Kosher to swap out front brake barrel adjuster?
 

Currently my 1976 Sannow Sport has this Dura Ace barrel adjuster for its brake cables.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5e49f729d6.jpg

This barrel adjuster and nearly 50 years of time has customized the frames top tube (WOW I hear you all say, that's one LOOOONG brake adjuster arm, ahem, why you should finish your coffee first, then post, "DOWN TUBE", not top tube :roflmao:), buy over time and likely many many whacks when the handle bars swung over, removed the paint and exposed the chroming of the frame tubes (entire frame chromed as other nicks have exposed chroming throughout the frame).

It appears there is an easy fix to this problem via the next generation of Dura Ace brake barrel adjuster which has the ubiquitous rubber O-ring.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...39df5f3191.jpg

But is this a fix too far? The damage is done, and that too a question, it would be an easy paint match, but chips and dings are the patina of life and especially with chrome underneath rust goblins have not appeared and good auto wax should be sufficient for the future. So is there any consensus, :roflmao:, among vintage bike riders/collectors regarding such improvements of cosmetic, though over time even chrome won't appreciate being pounded.

Period correct changes to save knees and allow extended use by vintage rider seem fair and OK, but I wonder about this.

Take Care.

Yes.
BB

When riding the bike, use the rubber. When showing or selling the bike, use the original.

Or, visa versa. Or only use rubber. Or only use chrome. In the end, it's just a bike.

Every now and then it’s nice to know that you can live up to your “lesser angels”.

Such is the case here, as I felt that familiar “what have I forgotten” tug at the back brain, and so I went out to the garage storage rack for the “Sannow Sport” parts box. Herein are all parts removed/replaced to get the right fit for my body or expand the limits of a young man’s drive train to an old man’s body.

And there I found this:


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...adbc41ca8b.jpg




So, I will replace the metal adjustment wheel with these rubber adjustment wheels and drop off the bike for a color matched pint of paint at the local shop whose made many matches in the past.

She’s going to go dancing with me, covid permitted, this year at the California Eroica, let’s make sure her ruby slippers are all neat and shiny.

Or, to paraphrase Admiral Farragut:

“Damn the Dilettantes, save the frame!”

Thanks all,
Take Care

You may be able to get any adjuster determined “kosher.” Or not.
I’m unsure of the process. A bicycle rabbi might know.

As far as dancing with a bike, be careful on the spins.
Someone could get hurt.

If the dress is pretty, on a hot frame, no one will notice the earrings.
But you will know.

.
...it's important to use protection, in this day and age.

Are you referring to the wife and girlfriend pregnant thread?

To be sure... Non-period part on a vintage bike equals...

"FRANKENBIKE! ... Ha"

To be sure, all my bikes are Franken Bikes! I even started saying it on my decals. The only thing truly period on this Peugeot Dolomites is the derailleurs and frame. Oh... And the rider...,

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...add984f3d2.png

Before you install the adjusters ....put a dab of grease on the male threaded part ....a few drops of oil on the female threaded part = headache prevention

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9619eac993.jpg

Back from the Spa, replaced Sugino Mighty crankset with Sugino Mighty Tour crank set=48t/34t chain rings and long arm NOS First Generation Dura Ace Black rear derailleur + NOS 14t-32t freewheel=my left knee will cooperate now, unseen banana bag under the seat and Silca w/ Campagnolo head frame pump.

Now it's up to me to get the cycle computer speed up and heart rate down. (I know a fuzzy focus)

That initial Dura-Ace design was because they could not work around the Campagnolo patent.
upgrading to eliminate a design compromise is good.

Now, little known fact, the first set of Campagnolo piccolo reach brakes- the caliper with that rubber bumper that goes astray Frequently Also had an aluminum knurled adjuster wheel with a conical top surface, think Apollo command module.
soon abandoned and that part would surface again in the 80's as the adjuster on the G.S.caliper.

https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/...85/557/8fc.gif

Sorry, couldn't help myself. You do you.

I have an old vitamin bottle full of barrel adjusters, and use whichever one fits.

That would take some practice to swallow in the morning.

Some kinda pretty, that is.

Ride at night. You'll never know the deviation.

Boy oh boy I could use this! Picked up a Nishiki Tri-A. Pretty nice overall, but missing the front brake barrel adjuster (I think it is 6208 series). So I dug up a similar Shimano unit at the co-op, but it's diameter is too large. I'm still filing it down. Got to get the bike operational as I am on vacation. No bench grinder either on the trip, got that covered at home.

Trying to fit this similar but wrong cable housing stop.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c470d35c0d.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...42e4d10d89.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f596b703ad.jpg

Lovely bike and here's the jersey to match it's colors.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9f06d700e1.jpg

Nice looking bike! Not even noticing the “earrings”! I’m noticing however, that is one LONG stem quill in that pretty short head tube! Lots of seat post exposed too. Is that stem quill installed deep enough into the steerer tube? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve gone to the limits (and even a hair beyond) RE: safe insertion depths on both seat posts and stems on frames that were technically too small for me (BUT they were very nice frames :rolleyes:). Just doesn’t seem likely that stem quill in in deep enough :foo:.

Yeah that bike is way too small for you.

Fear not, it's a mountain bike length seat post, same is true for the stem, both have lots of tubing inside the head tube and seat tube.

No, not really. As set up with seat post and stem it matches the measurements of my Stevenson Custom exactly, and that bike has fit me for decades. Lots of tube down the seat tube and down the head tube very secure

If that’s the case then I’m fine with it. As I mentioned in a previous reply, I’ve done similar things to allow me ride a bike with a frame that is arguably too small for me. To be fair, I’ve also “scrunched” up the components i.e. shortest possible stem reach, minimal to no exposed seat post etc. to allow for riding a bike with a frame that is too large :rolleyes:. Obviously, depending on how tall (or how short) an individual actually is, there’s a limit frame size extremes. In a perfect world, I would always ride a bike with a frame size that matches my biometrics. Since most bikes in my collection are rescued castoffs, I make do. Fortunately, many are close to being “properly sized” and only a few live at the extremes :thumb:.