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Milwaukee Bicycle Co. Roadie

Frame and fork fabricated by Waterford Precision Cycles in Waterford, Wisconsin! Vari-Wall THERMLX tubing with Henry James box top fork crown and Ritchey dropouts. Doesn't get more "MUSA" than this.

Frame:
Milwaukee Bicycle Co. Road (59cm) by Waterford

Fork/Headset:
Waterford / Milwaukee Bicycle Co.

Crankset/Bottom Bracket:
FSA Vero (172.5) (deanodized) / Velo-Orange (103mm)

Pedals:
Look Keo

Drivetrain/Cog/Chainring/Chain:
Sunrace (12-32) / FSA (48t/34t) / KMC X11SL Gold

Derailleurs/Shifters:
SRAM Rival 10

Handlebars/Stem:
Nitto B135AA (44cm) / Velo-Exquisit (80mm)

Saddle/Seatpost:
Selle Italia Flite Ti / Procraft (27.2mm)

Brakes:
Tektro R539 (+ Kool-Stop salmon pads)

Front Wheel/Hub/Tire:
Mavic CXP-22 / Formula / Challenge Strada Bianca (30c)

Rear Wheel/Hub/Tire:
Mavic CXP-22 / Formula / Challenge Strada Bianca (30c)

Accessories:
Diacompe fenders

More Info:
Getting close to permanent configuration with the current bar-stem combo. Add in a nicer seatpost with less setback and I'm not sure I would touch a single thing on this bike forever! That being said, this bike will be getting a respray and slight modification in 2025 (braze-on FD tab, third set of water bottle bosses on the downtube, front rack mounts, maybe even braze-ons for centerpull brakes) to transform into the dedicated randonneur it wants to be!

Bike History

Click a link below to see past stages of this bike.

  1. City Boi
  2. Winter Trainer
  3. Refresh

Current Stage Info:

Stripped down to frame and fork and treated the insides of the tubes with WD-40.

Added by qwixoticle. Last updated 3 months ago.

24 Comments

nightstalker

nightstalker says:

How is it using wd40 as a framesaver vs actual framesaver spray?

Posted 4 months ago

qwixoticle

qwixoticle says:

Couldn't find framesaver over here in Germany. WD40 does roughly the same thing but just doesn't last as long. Will report back once I tear the bike down again this Fall and prep for Winter!

Posted 4 months ago

dillkommen

dillkommen says:

I'm planning on getting one of these soon! were you able to order it with the fork crown painted like that or did you do it yourself?

Posted 7 months ago

qwixoticle

qwixoticle says:

Hey! I actually purchased this second hand, so not sure how the original owner managed the paint. I'm guessing that this was a custom order. Do you know who Ben's is using for building the frames now that Waterford has closed? I love this bike a lot - and I'm sure you will love yours, too!

Posted 7 months ago

dillkommen

dillkommen says:

I believe they've just been using what remaining stock they have for now. I called a while ago and they had just ran out of my size unfortunately, but I was told that they're currently looking for a US frame builder to continue production.

Posted 7 months ago

qwixoticle

qwixoticle says:

Aw man, very sorry to hear that! Are you still going to wait until they find a new builder? I would also recommend just trawling eBay and other places for a Gunnar or something like that. I had been looking for an All-City Mr. Pink (with a steel fork) for a long time before I found this, and I'm really glad that I did, because the build quality and steel on the MKE was much nicer. I can't really think of any other semi-custom framebuilders now that offer a simple frame/fork for under $2000. It's definitely a tough time to be into rim brake steel road bikes!

Posted 7 months ago

henry510

henry510 says:

this is your best build yet. I'd like to see how it looks with a modern saddle and maybe some blingier wheels.

Posted 9 months ago

destroypedal

destroypedal says:

Damn good looking build!

Posted about 1 year ago

qwixoticle

qwixoticle says:

Thanks dog!

Posted about 1 year ago

NicolasCalifornia

NicolasCalifornia says:

watch out for that front fender getting caught on a log or stone

Posted about 1 year ago

GhostRidingTheWhip

GhostRidingTheWhip says:

+1

Posted about 1 year ago

qwixoticle

qwixoticle says:

life is a tightrope walk across an abyss

Posted about 1 year ago

analogkid71

analogkid71 says:

Love the bike...and the car! Looks like a customized '52 Mercury. Do the colors match between the bike and the car?

Posted over 1 year ago

qwixoticle

qwixoticle says:

This car is frequently parked on the street in Bedstuy along my training route, so I see it all the time. After I acquired this MKE, I knew I had to snap a picture. The shade are not quite an exact match (the MKE is a tad darker) but I do love the '50s seafoam color, regardless!

Posted over 1 year ago

Jehu

Jehu says:

Very nice!

Posted over 1 year ago

qwixoticle

qwixoticle says:

Much appreciated G!

Posted over 1 year ago

NicolasCalifornia

NicolasCalifornia says:

hearing its possible by catherine howe

Posted over 1 year ago

qwixoticle

qwixoticle says:

sounds like the algorithm's got us zeroed in

Posted over 1 year ago

DuddyJ

DuddyJ says:

Excited to see this built up!

Posted over 1 year ago

qwixoticle

qwixoticle says:

Predictably the sizing is weird... executing a preliminary build to see if it's going out the revolving door LOL

Posted over 1 year ago

GhostRidingTheWhip

GhostRidingTheWhip says:

+1

Posted over 1 year ago

qwixoticle

qwixoticle says:

Decided to just go for it

Posted over 1 year ago

DuddyJ

DuddyJ says:

Looks sweet! love the tan wall

Posted over 1 year ago

qwixoticle

qwixoticle says:

Thanks man! All the parts are arriving by this weekend, so this is my airborne toxic event shut-in project!

Posted over 1 year ago