The LeMond is getting closer to rideability. I took the bike to Oswego Cyclery to have them check the rear derailleur hanger as it didn’t look straight. Well, it wasn’t, but it is now. That tool from Park Tool made quick work of straightening it. Quick enough in fact, that I’m going to get one. I’m thinking that with all the rear derailleurs on bikes at my house, sooner or later they will need to be straightened and I’ll be able to handle the job quickly and easily.
Once home, the rear derailleur is mounted pretty quickly and the front derailleur is aligned and spaced just above the 53-tooth chainwheel. I mounted the Ritchey Classic handlebars in the 110mm stem and sat on the bike to get a rough idea about the stem length. I’m thinking that 100mm / 10 degree dimensions will be pretty close. But I haven’t ridden it anywhere, just sat on it in the basement so there’s no real-world riding to confirm or deny the guesstimate – at least not yet.
I ordered some black silicone self-fusing tape for the handlebars – both to hold the cables in place under the wrap and to secure the end of the wrap. Supposedly this “tape” only adheres to itself and doesn’t have any adhesive to turn into a gummy mess when it’s warm outside.
When I get the tape I can run the shift and brake cables, and then it will be ready enough for a maiden voyage. Oswego Cyclery offered their adjustable stem so that I can play with angle end length before ordering the “final” stem. I plan to take them up on that offer.
Unless something comes up that I haven’t thought of, it should be rideable within the week.
I do have some Mavic GP4 tubular rims on the way; if you remember I wanted to run tubulars on this bike from the beginning. Well, once these wheels are built I can switch back and forth.