Originally Posted by WhatTheDelromi

I was going to post this under Classic and Vintage, but was afraid it would get flagged as miscategorized.

A few months ago I bought a very used late-70s CIOCC racing bike at a flea market. I liked it for its unusual name. Then I picked it up and was basically sold ($500) because of how light it was.

Mechanically it's a bit Frankenstein. Original Campy shifters were replaced with Shimano integrated (they beyond repair), the chain is the wrong size for the cassette, etc. I got a quote from my trusty bike repair guy to replace the system with new Campy integrated shifters. I would also need new rims to match the new hardware. Estimate came in at just over $1K. (Keep in mind these are New York City prices.)

I don't have total sticker shock except that it's twice what I was expecting. Apparently the right parts are hard to find in this market.

My initial instinct was to maybe sell the bike and buy a more conventional vintage road bike and the transaction wouldn't cost me a dime (I posted an ad on CL for $750 and quickly got a response and there's a lot of local vintage stock in the 300-400 range). Or throw $1K into her and be done with it.

I'd be more inclined to invest in the repairs if the body was clean. One of the things I liked about the bike was how scratched up it is (less likely to get stolen). That said, if I'm going all out on the mechanics, it got me thinking about restoring the frame. I don't even know where to begin with that...

So I am curious to see if people here have an opinion. I ride mainly for recreation and errands. Not looking to ride the Tour de France... But I'm also 6'4 and 220 pounds, so I really want a light frame.



If you're of the "replace" side of the divide, I'm open to recommendations of new light weight models that are currently on the market that won't break the bank but are still in the style of the original road bike.

Thanks!