RobbieTunes

I commented on Tom's but I just finished wrenching on a failed attempt to save a frame. I spent more time on this frame than any I've had, and probably as much since the RD hanger broke off. Failed. The thickness of the dropout makes a claw not quite feasible; no RD I tried had enough play in the adjustment to accommodate the additional range needed, on several claws.

Single-speed would need a chain tensioner, and again, with no RD hole, not an option with those dropouts.

IGH would be fun, but cost more than the entire build when it was 10-sp 105. It was a nice rider, but went < 100 miles under me....

juls

Replaced wheelset/bars/stem/brake levers/derailleurs/pedals and saddle. Whew!
Ok, pics are not accepted. 2 messages (loops) 1st-"A security token was missing" entered required info/hit send to admin....that came up-"Invalid Post Specifier". I'll put this info here and ask advice from members. Is this happening with anyone else? New bug???

HamboneSlim

Restoring this Oliver 117 30" band saw. Has direct drive 3hp 3ph motor built into the base. Weighs about 1300 lbs. It's 91 years old, so I guess it qualifies as C&V.

The little 18" Oliver 192 in the background is only 90 years old, so it's now "relatively new."

plonz 

Dura Ace 7800 on a Bridgestone 400... that's something you don't see everyday.

RiddleOfSteel

It certainly isn't, but the 400 was the highest level of bike one could get in 27"/69cm form, thus this unusual pairing. Thankfully the paint and graphics scheme are quite nice and in good condition. Other nice details as well, even if they were 6mm off-center on the downtube shifter band/clamp (braze on) stop.

The goal was two fold with this build: to see how nice a Bridgestone is down its lineup from the RB-1 etc (the cult Bridgestone following), and to find a 27"/69cm frame that had tighter geometry (really, shorter chain stays) that could look decent and proportional like smaller frames do, even if I had to use 700c wheels instead of the slightly larger and more proportionally-helpful 27" rims. Most companies seemed to give up on huge frames when it came to making any of them more sporting/sporty looking. Understandably, with a 6'8" person, having a longer chain stay keeps them from sitting right on top of the rear axle, but still, no sexy looking bikes for tall guys and gals apparently.

For the super large frames, late '70s and early '80s Schwinn Voyagers/Voyageur SPs have similar chain stay length to this 400, as did the later '80s World Sports. And before the 400, the Spica and one other (at least) model did the same.

Kobe 

I agree, of all the production frames, the Bridgestone 400 was the highest quality in anything over 66cm. I did something similar to yours, but used 105\600 Tricolor, just because I like the looks. I have 32mm Pasela's on it now, but may try to squeeze a 35 in.




If you have not found this thread yet, check it out. Lot's of nice taller bikes on it. Post yours up there, it came out fantastic.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...ad-frames.html

RiddleOfSteel

Beautiful bike, Kobe! (and thank you for your compliment!) I like the silver mist color scheme and the component selection--they are some of my favorite pieces as well. Looks like we are roughly the same height at 6'5"--we could fit a 25" frame (and I do easily, albeit in a racier setup to keep it proportionally in check) but why not the super tall and often overlooked and unloved 27" frames??? I feel like I'm riding a couch. A very swift couch.

Another picture for good measure, and because I actually did some near-microscopic cockpit angle adjustments. Aaaaand found out that my tightened cassette lockring did not tighten the cassette fully--I had to find a slightly thicker spacer. But we're good now.

And thank you for reminding me of that thread! Zombie or no, the internet needs proof of good big builds for eternity.

rfmarotti

Picked up a 1999 Bianchi Volpe in lousy condition. Just starting to work on it. Shifters came right back to life with just half a can of penetrating oil. All original RSX throughout. Hoping to make this my rain/commuter bike and move my 91 Trek 750 out of commuter duty and into toodle around the neighborhood/haul the kid trailer duty.


IMG_2140.jpg

pfaustus

This just hits my galoot/Neanderthal/retrogrouch buttons all at once.

juls

https://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...1&d=1475014867

Some of my pics refuse to upload/this is at least one of three. Mixtie gone from upright bars to drop
Got to snug up the rear brake cable and get a fd cable.

Just noticed pics shrunk! Attachments should be 2x at least. bummed.

capnjonny 

Saturday I went to Palo Alto ca. with a couple friends from the Bike Exchange to help out at the city's annual bike day.

They had a set up at a local grammar school where people could come and have their bikes inspected and minor repairs done for free. They also had a table where they gave away free rear blinkies to anyone who asked. There was also an organized bike tour where they led groups of cyclists around the city showing them special places like pedestrian underpasses to cross busy streets and off road bike trails.

It was a great success with twice as many participants as last year.

We had 5 bike stands and a line of people waiting their turn that stayed constant from 1till 4pm.

Most of the bikes I worked on had poorly adjusted brakes. Often someone has adjusted them all the way out at the lever and they were still really loose. Often the owner had come to have a tire inflated and had no idea the brakes were not adjusted properly .

A few bikes had warped wheels and usually we could tune the spokes a little to straighten them out.

I tried to engage the owners in the process of adjusting their bikes and also touted the Bike Exchange to anyone who would listen. The thing we always need at the Silicon Valley bicycle Exchange is more volunteers and hopefully, people who will be willing to join the "core" group that make everything work there.

sloar 

Ribblecycles sent the wrong bottom bracket cups with the new group. And had a slight delay on the wheels. Everything is taken care of and on their way. Should be riding it by the weekend.

OldsCOOL

Nothing too special, just this little recondition project.....

[IMG][/IMG]

RiddleOfSteel

Been selling bikes (in proper, safe, working order!) like a mad man and it's getting spacious in my apartment!

On the quest to sell my excellent Fuji with some rare and fun Superbe bits, I just couldn't do it, getting nearly to the end of writing the Craigslist ad and throwing up my hands. Canceled the post. "I want all those parts on a bike I want/have earmarked to keep!" I said to myself (always myself, for I live alone...). Meanwhile my Ross sits with mearly a crankset attached to her along with a bare stem and handlebar. She was to be my rain bike this winter but I didn't want to build a 9- or 10-speed Campagnolo like I had last year, let alone a few months ago.

Actually, I did have a set of chrome fenders and high polish Tektro dual pivots mounted, with the rear fender needing one more round of vibration damping problem solving.

Knowing that I did have enough spare parts for 'fill in the blanks' left by swapping the Fuji's best pieces over, I made the jump:

Superbe brake levers circa 1980, Belleri bars, Velo Classic riveted saddle (super comfortable, the price is deceiving), and a Superbe Tech RD.

Snagged a used-but-presentable 7700 DA crankset and tired Octalink BB for $35, installed a pair of 7-speed Sante DT shifters, and we are in business.

And FYI:

***Shimano 7-speed DT shifters of any stripe (but not Dura Ace) will index a Superbe Tech RD perfectly over a 7-speed cassette or freewheel!!***

The setup is sublime. My Ross has never looked better. We are ready for rain!

Pictures to come!

greg3rd48 

First I added Tektro 539's then I recently swapped out the Sugino GLP crankset for a Stronglight Impact compact crankset and a Sunlite rack using Tubus stay mounting clamps. The quality of my commute has improved exponentially. Unfortunately fenders will not fit under the 539's with the 27 1/4 wheelset but I may check to see if there is enough clearance with a 700c wheelset and 28mm Paselas.

Untitled by irishbx4th, on Flickr

sloar 

COME ON FEDEX, I NEED THOSE WHEELS!

greg3rd48 

@sloar Looking forward to the completion photos.

jimmuller 

g3rd, that's a fine-looking Peugeot.

Just curious, what motivated you to change the crank? Aesthetics or performance, ratio selection maybe?

Sir_Name 

There's never a lack of interesting projects around here, nice stuff!! ^^
---
I've been riding the not-so-newly acquired Raleigh for a while now w/o wrapping the bars as I dial in the fit. I haven't fiddled with adjustments in about a week, so time to lock everything in place with new cables and tape. Over the past day or so I've found time to replace the older sealed BB that had developed play with a new cartridge bearing unit by IRD - 127mm +2mm DS spacer has a Goldilocks amount of clearance at the chainstay. I haven't measured chainline yet, but it looks the same as with the old BB, should be good to go.

I also added some finishing touches with a bit of acrylic while buttoning things back up. Cables are roughed-in and I hope that tomorrow I can trim everything up, wrap the bars and dial in the brakes and shifting. The chain was treated to a friend's parts washer, and after pics below FW+chainrings were cleaned.


(The pin not lining up with the crank arm is irritating , that'll be remedied at some point)

greg3rd48 

Thanks Jim. I contemplated swapping the crankset to a compact for a while now since my daily commute has a good amount of climbing. I do like the Stronglight compact's aesthetics and I narrowed my choices to either that or the Holdsworth compact. In the end the French crank won (50-34).

Ride-Fly

My current project is my recently acquired De Rosa Primato. It came with a crappy headset and Record 10 carbon. Since I had to replace the headset, I decided to swap out the carbon Record gruppo with an alloy Chorus 10. Will also be replacing the white tape and saddle with a honey brown Brooks Swift and matching bar tape. Another bigger project is steel Ciocc EOM14.5 frame that has a stuck seat post and rust in areas. I've stripped it down, and will eventually do a complete refurb on it for my own edification. It will involve stripping all the paint, dipping in a bath for rust removal, priming and repainting, and lastly building it back up with either the original Daytona gruppo or maybe an old DA 9sp group. Will likely keep that Ciocc as a loaner bike for some of my taller friends that come visit and ride.

RobbieTunes

Just swapped a 10-sp chain, 9-sp DA RD and 11-21 9-sp DA cassette for a new KMC 9-sp chain, 9-sp DA "GS" medium cage RD and what appears to be a 9-sp DA 11-32 cassette, which may very likely be the higher end MTB cassette from the same era. Certainly very light. Works very well. The RD handles 53/32 no problem, and I still have good tension at 39/11. 88 Ironman Purple Haze, Rolf wheels.


Also modified the rear R dropout on a Bridgestone Radac to fit a Cannondale "H" RD hanger (the Radac's broke off). Not done with the setup and we'll see. Jury is out.

noglider 

@greg3rd48, can't you just go back to the previous brakes you had so you can have fenders with the 27" wheels?

You already had the most sophisticated UO8 I've ever seen, and now it's even sophisticateder.

Sir_Name 

Tape and cables tonight, new chain + final adjustment and a tuning ride tomorrow.



Light Blue may have been a better choice for tape. This should look better once it's worn a bit.

canklecat

1992 Univega Via Carisma. It was already ride worthy as I bought it, but little by little I'm tweaking, replacing or overhauling stuff. I started with replacing the handlebar (slight riser bar for the original uncomfortable flat bar), then brake pads and re-learning how to adjust canti brakes, then pedals, then tires yesterday (again -- after two swaps I may finally have settled on tires I like).

Replacing the chain this weekend. Also need to adjust the front derailer -- it's skipping over the middle chain ring of the triple on down shifts.

Checking the hubs next -- they seem okay for now, but I'm not sure whether they've been serviced since 1992. If the front hub looks like it needs attention, I'll do both hubs and bottom bracket.

Might replace the cables and housing after that. They're okay but I'd like to find blue cable housing to match the blue spatter paint over black. I already replaced the original Sakae Low Fat pedals (plastic, not the nicer metal Sakae Low Fats) with blue Thermalites by Stolen Pedals. Looks nice, feels much better with my casual shoes.