# Not strictly a 'Special Interest' piece, BUT!!!!!



## TheCyclingRooster (16 Nov 2014)

Hi to you all out there. Ever since finding out that near to where I had lived in UpHolland,Lancashire there was a cycle frame builder by the name of Steve Goff. He operates from a unit from the Pimbo Industrial Estate,Skelmersdale.
The first time that I saw one of his creations was back in 2007 and just before I had a total left knee replacement.
The bike was really quite stunning in Flamboyant Crimson with Chromed forks and 3/4 Chromed stays.

I recently acquired one of his frame-sets - a 2003 made frame-set in a striking Cobalt Blue - Metallic. It has a butter smooth Campagnolo Chorus headset fitted.
It is about to become another project and either be stove enamelled again in the Cobalt Blue - Metallic or in a Ruby/Crimson Metallic or Flamboyant. I have already had the braze-on dérailleur hanger removed and a small repair carried out on the rear chain-stay after the previous owner had attempted a minor modification with a file - he had wished to fit a 10spd cassette into the frame by relieving it a little.
I intend having the Steve Goff decals done in a Gold script with a smaller version of the same one for the Designer Select bit.
In either case it will have a new pair of Chromed forks fitted.


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## biggs682 (16 Nov 2014)

that looks nice keep the pics coming


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## TheCyclingRooster (17 Nov 2014)

biggs682 said:


> that looks nice keep the pics coming



Hi biggs682. I anticipate that the Steve Goff machine will be circa 6 to 8weeks. I already have a great many of the components for the rebuild but my main concern right now is my choice of wheels. I have several pairs of both Shimano and Campagnolo with black rims,black spokes and hubs. I have some with black rims and hubs but with stainless spokes but I much prefer the totally 'No Black' look on a period style steel framed machine.
I just might have a new pair of wheels built with Campagnolo or Miche hubs and with a 10spd rear. The Weinmann XR18 wheels that are on the Benotto really do look good and help maintain the appearance of the finer lines of a traditional steel framed bike.
I am yet to be convinced that paying a fist-full of money for Mavic Open Pro on Campagnolo small flanged hubs is a wise move and over the last few weeks I am even more convinced that there is some serious badge engineering going on in the world of cycle components.


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## raleighnut (17 Nov 2014)

Why not buy the hubs and rims and get them hand-laced, there must be some decent wheel builders up there or if not Manchester isn't a million miles away. They would probably work out cheaper than machine made off the shelf wheels and be a bunch better.


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## TheCyclingRooster (17 Nov 2014)

raleighnut said:


> Why not buy the hubs and rims and get them hand-laced, there must be some decent wheel builders up there or if not Manchester isn't a million miles away. They would probably work out cheaper than machine made off the shelf wheels and be a bunch better.



Hi raleighnut. An interesting point but the machine build wheels have still got to be set-up ( laced) by a pair of human hands ( I believe!!!) and also when they come off the automatic equipment they are further trued/adjusted by another human being. Where the cost savings are made with machine built wheels is in the initial tightening of all of the nipples and the vast numbers that are handled/processed in a working day. As usual - it is the High Price retail market that is the one that sees the greatest benefit from the initial processes back in China and other countries that have gone automated and with massive numbers being produced.

I had the original Mavic MA2 rims and Miche hubs that were on the Benotto stripped and rebuilt by hand by a chap that has been building wheels since the 70's,they cost me £42.00 for the pair. 
By comparison :- I have recently purchased a pair of Weinmann XR18 rims on Miche QR hubs,they are for a 6/7spd screw-on and the cost me under £50.00,they are on the Benotto.
I can also have a pair of Weinmann XR18 rims on Miche QR hubs but for a 8/9/10 spd cassette for either Shimano or Campagnolo fitments - they are under £70.00.
From my perspective they will more than do the job for me and at the end of the day I am convinced that most aluminium clincher rims are manufactured in a small number of factories in China that practice extensive 'Badge Engineering' for the masses.
Indeed - of all the wheels that I have and have had - there has only ever been grams difference between them BUT many many pounds sterling have separated them on price.
Another classic example of 'Badge Engineering' is with brake callipers.


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## biggs682 (17 Nov 2014)

i have a pr of xr18's laced on to a pr of large flange Maillard hubs and they are doing a sterling job on my commuter ok they might be a bit heavier but i am pleased with them


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## TheCyclingRooster (17 Nov 2014)

biggs682 said:


> i have a pr of xr18's laced on to a pr of large flange Maillard hubs and they are doing a sterling job on my commuter ok they might be a bit heavier but i am pleased with them



Hi biggs682. Does this not go back to what I said earlier about there really only being grams difference between wheel-sets?
In the next few days I will be removing the XR18's from the Benotto,I will weigh them and compare them with a pair of unbranded rims that are laced into a pair of Campagnolo small flanged hubs,in both cases they will be without the cassettes and they will be weighed separately.
A couple of years back I bought a rather sad Manchester Student/Part-time chef/Polish workers daily transport,it was a badly abused albeit steel framed Apollo.
I was simply after the frame which was destined for a few geometry adjustments. It had a pair of nutted Maillard large flange hubs,I stripped and serviced them and was very tempted to have them laced into a pair of Weinmann or Mavic rims but decided that carrying spanners was not-on and replacing the spindles with QR's was probably total madness.
They went out to recycling as weigh-in.


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