Summing up my bike action of year 2018
This year was a bit more laid back than last year but there has been some bike related things done and finished. I wrote last year that I do have some different hobbies and that they are used for different purposes. This year I have been game hunting a lot and a vintage car has taken its toll on bike tinkering too (more money wise than time though). Watches has been on hold this year. All my hobbies are about - “hey - look what I have done/completed/achieved”, as at work perspectives are too long and the result not always easily seen.
Even if this year’s bike action has been less than last year I have to say it has been more fulfilling. The 2018 projects has challenged my comfort zone and when finished the satisfaction has been greater.
First I finished the 1974 Bianchi Specialissima. It started last year with a “bad conscience restoration” of another Bianchi frame. I had to detail a too small frame that I had owned for a long time - before allowing myself to start on the “real” one. Said and done. When the conscience was clear things went smooth. Hrmm… well I discovered that I had to re-lace the wheels I had got with the bike but that in retrospective was a rather nice therapy and the end result got better. Then I fitted the newly built wheels with some NOS tubes that I had stored perfectly (I thought) just to see one of them self-destruct of age a couple of days later.
Here is a link to the build thread:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1117555-bianchi-specialissma-s-project-thread.html
In the end though this was a nice, clean and straight forward build.
Here is a link to the build thread:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1117555-bianchi-specialissma-s-project-thread.html
Also started last year but built and finished in 2018 was the late 60ies Bianchi Specialissima. I know you American guys often call this type of Bianchi a “Team” model but over here in Europe it is just a Bianchi Specialissima in celeste colour.
To me this was a challenging bike. Not to build it, but to NOT restore it. All my instincts said “strip the old paint and repaint it, ie make it as new again”. But as I have my fair share of vintage/classic lightweight bicycles in as new (or close) condition I felt I had to move out of my comfort zone with this one. I fought a battle with myself and then took the leap. This frame was going to be left as it was found. I just cleaned it, scraped of some old paint infills and decals that had nothing to do with the original and finally I waxed it. Then I put together a group that was (almost) period correct. Some of the parts came with the frame and some were added. At last I also got to use a lot of my drilled parts gathered over 35 years in this hobby. Some drilling done professionally and some very not so…
The only glitch in this build was discovering the cracked right crank but fortunately I had one that matched perfectly in period and length.
The purpose of this build was to give the old and battle scarred bike its dignity back. Not to get it to as when new. I believe I was successful in doing that. If someone in the future would like to give it a new paint job - they can do that but I would prefer if they did not. In a world of restored vintage bikes I believe it is of value to be able to see an unrestored frame as comparison.
Link to build thread:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-...0-s-bianchi-specialissima-project-thread.html
Finished - and some pictures together with the 1974 Specialissima.
Last but not least I built the 1983 3Rensho Super Record Export Aero.
This build was all about the frame, the wheels and the aero conversion of the brake handles. With the seatpost as runner up. The frame is such a beauty, the lugs, the lines. Its simplicity. The workmanship. There is nothing there that does not have a purpose. It is pure in form and function.
The wheels, at last I had a frame to use the forerunner of aero wheels on. Roval aero wheels were way ahead of the game. The name is still around but has nothing to do with these French wheels that was put on the market in the late 70ies and then used thru the 80ies until other readymade aero wheels were made available in the 90ies. Hidden spoke heads and nipples, straight pull bladed spokes and a high (for its time) profile rim.
Most brake handles in the early 80ies required traditionally routed and exposed cables. Campagnolo made some hundred conversions of Super Record handles to aero routing for use in professional bike racing. I made my own after realizing I would never get hold of the real deal. It was fun doing it and the result works perfectly.
There were almost no aero seatposts in 1983 and/but the ones that were around were not very nice looking, except the Cambio Rino. I was lucky to find one in 27, 2 mm. I am happy to have discovered this seatpost and today I continue looking for more of them. I believe it is better looking and in some ways better engineered than the Campagnolo and Shimano aero posts that came later. I want more of them to put on some of my other bikes (maybe I should not mention this here…).
The build thread:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1135803-3rensho-super-record-export-aero-sra.html
This bike build gave me a lot when it comes to being able to use my imagination and some skills I have picked up along the way and thru the years. I like the end result. It is one of the bikes I am most satisfied with in my collection. It ticks almost all the boxes for me. It actually often stands in front of all the other bikes so I can see it when I am lying in my sofa. And every time I look at it I feel happy. It is a happy bike.
I had some trouble when it came to choosing the colour of the bare tape (Benotto Cello). First I went with a matching colour
But it ended up with yellow as I believe it became a bit too matchy-matchy otherwise.
Other bike tinkering done in 2018, small but still satisfying.
A 10V conversion to downtube shifters. Fiddled with some parts that I had to be able to have 10V indexed shifting mated to the old Syncro II choice of going friction if needed.
Thread here:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1128040-campag-10v-down-tube-shifter-retro-fun.html
10V indexed shifters
10V indexed shifters with old Syncro II parts which gives an option of instant friction mode if one wants to:
Also did a conversion to 10V indexed shifting on one of the Merckx: s. from 10v bar end shifters to 10V down tube shifters. Very straight forward.
Finally shortened the cables and housing to a more appropriate length on the De Rosa. Took the opportunity to fit it with a period correct Record front derailleur while I was at it. Today I no longer remember why I built it with the later black armed Super Record back when. I knew it was wrong. Maybe I wanted it to be uniform, I do not really know my reason for it. Now it feels a lot better…
In autumn I decided on my next build and set it up in the workshop. A Columbus MAX Bianchi Proto Caurus. C-Record group, deltas and with first year ergopower (1992). It will be finished in 2019.
Other project in line for next year are a 1985 Bianchi Centenario with a twist and a 1977 Pogliaghi Italcorse. Maybe a 1973 Colnago Super if I have enough time. I am starting to see the end of my work list now. Only have projects for maybe a couple or three more years.
This concludes 2018 bike wise for me.
Looking forward to 2019!
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you all!
Summing up my bike action of year 2018
This year was a bit more laid back than last year but there has been some bike related things done and finished. I wrote last year that I do have some different hobbies and that they are used for different purposes. This year I have been game hunting a lot and a vintage car has taken its toll on bike tinkering too (more money wise than time though). Watches has been on hold this year. All my hobbies are about - “hey - look what I have done/completed/achieved”, as at work perspectives are too long and the result not always easily seen.
Even if this year’s bike action has been less than last year I have to say it has been more fulfilling. The 2018 projects has challenged my comfort zone and when finished the satisfaction has been greater.
First I finished the 1974 Bianchi Specialissima. It started last year with a “bad conscience restoration” of another Bianchi frame. I had to detail a too small frame that I had owned for a long time - before allowing myself to start on the “real” one. Said and done. When the conscience was clear things went smooth. Hrmm… well I discovered that I had to re-lace the wheels I had got with the bike but that in retrospective was a rather nice therapy and the end result got better. Then I fitted the newly built wheels with some NOS tubes that I had stored perfectly (I thought) just to see one of them self-destruct of age a couple of days later.
Here is a link to the build thread:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1117555-bianchi-specialissma-s-project-thread.html
In the end though this was a nice, clean and straight forward build.
Here is a link to the build thread:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1117555-bianchi-specialissma-s-project-thread.html
Also started last year but built and finished in 2018 was the late 60ies Bianchi Specialissima. I know you American guys often call this type of Bianchi a “Team” model but over here in Europe it is just a Bianchi Specialissima in celeste colour.
To me this was a challenging bike. Not to build it, but to NOT restore it. All my instincts said “strip the old paint and repaint it, ie make it as new again”. But as I have my fair share of vintage/classic lightweight bicycles in as new (or close) condition I felt I had to move out of my comfort zone with this one. I fought a battle with myself and then took the leap. This frame was going to be left as it was found. I just cleaned it, scraped of some old paint infills and decals that had nothing to do with the original and finally I waxed it. Then I put together a group that was (almost) period correct. Some of the parts came with the frame and some were added. At last I also got to use a lot of my drilled parts gathered over 35 years in this hobby. Some drilling done professionally and some very not so…
The only glitch in this build was discovering the cracked right crank but fortunately I had one that matched perfectly in period and length.
The purpose of this build was to give the old and battle scarred bike its dignity back. Not to get it to as when new. I believe I was successful in doing that. If someone in the future would like to give it a new paint job - they can do that but I would prefer if they did not. In a world of restored vintage bikes I believe it is of value to be able to see an unrestored frame as comparison.
Link to build thread:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-...0-s-bianchi-specialissima-project-thread.html
Finished - and some pictures together with the 1974 Specialissima.
Last but not least I built the 1983 3Rensho Super Record Export Aero.
This build was all about the frame, the wheels and the aero conversion of the brake handles. With the seatpost as runner up. The frame is such a beauty, the lugs, the lines. Its simplicity. The workmanship. There is nothing there that does not have a purpose. It is pure in form and function.
The wheels, at last I had a frame to use the forerunner of aero wheels on. Roval aero wheels were way ahead of the game. The name is still around but has nothing to do with these French wheels that was put on the market in the late 70ies and then used thru the 80ies until other readymade aero wheels were made available in the 90ies. Hidden spoke heads and nipples, straight pull bladed spokes and a high (for its time) profile rim.
Most brake handles in the early 80ies required traditionally routed and exposed cables. Campagnolo made some hundred conversions of Super Record handles to aero routing for use in professional bike racing. I made my own after realizing I would never get hold of the real deal. It was fun doing it and the result works perfectly.
There were almost no aero seatposts in 1983 and/but the ones that were around were not very nice looking, except the Cambio Rino. I was lucky to find one in 27, 2 mm. I am happy to have discovered this seatpost and today I continue looking for more of them. I believe it is better looking and in some ways better engineered than the Campagnolo and Shimano aero posts that came later. I want more of them to put on some of my other bikes (maybe I should not mention this here…).
The build thread:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1135803-3rensho-super-record-export-aero-sra.html
This bike build gave me a lot when it comes to being able to use my imagination and some skills I have picked up along the way and thru the years. I like the end result. It is one of the bikes I am most satisfied with in my collection. It ticks almost all the boxes for me. It actually often stands in front of all the other bikes so I can see it when I am lying in my sofa. And every time I look at it I feel happy. It is a happy bike.
I had some trouble when it came to choosing the colour of the bare tape (Benotto Cello). First I went with a matching colour
But it ended up with yellow as I believe it became a bit too matchy-matchy otherwise.
Other bike tinkering done in 2018, small but still satisfying.
A 10V conversion to downtube shifters. Fiddled with some parts that I had to be able to have 10V indexed shifting mated to the old Syncro II choice of going friction if needed.
Thread here:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1128040-campag-10v-down-tube-shifter-retro-fun.html
10V indexed shifters
10V indexed shifters with old Syncro II parts which gives an option of instant friction mode if one wants to:
Also did a conversion to 10V indexed shifting on one of the Merckx: s. from 10v bar end shifters to 10V down tube shifters. Very straight forward.
Finally shortened the cables and housing to a more appropriate length on the De Rosa. Took the opportunity to fit it with a period correct Record front derailleur while I was at it. Today I no longer remember why I built it with the later black armed Super Record back when. I knew it was wrong. Maybe I wanted it to be uniform, I do not really know my reason for it. Now it feels a lot better…
In autumn I decided on my next build and set it up in the workshop. A Columbus MAX Bianchi Proto Caurus. C-Record group, deltas and with first year ergopower (1992). It will be finished in 2019.
Other project in line for next year are a 1985 Bianchi Centenario with a twist and a 1977 Pogliaghi Italcorse. Maybe a 1973 Colnago Super if I have enough time. I am starting to see the end of my work list now. Only have projects for maybe a couple or three more years.
This concludes 2018 bike wise for me.
Looking forward to 2019!
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you all!
