ryansu

Um pretty freaking sweet, nicely done OP

ryansu

Oh I think you can wrench and make time for the occasional Tavern and a cold hop based beverage, very nice find, Have fun

ryansu

Is that a Six Pack rack? nicely done.

Jay.Money

It’s a Portland Design Works rack. Yes, holds a six pack perfectly. Comes with a waterproof roll top bag that clips in and holds a lock. I found it used locally.

merziac

Tx man, really just getting started, need to sort out the wheels, these have the very cool Bullseye's but mismatched skinny rims, going to put some UKAI's with Suntour XC high flange hubs and new generic gumwall MTB tires on for now and see how these clean up and look with some better tires. Probably going to swap in some Record/NR chainrings as it would have come with and some Deerheads as well, we'll see.

Then eventually strip, clean polish, touch up some and maybe think about someday repairing the tweak, maybe, it rides just fine and is way small so.....

Kent T

Wrenching on bikes, and cold hop based beverages, whether enjoyed at home or in Taverns, go hand in hand. Enjoy them in your day, wrenching on bikes is relaxing to me, is satisfying, and my bikes and I are one (and I know they're functioning to their finest). Much better than hyper television (though a bike race on TV will make me reconsider that). Take care of your fine bike, it will love you back and take care of you amazingly. And keep you fit physically and mentally. Cycling is relaxing for me, and sanity in an overwhelming world.

RiddleOfSteel

Today has been one of those thankfully rare but still inevitable "in the loss column" kinda days. Nothing was actually lost, but many things done right that resulted in either something still going wrong and/or not as good as before. Case in point is a very non-C&V build, a 2010 Ridley Damocles (Pozzato edition with an integrated seat post) frameset that I recently picked up. All carbon, built for Classics riding, so a little beefier than a lightweight climbing bike you'd see in Grand Tours. Looks sensations, especially with the seat post, is still stupid light, and has a BSA threaded BB. It has received all the components from my greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts Prologue (10-speed 7900-era Dura-Ace with super light DA wheels).

Well, three ride attempts in, and the headset refuses to stay tight. I think I have found the culprit, but to get only a handful of blocks after a couple of attempts, complete with three-story up and down trudging, one starts seeing red. Geez. And naturally the first part of the ride is six blocks of really s#!&%y neighborhood road. Perfect for sussing out issues and getting things to settle in, demoralizing and angering for anything else unplanned. So I have a bike that feels junky with the loose headset, and on its shoulders are dreams and expectations of road bike superiority. Everybody loves these bikes! They take off like a rocket! The Tours and Classics pedigree! At present, it absorbs that crappy section of road superbly, bar none. When the headset is solid feeling, the rest of the bike feels fantastic. Out of the saddle, it lacks steel's innate "spring" but is certainly no slouch. I'll have to ride it differently/have a non-tired motor.

So I'm going to take it to my LBS and talk it over. I have bar tape from my Davidson, the wheelset from my Specialized Epic Carbon, and all the parts from my Prologue. Many things hang in the balance. And yes, this is some first world life-isn't-hard stuff. And also yes, the Prologue in it's most current state is the result of continual refinement. Still, the Prologue is magical in the sense that it can tame hills with a 25T rear cog instead of the normal 28T I use for everything else. I still think the Ridley can be an epic bike, just after I get the headset sorted.

I took the Land Shark out to run around the neighborhood. The Salmon Koolstop brake pads howl and buzz incredibly loudly and it drives me nuts. Rear brake cable friction is also uncharacteristically high. I adjusted the pad toe in mid-ride just to be out of the dumb apartment. No luck. What the heck... Front brakes also cause fork shudder at 3mph to stopping speeds. I dislike this.

Gotta finish the day with a win somewhere. Take the wheels off the Ridley, put them on the Epic, and go for a ride. All is wonderful, minus the Epic's just-too-short frame height. Fantastic carbon ride with good out of saddle character, though still no match for steel. It will move on to another owner.

The Campy EPS-equipped '74 Paramount has its battery not fully charging now, in addition to a slightly shorter life. I'm looking into finding a suitable Shimano-splined freehub for the rear hub and converting the whole thing back to cable-only, full 3x10 with STIs (touring+) but with the more sinister black aesthetic that the bike has had with the EPS. I need to cut open (carefully) the spare/toast battery/brain box to see how easy it would be to change out the old lithium batteries for new ones as the pack will likely be a standard part. I want and need to trust the bike, and if I can't, then the EPS has to go to someone else because I'm not sidelining a brilliant-riding Paramount.

I suppose the big W in the end is further distilling of bikes/frames, as I have continued to sell items. The two bikes I have up to sell, both have minor but annoying issues that will take sleuthing to eliminate.

Anyway, venting is complete. Thanks for reading.

mkeller234

My wife tried out the bike this weekend. She wasn’t completely comfortable with the drop handle bars, so I changed them out with a set of Waldo bars. The test ride this afternoon got a 👍.

ryansu

we've all been there man, but in the end its under the big W

capnjonny 

Just finished up work on a few bikes and cleared out the garage.

I am going in for a hip replacement on Monday so won't be able to do any wrenching for a while .

One of the founders of the Bike Exchange got married last week . His new bride, a good friend, is a surgeon for Kaiser hospital and half the guests at the wedding were medicos. the other half were mostly bikers and engineers ( actually most of the bikers were engineers).

At dinner the other 2 people at our table were a Surgeon and an Anesthesiologist. They both knew my Surgeon well and told me he is looked on as a god by his colleagues.

Looks like I will be in good hands. I will let you all know how it turns out.

I told the guys at the Bike Exchange to save out some especially tasty bike donations for me for when I get back on my feet. In the meantime I will have my hands full trying to figure out how to make my new cell phone work.

.

Slightspeed

Finished hanging parts on the $20 '78 Super Course ($20, frame, fork, seat post, bars, headset , BB, and brake calipers). It all went together nicely. I may have to get the rear wheel re-dished, since the VGT Luxe RD, just ticks the spokes in the big 34t gear. I put a spacer behind the freewheel to move it out a bit, and made it around the block several times without more ticking, but it is close. The fit seems pretty good, but the camo bar tape is temporary till I get the fit sorted. The paint is patined, but decent. I may re-do some decals. Foolproof way to remove the old decals, but preserve the paint? Anyone?


Gold twins, '78 Peugeot PR10 and '78 Super Course project, almost there. Aero levers and bar end Suntours make for a mess of cables upfront, though I'm not real fond of the Pug's downtube shifters.

RiddleOfSteel

Thanks, man. I ended up spending the last few hours of that night, apartment windows open, letting the cool air waft in, taking apart yet two other bikes. My '74 Paramount, now complete in yet another transformation, is back to all cables, of the 3x10 Dura-Ace variety. I got clever and put a 1mm spacer on a 116mm (or is it 118?) spindle BB's drive side to fit a triple-ized crankset (7400-era Dura-Ace). The triple 7803 DA front derailleur works it just fine, save for pushing the chain down to the granny ring. I don't have enough lateral movement left in the FD's travel to force the chain over. An 11-speed chain (instead of a 10-speed) that is slightly narrower doesn't help things, though its slight extra length over my already trimmed 10-speed chain helped. Aside from that tuning issue, the bike is complete and looking fantastic. I took the Damocles into the LBS and they sorted out the headset. Hopefully it will stay put--it did for the extended test ride just outside of the shop.

We're back in the W column. Now I just have a bunch of partial bikes...

capnjonny 

Update 6/4/19


Went in yesterday for the hip replacement. I felt very upbeat despite reading all the "cover your ass" reading material telling me all the ways I could be permanently damaged or dead by the operation and meds. At 71 years old I figured if I croaked it was o/k I have had a pretty full life so far. I figured that this is the time for me to start replacing parts while I am still healthy and active (biking and swimming). Most of the bad news these guys were handing out applied to old sick folks with heart conditions and diabetes etc.


I have plenty of aches and pains from working with my body most of my life( carpenter, cabinet maker) and from being a big 6'5" 255 lb guy. lots of wear and tear.


As soon as the hip heals I am going to go for a right knee replacement and then a little work on my left big toe. Hopefully that will keep me on the bike and in the pool for a few years to come.


The body is like a car. As the miles pile up you have to start doing preventive maintenance, including replacing parts that wear out. I thank my lucky stars that I have good health insurance, Medicare and Kaiser advantage supplemental coverage. My hip operation cost me all of $285. ( plus a bunch of $35. co pays every time I went in to see a doctor.).


Back when I was a self employed General contractor we were spending $35,000. a year for full coverage for 2 adults and 2 children. Medicare plus Obamacare has slashed that down to a manageable amount, especially since being retired my income has dropped to almost nothing.


I am walking around with my walker and doing my exercises and can't wait to start fixing up bikes again.

DQRider 

This was quite the project. I built this bike as a present for my very tall cousin Dan. Maybe I should post this to the Before and After thread as well?

Here is what I bought for $60:



And here is what I built that into:



Deore 1x9 drivetrain (cold-set the rear triangle to 130mm) with Tektro brakes, 700c conversion, Brooks Flyer saddle, Velo Orange Handlebar, Ergon grips, parts bin pedals, and finished the frameset in burgundy powder coat with creme enamel accents.

I had some trouble mounting the Mud Butler hammered aluminum fenders. For some reason they didn't want to take their proper shape, despite much manipulation. This is the first time it has happened to me, and it changes my view of other bikes that I see like this. I guess sometimes they just don't work out?



He likes it! The big galoot...

tyler_fred

A very nice classic look! I like it!

merziac

And the exact issue with the HS was......

RiddleOfSteel

Carbon paste, mostly. Smooth carbon steerer and smooth aluminum stem just wouldn't hold. Took it around a lot last night and it held perfectly.

Paramount rides properly, as per usual. I am finding that the 7400 hubs + DB spokes + MA2 rim makes for a very compliant wheel. One of the best $200 purchases I've made, and that was four-ish years ago. I'm not giving up these wheels.

Pics soon...

Dylansbob 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Gz...5v9vL6ML0PrNkA

2.2 650b fits the frame and fork like they were made to fit. Brake bosses are a touch low though.

lukedunk

Just picked up a frameset for my first go at a vintage-ish build.
Can't post photos yet but the album is here:
photos.app.goo.gl/gF6Baf7JLPRM7sGH7

I believe it's a 1980s Japanese made Bianchi, still trying to ID the model and year.

Suggestions?
The paint is rough enough that I was thinking of stripping to either repaint or do a bare metal finish.
Considering a sort of neo-retro build with brifters and a set of wooden rims from Ghisallo: www.cerchioghisallo.com

ryansu

I have been trying to Finish up an 87 Schwinn Letour that I found locally for $50 with no rear brake, its too small for me so it was a fix up and sell deal from the beginning. I am normally a Friction shifting guy because I am lazy and its easy for me to set them up, however, my clunker challenge Trek 520 was set up with 6 speed indexing and I kind of liked it for as a change of pace and decided when I set up the Schwinn shifting I would go index, give it a honest try at setting it up and maybe learn a new skill. I found the Park tools on RD adjusting very helpful for setting the indexing but still had to do allot of fiddling to get all the up and down shifts in both rings to work satisfactorily. I ran out of daylight so the test ride will wait until Sunday to see if the in stand adjustments translate to riding on the road.



New FW, chain, cable and housing


My starting point with RD aligned alittle to close to the stays

52telecaster

Damn useful looking ride!

ryansu

The 87 Schwinn Le Tour is finally done and on CL, I will be happy to pass it along, it fought me at seemingly every turn. My enthusiasm on working on projects that don't fit me and have zero chance of staying in the quiver is on the wane, unless its a project for someone in particular. A perfectly fine bike but its just too small and I am happy to be done.



after lots of fiddling the indexing works


Came to me with no brake and this is my second attempt after the dia-compe 500 was too short I found a shimano long reach 57mm at the co-op.


Ready for a new home

JaccoW

Been doing some rust removal on a couple of bikes.
Black spots is a protective layer of converted rust. Needs some washing to show the best result.

Rexnuktia

Picked up an Austro-Daimler Superleicht for $15. Got it powder coated.Will post pictures as soon as I have 10 posts here.

RiddleOfSteel

Well, ol' RiddleOfSteel has escaped being completely owned by the mega effort task of mounting any kind of tire onto a Campagnolo Atlanta 1996 aero rim set. Picked up on Friday evening, the Campy rims (at 590g a piece!) were hand built IIRC and laced to Shimano 6402 hubs (8+ speed). I had been eyeing these for a while and the price dropped to a nice level. Fully polished and in great shape. Owner bought them as NOS apparently and ended up not riding them much at all. I did a full hub overhaul on both (perfect shape) as well as rubbing Mother's Mag & Alu polish over everything to shine it up, smooth it up (some spokes were a little raw/"grippy" when running fingers along them), and get some weird paint speckling off them.

As for mounting the tires, NOTHING has been remotely close to being as difficult to mount tires to as these rims. Very shallow rim bed. I used two matching tubes with long presta valves that needed patching. Well, two "starting lineup" tire levers broken and a total of five patches between both tires, we're good to go! I had a trio of bend-not-break tire levers that I had picked up somehow but had never used. The Three Amigos ended up being the key to my success, both in getting tires on and off. I now have a pretty efficient M.O. that doesn't involve immense effort or extracurricular language. I may have given back 370g in weight just in rims alone (over the savings I had with a full 6400 8-speed STI groupset) as the Matrix Iso CII rims are just 420g each, but at 34mm and a nice round profile, the Atlanta '96 rims are strong and aero, and I don't feel any speed loss. I also don't have any comfort loss. Crazy! Also crazy is how the Land Shark looks now, with it's HAWT-Lanta rims and blue-stripe Vittoria Open Corsa tires. It really visually anchors the bike, which I never thought would happen to this 66cm frame.

In other news, I picked up a used replacement freehub body for my Cannondale ST that I'm selling. The old freehub body had a big knock sound at every rotation when coasting (on the stand). I knew the bearings were good and adjusted, so it had to be the FH body. The new one worked a treat and now the bike is ready to sell! Finally!

Doing the groupset shuffle on a few bikes. Parts off one (Spec' Epic Carbon) so I can sell the frameset, to parts on another (Prologue) so that she doesn't feel abandoned because I took her wonderful components and put them on an era-correct carbon frameset. Especially when said extremely-good frameset can't quite flatten hills with the same parts as the Prologue can.

Sold two framesets and a few components over the weekend. Getting a bit airy in the "bookcase of frames" section of my apartment! Working on consolidating things as usual and actually tracking pretty well with it.

Up next will be BB work for my '74 Paramount to suss out her front triple's shifting issues. And now that I have an Ofmega Super Competizione Pista crankset for my Bushnell Track bike, along with a 49T track chain ring, I will work to employ an ISO taper BB and finally get that bike to the next level.