# Nashbar Touring Frame: New Build



## holy cromoly

I have started my Nashbar Touring frame build.

It will be built-up as a porteur city bike.

Picked up this frame for around $100 with the recent price drop combined with a discount code. Had enough spare parts laying around to frankenstein a nice build. The spare parts all vary from a 90's era Centurion seatpost to a set of 29er disc wheels.

The frame is very versatile and standard in part specs (27.2 post, 132.5mm rear end, etc). Making it a good spare parts project.

The welds are typical by mountain bike standards, but will be ugly if you're used to nicely smooth welded alum bikes like Cannondale and Cinelli.

The fork is aluminum, not the steel one pictured on the Nashbar site. 

I plan on added a rear Axiom basket and the SOMA Deco rear rack.

I've included some closeups of the frame details incase anyone was wondering about the finish on this frame.

The paint is impressive I must say, it's metallic and has wonderful sparkle in the full sunlight. I've included a couple of shots.

Will post more as I finish.


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## rcnute

Looks great and can't argue with the price.

Silver stem maybe?


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## Jesse D Smith

*Smart choice*

That is a great price for a very versatile frame. It has all the braze-on if you want to install fenders and racks. It takes affordable and proven headset and bottom bracket. And you aren't limited for tire size choices.


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## holy cromoly

rcnute said:


> Looks great and can't argue with the price.
> 
> Silver stem maybe?


Silver stem would look better.
Maybe I can Eazy-Off the black ano finish.


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## holy cromoly

Jesse D Smith said:


> That is a great price for a very versatile frame. It has all the braze-on if you want to install fenders and racks. It takes affordable and proven headset and bottom bracket. And you aren't limited for tire size choices.


Definitely can't beat the price. The frame is nicer in quality than I assumed for a budget frame. The chain and seat stays area all shaped. There is even the chain keeper inside the driveside seat stay. 

The fork has a very tall axle to crown height to note. It's approx 420mm tall, resulting in a tall front end and standover.


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## bigrider

Just put 32mm tires pumped up to about 85psi on that thing and it will ride like a caddillac.


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## holy cromoly

Thx rcnute for the silver suggestion of the stem, I decided to Easy-Off the black ano finish. I also found this old blue ano seatpost clamp in the attic. Will polish both with my dremel.

My goal is to build this bike up entirely from existing spare parts.

Will shift the rear with a Sunrace thumbie. Originally was planning on this being a 1x9 drivetrain, but I found this barend shifter in my attic and decided to add it to the downtime and run it as a 2x9 incase I want to take it up the dirt/gravel fireroads. 

Tektro Mini-V's have just enough clearance for the 700x32c Bonti tires. 

The Performance brand Forte levers look and feel just like the Tektro ones from Rivendell. Just a different finish. The leverage can be switched for linear or cantilever brakes.


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## rodar y rodar

That`s going to look pretty sharp with the silver stem. You`ve got DT shifter for the front and still using the thumbie for the back?


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## holy cromoly

rodar y rodar said:


> That`s going to look pretty sharp with the silver stem. You`ve got DT shifter for the front and still using the thumbie for the back?


Yeah. It's just the way it worked out with what I have in my spare parts bin.

I was going to just run a thumbie for the 1x9 drivetrain, but found the front/left shifter and decided to mount it on the downtube and run a triple in the front incase I wanted to take the bike up the fireroads (1000ft elevation climb).

I'll keep it in the big rig most of the time anyways, and most of shifting will be the rear cassette.

Anyone remember Lance Armstrong's right STI and left downtube shifter setup from back in the USPS days? I wonder why he ran it that way.


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## holy cromoly

I just found the answer to my own questions about why Lance ran a downtube shifter...

Take from Velonews. Original question answered by Lennard Zinn here. 
Excerpt below:

_Dear Lennard,
Lance's bike had one STI shifter and a downtube shifter for the front derailleur. Is there a performance advantage in this setup?
Tom

Reply from Lennard Zinn:
In all of Armstrong’s Tours since 1999, he has used a standard (non-integrated) left brake lever and a downtube shift lever for the front derailleur on mountain stages. Given that a standard Dura-Ace, non-integrated brake lever weighs 130 grams and a Dura-Ace 10-speed STI lever weighs 210 grams, you are looking at a simple weight savings. The downtube shift lever can add as little as 30 grams, plus you save a bunch of grams in extra cable and housing you don’t need looping around the front of the bike. You don’t shift the front derailleur often on a mountain – once at the bottom and once at the top – so there is not much efficiency lost. So you can give up looking for a hidden light on his bike, Ian.
Lennard





_


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## kvojr

Any after pictures of the stem?


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## holy cromoly

kvojr said:


> Any after pictures of the stem?


I need to get paint stripper for the stem. I was mistaken about it being anodized, it was actually painted so the Easy-Off didn't do anything besides dull the finish, but the black is still intact. 

Easy-Off did it's magic on the seat post clamp though. I decided to not polish. Part lazy, part wanting to keep the dull finish to match the old 1990's seatpost I have on the bike.

Will post photos of the paint stripper and stem finish when I work on it again this weekend.


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## Henry Chinaski

Nice! Now I want one of those Soma Bullet Safety Flashers. What are the bars?

Regarding the black stem, I like dark green bikes with black stems. I have two:


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## jgsatl

ya know....this is going to sound weird, but i wish this frame fit big apples.

i've been looking for a frame that has kind of classic lines and will take big apples. with some albatross bars and thumb shifters.....that could be one fun bike.


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## holy cromoly

Henry Chinaski said:


> Nice! Now I want one of those Soma Bullet Safety Flashers. What are the bars?


Nice bikes Henry. I like dark British racing green color bikes. That Ibis is a keeper from the old days.

The Soma Bullet flasher is a well made light. What's nice about is that it takes two AAA batteries. The Bullet is essentially a fancy alum housing for a Soma's barend blinkie light. With that said, it's stil brighter than the button battery barend lights, but not as bright as the new 1/2 watt blinkers like the Planet Bike Superflash. The Bullet comes with spacers and longer bolts to mount onto rear racks too. Overall, impressive.

The bars are Wald 8095 bars. I am going to trade them to a friend who as the Wald 867 bars. The 867 are more French city bike with the almost 90deg sweep back. ANT Bikes uses the 867 bars on the Boston Roadster like this one:


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## holy cromoly

jgsatl said:


> ya know....this is going to sound weird, but i wish this frame fit big apples.
> 
> i've been looking for a frame that has kind of classic lines and will take big apples. with some albatross bars and thumb shifters.....that could be one fun bike.


Yeah, Big Apples would be too fat for this frame. 

I am thinking about the Schwalbe Delta Cruiser tire in cream like the ones in the photo of the ANT Bike I posted. These are same tires found on the Pashley Guv'nor.


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## jgsatl

i think that would look fantastic...


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## Spudzie

I am still kicking myself for not picking up one of them frames, instead i'm fighting with a pain in the a$$ old giant that is winning the fight.


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## holy cromoly

Spudzie said:


> I am still kicking myself for not picking up one of them frames, instead i'm fighting with a pain in the a$$ old giant that is winning the fight.


Nashbar just reduced the price to $149 again (as of July 8th).
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_173291_-1_10000__10001

My observation over the years, Nashbar housebrand items don't stay at the full regular price very long before they reduce it again here and there. Just have to keep an eye on the it.


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## holy cromoly

Spudzie said:


> I am still kicking myself for not picking up one of them frames, instead i'm fighting with a pain in the a$$ old giant that is winning the fight.


Nashbar sent out an apology discount code this morning for free shipping. It was an email newsletter that had no body, just a subject line. 

Enter "SORRY" as the discount code for free shipping, only good til July 10.

This combined with new price of $149, makes for a good deal that your missed out on.


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## Guest

holy cromoly said:


> Thx rcnute for the silver suggestion of the stem, I decided to Easy-Off the black ano finish. I also found this old blue ano seatpost clamp in the attic. Will polish both with my dremel.
> 
> My goal is to build this bike up entirely from existing spare parts.
> 
> Will shift the rear with a Sunrace thumbie. Originally was planning on this being a 1x9 drivetrain, but I found this barend shifter in my attic and decided to add it to the downtime and run it as a 2x9 incase I want to take it up the dirt/gravel fireroads.
> 
> Tektro Mini-V's have just enough clearance for the 700x32c Bonti tires.
> 
> The Performance brand Forte levers look and feel just like the Tektro ones from Rivendell. Just a different finish. The leverage can be switched for linear or cantilever brakes.



Do a search here, my recollection is that Dave Hickey built up one of those frames a couple of years ago and turned out a very nice product.


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## holy cromoly

Been enjoying my Nashbar Touring frame as my city cruiser/coffee bike.

I am very pleased at the way the bike came together, considering everything on it is from my spare parts bin and garage (with the exception of the Wald 867 bars that traded for). It's a mish-mash of parts from my mtn biking days. The cranks are actually from Nashbar back in 1995 and the CNC v-brakes are from an my BMX.

The handling is very stable, credit that to the long wheelbase. 

I highly recommend these Touring frames as a spare parts build. Check you're parts bin, before you know you may just have enough for a commuter bike with a cool metallic green paint job.

Overall, it was a well spent $100. Fun bike to commute and cruise around the city and beach on.


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## saf-t

I just finished building up one of these frames for Mrs. saf-t, using a combination of milk crate parts and ones from her old bike . She didn't quite understand why I thought that I needed to do it until she got on it for a test ride, then it was like the sun coming out :thumbsup: 

Great looking frame- the color is quite nice.


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## rcnute

Tight! I like the top tube protector. I have a tweed bag and mudflap.


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## tarwheel2

Noice. What is the top-tube protector protecting? Or did you just add it for style?


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## FatTireFred

tarwheel2 said:


> Noice. What is the top-tube protector protecting? Or did you just add it for style?




his 'nads?


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## holy cromoly

tarwheel2 said:


> Noice. What is the top-tube protector protecting? Or did you just add it for style?


I put on the protector to keep the frame from getting dented and scratched when being locked up to parking meters and racks.

I had the pad laying around, figured it wouldn't hurt.


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## holy cromoly

rcnute said:


> Tight! I like the top tube protector. I have a tweed bag and mudflap.


Thanks.
Is your bag one of those cool looking Nigel Smythe ones from Riv?


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