wrk101

So I have a 1975 Sakae Professional, black over chrome (kind of translucent). Lots of chrome details. Came to me as a frame set, so I built it up with a mix of Cyclone, Superbe, Dura Ace brakes, Sugino Super Maxy crankset, Belt leather saddle, and Campy wheels. Talk about a Frankenbike!

But then I picked up a 1977 Carabela Professional two weeks ago. All Dura Ace 1st generation, all anodized black. The components are all date coded late 1976.

The Sekae as acquired:

[IMG]1975 Sekai 4000? by wrk101, on Flickr[/IMG]


Built up to this:

[IMG]1975 Sekai 4000 Professional by wrk101, on Flickr[/IMG]

And swap the parts from this (Maybe round up black bars and stem combo?)

[IMG]1977 Carabela Professional by wrk101, on Flickr[/IMG]

2cam16

Leave it,IMO. The little bit of chrome gives it a nice offset.

jj1091

I'd go with a black saddle and black bartape, but not the black crankset.

CliffordK

Maybe some first gen Campagnolo Super Record?

9volt 

Looks better as it is with the contrast. I have a nice silver DA crank, shifters, and Crane if you'd like to trade for the black pieces...

What kind of post is on the Carabela?

non-fixie 

Put the Belt saddle on the Windsor and you're done.

3speedslow

Do black.

Andy_K 

wrk101

Silver cable housing would look awesome. I’ve got a Fujitsu Professional, looks just like a Brooks Professional that I will put on there next. If I had a black saddle I’d go with black bar tape for sure.

palincss

That frame is far too pretty to soil with black components. I'm not a "period correct" fanatic, but honestly, adding those black chain rings to that lovely bike would be as harmonious as adding a kazoo to a string quartet: it just doesn't go.

cdmurphy

Black components on a black frame? It's too much of a good thing. Now, black components on an orange frame? That's just sexy :-)

Ex Pres 

I'd do it black.

Hey, if you don't like it, take it off.
And I agree with ditching the blue housings - red might even be worth a shot

Glennfordx4

I voted all black, I am trying to build up a black and white Nishiki Prestige with as much black components as I can find, it's hard when you are as cheap as I am lol. Building it up with 105 9spd group and still need a crankset and brakes, this is a bike I plan to flip so finding parts that won't brake the bank is my mission. Good looking bike no matter how you build it.

Glenn

randyjawa 

Too much black - can't happen...

cyclotoine

Love the black retro components on a black and chrome frame it will look awesome

inkandsilver

I agree! Go for it.

jetboy 

that is a cool frame i have to say. I don't think it matters if you go black components or not, as its still going to have a chrome and black aesthetic going on. I echo the others: embrace the chrome and black and ditch the blue. the one band of blue on the downtube holds in own and does not need to be matched.

here is what silver housing looks like (yes I know the rear loop is too long to the RD) on a basically equivalently bling frameset. sorry it was a bit sunny - the frame is blue but almost looks black here.

IranianOyibo

Has anyone ever done all-black components on a black frame? I've never seen a photo... so maybe, just maybe, it's time. Let's have a look once you're done.

Salamandrine 

The black chainring dura ace stuff looks right on the Carabela. Why not leave it there.

I think the Sekai is going to look best with all silver stuff. There's enough going on with the chrome and the black on the frame. Doesn't need more distraction. Yeah, lose the blue housing. Silver or black. The handlebar tape should be either black or white IMO.

Just an aside: the 70s were not all silver all the time, as a lot of people seem to think. However, black stuff was usually just accents here or there, often chainrings and bits of derailleurs, that sort of thing. It was around. But a black stem and bars? Nah, that's a late 80s thing. (probably someone will find some exception to this to prove I'm wrong, oh well)

Salamandrine 

Oh, duh, the Carabela is not your size.

On second thought the original issue Dura Ace black gruppo might perhaps be cool. Don't really know till you try. You have it I guess so why not. Not the seatpost or stem though. The main thing is the blue housing has to go.

If you keep the current stuff, the main thing that catches my eye is the crank. A bike that nice needs a Sugino Mighty, not a Maxy.

wrk101

One thing about the black components, they are not solid black at all. The black crank is really a silver crank with black rings. The black Crane RD is black and silver and so on. The brake levers on the Sekae are already “black”. Of course you can’t see it as all the black is covered by the lever hood. The front of the lever is silver, black hubs with silver dust caps, skewers, lock nuts and rims. Agree the silver seat post and stem look good, part of the silver and black look.

mountaindave 

1) Housing: I'd be willing to bet that the digital image makes the blue glow more than it does in real life. I think it complements the blue Sekai decal nicely.

2) The Cyclone RD is black anodized - perfecto!

3) The saddle/tape doesn't have to go all black, but a dark brown combo would be a step up from the original belt brown.

4) The crankset needs to be this:

The polished look with drillium is out of this world and puts some bling in an area of the frame that is lacking.

My humble opinions...

jetboy 

that is a holdsworth (planet X retro repro) compact, and I should have bought 5 of them as they were down to like $70 - and now they are gone from the site (they still have the non-drillium non compact version) I hope they make some more.

I mean a retro compact with drillium for $70? what was I thinking? I should have bought 20 of them.

mountaindave 

That was a steal!

Lascauxcaveman 

This is the right amount of black:


Although black chainrings would just look wrong here, I could get away with adding black brake levers. The really important part is the chrome top tube cable clips, then the chrome saddle rails/rivets, then the polished stainless steel fenders; in that order.

Because I said so