Step 1: Prepare the frame & What's this bike all about?

So what's this bike all about? Well I wont bore you with too many details. so this is it in a nutshell. I got the bike 12 years ago as my first road bike and it was used back then and was obviously on its second paint job. I stripped it, got it painted and rebuilt it as a nine speed time trial racer. I used it regularly and enjoyed the bike greatly, but sure enough after a while it was hung up in the garage and hung there sadly for at least 8 years. So now I think it's time I put it to good use. Such as the latest fashion trend, I'm going down the low maintenance single speed route. The frame itself is a Bill Nickson, Reynolds 653 affair, but not ideally suited to single speed as it's not got horizontal dropouts at the rear, but that can be cured with the use of a chain tensioner that fits into the rear derailleur hanger. It's the small details I like about this frame which is why I'm using it, such as the Cinelli bottom bracket...

So it's clear I've been rubbing it down and preparing it for paint. I used paraffin to clean the dirt off and then wet and dry sandpaper to achieve a smooth finish. Prep for paint as a rule is 90% prep and 10% paint in terms of time spent, and this really is no exception. Just a little bit more TLC and this will be ready for primer. Not sure of what colour of top coat yet, maybe white, but it'll be the frames fourth paint job, at least!

To keep it looking smart I'm going to use as many black components as I can, certain components will be changed completely such as the handle bars, as I want to use flat or riser bars, instead of the traditional dropped bar for sake of comfort. This has a knock on effect though, such as the need to use different brake levers...

A top man in a bike shop in Chester sorted me out with these, they are a flat bat lever designed to be used with a caliper brake, as a regular V brake lever does not pull through enough cable for effective braking. I'm sure they'll look right at home with all the other black components, no idea who makes them though. I'll go through the various components I'll be using and why throughout the writing of the blog, but for now, primer awaits...