bulgie 

Touring bike I made for my dad around '86. After he hit 90 y.o. he decided not to ride anymore, balance problems and didn't want to crash. So I got it back, modernized it slightly to sell. (Not for sale anymore, it's sold).

The lugs are the same as on an Impulse, but with windows cut in them. They don't make the bike ride better, they're only for looking fancy.





One good thing about lug windows, they show off brazing skill pretty well, because you can't file off any blobs or spatter down in there -- have to braze 'em clean in the first place. These lugs got zero post-braze filing.




His saddlebag rubbed on the seatlug there -- for years. Oh well.




The new owner is going to repaint it, and they'll take care of this rust at that time.



Notice how the reinforcing diamond goes into the tire clearance indent. Not a big deal, but I like it.



Bill got these dropouts pantographed, so of course I had to have them! They're Technociclo brand.



Showing how the chainstay and seatstay are shaped for clearance for the freewheel and chain. The stays are squished into a "D" cross section there, so this is done by shaping, not grinding away metal. Full strength of the stays are preserved. Davidson didn't invent this style but I think he perfected it. Most bikes this age are all knarfed up there, unless the owner added a spacer to the right side of the hub axle, which increases wheel dish -- not cool!

Well I guess that's enough of that. If you've read this far -- thanks for indulging me.

-Mark B.

bulgie 

Man that's a nice looking bike. G.E.L. 280 28 hole? I don't think I've ever ridden wheels that nice! Even at my best racing weight, those wouldn't have lasted long under me <sigh> Nicely detailed, well done!

-Mark

hobbs1951

Nice bicycle, and I do like the colour choice, not sure about some of your comments: especially the above one about chainstay shaping*. Davidson certainly didn't invent the style nor did he perfect it, if you look at the Campagnolo Portacatena you'll see what I mean - https://www.classiclightweights.co.uk...tena-comp.html

In fact I suspect Davidson was using stays designed for the Portacatena.

Regards, John.

*grinding (sic) wouldn't work for obvious reasons.

Chombi1 

Thanks Mark!,
The GEL280's are holding up OK so far, but I've always been a gentle with my wheels and really watch out for and always try to avoid bad bumps and potholes, So far, no cracks at the eyelets .........yet(?), but I also ride the bike with another set of similar but stouter wheels with GL330's and 32 spokes.
Anyway, the GEL280's are still much stronger and stiffer than the Fiamme Ergals I have on my Line Seeker.

bulgie 

Can't say I follow. What does portacatena have to do with it? Portacatena moves the chain and freewheel farther from the dropout, so the chainstay and seatstay do not need the added clearance. The "D" shapes at the bottom of the stays are unnecessary, if you're committed to sticking with portacatena.

Of course we know almost no one adopted it, and those that did mostly dropped it a year (or less) later. It's a silly design and evolutionary dead-end. On the page you linked to, they explain why it was so unpopular -- for good reason. IMHO, it was not even as well carried out as the Nivex "repose chaine" of several decades earlier. (I hope Campy didn't forget about Nivex, considering Campy's first parallelogram derailer was made after they purchased and studied the earlier Nivex, the first successful parallelogram rear mech.)

So, even though a portacatena bike doesn't need the nice shaping there, it was wise to shape them that way anyway, to allow the owner to ditch the portacatena and go back to a normal hub and freewheel, where the extra clearance is needed.

Please explain this: "*grinding (sic) wouldn't work for obvious reasons". Not obvious at all, especially since lots of bikes were in fact made with the clearance there achieved by grinding. (And what does the "sic" mean, did I mis-spell grinding?) I can probably find you lots of pictures of high-end frames where the clearance was done by grinding, if you haven't seen any. I've seen plenty that way. I don't particularly like it, but they didn't break there, so I consider it acceptable. Just not as excellent.

As for "In fact I suspect Davidson was using stays designed for the Portacatena." No, Davidson got stays with the ends unfinished, and made the D-section ends on the inner-right with tooling developed in-house. His tooling and method were in use for years before the portacatena was invented.

As to "Davidson certainly didn't invent the style" -- yes, I said exactly that in my post. Sounds sorta like you're correcting me, but we are in agreement on that.

"...nor did he perfect it" Let me explain myself on my "perfected" comment: I didn't mean he did it better than anyone else, I just mean he did it as well as can be done. Many other builders also did it "perfectly". If the chain and freewheel never touch the frame there, never scrape the paint or chrome, and this is done without weakening the stays, then how can you do it any better than that? That's my definition of perfect in that regard. I apologize for any confusion I caused.

-Mark

hobbs1951

You've clearly missed the point of my post.

John.

bulgie 

Once again we are in complete agreement! My first words in my reply to you were "Can't say I follow. "

I see you don't want to explain, but that's OK with me. Go in peace friend.

dddd

My first Davidson acquisition, by way of a raffle. Luckily it fits well, if at the small end of my frame-size spectrum. This bike really gives me respect for the brand, from the craftsmanship to the performance, it's enough to make this perhaps the first fade-paint bike that I've warmed up to.

kevincgove

Enjoy many years of riding! I've had mine since the late 80's and is still a joy to ride!

Chuckk

I've wanted a Davidson, and this showed up on CL at a reasonable price last Wednesday.


Turned out that it was a Goodwill find, and the finder had been trying to flip it for a year at ever reduced prices.
Too bad it lost its history, because I like to document the history of the bikes I get.
I believe it's a Davidson Discovery, and judging from the components it was built up in '89. I see no serial numbering, so is there any way to date the fabrication of the frame?
So my take is that it had been converted for triathlon at some time. But the long SR stem and mountain bike length seat post are both '89 as well.

But the components don't seem like a Hodge-podge conversion. Crank and both derailleurs are Deore, Shifters, hubs, head set, levers and calipers are all 105, seat post, stem and handlebars are SR, MA40 rims, and every date I can find is '89. Shop decal is Euro Sport, which was a pretty good racing shop here in Austin back then.
It rode awful! I think everything was shifted forward in positioning, and the 23's with the rear wheel shoved way forward didn't help.

I hate to change a bike after I get it - trying to archive how the previous owner built the bike, but had to change things.
Comfy saddle, shorter stem, Looks, fatter tires, tightened the spokes and moved the rear wheel back. General tuneup including the headset which was cranked down tight.
All the replacement parts came out of the shed. I know there's a Blackburn rack out there somewhere.

Rides nice now, though it feels smaller than the 60cm c-t it measures.
Anybody know more about these, and if '89 is a good date for the frame?

rccardr 

I believe that Bill Davidson did not use serial numbers (neither of mine have one). Definitely looks like a touring style frame, could be a Disco or a custom.
Either way, if it fits, you will learn to love it.

rccardr 

Bought this about a year or so ago from the original owner out in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Messed around with it for a few months but was kinda busy so never really rode it much. Then decided to significantly reduce the size of my bike collection and sold it off to Neal Lerner, who changed some things around but kept the original parts and also let it languish. Then I purchased another Discovery model from an estate sale in Montana, which although in excellent condition turned out to be basically a less-fancy version of the Discovery style custom I already owned. Sold that off to a grateful C&V'er- it went back to the PNW- and asked Neal if he'd be interested in selling this one back to me, which he was, and did. Looks sort of metallic red in this bright sun but in most light is more of a root beer brown.

One of only three bikes I've sold that I ever bought back, and glad it worked out that way. This time around did a total frame strip and rebuild of the components and bearings. Kept the Campagnolo headset and Suntour shifters & the first gen/7200 Dura Ace component mix. Picked up a set of Nitto Noodles, matching Dynamic stem & NiB Rolls in Rhino leather. All new stainless Shimano cables with lined Porkchop housing. Original Weinmann rims were hookless, so relaced the high flange DA hubs to new Mavic Open Elite rims to accept the Vittoria Graphene (nominal 30mm but mount up at a tick under 29) tanwalls. Bar tape looks like leather and wraps like leather but is some kind of high tech vinyl. A Willow 48 tooth big ring with a new 39 tooth Ultegra inner replaced the original 52/42. Might get me up Skyline or Thunder Ridge now if I take my time.

rosefarts

My kid loves his Grandpa's bike. That's 8 speed Dura Ace with downtube shifters. Only rocking cheap flats on a trainer due to a recent quad tear and repair he's recovering from. He's already said he'll never sell it. 1993 I think.

zacster

Davidson Front by zacfi2000, on Flickr

Davidson Side by zacfi2000, on Flickr

Untitled by zacfi2000, on Flickr

I had this made for me back in 1981! My son rides it now. Some of it is original but some is obviously not. The original Modolo Speedy brakes and levers were replaced when I couldn't get hoods, the wheels are just better wheels than the old 6 speed and have 10sp Shimano cassette but Campy NR friction. Crank is a Chorus 10 square taper with the original Zeus bottom bracket. Note that it is even older graphics than most, no "signature", no frame name. It is Columbus SL but no decal. This was from before he opened up shop at Elliot Bay. That yellow bar tape is long gone.

SurferRosa

https://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/b...169759906.html
.

bear_a_bug 

A few updates since I picked this up back in 2018. Still running 8 speed Sachs Huret New Success group. Thinking about dropping the 53t big ring down to something a little more realistic (upper 40s range). Anyone know what BCD the crankset is? I've heard it's some kind of Campy clone.

SurferRosa

Sheldon shows you how to measure it here:

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/cribsheet-bcd.html
.

RiddleOfSteel

I like the blue, and the off-the-beaten-path Sachs group on it. If it's anything Campagnolo-related, the BCD is probably going to be 135mm, a Campagnolo spec for a long time. Or you could do some research and see what you find as the information is out there. I don't know how successful you'll be finding 4x tooth chainrings in 135mm sizes, but good luck. The gear spread out back looks like it would accommodate you plenty. The 53T is there for the good downhills and looking stylish. Style is always important.

RiddleOfSteel

Ok, time to slot my newly acquired 1988 Signature. It's massive at 67cm, but the 72.5° ST angle plus a 60cm top tube mean the reach is really reasonable. Lugs and fork crown are more or less identical to my unknown-year Impulse (64cm), but the dropouts are lugged, so that's pretty cool. I wish the fork crown was more traditional, but at the end of the day, the slate grey metallic paint is gorgeous and in great shape--a far sight better than my Impulse's worn gloss white (like it when I bought it).

I bought the Signature with Campagnolo 9-speed Chorus/Racing T on it as well as a True Temper Alpha Q fully-carbon fork. The fork and '00s-period cockpit came off immediately and the original fork went back on along with a quill stem and Nitto Noodle bars. And matching tires. Nice rider, gentle, steady. Then I decided I wanted all my pretty Suntour Superbe Pro on it along with a few other special (to me) pieces. So I did that and it is beautiful! The ride is confident and smooth, and plays when you want it. Corners very well. I'll try and get a more level picture that also showcases the paint well, but really, the play between the paint color and the dark anodized rims+tan wall tires...ok ok, and the pearly aluminum bits, is just something else.

uncleivan 

91 or so impulse.

P!N20

Eben Weiss aka Bike Snob has recently taken delivery of a Davidson: https://bikesnobnyc.com/2021/10/19/c...a-closer-look/

zacster

That would make at least 2 Davidsons in NYC, except my son just took my Davidson back to Seattle where he just moved so I'd have something to ride when I get there.

DouglasLourey

The attention to detail on the Davidson's is outstanding. I own a 1983 Davidson Discovery, custom-built for me. Lots of new parts, but the frame, fork, headset, front derailleur, brakes and seat post are original, as is the four-color camouflage paint job. Unable to post a photo here because of a 10-post minimum before photo attachments are allowed.

kroozer 

My mid-80's Discovery. 700x35 wheels, mostly Japanese components.

https://flic.kr/p/XNjbMa

How do I post here from Flickr? Been a while.

C9H13N 

Mine, bought from the original owner, who said he knew Bill in the 1970s and that he got it “around 1980” in his own words.

Came with a complete post CPSC Nuovo Record group except for Phil hubs and BB. Pat 81 on the RD, so I call it a 1981. No serial number, as is tradition.



Doppler levers were my addition.



175 TA crank w/ 48-32 rings, pre-CPSC NR FD, and Soma long cage are additions. Part of the reason I chose the TA was so I could keep the original Phil BB, which is for a Campy double. It worked and the chainline is just right.

I’m at 37t wrap, and all 116 links of a KMC chain. I tried a 114 link chain at first and it wasn’t long enough.



Early Phil rear hub with steel center barrel, spaced 120. Front hub is the same but the Phil logo disintegrated when I washed it. Suntour New Winner Ultra 6, 13-32.



The bike was obviously well loved by its previous owner. The Phil hubs are laced to later model Open Pros with 1.5/2.0 DT Revolution spokes (!). But when I got it, it had obviously been sitting for a long time and needed help. The seatpost was stuck and I had to hammer it out, which worked but required a new post. The crown race is pitted and I think it’s aggravating some fork shimmy with the front bag, so I’ll replace it eventually. The rest cleaned up well, there’s plenty of patina for sure but the paint just glows after polishing.

I spent 3-4 months working on it one part at a time, taking apart every bit of the Campy group to the smallest bolt. It gave me a totally different appreciation for Campagnolo than I ever had before. The racing heritage and cachet is one thing, but seeing firsthand the kind of love that was put into the smallest details of the parts is something different.

It’s been almost 3 years since I got it and it’s still my favorite bike project I’ve ever done, the kind of thing that makes the hobby worth it. I plan to ride it in the next big Cascade fondo that I do, maybe this year’s STP if I can sort out the fork in time.