar changers, the Brooks saddle with hammered rivets and the Maes handlebars with engraving; all used by me in the 1960s.
Other items are mostly from the 1990s onwards, some are new.
The first layer of bar tape is Lizard Skins, this was a great deal from a charity shop but I didn’t like it much. I found it too sticky, so I over-taped it with some nice Richie cork tape. The whipping uses ordinary string and is finished with shellac to keep it in place (clear varnish would also do).
As the aluminium seatpost is stuck forever, I had it coated with the frame. It’s my height, so there’s no need to ever move it again. The bolt to hold it in place is just for completeness.
The pump was an excellent roadside find.
August 1969 – 25 mile TT – 1:06:05 – Oval Cycling Club Event
I had ridden a 12 hour, cycled across the Pyrenees and arrived home to immediatly go down with Giardiasis, picked up in the Pyrenees. I was feeling ill and his was my last race of the year. It took me many months to recover.
The Costs
I would liked to have bought more of the kit directly from our local bike shop but, in the middle of the Coronavirus lockdown, I was reluctant to visit any shops.
The Finished Bike
Pete's Stuff 
Very nice, sir.
I have recently purchased a Graham Weigh bike set up as a single speed.
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