Kevin's Sherpa

[kwkirby01]

I did some work on my Sherpa over the Christmas and New Year break and pretty am pretty chuffed with the overall result - not quite up to John/Leftpoole's standard , but it all looks quite smart.

The 42mm Marathon Supreme tyres were replaced with Duremes - the improvement in comfort is far more than I expected.

The old Berthoud mudguards were too small for the new tyres so I fitted 55mm SKS Chromoplastics - you can see the fitting method here (courtesy of Dan).

The new mudguards were complemented by SKS rubber mud flaps - a bit of faff to fit, but worth it for the extra protection.

I'd had a Shimano dynohub for a while, but the original lights didn't last, so I treated myself to an Edelux Mk1 (on offer at SJS) and a SON rear light with reflector. I re-drilled the rack bracket for a neater (to my mind) arrangement of light and reflector. Incidentally, I'm pretty sure I bought the rear rack from John/Leftpoole a few years ago!

Metal bottle cages were replaced by the highly functional and expandable Profile Design cages, which provide a snug fit for my travel cup,

The original white cushioned bar tape was overwrapped with three rolls of black Velox cotton bar tape to complement the mudguards.

I cleaned and serviced the XT Parallel-Push Linkage V-brakes (bought from e-Bay a some years ago).

Finally, I spotted an Arkel Tailrider bag on eBay, which makes a great, expandable, alternative to a saddlebag.

Click on the image below to see more pictures of the final result and a maiden "snow ride".

[Danneaux]

That is one fine looking Sherpa, Kevin! I especially like seeing the variety provided by the moustache handlebars. Not to everyone's taste, they sure are terrific if they suit and look wonderful to my eyes. They provide a "Scorcher" vibe (in the best of ways) that goes nicely with the red paint.

It brings back nice memories of a late friend who was killed by a train several years ago. He was Japanese (and later my neighbor) and took time one day to reminisce on the bicycles of his youth. Nearly all sported moustache 'bars and he explained drop handlebars were forbidden by the schools because they were thought to encourage racing on the streets. The "flattened drop" of the moustache 'bar met the letter of the law by being formed mostly in one plane, yet provided a stealthy way to skirt the regulations for those who wanted extra hand positions and the option of better aerodynamics than conventional upright handlebars could provide. They were also wider than most drops and were viewed as an ideal "middle ground".

Nice build! 

All the best,

Dan.

[leftpoole]

Great looking cycle. Well done! Those mudguards look pretty tidy too.
John.....