Jim Bundy track bike

[rogerzilla]

Jim Bundy is a fairly well known framebuilder in Sydney, Australia, but almost unheard of elsewhere. This frame came over with an Aussie and ended up with me a couple of owners later. The fork it came with was a plain road fork with oval blades but I found a suitable track fork of the same length (the forward slope of the top tube is quite intentional, and I've seen pictures of other Bundy track bikes like it).

It's set up for the same position as my Harry Quinn track bike but that has a MUCH shorter top tube and a 130mm stem! This one will be a bit more docile on the road, since the C of G is a lot further back when I'm riding it.

Argos resprayed it in pearl white, with decals from Cyclomondo in Australia (where else?) and I built it up with a mixture of existing bits - I used the wheels on this year's Dunwich Dynamo, but the Harry Quinn has some blingier ones now - new bits and NOS bits.

Obligatory kitchen photos:

20191030_200509 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

20191030_200521 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

20191030_200535 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

20191030_200601 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

20191030_200620 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

20191030_200631 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

20191030_200643 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

20191030_200702 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

20191030_200738 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

20191030_200743 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

If anyone's interested in the spec:

Jim Bundy track frame, very light
Unknown track fork, also very light (about 660g)
Andel 165mm 144BCD cranks
Shimano 105SC cup-and-cone bottom bracket, NOS
TA 47T 1/8" chainring
EAI Superstar 18T 1/8" sprocket
KMC B1S chain (I've found these run quieter than some much more expensive ones)
Goldtec track hubs, about 16 years old
Janto rims recycled from a Fuji Track...they never wear out on a track bike!
DT Competition spokes rear, DT Revolution spokes front
Vredestein Fortezza TriComp tyres with Michelin latex tubes
Nitto S65 seatpost
Specialized BG 143 saddle, had it for about 12 years and can't remember where it came from
Zenith 80mm stem with 180mm quill
Zenith track bars
Shimano 105SC brake levers, left one butchered
Shimano 600 tricolor SLR single-pivot brake, NOS
Velox Guidoline white "carbon" bar tape, which is fairly wipe-clean
Tange Falcon cartridge bearing headset
Shimano R540 SPD-SL pedals

 

[tom73]

 

[dan_bo]

Bloody lovely

 

[Spiderweb]

Wow, that’s a beauty

 

[biggs682]

There is something about the simplicity of a steel track bike

 

[Cycleops]

Nice one. That's a real artisan piece of frame building.

 

[wisdom]

Beautiful.

 

[AndyRM]

Wow. That is a bona fide thing of beauty.

 

[JhnBssll]

Very nice indeed

 

[rogerzilla]

Actually got it out this morning, as the roads are dry and unsalted (rare in winter). Saddle needed shifting forward half an inch. Very quiet drive and no rattles. No toe overlap (my Harry Quinn track bike has loads) and no tendency for the back wheel to skip on bumps or lift under hard braking. Steering is very normal - in contrast, the HQ has such quick steering that it can't be wheeled along by the saddle.

The idea was to have a track bike that isn't quite such a handful as the HQ in traffic. I think it does that. Whether it's as rewarding when I'm giving it some, I'll find out in the summer.

Obligatory outside pic attached.

 

[JhnBssll]

Lovely, it looks even nicer out in the wild

 

[EltonFrog]

Phwoar and may I add, Cor!

 

[tom73]

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Nice paint job on that, the edges of the lugs still look crisp. White isn't even a colour I like as a rule on bikes, but for some reason it works OK on this frame. I presume given the fine lugwork, a powder coat would have been too thick and overwhelmed the detailing?

 

[rogerzilla]

Powdercoat is rarely good unless it's an original factory job, with lacquer and a fine finish. Most industrial estate powdercoat I've seen is thick, orange peely and has pinholes in it, which cause rapid rusting again.

I'm also wary of white bikes but this needed a colour to make it look as light as possible. The original colour I asked for (RAL 4009) would have been a £60 special order, and pearl white was cheaper.