Coming back into the fold
 

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...026a48ddb.jpeg
Kind of excited... I bought this frame back around 1994 or thereabouts. Transferred parts from a Frankenstein Giant aluminum lugged carbon frame that was based at the time around all the different companies I liked. Mavic headset, and hubs, race face crankset, salsa stem, first generation 600 ultegra STI brifters, etc.
Also hand built the wheels.

when I first came to the US at the end of ‘99 the bike came with me and travelled from state to state, and post marriage. I sent the bike which was starting to show some sun fade to one of my friends back in Whistler BC right around early 2002. She’s had it on a Trainer ever since and anothe r friend rides my “Rosa” sporadically.

seems like I’m going to have her shipped back to me here in CA. I’m thinking a full restoration including paint and a semi modern groupset once I figure out what is possible. Not even sure what original manufacturing Year is but I think it may be a 1990.

At any rate, super excited and will definitely get a few rides in as she sits in her present livery.

yay!!!!

Looks like a nice bike ... I really like that painting. :)

Very racer-like with that long Salsa stem. Nice pump on the seat tube. A Topeak Road Morph if I’m not mistaken. But it is occupying valuable space where your 2nd water bottle cage should be. Topeak’s standard bracket is dumb that way. They sell an optional bracket (for like ~$5.95) that offsets the pump to the side slightly, thus permitting your bottle cage install over the top with slightly longer screws.
That pearlescent white paint with the blue saddle and detailing is beautiful.

Nice. I have a plain black version of that same Selle San Marco, with the split rear. It's got a lotta butt miles on it, most recently on my Univega hybrid. Minimal padding but a flexible shell that gives just right in the right spots.

Sounds like a great project. Check out the retro-roadies thread in the C&V sub forum.

That's a nice bike and it deserves more than being attached to a trainer. Here's to hoping you make more great memories with it :thumb:

thanks! It holds a place in my heart! The painting is by a friend named Chili Thom from Whistler who unfortunately passed away a few years ago. Quite young in his 30’s. He was a great guy, artist, designer, and community member.

Thanks! The paint is actually a light pink. I haven’t decided if I’m going to repaint in same but I think so.this was the first bike I ever built from the ground up and although it’s a mosh mash of parts I still like the way it turned out!

Thank you, I’ll check that out!

Agreed, thanks for the kind words!

Pretty bike, especially the (De)rosy color. Deserves an appropriate stem and a frame pump.

that bike is begging for early 90s Campagnolo.

Agreed that’s what I’m thinking too. What do you think of modern carbon wheels though?

I would do a modern low profile CF clincher(LB 25mm hoops).

Yeah good call.

I think the bike is a 7 spd hub. What do you think the width would be and will I have to cold set for new wheels?

A steel frame will take an 8-speed hub with just a little effort. My Guerciotti is 126mm spaced, and a 8-speed 130mm hub fits fine. It takes a little effort, but nothing your fingers can’t manage.

If you are patient, you’ll probably be able to do 8-speed Chorus for about $500 or so.

Exactly what I’m looking for. Chorus circa ‘93-‘95 I figure

All boxed up and ready to go, hopefully heading out this way on Wednesday.

I realized that the Brifters would be 1st gen shimano 600 sti 8 spd.

if I buy some new wheels, I assume I’ll have to build them up with older hubs, is that right? A modern hub would not fit due to axle length regardless of spacers between hub/cassette, correct?

I’m thinking of keeping the crank though, still pretty unique

If that bike is 8 speed, that means it has a 130mm hub. An 11 speed hub is only 131mm, so I wouldn't worry about frame spacing.

Thank you sir! I’ll measure when it comes. The more I think about it, the more I’m going towards funky and cool, retro but not necessarily era specific...

robbyville, I can picture this De Rosa with Campy Potenza Silver. For the wheel set, I'd go with H+Son TB14s, something like this:https://www.velomine.com/index.php?m...5psvnmio8irqh4

Oh hell no. That crankset is hideous.

Get a Chorus groupset https://www.merlincycles.com/campagn...018-71985.html

and these wheels https://www.lightbicycle.com/New-Gen...ompatible.html

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e709029517.jpg

This Colnago actually belongs to a good friend of mine. I post this not as competition for your De Rosa, but to show what's possible with a full restoration. This is a completely new paint job. The attention to detail, correct colors and graphics is amazing, and the bike is even more impressive looking at it up close and in person. The pic doesn't do it justice. Good luck with your restoration!

Thanks Primov! I like that wheelset, but think I want the wheels to be a bit more modern in appearance. I've bookmarked the website though!

Ha! I still like the looks of the crankset, but perhaps only because its unique and nostalgic in an MTB kind of way. We'll see. I definitely like the wheel direction, not sure that I want to go quite so modern on the groupset but after looking at the Colnago below I'm starting to rethink. Hmmmm....

I absolutely hear you. I'm all in when it comes to the full restoration. In fact there's a fellow in town that I ride with who owns an auto shop and has done a number of absolutely perfect restorations on his own Motorolla Eddie Merck's, and quite a few others. He does an unbelievable job with them and I'm hoping that he will help me with mine albeit I'm not planning a team paint scheme, but more sticking with the paint job that made this bike so attractive to me at the beginning.

That will be a nice classic ride

Something to be said for treating an old ride to new bits... I freshened up my old 92 bianchi with a modern drive train. It was 7 speed back in the day, and I just stuffed ultegra 6500 on there in about '98, and now 5800 last fall. I personally didn't have any issues with the frame and didn't bother getting it cold set. It's basically a 2mm difference on each side - most frames, including my carbon frames flex at least that much. I do have to apply slight pressure inside the rear triangle to get the axle seated but it rides straight, so I'm OK with it.

You MIGHT want to think about outfitting it with a classic drive train (DT shifters et. al.) and hit up some Eroica events up in Paso in the spring.

(I've replaced the stem and bars since this pic... would have put a different seat post on but it's apparently some bizarre size)
https://i.imgur.com/zne1mOp.jpg

That Potenza crankset makes want to hurl. I love the look of silver components on a classic frameset, but not the Potenza groupset. Even the old Veloce groupset looks better.

I went with 1991 Chorus when I built up my classic Guerciotti. I looks great, and is fairly smooth, but nowhere near as smooth as modern Chorus.

https://live.staticflickr.com/4418/3...73c0f9c3_o.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/4381/3...e9372e46_o.jpg