[See here for the story so far researching the bike’s history.]
The first thing I did when I got it home was pull it all apart. Although some components looked hardly used, others were corroded – probably as a result of poor storage rather than reckless riding. The frame had its fair share of chips, scratches and rust, but seemed straight with no obvious dents.
I set myself a discipline that everything on this project had to be available in 1982. Seeing as only an oval shaped Dura-Ace AX seat post fits the aero tubing, it wasn’t too difficult to pick the era. Initially I wanted to get the Dura-Ace AX group set to match the seat post and stem, but I canned that as soon as I discovered it was a road ensemble.
The spokes were rusted rods and I didn’t want to ride tubulars on the street, but I did like the Maillard hubs, so I unlaced the wheels, refurbished the hubs (which were in excellent condition under a layer of grime), and looked for some clincher rims.
The Shimano 600 cranks travelled a little too close to the chain stays, not to mention creating a rubbish chain line. After some research I discovered they were JIS on an ISO bottom bracket. This opened the door for a set of Dura-Ace track cranks that I felt the bike deserved. I managed to land a set with French pedal threads, but that wasn’t a problem as there was already a bit of French in the mix with the hubs.
Once I found out it was indeed a McBain with original paint I was reluctant to change it. The rusty chips and scratches grew on me. I was going to give it a clear coat, but I preferred to put the budget into the period correct parts I wanted. I would like to re-paint it as per the original scheme one day.
I sourced a sweet set of Mavic clincher rims…so now what? I was new to the bike mechanic role, and here I was considering building a set of wheels! After much debate, I decided to give it a go – partly to save money and partly to advance my education. It also gave me the opportunity to lace up using a fancy spoke pattern that I had always admired. It took a lot of time and tested my patience, but I’m so glad I gave it a go.
I did all the work myself, so I thought it would fall apart the minute I turned a pedal. On the contrary, it rides brilliantly and I’m really happy with it. Next I will install a clamp-on front brake and possibly get a 46T Dura-Ace cold forged chainring just to lower the GI’s a touch.
Existing
Introduced
Frame
McBain Record, 54 ST/57 TT
Tange Aero Dynamic tubing
Saddle
Concor San Marco Supercorsa
Dura Ace AX oval seat post
Cockpit
Cinelli Pista handlebars
Dura-Ace AX 110mm stem
Dura-Ace headset
Drivetrain
Sugino MW-68 bottom bracket
Dura-Ace 151 BCD, 165mm track cranks
Shimano track 51T chainring
Spidel/Maillard track pedals
Lapize clips and straps
MKK chain
Dura-Ace alloy 16T sprocket
Dura-Ace lockring
Wheels
Maillard Galli high flange hubs
DT Swiss Competition spokes
Mavic Module E 700C, 36H clincher rims
Panaracer Pasela TourGuard 700 x 23C tyres
Thanks
Dave S, 2joes2, SanEsteban, ben_is_fixed, Brad Holt (photography) and Mrs P!N2.