Essthreetee

Have you ever modernized a bike...only to find out that you don’t really ride it...and wish that you had kept the original parts?

I have a ‘84 Schwinn Tempo that I bought to build in honor of the one that my grandpa purchased for me prior to his passing...that then got stolen.
It was all original, and I built it up with full intentions of riding it once in a while.

I have only ridden it ONCE.

Someone tell me I am not alone in this...



(yes, it is 100* and I am sitting in my garage, sweating and trying to find something to do).

merziac

Haven't done that yet, gone the other way a couple of times and have a couple that was done to already that I wish were still original but have some that are wonderfully original too.

Being very OCD I would probably talk myself out of it before it got off the ground.

That being said it won't stop me from retro/resto modding/moderning some as my twisted visions present themselves.

The same OCD will never let the old/original parts get away so no danger of not being able to go back, many times even broken, rusty, crappy, whatever parts can be useful to use as a pattern, reference and anchor moving forward.

Manny66 

Lots of bike builds ,and Lots of regrets and what iff's in Millions of garages and sheds all around the World..

twolve

Yes, an 85’ Trek 620. I’ve found that almost always my taste as a 19 year old does not equal my taste as a 29 year old. It’s got some ugly blue velocity rims and bar tape, but alright otherwise. I just got it back from my parents though, so I am using it as a new canvas.

Part of the problem is it might be a little small.

Murray Missile 

Complete all original bikes I keep pretty much original, most of my "modernization" victims except one have started as already modified bikes or framesets with few or no components. The exception is the TREK 820 I bought new in '97. It's on about Ver. 6.0 and I ride it often. It went from Shmano Altus 3 X 7 with cantis to it's current Deore XT 3 X 9 with V-brakes over several rebuilds and I wouldn't dream of putting it back.

RobbieTunes

You are not.

easyupbug 

Local builder who knew Colin Laing when he was in town straightened both the fork and frame that had been badly spread to 130mm on a rescued ~'84 Laing 753 that was trashed. He even had Laing decals from Colin back in the day for a respray. I tried Chorus 9 speed since it was 130mm but it just was not right and it now is all DA 7402 and all is well.

merziac

Great job, well done!

RiddleOfSteel

A good majority of the bike I modernize respond very well to the newer components and wheels. It may take a little parts swapping to find a frame's particular preference (ok, frame + parts + rider's style), but it's happened. A frame's "true character" is revealed most clearly. Race-framed bikes seem to me to be pretty amenable to modernizing as they are all about speed and modern road groups keep getting better at that sort of singular focus.

More and more lately, I look to equip non-racing bikes as original or in the spirit of their original components. Not everything has to be a slave to speed and adrenaline and hyper-focus. Seattle still has steep hills and active traffic, so I must accommodate, but otherwise, it's not about the rat race and continual upgrading. I'm getting older I suppose...

merziac

Going to chime back in with this, shown many times and at times fits right in here but I didn't do this to it, it came to me this way and I know the complete history of it that started when Jim built it for himself and rode it 1000's of miles before stripping it down, removing the canti posts, repainting and selling it on.

I got it on consignment from Sellwod cycles from the third owner who bought the frame,and with the help of a friend and customer of Jim's, tracked Jim down to build it up for him with a Jim modified triple and buildup.

At another point later it was refitted again by Dave Feldman, a member here who allegedly worked for Jim back in the day to what it is now.

I knew I had to have it the minute I saw it, test rode, paid a bunch and was on my way.

JM027

Merz DA triple, Ultegra 9 speed, brakes, original custom racks, Campy HS, front wheel and rides like a dream.

Still, often think about full restore, huge undertaking to be sure, restore canti's, Mafac's, DiNucci green paint before it was that, Campy Triple record crank but not the Gran Tourismo RD.

merziac

You my friend have a special knack, touch and way with these things, nothing you build ever doesn't nail it.

I try to channel your deal and get crap, you sir are a lad in his own lane, you do fantastic work.

vintagebicycle

About 10 years ago I converted a 1980 Panasonic DX4000 from a full Shimano 600 bike to a 7 speed internal gear rear hub with front and rear roller brakes, a straight bar, and different saddle. The result was a great riding bike but the lighter frame was super flexible, with every stroke of the pedals I could watch the frame flex right and left. The 26" frame also had issues with the hub brake situation, stopping the wheels via the hub vs. the rim introduced all sorts of new stresses both on the wheel and the frame.
I rode it a couple times, then converted it back and sold it. I put the Nexus hub and roller brakes on a Raleigh Sprite 27 with wider rims, heavier spokes, and 27x1 3/8" tires and it rode like it was meant to be. I still ended up selling though, I just prefer bikes that are all original. The Shimano bits on a Raleigh just didn't seem right, even if it was just an old Sprite 27.

Bianchigirll 

I don’t modernize bikes other than maybe adding a cassette wheelset. I did however somewhat regret setting up my Hetchins as upright instead of drop bar bike.

tkamd73 

You are definitely not, didn’t have to worry about saving any original parts though. Built up this 78 Supercourse from a NOS replacement frame, repainted with original decals carried back from England under the clear coat, courtesy of Yellow Jersey in Arlington WI, NOS Cyclone GT rd, Superbe fd, good used original crank with new chainrings, NOS Suntour barcons, Gran Compe centerpulls with Superbe levers, Nitto seatpost, stem and bars, Brooks Pro saddle, Ofmega CX gold hubs matted to Velocity A23 rims, with assymetric rear and doublebutted spokes. Enjoyed the build, took over a year. That was almost a year and a half ago, have ridden it exactly 2 miles since, does look pretty good on the wall though.
Tim





Before

After

Collecting dust for now

RiddleOfSteel

Thank you! It helps to have good bike friends and a wealth of bike parts/enthusiasts in a metro area to allow me to experiment and test a bunch of stuff. Maybe it also helps to be a bit, uhhhh, "focused" when it comes to bikes.

Clyde1820

I've never had a classic or valuable vintage bike, but generally I do this: make the swap-over, but keep the remaining parts for a good year until I'm fully satisfied I'll never, ever be going back. Haven't ever needed to worry about the future value of the "original" package, but keeping the parts around for a year effectively negates much of the risk.

merziac

You're welcome, if you were in the right place at the right time you would probably be able to make a living off it.

The focus coupled with your vision is what gets you there and is what it takes.

Your change ups on the same bike/frame even seem to always go well, never seen any that I wouldn't ride.

I think the Strawberry was my version of your deal for me but it was a blank canvas that also had a large budget so it was easier to get
there.

And of course was far quirkier than what you normally do.

That's another big facet of your process, often using what is on hand and practical while still taking it to a very high level.

RobbieTunes

+1

I'm also a fan of RoS's builds; like he reads my mind, then does it better.
A great frame is a great frame. Better components do not dilute that.
A great frame in decades-old kit is even better in modern stuff. Almost always.
Wheels, then crankset, then drivetrain. They get you pretty far.
Toss in modern amenities like an Innicycle headset/stem, carbon bars/stem/seat post and modern saddles?
Hoo boy. Hoo boy. Almost always. I've had a couple that seemed to pout about it and not want to play
.
Kids, you don't have to imagine what it's like, you can do it and see for yourself.
Find out what rccardr and Chrome Molly and others know.
I urge folks to at least try and build one, just one, and see how it goes.
We're getting to where decent used 11sp stuff is reasonably priced, 10-sp is cheap cheap.

My latest cheapo shopping list to "do it up right:"
Innicycle headset/stem adapter.
Chinese carbon bars, stem, saddle, seat post.
Used modern group with external BB and light wheels.

That being said, one should not expect a high-end classic steel frame with identical kit to out-perform a modern carbon.
There are still frame differences purely due to weight and geometry that may not always meet your expectations.

The differences are acceptable for me. Actually, in some cases, more fun.
I rode 80 miles yesterday with 4600' of climbing on a 1996 frame with Ultegra 6800.
50/34 front and 11-28 rear had me doubting my ability.
53/39 and 12-24 could have had me weeping in futility.
Adrenaline overcame it on the first half of most climbs, reality kicked me to the curb the 2nd half.
But, it was bearable, and just the idea that I was on an "old bike" made it more fun.

I would like to try a 1x11 on a C&V frame, but I doubt there'll be a "next one."
Doesn't mean I can't swap sheet around and give it a shot.

RiddleOfSteel

Aww, you guys are making me blush! Thank you, and very well stated on everything else you said. There are a number of great modernizers on this forum like yourself (that dark grey Ironman you did was devastating), and I'm happy to be among them, plying my non-trade. A lot of modern stuff is really great, and it often enhances things, especially race bikes, appreciably. I think I'll let deep section carbon be as I've really liked the spring+damping of, essentially, Dura-Ace C24 box section carbon/aluminum wheels. With my frames at scaffolding sizes, an 'airy' looking pair of wheels looks a bit more appropriate/congruous, and is often a bit more comfortable. And cheaper, because deep section carbon wheels are $$$. And very very sexy.

branko_76 

It could be worse. Look what this guy did to this poor Falcon. He's very proud of his "fixie" conversion.....

abshipp 

I've found that my tastes in bicycles is rather cyclical. Sometimes I like friction shifting and 5-6 speed freewheels, sometimes I want indexed integrated shift/brake levers and as many gears as I can get.

I don't get rid of parts that I remove - you can fit the drivetrain from a few bikes into a single shoebox without many issues, and it's pretty easy to switch between modern and vintage components without making permanent changes to a bike.

I do sometimes regret the 650B cantilever conversion on my 716, but I only feel that way right now since I've been loving how fast I am on my Super Le Tour 12.2, "modernized" with 8s Campagnolo Mirage levers and a modern aero-ish lightweight wheelset. Comparatively, as-built the 716 is a heavy, plodding bike but it's time to shine will come soon enough when good full coverage fenders become a welcome feature, and downtube shifters are so much easier to operate when wearing bulky winter gloves.

oldspokes

I've got a '77 Super Course sitting here that I picked up 25 or more years ago, it was originally bright red, but its faded to a pale orange color with time. The bike itself is in great shape otherwise and nearly 100% original.
I thought about repainting it but can't justifiy a high dollar paint job on it, bu after looking at Sheldon Brown's Competition, and now your green SC, its go me thinking about it again. The way the bike sits now, its the perfect bike to ride and not worry about scratching, and its 100% reliable. Its just ugly.
I thought about trying to match the original paint, but since the original paint was a 'candy' type color, in that they used a translucent color coat over a metallic basecoat to get the deep, bright red it had. I've not seen a close enough single coat paint to match and none of the original paint has survived enough to get a paint sample from to have something custom mixed.
My next idea was to make it black, and build it as a n upright bike like Sheldon did, possibly using an internal gear hub as well.
Your green bike gives me an idea, how about painting it British racing green, painting the fenders and all green.

madpogue 

(photo redacted out of mercy)

Hey, you forgot the "Warning: May induce vomiting" disclaimer!