cstar 

I have had decent luck with a heat gun and an old debit card to pick thick stickers off. It takes some effort but it's not horrible. There are decal remover wheels that you can use in a drill that allegedly make very short work of this sort of thing. Ive seen videos of people using them to remove vinyl pinstripe of cars. Been meaning to try one. Pretty cheap to buy online

botty kayer

I hit a large pothole at speed on my MX Leader and managed to snap the saddle clamp pin and break one of the corners off the lower saddle bracket from my Campagnolo carbon seat post. I still have the top part of the bracket intact...

...but does anyone know if I can get replacement Campagnolo seatpost brackets and pin? Or am I going to need a new seatpost? I can only see spares on eBay for the older alu Campag posts.,

The lower bracket part needs to have the serrated undercarriage so it meshes with the top of the post as seen here:

I have installed a titanium Campag Chorus seatpost for now but want to return to the carbon post above if I can get spares.

At 57cm this frame is a bit small for me, but its such a great riding bike and puts a massive smile on my face every time I ride it, and as replacements a few sizes up are rare and expensive, I'm going to keep it. In addition to the seat post issue I also stole the yellow Flite saddle off this for my Somec build, so its now got the saddle from the Somec. Also now fitted with NOS Look delta pedals....

.....and a sexy new carbon Record 10 speed crankset and some new 28c Vittoria Corsa tyres....blimey I've only just realised how dirty that chain is

Anyway bike rides fast and really smoothly even over London's roads, which are as pox marked as a teenagers face, so here's how it looks now,
I've just got to get that carbon seatpost back as a better colour match and its just as I'd like it.

JacobLee 

I had one of these a couple of years ago that had been overtightened at the seatpost collar and cracked the carbon. The clamp was fine, so I sold it on ebay. Seems like one of those would eventually come up.

hankamania

Two of my last three bikes have been used frames that needed repainting, and the 3rd was a complete bike I wanted to keep as a beater. But for years, I've been gazing longingly at several models by Soma Fabrications. A couple of weeks ago, I saw a new in box Soma Fog Cutter v2 (now with modular dropouts) frame discounted about $250 off MSRP, so I jumped on it. The following day, the seller of the frame offered me a Wolverine fork (same axle-to-crown, 2mm additional rake, and a flat crown compared to the Fog Cutter's sloping crown, for more tire clearance) for $75 off MSRP. Sounds good to me. I built up wheels with Koozer XM490 hubs and DT 533d ("PEES") rims. I'm using JuinTech R1 cable-actuated hydraulic brakes, and Sensah SRX levers and RD. I've always been a Campagnolo loyalist, but I've heard really good reviews on the Sensah stuff, and you can't beat the price. Been bolting on parts as they've arrived, and I got to the point that I was able to bolt the narrow-wide chainring onto an old Sugino XD square taper crank in the parts bin, while my ZRace RX Dub-compatible crank is stuck in customs, but I was still waiting on the 11-52 11sp cassette. I'd happened to install the same cassette on my wife's mountain bike last year, and she was like, "if that's all you're waiting for, go ahead and borrow it."

So I got to take it on a shakedown cruise late this afternoon (I waited for it to cool down below 85f), and it's lovely! The American Classic Aggregate 650x47 tires are super floaty at about 25psi, and the shifting is crisp and clicky. Brakes are still bedding in, but the lever feel is fantastic.

Still need to cut off the excess steerer, but wanted to get a feel for the bar height before I did so.

BTinNYC

Tech support and garage space for my daughter's friend, who painted his fixie. Montana Gold paint, wet sanded and clear coated with 1K.

52telecaster

I have modified this bike for many purposes but finally I think it will leave my house for my sister's. It now has front and rear mech and shifters from a trek 730 multitrack with a custom 7 speed cassette at 12-36. The motobecane super tourist will get lights and fenders as well. My sister rode it and is excited to own it.

browngw 

Been back to working on my somewhat forgotten 1946 Cleveland Welding Company Roadmaster loop frame. Painted red and silver and hung on a fence for the last 30 years or so. My challenge is to make it rideable again.

As given to me in 2020.

Torn down in 2021

In progress again in 2022

Rear wheel ready to go.

Painted and distressed bars.

Straightened and de-rusted mudguard and fork clear coated.

JacobLee 

My free Solana by Santana tandem had a really stuck stoker post, from what looked like a winter left outside. The seat was probably at the right height for either of my stokers, but I had to deal with it. This was a first for me, so I would have done a few things differently, but satisfaction was mine in the end!




First thing I would have done differently: cut it off higher up! I had tried an air hammer, penetrating oil, a huge wrench, but I figured I'd need a way of pulling on it in a linear fashion, so that's what I did.



I then cut slits on either side, where the flutes were, so that I could clamp the post over a Simpson concrete anchor bolt.



I have a slide hammer that I picked up at an estate sale for $3 after renting a crappy one at O'Reilly's to pull the rear axle bearings on my Ranger. It's been sitting in the tool drawer for four years.



I went at it for a few days, spraying penetrating oil, cutting a longer slit, slide hammering: Nothing! I finally made sure I had cut a complete slit down the length of the post, then I plugged the hole in the bottom bracket and filled the seat tube with EvapoRust for 24 hours. Bam! A dozen or so whacks with the slide hammer, and the m********** p***** o* s*** was mine (pardon my French).



Anyone have a 26.8 SR Laprade they want to get rid of?

52telecaster

Laprades are cool and all but so many get stuck that I would look for something without flutes. Great work btw!

capnjonny 

This was the grail bike for me and my friends back when I was a wee lad. never got one till now when this 1972 example showed up at the bike Exchange. Outside of a few scratches this was in great shape and as far as I can tell, all original. I stripped and deep cleaned it , scraped, the rust and treated with naval jelly followed by self etching primer and a Behr yellow for touch ups that was a perfect match then clear coated everything.

It's still a tank with it's steel wheels weighing about 36 lbs. but it looks great. It even still has the original bar tape. The only change I made was to install a Suntour GT rear derailleur. The original Schwinn unit is in the saddle bag for the next owner if they want to install it.

jamesdak 

Well yesterday afternoon and then this morning it's my latest local acquisition. A 90's Italian Made C4 Air One sporting a nice Chorus 8 speed groupset. Mainly cleaning, degreasing and relubing before the test ride. It's close to my fit right now but I'll probably need a bit more setback on the saddle and the stem (lovely Cinelli Titanium Grammo) is already too long. Mechanically it's checked out 100% unless I missed something. Tire size looks maxed at 23mm in front but the rear will easily take at least a 25.

JacobLee 

Thanks for the info! I had not idea!

VintageSteelEU

There's no problem with fluted seatposts in general. It's just the flutes shouldn't go inside the seat tube (as in this case), they should stay above. Otherwise you'll get water in there and it'll result in corrosion (including galvanic corrosion). Good thing about these is that they are cheap and easy to find in all sizes. Bad thing is they are a bit on the heavy side. I'm guessing if they were flush, they would be even heavier. Other than that, I think they look quite nice.

francophile 

Picked up this today, about an hour before my Behringer was picked up by UPS on its way to a new, loving home.

Besides that, not much wrenching lately except this '96 Novara Randonee I got in the double-digit dollar range not long ago. It was in pretty rough shape, mismatched STIs, everything out of tune, barf tape, wheels untrue, tubes leaking.

I figured I'd get an 8sp+ wheelset and convert it to a gravel bike. Got some 8spd STI brifters from Dylansbob but lacked a wheelset. Knowing wheels would cost more than I paid for the bike, I found someone dumping a cheap '06 / '07 Specialized Crosstrail as a donor. Transferred most of its parts over, converted the Novara to flat-bar, v-brakes, trued the Specialized 8spd wheels, added gumwall Tufo 700x38 Swamperos with new A3 Airstop tubes.

I'm pretty sure it's a 61cm, a hair too large for me. I'm around in the 155°ish range at full extension, even with seat post bottomed out. The EF51 shifters from the Specialized throw too long for the front '96 RSX mech, it jumps smallest to largest, but I got the rear dialed in like butter until that last jump into 8th cog, I didn't have time check its limiter before I had to hop on it for errands, which I've used it for daily now, a few miles per day.

I like it for the most part, but as soon as it gets new grips and I dial-in shifting with a new front mech, I'll sell it. All-in-all, with what I paid for it, the tires, donor bike, etc. I'm in it for around $200. I have a friend I think will love it, but he's already exceeded his allowed N+1 limit, so ... who knows where it'll go

1st pic as-purchased, the rest as I've been riding it the past couple weeks.

Hey while I'm at it - anyone know how to remove that damn cantilever cable stop hanging off the seat cluster? First time I've seen something like that. Maybe it's just rusted shut.

markwesti

This Cannondale started out as a SR300 , (vertical dropouts) 56 56 ctc . What made this doable for me was I have a milling attachment for my 6" Atlas lathe and I found a good welder close by . Once I got the horizontal dropouts (track forks) done it was time to respace from 126mm to 120mm . Everything I have read about respacing an Aluminum frame it says don't bend it , so what I did was to make a few hacksaw cuts to the seat stays and chain stays and it folded together nicely of course I made a 120mm spacer and had it all welded up .
The paint is Krylon Blue Foil , the rims are Fiamme Ergals laced to SUNSHINE (36H) Professional track hubs . I hope to have it finished soon .
IMG_0880 by mark westi, on Flickr
IMG_0881 by mark westi, on Flickr

Mr. 66

New wheels are installed on the '77 Nishiki. With the rear getting re-dished.

Ihmemies

I bought a Peugeot. It's not that nicely done, quite rough in places. The parts were not very exciting. I removed everything from the frame and cleaned it. Now I'm wondering: what to install to the frame. What do I want to do with the bike...





I first thought about a gravel bike. But the frame doesn't feel so nice that I'd want to invest in good/expensive parts. So maybe I'll make it my commuter/shopping bicycle, even a touring bicycle. I could use the fenders and pannier racks, brakes, frame and fork. I'd buy wheels, BB, cranks, gears, brake levers/shifterers, saddle, seatpost, stem, handlebars etc.

I really don't like bottom tube friction shifters. Those are definitely going away. Handlebar mounted shifters are a must.
Cold set the rear fork 5mm wider. Maybe Shimano 105 hubs, DT swiss spokes and some 17-19mm diameter aluminum rims like DT swiss 535. They're 19mm wide. I have never made my own wheels but it can't be that hard with proper tools and patience

What powertrain you'd buy to a city bike/shopping bike? I thought about 1x11 with like a 11-42t. I see many bikes with such a setup these days. The frame has only one post in bottom tube so I have no idea how to route shift cable for front shifter.

What kind of handlebar you'd buy? A gravel bar or maybe a porter bar? Brifters or some regular brake levers and MTB shifters?

I think narrowest parts were like 11mm between a 28mm wide tyre and frame, so I could probably install 38-40mm wide tyres. Fenders are 43mm wide, is it a bad idea to have so wide tyres with the fenders?



Thanks!

merziac

This brings up another quandary that really shouldn't be such a problem.

If the SP is taken out and it and the ST are inspected, cleaned, greased and "serviced", scrubbed, filed for snags, checked for round and binder bolt/ears function, this would be far less of a problem.

I'm as guilty of this as many but I do normally get after it on new to me bikes and frames.

Stems should be treated this way as well and I think they get more love as the headsets get serviced more often but we still see too many stuck ones IMO.

jamesdak 

Well, this morning I was back messing with the 90's Air One bike. On the first test ride it was balky downshifting on the middle 3 cogs even though all the rest shifted fine. Spent some more time degreasing the RD and cable and then more lube. Seems like I'm onto the solution as I only had one balky downshift on today's 32 mile ride. It has been hanging for round 20 years so....

Lattz

Finished putting together and handed over the a giveaway Pinarello Asolo to a friend to give him a kickstart him into Italian road bikes. Unfortunately my dremel died before the last patches of paint could be removed but we agrees he gets it as-is but rideable to enjoy the last summer days and mirror polish comes eventually.


I'm sure there are worse budget bikes in peoples lives.

RiddleOfSteel

Been doing some personal bike R&D since I forgot to keep the brakes pushed on not buying more frames/bikes. Riddle is tired, but like a Labrador Retriever, has a hard time not running after a thrown ball. I built up a 66cm Cannondale SR like the one I'd had a few years ago and sold, deciding to see how New Era Big Tire ROS liked the 28mm maximum old Cannondales that are about too big for him, and the end result was both good things and "I'll pass" things. Great bikes, just not for where I ride. So I put all those parts plus bigger tires on a paint-chipped 1986 Trek Elance 400 in a sharp metallic black with silver head tube. Classy, but I had a ton of paint touch up to do. Cleaned up well, though the paint is still well-used. 531 main tubes and chromo everywhere else. Fits Compass 35mm Extra Light tires on Open Pro/old school width rims...barely. I had tested it in as-found shape, albeit with a few adjustments to fit me etc. Did well enough to warrant throwing the spare fancy bits I have onto it. All of it looks really good on it. Handsome bike. I was a little tired from some hot (for us) and humid weather the last few days (slept horribly), so I'll have to test ride it again when I'm feeling punchier.

The initial impression is that this is a very competent bike with lots of room for tires and fenders. Stable, super safe in demeanor. A great all-rounder for sure. Frame/fork/headset is ~3400g which means it's about 200-250g away from feeling whippy and super fun like I like, though as it stands, it will make pretty much anybody really happy. Everything was satisfactory minus my inability to convince it to keep moving along easily. That could be the Extra Light casing and latex tubes being too soft, and/or that in combo with the wheels I have on it. It could just be me as well. More riding will have to happen.

For now, let's look at a nice bike indoors, because I finally got it done tonight. 22.5 lbs as pictured--great weight.

Drillium Dude

We need more pics of this beauty

DD

steine13

@Ihmemies
>> Fenders are 43mm wide, is it a bad idea to have so wide tyres with the fenders?

Not only is it not a problem to run 40 mm tires with 43 mm fenders, I have from sheer lazyness-and-not-paying-attention run 40 mm tires with 35 mm Fenders... in the winter... including snow... and not had a problem.

As it turns out, the water that flings off a tire tends to come off the center of the tread, not the sides. This is probably different for tires heavy tread, but for my Schwalbe Marathons, no issue.

Whether you're OK with the looks is up to you.

cheers -mathias

Ihmemies

Thanks. I will try it out because I like the comfort. I have a bike with 25mm tyres for speed. I can switch to narrower if they don't work out, I guess trying is the easiest way to find out. They'll probably work just fine.

t2p

This is common knowledge and good advice

but I had a Cannondale 3.0 rear triangle spread from 126 to 130 mm - and a few others I rode with also had their Cannondale rear triangles spread from 126 to 130

no issues after years of riding

It's been a while - but I believe I was told at the time Cannondale (Bedford PA factory) would move the rear triangle on frames that had alignment issues (which were not uncommon after frames were heat treated)