bartonfink

Hi Everyone,

I hope this finds you all well, having had a wonderful holiday.

I found and bought a lovely Pinarello track bike last month on eBay. With my pre-Christmas coupon, and only one other bidder, it was an incredible deal. And it's a stunning bicycle. Nearly new, it seems to have gone almost unridden.

I think it's an '85 or thereabouts, because it matches identically the 1985 Pinarello catalog listing for the 'Amatore,' which was their amateur track racer/trainer. I would very much like to ride the bike as it was intended to be ridden, both on the track and off.

Here's my problem: Because these were to be used as off-season trainers, the bike came from the factory with a drilled fork. Trouble is, the reach from the drilling to the rim is so incredibly short that no brake of which I'm aware will fit. I even tried an old Aero Compe-G - a brake with only 37mm of reach - on it last night and it's not close.

Is there a brake (other than a Keirin assembly with a mounting plate) anywhere that might fit? I know that the Delta has a 36mm reach, but looks ungainly and probably won't fit the tight space between the drilling, the fork crown and the head tube. Or is my only option to hunt down an old Campagnolo front drop-bolt and use it upside down?

And how much effect might my tire size/rim size have on the problem?

To further compound the mystery, it's clear that the bike has had a brake on it.

Any and all thoughts are welcome and very much appreciated.

luker

very nice bike. Tubular tires, right? The bike could have been fitted with 26" wheels, but I betcha it wasn't. Aero Grand Compes are some of the shortest reach out there.

Would it be possible to mount a drop bolt upside down? Oh, I reread your post. I'll try to mock one up and see if it'll work, depending on how cold it gets (unheated shop...)

bbattle

I would ask the SS/FG crowd. Some would scream "blasphemy!!" at putting a brake on there but it was, as you say perfectly acceptable to do so for off-season training outdoors.

If you can't fit Aero Gran Compes then you are in for a struggle.

I suggest you sell the bike to me and your problem will be solved. (kidding)

No, not kidding. Sell the bike to me now.

bassogap

What an incredibly lovely bike! Good luck with the brake...

onetwentyeight 

have you considered a centerpull? I find they can often fit places a side pull cant.

Old Fat Guy

Yours looks to be a bit different than the Pista Amatore. Note the Amatore shown in the 85 catalog does not appear to have a cut out for the tire on the underside of the fork.

I know next to nothing about track frames, but is it possible that the bike was made to ride with smaller wheels braked, and 700c on the track?

onetwentyeight 

Ive never heard of a track bike designed like that.

bartonfink

Thanks, everybody.

- I've posted the question down in the track forum as well. I'll try the SS/FG forum as a court of last resort.

- I did notice that the cutout in the fork differs from the catalog photo. Mine also differs in that it's painted, rather than full chrome. That said, I'm almost positive it's not the higher end 'Bassano' model (which came undrilled, and with a Campy gruppo rather than the Gipiemme on mine); and it's clearly not a road fork, either. And it's correctly panto'ed with the GPT. So it's a drilled Pinarello track fork.

- I'll look into my centerpull options.

- While it's not impossible that it was meant to be ridden with different rims for road and track, I've never seen such. I note, too, that the Mavic Monthlery Pro rims specified in the catalog, are original on this bike.

- And yes, tubular tires. I'm wondering if I can only run some superthin profile tire - like an 18mm - and still fit a brake.

bartonfink

Oh, and here are the catalog pages we've been talking about.

Lister Farrar

Maybe a shimano ax brake? Or a universal 68 short reach?

luker

Track tires are regularly smaller profile, like 19mm or so, although there's no reason for that except that you can pump 'em up harder and I guess they'd accelerate a little faster (weight). You'll not be thrilled with 19 or 18 on the road but if you have smooth pavement that would work. What size is on there now?

luker

ya know, betcha that is a road fork. Spliced in there after a crash or something. And it was used, but used on another bike before making it onto this one...

ultraman6970

Hey... Hey get an old tubular rim and cut two little pieces like 10 cms each,,, any two AL pieces will do.

drill a whole in the middle of them and put a rear brake in the hole. Protect the rear seatstays with something and put the little gadget i described in the seat stays. Done!

After all is better have a rear brake than a front one.

Cheers.

bartonfink

- I've got a 19mm on there now.

- I'm pretty sure it's not a replacement road fork. Too straight; same chromed Gipiemme track drops as the rear; and if it were a road fork, it would likely fit a road brake.

- There are Keirin kits that allow you to build the very brake set-up you describe, Ultra, but they're tough on the frame. Kind of inelegant, likewise. And it's a good thing Sheldon Brown isn't here to scold you on the matter of front vs. rear brakes.

onetwentyeight 

that tire cut out on the fork crown screams "track" to me. It totally looks like an amatore except for ive never seen an amatore that didnt say so on the top tube, ive never seen one without a fully chromed fork, and ive never seen one with that color. I think its an amatore thats been repainted.

bartonfink

It's funny, 128 -- there's no 'Amatore' decal on the top tube, but there is a Pinarello signature decal up there. Like you, I think it may have been repainted - the gold wasn't a stock color as far as I know - but I've looked it over pretty carefully, and it doesn't look like a repaint. You know how those Pinarello decals flake, too. Odd.

tuz

If you are only 2mm short you could take a short reach brake and enlarge the brake pad slots with a round file? I have done it for the opposite purpose.
Superb bike btw!

anomaly

I thought long and hard about bidding on it, but I decided it would just be a hair too big. You got a very solid deal on it.

File a brake.