Slightspeed

I finished the 100Km today on my Legnano Gran Premio. 117Km or 72.9 miles, actually, completed during the Pasadena Retro Velo Vintage ride. Great day to ride the clunker in amongst all the shiny high $$$ collectables. I think everybody appreciated the $100 effort to get the bike out of a shed, get it rolling, and put the miles on, under budget. I dug a couple of well worn Gatorskins out of my garage stash, and yesterday, during a 16 mile neighborhood ride, the fromt flatted 1 block from home. I walked home, grabbed another patched tube, and selected another more robust looking Gator from the pile. Today passed without incident, no flats, nothing fell off, actually enjoyed the ride.

Final tally:
Purchased from wonderful BF Menber Rfields, clearing out his shed $50.00
Replacement Balilla brake calipers from Ebay $23.00 incl shipping.
Used tires, estimate $5, ea $10 Total
Well used bar Tape, $5.00 from a swap meet amortized over at least two bikes $ Nil.
Used SPD pedals from online co-op via Ebay $10.00
I did grease the headset, but never got around to the bottom bracket (afraid of the cottered crank), but I'm sure it needs it.
Pretty much it. $93 total.

Now that I'm off the budgetary restraint, I plan to look for a longer seat post (it's a 54 frame, and I usually ride 56-60 cm) to improve the fit. The well worn Brooks Professional is surprisingly comfy. I need to get some real tires, too. I will decide what to do about the bottom bracket. The cottered crank works perfectly well (my first since 5th grade). I have a nice alloy Campy GS, if I can figure out the spindle length, but I think the cottered antique is kinda cool looking. The much maligned Campy Gran Turisimo RD seems to work fine. I may ditch the Campy DT shifters. They are either too stiff, or too loosey goosy. I much prefer Bar End shifters. New bar tape, cables and housings, too. Pretty much it. It was a great experience and a great ride. I learned my lesson from a "cost no object" Super Course that I'm really happy with, but have way more $$$ into it that it will ever be worth - except to me.

Fun project - let's do it again!

Passing the 100Km mark at the Rose Bowl today. (I borrowed the pump and seat bag off my other Legnano for today's ride)

Legnano family portrait. Clunker GS on the left (as bought), and my Roma Olympiad on the right, had since new in '64. Both great rides!

I bought the GS on the way home from Eroica. I'm not one of those guys who rides around after the event with old numbers hanging, just unloaded the car and saw a photo op.

Mr. 66

Oh gosh, still in build mode here. I've gone through all the bearings. They were all good and shiny. The bb is English, it came out with ease. The bb had a debris shield inserted, it was rolled beer can. I inspected thecranks and the Stronglight small ring has a lot of wear on the power stroke areas. Also the cotter pins on the Nervar original cranks were the wrong size. I do have some other Nervar that will take the cotter pins but the new chain rings bolt on differently. I need to check the chain line. For the moment it now has Tange bb with a Super Maxi on it, but that coming off and I'll go back to Nervar.

The rear wheel had a bunch of loose spokes, that has been re-tightened. The front wheel had 2 cut spokes, I was able to find a couple in the stash, those have been replaced. The original seatpost was shimmed with a Budweiser can metal, I found a 25.6 post that seems to fit.

I also managed to find a saddle at the coop, an Ideal 80, sweet that's going to look great!

ollo_ollo

Good Job! That's a nice looking bike already, deserves bigger than a $100 budget.

All but 1 of my clunkers got similar treatment. Better tires, + other improvements. I have since given a couple away, so they now get more riding than I would give them. The 1 exception is a small Motobecane mixte so neglected/ugly no one wanted her. Still have the frame, will either donate or repaint it some day. With new paint and dressed up with shiny components, it would end up in a good home. Don

ollo_ollo

Those Levers with Red brake release buttons are seldom seen anymore. Had some once on a 1965 Schwinn Super Sport. Don

Oldsledz

I have been on 4 rides in the last few days on my Raleigh Sports 3 speed, for a total of 41.7 miles. The bike has made it with no problems.

Mr. 66

The Kazama, lol, is taking shape also. I'm not sure my friends gonna finish it but we'll see.

eeuuugh

I've been making progress on the Azuki. Two weeks ago I spread the rear triangle, overhauled and trued the wheels, and made a drop bolt for the front brake. I used this piece of a rack strut.

Sheldon Brown's drop bolts were two tabs bolted on the front and back of the fork crown. I had this chunk of strut handy and figured I could bend it and make a one-piece drop bolt. I marked the fork crown width on the strut for bending.
Here it is bent and assembled. In homage to Sheldon I used "some square nuts I had laying around" as spacers.This
This version had too much drop though! I bent it again.

Here is the current assembly. The square nuts wouldn't fit under the fork crown so right now it just has the one spacer, which braces against that thin bridge in the middle of the strut. Doesn't look sturdy? Well, it's probably not. I'm gonna look for more spacers.

I also worked on the drivetrain. I have this old cartridge BB I pulled from a scrap frame, and these "worn out" cranks from work (pedicab shop). They wouldn't index reliably but I have friction shifting in front so no big deal.
Shifting is accomplished by an Altus RD on a claw hanger and this FD AX-50 I was happy to find in my parts bin, since I believe it will accomodate a triple, and also has a built-in housing stop, necessary to avoid more kludges.

I trued and overhauled the wheels, installed new brake pads, and put a chain I found in my backyard on it. In fact as of yesterday...
It (look)s done!

Still needs some adjustments. I've ridden it just over two miles and the front brake is definitely kicking up, so gonna work on a better spacer solution. Maybe cut a piece of axle to length and drill it out. There's weird friction in the rear brake line, possibly just because I used used housing. Also, I hate the seat, but it does look good.

Money spent:
One tube: $5
Kool-stops: $10 (got em with work discount)
Pedals: $1 (great yard sale)
Seat: $1 (same yard sale)
3 cables and two pieces of non-compressive housing for the rear shifting: $10
BRAND NEW Cinelli "cork gel" bar tape: FREE (lucky)

Total: $27

The ride is meh. The tires are stiff and heavy (but flat resistant), the seat is uncomfortable, I don't like the feel of the bar tape, and the brakes squeal. But it pedals and shifts and brakes, and it fits me. Next week I'll try to get my miles in!

Cl904

Rode around the neighborhood with my girl for around 3 hours yesterday. Didn’t track distance, but we were going slow, so I’ll say a total of 20k, so up to 25k. Ideale saddle was too soft, and I found a split in the leather, so a used velo Orange saddle is on. I paid $50 for it over a year ago, so that brings my total spent to $94 I think.

Luckily, I don’t see needing anything else because this bike works perfect. Smooth and silent riding.

Cycle Tourist

Bought the bike for $30. Added a FD from my rust parts bin, (just add naval gelly and steel wool) $10. Rattle can paint $15. New decals $10. Used handle bar tape, value $5.

ryansu

Dude you don't make it pretty with touch up paint and decals until after the challenge -what if you need to replace something important? seriously nice job @Cycle Tourist finding an internally brazed Pug to rehab and ride is on my someday list

merziac

[QUOTE=Slightspeed;20915932]I finished the 100Km today on my Legnano Gran Premio. 117Km or 72.9 miles, actually, completed during the Pasadena Retro Velo Vintage ride. Great day to ride the clunker in amongst all the shiny high $$$ collectables. I think everybody appreciated the $100 effort to get the bike out of a shed, get it rolling, and put the miles on, under budget. I dug a couple of well worn Gatorskins out of my garage stash, and yesterday, during a 16 mile neighborhood ride, the fromt flatted 1 block from home. I walked home, grabbed another patched tube, and selected another more robust looking Gator from the pile. Today passed without incident, no flats, nothing fell off, actually enjoyed the ride.

Final tally:
Purchased from wonderful BF Menber Rfields, clearing out his shed $50.00
Replacement Balilla brake calipers from Ebay $23.00 incl shipping.
Used tires, estimate $5, ea $10 Total
Well used bar Tape, $5.00 from a swap meet amortized over at least two bikes $ Nil.
Used SPD pedals from online co-op via Ebay $10.00
I did grease the headset, but never got around to the bottom bracket (afraid of the cottered crank), but I'm sure it needs it.


Pull the seatpost and slop some grease down the tube for the time being.

mrv 

To not ruin my knees I bought a new seatpost: $19. (ever had the bike shop owner shoot you a nice low price, then you go to pick up the part, and his wife is working. and she charges you the full price? happens to me quite a bit......)
also change the seat from a GUNNAR CrossHairs I scored for $200 total. so I'm calling the seat $5. it's a terrible seat. Giant somethingorother.

anyway - up to 25km now and $45.
this things a .... turd. am I allowed to say that on the forums? anyway, I'm to swap tires. these knobby tires roll like they're full of molasses or something.

i've really enjoyed complaining about all this. these clunker challenges are a hoot!
happy trails - photos coming forthwith.



shiny new seat post


20km today

88Tempo

My wife just won an auction for a Fuji Del Rey I really need to learn to use a camera and do this challenge.

Cl904

I realized last night that both of the bikes I own could qualify... I’m not sure if I’ve ever put over $100 into a bike🤷*♂️

Mr. 66

I'm still working with the bb chain and chain line. I've had to take time away from the red machine., here's how it's looking.

Mr. 66

I forgot here's the frame pump that's been waiting for the "Right" bike. lol

ryansu

Not sure your seatpost is high enough ...

ryansu

Camera? who uses a camera anymore? (then again who uses a 10 speed steel bike anymore...) use your phone its easy peasey

Random Tandem

I completed the 100km this week riding the 1978 Raleigh Tourist DL-1 to work. Just like every time, this is always one more thing; the left crank developed some play. Leading, inevitably to the misery of cottered cranks...but luckily 20 minutes at the local university bike co-op and US$1.50 later, I had a shiny new cotter pin installed and smooth pedaling resumed

I took the long way to work to get some pix along Vancouver's coast


Then a quick detour to Gastown to get some "old timey" snaps for an old timey bike:


The final budget was US$93.50 and 135+kms ridden. I love the smooth ride of these old, slack-frame bikes, but I love them a little less riding up the hill to the university when I cannot forget the 38lbs of an all steel bicycle.

-Will

mrv 

yea.... i kinda maxed it out for a trial run. it was a couple of cm to high. and i needed a 9/16in wrench to lower it. i had only brought along a 14mm and 15mm to pull the wheels off if I got a flat.
this thing is just a salad of metric and standard wrenches. probably i'll just bring an adjustable crescent wrench and call it good....

88Tempo

You'd be surprised. The last camera I owned was a Kodak 110.
I haven't had a cell phone since 2013 and I don't know if it had a camera on it TBH I got it in 2004?

The Del Rey looks like it will clean up really nice. It's a little dusty but looks really good as far as I looked it over. I'll try and get the wife to take some pictures for me tomorrow.

Wife looked it up before bidding on it. It's a 88 Del Rey in 23"

clubman 

That's the spirit! $27 is exactly where you want to be.

Schreck83 

Went to the LBS last week and came away with the following for $15:


The Simplex Criterium probably came off my frame. Hanger problem solved! The seatpost will need sanding.

The Mighty Competition crankset and Nuovo Tipo hubs were long gone thanks to eBay. No luck on the bottom bracket adjustable cup.


Thanks to bikemig for the lead on these French threaded BB cups and bearings: $11 through theBay.

That takes care of the tricky French parts.
A 1976 Takara that I picked up as a donor bike will supply most of the other bits. The frame is nothing special and the stem and seatpost are smaller than the TdF frame, so they could be pressed into service with some shimming if the budget gets tight.


SunTour barcons, VGT luxe and SL FD were worth the $50 price alone.

The rear rim is pretty sketchy though:
Time to get busy in the shop!

Cl904

Rode probably another 20k yesterday. Decided I needed the budget in case something happens, so took the velo Orange saddle off and put the ideale on
. Switched out bars and stem for other old bars and stem... equal value. Also found a small under saddle bag for $4 at the thrift store, and added that for a spare tube, tools, etc. took off the shorty fenders because they didn’t add any value.

Price back down to $48.

88Tempo

Fuji Del Rey we just picked up the other day.