Return of a Tommasini Racing
02-24-17, 04:23 PM
#1
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Bikes: 1980 Koga-Miyata Gentsluxe-S, 1998 Eddy Merckx Corsa 01, 1983 Tommasini Racing, 2012 Gulf Western CAAD10, 1980 Univega Gran Premio
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Return of a Tommasini Racing
Last summer, as I was getting sucked into this C&V world (feeling at times like Alice going down the rabbit hole), I looked at a local CL ad that was about to expire, and found this bike. I’d ignored the ad because it featured a photo of a Marin Eldridge mountain bike, and the title Mountain and racing bike - $800. Eventually, out of boredom with the slim pickings in Shreveport, I clicked on the ad -- inside it showed a second photo, and virtually no additional info, except the indication that the seller wanted $800 each for two different bikes. This was the second bike photo:
I thought it might be a scam (the address mapped to a poor, industrial section of town), or yet another ignorant CL seller calling an old road bike a racing bike. It looked very tired, especially the worn yellow saddle. The name, which I misread as 'Commasini', was unknown to me. But because the pickings in this neck of the woods are so slim, I did a search anyway. Somehow Google understood, and took me to Randyjawa’s website page for his Tommasini. There I read the line about him originally tracking his blue Tommi because of a yellow Turbo seat, and had a literal aha moment. I realized what I thought was junk was perhaps something special. You can read my exploration and attempts to buy the bike on this thread, where I even managed to misspell Tommasini in the title.
Here it is now:
As found, it featured a full Campagnolo Nuovo Record gruppo except period-correct teardrop Simplex Retrofriction shifters, and early Look clipless pedals. The jockey wheels had been replaced with Suntour wheels, and the freewheel was a Suntour gold-finish Perfect corncob 13-18t without date code. Crankset: NR 42/52 172.5mm. The seat post is SR/NR 27.2 mm with the aforementioned yellow Turbo saddle. Wheels and tires: Record hubs/Wobler Aspin tubular rims with Continental Competition Vectran tublars. Headset is Campy 1039 NR. Bars were Cinelli 66-42 Campione del Mondo bars with twinned flying C logos, sporting an Avocet 30 cyclometer from the mid-80s. And two vintage white-painted aluminum Blackburn bottle cages with faded red plastic tips.
At first I thought it was a bit too big for me, but on careful measuring I found it was amazingly close to the measurements of my Cannondale. However, it had some rust spots, the paint was horribly faded, and the stem was very stuck. Based on advice here, I offered to pay no more than what I thought I could reliably sell the Campy NR parts for, in case other components were seized and the frame was full of rust. Long story short, the seller declined my offer of $300, I circled back after about 6 weeks, and made the deal. With the bike came a gym bag packed with some goodies, which I'll describe later.
I thought it might be a scam (the address mapped to a poor, industrial section of town), or yet another ignorant CL seller calling an old road bike a racing bike. It looked very tired, especially the worn yellow saddle. The name, which I misread as 'Commasini', was unknown to me. But because the pickings in this neck of the woods are so slim, I did a search anyway. Somehow Google understood, and took me to Randyjawa’s website page for his Tommasini. There I read the line about him originally tracking his blue Tommi because of a yellow Turbo seat, and had a literal aha moment. I realized what I thought was junk was perhaps something special. You can read my exploration and attempts to buy the bike on this thread, where I even managed to misspell Tommasini in the title.
Here it is now:
As found, it featured a full Campagnolo Nuovo Record gruppo except period-correct teardrop Simplex Retrofriction shifters, and early Look clipless pedals. The jockey wheels had been replaced with Suntour wheels, and the freewheel was a Suntour gold-finish Perfect corncob 13-18t without date code. Crankset: NR 42/52 172.5mm. The seat post is SR/NR 27.2 mm with the aforementioned yellow Turbo saddle. Wheels and tires: Record hubs/Wobler Aspin tubular rims with Continental Competition Vectran tublars. Headset is Campy 1039 NR. Bars were Cinelli 66-42 Campione del Mondo bars with twinned flying C logos, sporting an Avocet 30 cyclometer from the mid-80s. And two vintage white-painted aluminum Blackburn bottle cages with faded red plastic tips.
At first I thought it was a bit too big for me, but on careful measuring I found it was amazingly close to the measurements of my Cannondale. However, it had some rust spots, the paint was horribly faded, and the stem was very stuck. Based on advice here, I offered to pay no more than what I thought I could reliably sell the Campy NR parts for, in case other components were seized and the frame was full of rust. Long story short, the seller declined my offer of $300, I circled back after about 6 weeks, and made the deal. With the bike came a gym bag packed with some goodies, which I'll describe later.
Last edited by Kevindale; 02-24-17 at 05:30 PM.
02-24-17, 04:31 PM
#2
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With the patient help of the members of this forum, I bought some tools, refreshed the hubs with new bearings, sourced a replacement BB and rebuilt that, got the stuck stem loose without further damage, found good repro brake hoods, replaced the cables/housings/tape/chain, recovered the Turbo saddle (not currently mounted), rehabbed all three freewheels that came with the bike, swapped the freewheel to a 13-24t, got the shifting to work on all 6 cogs (the chain jammed in the small cog originally), removed any rust, treated it with Frame Saver, and gave it a good cleaning, lube, and wax. I also sourced a period-correct Cinelli 64-40 handlebar to replace the too wide/too deep 66-42s that came original.
The only part of this process I had done before was change bar tape. Literally, I had never even used down tube shifters before. On the steel bikes of my youth, all I’d ever done was fix flats, adjust seats and handlebars, and retape the bars. Oh, and wire up a generator light. So both my lust for vintage steel, and my ability to rehabilitate this bike, are completely due to you folks. I blame you all. No, wait, I thank you all, sincerely. This was a therapeutic process for me. I feel like showing this off is like defending a master’s thesis in C&V.
I decided that I wanted to keep this build as true as I could to the original owner’s intent, with a few adjustments. I went to red tape and cables (and eventually the Turbo saddle will reappear in red leather) because the mix of red and yellow didn’t work for me, and the yellow seemed to highlight the paint fade. What little rust was there cleaned up well, which is not surprising since the entire bike is chromed under the paint. I’ve verified that the seat tube is SL tubing (as opposed to SP). Without pedals and with the current saddle, it’s a svelte 20.7#. It feels even lighter. With the Turbo saddle and heavy M520 pedals it was 21.6#.
The only part of this process I had done before was change bar tape. Literally, I had never even used down tube shifters before. On the steel bikes of my youth, all I’d ever done was fix flats, adjust seats and handlebars, and retape the bars. Oh, and wire up a generator light. So both my lust for vintage steel, and my ability to rehabilitate this bike, are completely due to you folks. I blame you all. No, wait, I thank you all, sincerely. This was a therapeutic process for me. I feel like showing this off is like defending a master’s thesis in C&V.
I decided that I wanted to keep this build as true as I could to the original owner’s intent, with a few adjustments. I went to red tape and cables (and eventually the Turbo saddle will reappear in red leather) because the mix of red and yellow didn’t work for me, and the yellow seemed to highlight the paint fade. What little rust was there cleaned up well, which is not surprising since the entire bike is chromed under the paint. I’ve verified that the seat tube is SL tubing (as opposed to SP). Without pedals and with the current saddle, it’s a svelte 20.7#. It feels even lighter. With the Turbo saddle and heavy M520 pedals it was 21.6#.
02-24-17, 04:42 PM
#3
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That's flippin awesome, we love it when a plan comes together, good job and well done! 
With the patient help of the members of this forum, I bought some tools, refreshed the hubs with new bearings, sourced a replacement BB and rebuilt that, got the stuck stem loose without further damage, found good repro brake hoods, replaced the cables/housings/tape/chain, recovered the Turbo saddle (not currently mounted), rehabbed all three freewheels that came with the bike, swapped the freewheel to a 13-24t, got the shifting to work on all 6 cogs (the chain jammed in the small cog originally), removed any rust, treated it with Frame Saver, and gave it a good cleaning, lube, and wax. I also sourced a period-correct Cinelli 64-40 handlebar to replace the too wide/too deep 66-42s that came original.
The only part of this process I had done before was change bar tape. Literally, I had never even used down tube shifters before. On the steel bikes of my youth, all I’d ever done was fix flats, adjust seats and handlebars, and retape the bars. Oh, and wire up a generator light. So both my lust for vintage steel, and my ability to rehabilitate this bike, are completely due to you folks. I blame you all. No, wait, I thank you all, sincerely. This was a therapeutic process for me. I feel like showing this off is like defending a master’s thesis in C&V.
I decided that I wanted to keep this build as true as I could to the original owner’s intent, with a few adjustments. I went to red tape and cables (and eventually the Turbo saddle will reappear in red leather) because the mix of red and yellow didn’t work for me, and the yellow seemed to highlight the paint fade. What little rust was there cleaned up well, which is not surprising since the entire bike is chromed under the paint. I’ve verified that the seat tube is SL tubing (as opposed to SP). Without pedals and with the current saddle, it’s a svelte 20.7#. It feels even lighter. With the Turbo saddle and heavy M520 pedals it was 21.6#.
The only part of this process I had done before was change bar tape. Literally, I had never even used down tube shifters before. On the steel bikes of my youth, all I’d ever done was fix flats, adjust seats and handlebars, and retape the bars. Oh, and wire up a generator light. So both my lust for vintage steel, and my ability to rehabilitate this bike, are completely due to you folks. I blame you all. No, wait, I thank you all, sincerely. This was a therapeutic process for me. I feel like showing this off is like defending a master’s thesis in C&V.
I decided that I wanted to keep this build as true as I could to the original owner’s intent, with a few adjustments. I went to red tape and cables (and eventually the Turbo saddle will reappear in red leather) because the mix of red and yellow didn’t work for me, and the yellow seemed to highlight the paint fade. What little rust was there cleaned up well, which is not surprising since the entire bike is chromed under the paint. I’ve verified that the seat tube is SL tubing (as opposed to SP). Without pedals and with the current saddle, it’s a svelte 20.7#. It feels even lighter. With the Turbo saddle and heavy M520 pedals it was 21.6#.
02-24-17, 04:50 PM
#4
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That's a real beauty!
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If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
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02-24-17, 04:50 PM
#5
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An unexpected bonus was the bag of spares that came with the bike. In here were two Suntour 6 speed freewheels (NW 13-21t and PS 13-24t), a cool vintage Moser jersey, a wool moth-nibbled Campy cycling cap, 3 usable pairs of gloves, 4 potentially usable spare tubular tires, some bike tools I needed, a small jar of magical Campy grease, a worn pair of Assos genuine chamois shorts, a pair of size 46 LG shoes with Look cleats (kinda fit me with an insole added), an orange ‘Clement’ elastic band (what is that for?), tubes of dried tubular glue, and a few other bits that went into the trash.
I thought I had a better photo showing the contents, but you can see the neoprene booties and one of the extra gloves at the edge of the photo.
Unfortunately the original Campagnolo clip pedals weren’t in that bag, though the original Campy jockey wheels were there in the old Suntour jockey wheel box. The spare freewheels did come with their original boxes, and had date codes from late 1984. The spare freewheels had minimal wear, but both were pretty cruddy with dried grease and barely spun. The freewheel on the bike showed wear, but is still in excellent shape.
This is my first experience with tubulars. The ones on the bike appear to be well glued and in nearly new condition. The spares look pretty dried out, and I have no idea if any of these are still usable. I know I need to figure this out, if I'm going to take the bike on longer rides.
02-24-17, 04:57 PM
#6
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Dating the Tommasini
I got a little obsessed with this. It’s just very interesting to me. The NR rear derailleur date is 1983. The cranks are 1980 (NDS) and 1981 (DS). Once I got the rear hub apart, I found that the lock nuts came from 1982. I have no reason to believe that any of these are not original to the original build of the bike. I know that in this time period these were imported to the US as frames/fork, and built up by the LBS or the buyer, so I’d expect a slightly greater 'scatter' of dates than on a factory built-up bicycle.
The frame elements that date the bike include the ’T’ lug cutouts (1980 onwards) and ’T’ BB cutout with beneath BB cable routing (’78 at the earliest, probably a bit later), the ’T’ with 3 lines on the seat stay caps (began around 1980), Campagnolo 1010/B rear dropouts without the portacatena threaded holes (1982ish onwards), rear brake routing on the top tube (used up until ’85 or ’86), Campy braze-on FD (introduced in 1982), and the decal pattern without the seat tube ‘Tommasini’ or other decal additions that came on in the mid-80s (this pattern is pre-1984). Most of that info came from here, especially T-Mar, and I apologize if I’m misstated something. And thanks again for all the expertise of this amazing forum.
So I’m calling this a 1982-83 frame that was built up in 1983. Or it was built up in 1982 and the OO bought 2 extra Suntour freewheels the next year.
After careful inspection I found that ’30’ is stamped on the BB shell. As noted here before, in this era there seems to be not pattern to BB stampings. They certainly don’t correlate with size or date in any discernible pattern.
Regarding the paint, I found two other very similar metallic red Tommisinis, both on page 5 of the Tommisini lounge thread on BF. What’s interesting is that both show significant sun fading without other signs of being abused. I think this red paint from the early 1980s was, like a lot of red metallic automotive paint from that era, extremely UV sensitive. Both these other metallic red Tommisinis also look like they’re from the early ‘80s.
All the decals are in quite good shape, except of course the Columbus stickers, where only the sticky reside and darker paint remains on the seat tube. I can see the 5 ridges in bottom of the steerer tube, c/w SL/SP tubing. The seat post is 27.2 I checked for the possibility that it is SLX when I did the BB, and it’s not. From careful measuring with my digital calipers, I’m convinced that despite this being a 58 cm frame, at least the seat tube is SL and not SP. Not sure about the downtube.
The frame elements that date the bike include the ’T’ lug cutouts (1980 onwards) and ’T’ BB cutout with beneath BB cable routing (’78 at the earliest, probably a bit later), the ’T’ with 3 lines on the seat stay caps (began around 1980), Campagnolo 1010/B rear dropouts without the portacatena threaded holes (1982ish onwards), rear brake routing on the top tube (used up until ’85 or ’86), Campy braze-on FD (introduced in 1982), and the decal pattern without the seat tube ‘Tommasini’ or other decal additions that came on in the mid-80s (this pattern is pre-1984). Most of that info came from here, especially T-Mar, and I apologize if I’m misstated something. And thanks again for all the expertise of this amazing forum.
So I’m calling this a 1982-83 frame that was built up in 1983. Or it was built up in 1982 and the OO bought 2 extra Suntour freewheels the next year.
After careful inspection I found that ’30’ is stamped on the BB shell. As noted here before, in this era there seems to be not pattern to BB stampings. They certainly don’t correlate with size or date in any discernible pattern.
Regarding the paint, I found two other very similar metallic red Tommisinis, both on page 5 of the Tommisini lounge thread on BF. What’s interesting is that both show significant sun fading without other signs of being abused. I think this red paint from the early 1980s was, like a lot of red metallic automotive paint from that era, extremely UV sensitive. Both these other metallic red Tommisinis also look like they’re from the early ‘80s.
All the decals are in quite good shape, except of course the Columbus stickers, where only the sticky reside and darker paint remains on the seat tube. I can see the 5 ridges in bottom of the steerer tube, c/w SL/SP tubing. The seat post is 27.2 I checked for the possibility that it is SLX when I did the BB, and it’s not. From careful measuring with my digital calipers, I’m convinced that despite this being a 58 cm frame, at least the seat tube is SL and not SP. Not sure about the downtube.
02-24-17, 04:58 PM
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AND a what looks to be ok Silca, albeit in yellow. I don't care if these work although many of them do, but I like to get them especially if they are painted to match or black, silver and maybe white.
02-24-17, 04:59 PM
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Thank you, [MENTION=425004]merziac[/MENTION] and @ gugie! This is such a great forum, and this is my hat tip back.
02-24-17, 05:04 PM
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It didn't work when I got it. A wasp (I believe) and gotten in there and made a little larval nest that clogged it. I cleaned it out, and it works now. It looked pretty good with the bike when it had some yellow trim. I like the clean look for now. You can see it in the original CL ad photo. The band that held it in place at the front of the top tube is one of the few spots on the bike that seems really true to the original color.
02-24-17, 05:04 PM
#10
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Very nice! Thanks for sharing your beautiful Tommasini and the back story. I'm sure it rides as great as it looks!
02-24-17, 05:07 PM
#11
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Nice job of bringing back to life. The little accessories like that have been as much or more exciting than bikes for me lately. The little details that people never see or have never seen, like the Clement band. Stuff like that is hard to come by. Consumables were just that, so it's always cool to get a little stash! Congrats on a great find.
02-24-17, 05:09 PM
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Anytime, I for one know how much effort this takes and truly appreciate when any of these get saved, reset or otherwise. It insures that they will live on that much longer which to me is invaluable. We are the keepers of the flame, some of us literally like gugie and all the rest as willing participants and enablers et all. 
Thank you, @merziac and @ gugie! This is such a great forum, and this is my hat tip back.
02-24-17, 05:17 PM
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Even more excellent to get it working again, its all about restoration and having it live on, the more we can save, the longer we can keep this going at a better level. Just a swag, but the Clement band may have been to bundle tires for lashing to the bike or not. 
It didn't work when I got it. A wasp (I believe) and gotten in there and made a little larval nest that clogged it. I cleaned it out, and it works now. It looked pretty good with the bike when it had some yellow trim. I like the clean look for now. You can see it in the original CL ad photo. The band that held it in place at the front of the top tube is one of the few spots on the bike that seems really true to the original color.
02-24-17, 05:29 PM
#14
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The Ride
Smooth. Like butter. My benchmark is my 2012 CAAD10, since I just don’t have enough miles with other bikes, especially other steel bikes. I'm pretty sure the tubular rims/tires on the Tommasini also really bring out its best attributes, so I’m not sure how much to attribute to the frame.
But that said, it handles beautifully, and is more responsive than the CAAD10. Probably because the wheelbase is slightly shorter, by almost 2 cm. I can dodge junk in the road so easily, and I can corner more tightly. The Tommasini also somehow feels lighter, even though it’s about 4# heavier. But heavier is relative, it's still a very light-weight steel bike. It accelerates easily, though surprisingly it doesn’t seem to hold speed like the Cannondale.
It shifts wonderfully. I'm really not sure what index shifting adds to down tube shifters. I'll find out when I finally get my Panasonic back on the road.
The way I have it set up now, it’s almost exactly the same cockpit geometry between the two bikes, but when in the drops I’m a little more stretched out. Between that and the DT shifters, I have to be a little more alert when riding. I can’t see much speed difference based on my recent joining of Strava. Both bikes are about equally fast, at least at my current level of conditioning and ability.
Of course, this is all based on a few 10-15 mile rides. I hope to build up to some century rides over the course of the year, and I’d like to use both bikes on different long rides and see what what that experience is like.
But that said, it handles beautifully, and is more responsive than the CAAD10. Probably because the wheelbase is slightly shorter, by almost 2 cm. I can dodge junk in the road so easily, and I can corner more tightly. The Tommasini also somehow feels lighter, even though it’s about 4# heavier. But heavier is relative, it's still a very light-weight steel bike. It accelerates easily, though surprisingly it doesn’t seem to hold speed like the Cannondale.
It shifts wonderfully. I'm really not sure what index shifting adds to down tube shifters. I'll find out when I finally get my Panasonic back on the road.
The way I have it set up now, it’s almost exactly the same cockpit geometry between the two bikes, but when in the drops I’m a little more stretched out. Between that and the DT shifters, I have to be a little more alert when riding. I can’t see much speed difference based on my recent joining of Strava. Both bikes are about equally fast, at least at my current level of conditioning and ability.
Of course, this is all based on a few 10-15 mile rides. I hope to build up to some century rides over the course of the year, and I’d like to use both bikes on different long rides and see what what that experience is like.
02-24-17, 06:49 PM
#15
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[QUOTE=Kevindale;19400825]
Bike came out fantastic...nice story. Columbus sl makes for a very nice ride. Congrats on your new skills...it can become addictive....
Bike came out fantastic...nice story. Columbus sl makes for a very nice ride. Congrats on your new skills...it can become addictive....
02-24-17, 07:33 PM
#16
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Thank you And yes, the addiction has already set in. I have the Panasonic 5000-DX apart, with all the pieces cleaned and ready to go back together, but with 7-speed index shifting restored (I hope). My Univega is still in Los Angeles, in a box ready to be shipped to be if I don't return to California anytime soon. Not much to do to it except take it apart, clean, lube, and put back together with new brake pads. And I've picked up a Kestrel 200 SCi frame/fork that I'm slowly getting sorted.
02-24-17, 08:06 PM
#17
Wow, what a great job Kevin, for a first attempt at bike restoration this is beyond words actually. I knew we were working on similar bikes, yous outshines mine by miles and miles, Chapeau Sir. I have to agree with everything you said about the guys here, and how much help they are when you are starting out with this corner of the bicycling world. I have learned so much from the Learned Elders of C&V, no one was overbearing or acted superior towards me, just good helpful knowledge.
I didn't risk digging into the Regina freewheels that I used for both the Tommasini and the Medici. Both were sent to @pastorbobnlnh for his Freewheel Spa Treatment, it is well worth the small cost. Those are the smoothest and quietest freewheels I have ever had the pleasure of using, including then new Regina and SunTour, back in the day. You learn very fast and very well, and everything looks fantastic on your Tommie.
I hadn't paid attention to how close you are to where we live, if you get over this way be sure to give me a shout so we can ride some.
Bill
I didn't risk digging into the Regina freewheels that I used for both the Tommasini and the Medici. Both were sent to @pastorbobnlnh for his Freewheel Spa Treatment, it is well worth the small cost. Those are the smoothest and quietest freewheels I have ever had the pleasure of using, including then new Regina and SunTour, back in the day. You learn very fast and very well, and everything looks fantastic on your Tommie.
I hadn't paid attention to how close you are to where we live, if you get over this way be sure to give me a shout so we can ride some.
Bill
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02-24-17, 08:26 PM
#18
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Wow, Kevin, nice story, nice bike. (Do I spy a tub of yellow Rampar grease in that pic with the bowel of bearings? I had some of that. Wonderful stuff. I used it all up eventually.)
Pretty high-end bike to jump into as a C&V intro too. Well done!
I'de be interested to read more riding impressions too.
Pretty high-end bike to jump into as a C&V intro too. Well done!
I'de be interested to read more riding impressions too.
__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
02-24-17, 11:56 PM
#19
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Amsterdam
Posts: 1,662
Bikes: 1980 Koga-Miyata Gentsluxe-S, 1998 Eddy Merckx Corsa 01, 1983 Tommasini Racing, 2012 Gulf Western CAAD10, 1980 Univega Gran Premio
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Wow, what a great job Kevin, for a first attempt at bike restoration this is beyond words actually. I knew we were working on similar bikes, yous outshines mine by miles and miles, Chapeau Sir. I have to agree with everything you said about the guys here, and how much help they are when you are starting out with this corner of the bicycling world. I have learned so much from the Learned Elders of C&V, no one was overbearing or acted superior towards me, just good helpful knowledge.
I didn't risk digging into the Regina freewheels that I used for both the Tommasini and the Medici. Both were sent to @pastorbobnlnh for his Freewheel Spa Treatment, it is well worth the small cost. Those are the smoothest and quietest freewheels I have ever had the pleasure of using, including then new Regina and SunTour, back in the day. You learn very fast and very well, and everything looks fantastic on your Tommie.
I hadn't paid attention to how close you are to where we live, if you get over this way be sure to give me a shout so we can ride some.
Bill
I didn't risk digging into the Regina freewheels that I used for both the Tommasini and the Medici. Both were sent to @pastorbobnlnh for his Freewheel Spa Treatment, it is well worth the small cost. Those are the smoothest and quietest freewheels I have ever had the pleasure of using, including then new Regina and SunTour, back in the day. You learn very fast and very well, and everything looks fantastic on your Tommie.
I hadn't paid attention to how close you are to where we live, if you get over this way be sure to give me a shout so we can ride some.
Bill
Though if I had it to do over again, I'd send a couple of the freewheels to PastorBob. Still might do that, just to see the difference. I didn't take them apart -- I soaked them in MEK, then flushed over several days with compressed air and WD-40, and then dribbled in some Pedros oil. They seem super smooth and I love the sound they make, but I'm sure there's still lots of stuff in there and they could be better.
Right now I'm in New Orleans, splitting my time between here and Shreveport. You're definitely pretty close. I'll definitely keep your invitation in mind, and if you get over this way give a holler.
02-24-17, 11:59 PM
#20
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Amsterdam
Posts: 1,662
Bikes: 1980 Koga-Miyata Gentsluxe-S, 1998 Eddy Merckx Corsa 01, 1983 Tommasini Racing, 2012 Gulf Western CAAD10, 1980 Univega Gran Premio
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Liked 11 Times
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11 Posts
Wow, Kevin, nice story, nice bike. (Do I spy a tub of yellow Rampar grease in that pic with the bowel of bearings? I had some of that. Wonderful stuff. I used it all up eventually.)
Pretty high-end bike to jump into as a C&V intro too. Well done!
I'de be interested to read more riding impressions too.
Pretty high-end bike to jump into as a C&V intro too. Well done!
I'de be interested to read more riding impressions too.
And yes, I was very lucky to dive in with an exceptional bike. It's literally the only high-end vintage bike I've seen on the Shreveport CL I've seen in a year, and I stumbled into it. The other vintage bikes I got from trips to LA and Louisville (and I'm not sure they're nearly as high-end). Well, now that I have the Kestrel frame I suppose that might be the second, though it's a completely different beast. In that case, again, I was the only person to show any real interest. I guess there's an upside to being in a tiny backwater C&V market.
Last edited by Kevindale; 02-25-17 at 12:20 AM.
02-25-17, 06:30 AM
#21
What??? Only 2 wheels?
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Boston-ish, MA
Posts: 13,450
Bikes: 72 Peugeot UO-8, 82 Peugeot TH8, 87 Bianchi Brava, 76? Masi Grand Criterium, 74 Motobecane Champion Team, 86 & 77 Gazelle champion mondial, 81? Grandis, 82? Tommasini, 83 Peugeot PF10
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Rampar was a name Raleigh used. They sold a tub of grease like that one, same baby-puke yellow, incredibly stringy and persistent. Probably the same stuff as Campy. I would guess it was synthetic but I'm no lubricant engineer and never even played one on TV. (I see that you did say it was Campy in the description of what was "in the bag".)
You going to stay with those Conti tires? I'm just wondering what it would look like with a tan sidewall ("gumwall") tire. My Tommasini has nice, skinny & light clincher rims with Veloflex Master tires, which are very tubular-like. I'd consider tubulars for it if I was string up new wheels. I have Veloflex Criteriums on three bikes and really like them. Some may disdgree but I figure if you're going to go with tubulars you might as well go with good ones.
You going to stay with those Conti tires? I'm just wondering what it would look like with a tan sidewall ("gumwall") tire. My Tommasini has nice, skinny & light clincher rims with Veloflex Master tires, which are very tubular-like. I'd consider tubulars for it if I was string up new wheels. I have Veloflex Criteriums on three bikes and really like them. Some may disdgree but I figure if you're going to go with tubulars you might as well go with good ones.
__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
02-25-17, 09:00 AM
#22
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Amsterdam
Posts: 1,662
Bikes: 1980 Koga-Miyata Gentsluxe-S, 1998 Eddy Merckx Corsa 01, 1983 Tommasini Racing, 2012 Gulf Western CAAD10, 1980 Univega Gran Premio
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Liked 11 Times
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Rampar was a name Raleigh used. They sold a tub of grease like that one, same baby-puke yellow, incredibly stringy and persistent. Probably the same stuff as Campy. I would guess it was synthetic but I'm no lubricant engineer and never even played one on TV. (I see that you did say it was Campy in the description of what was "in the bag".)
You going to stay with those Conti tires? I'm just wondering what it would look like with a tan sidewall ("gumwall") tire. My Tommasini has nice, skinny & light clincher rims with Veloflex Master tires, which are very tubular-like. I'd consider tubulars for it if I was string up new wheels. I have Veloflex Criteriums on three bikes and really like them. Some may disdgree but I figure if you're going to go with tubulars you might as well go with good ones.
You going to stay with those Conti tires? I'm just wondering what it would look like with a tan sidewall ("gumwall") tire. My Tommasini has nice, skinny & light clincher rims with Veloflex Master tires, which are very tubular-like. I'd consider tubulars for it if I was string up new wheels. I have Veloflex Criteriums on three bikes and really like them. Some may disdgree but I figure if you're going to go with tubulars you might as well go with good ones.
This is the next subject for me to research. I realize I should have another set ready, and know how to mount them, for when the time comes. From the little reading I've done, it sounds like there's a fair amount of prep work to get a new tubular ready to mount. The bike came with a worn seatbag that contained a spare, but it looked pretty dried out. I have no idea if it's viable for me to learn this well enough from reading to actually replace a tubular on the side of the road.
02-25-17, 09:51 AM
#23
Wow, well done!
Tommasini is still in business, perhaps if you email them they can help you nail down the year.
Any pictures of the Moser jersey or Campy cycling cap?
Wiggle sells H+Son TB14 rims for about $60, they are modern clinchers with the classic look, I have two sets that I really like.
Tommasini is still in business, perhaps if you email them they can help you nail down the year.
Any pictures of the Moser jersey or Campy cycling cap?
Wiggle sells H+Son TB14 rims for about $60, they are modern clinchers with the classic look, I have two sets that I really like.
02-25-17, 10:24 AM
#24
I emailed Tommasini, first time was a blank, but the second attempt got a reply from Barbara, one of the family members that usually responds to query by folks. I need to send her the better pictures she requested soon.
@Kevindale, didn't you say that you sent an email a while back?
Tubulars, don't be scared about mounting them, it isn't the dark science it gets made out to be. I use a contact cement, Weldtite, from DAP adhesive products. You can get it in cans at any home improvement store, hardware store, or one of the big box places. The Tubasti, and Continental tubes and cans are pretty much the exact same make up, just much more expensive. 3M used to sell a great contact cement in cans, but they have discontinued it for some reason, now its in spray cans only. You don't want to use spray contact cement for gluing up tubulars.
Look through some of the videos on You Tube, Vittoria's are in Italian, so use your discretion, I watched Continental's videos and the ones from Art's Cyclery. There are a whole slew of them there to dig through. Some folks stretch the tubulars a few times, that is up to you, Continental has a video that says not to stretch them, some of their instructions say to stretch first, meh. I do stretch them some, but not to any kind of extreme at all.
Gluing is where the big differences come to the front, some advocate several coats of cement applied to the tires and wheel rims, others tell you to put on a coating to each surface, and when it drys you can place the tubular on the rim, that is personal taste and experience. Others that use the multiple coatings tell you to give a day or so for each coat to dry before applying the next coating, especially the tires.
I don't subscribe to the multi day regimen, I apply a thick coating to the tires, and the rims are as clean as I can get them if they are previously in use, sand the dried adhesive off if you want a good clear clean surface, the wipe with acetone or alcohol wipes. I try to keep the glue as neatly applied as possible, I clean up the tire's sidewalls and the rims when I finish applying the adhesive. Acid flux brushes, from a plumbing department or supply store are what I use to apply the adhesive, cheap and sturdy little items that I can just toss when I finish up. When both the rims and tires are completely dry I install the tires onto the rims, take your time, they are stiff and will take some work to pull completely in place. When you have them on the rim, get them seated properly, checking the cloth tape for being equal on both sides. The valve stem can be a problem, when getting the tire at them, completely seated to the rim, I use cable zip ties on each side of the stem to pull the tire snug down on the rim and let things set up for a while before riding. I like to wait a day before riding freshly glued tubulars.
Some of the more experienced guys might offer up other methods, I learned mine when I got my International, in 1979. I have not rolled off a tubular tire to date, thanks be to God! Your bike looks absolutely super, great job.
Bill
@Kevindale, didn't you say that you sent an email a while back?
Tubulars, don't be scared about mounting them, it isn't the dark science it gets made out to be. I use a contact cement, Weldtite, from DAP adhesive products. You can get it in cans at any home improvement store, hardware store, or one of the big box places. The Tubasti, and Continental tubes and cans are pretty much the exact same make up, just much more expensive. 3M used to sell a great contact cement in cans, but they have discontinued it for some reason, now its in spray cans only. You don't want to use spray contact cement for gluing up tubulars.
Look through some of the videos on You Tube, Vittoria's are in Italian, so use your discretion, I watched Continental's videos and the ones from Art's Cyclery. There are a whole slew of them there to dig through. Some folks stretch the tubulars a few times, that is up to you, Continental has a video that says not to stretch them, some of their instructions say to stretch first, meh. I do stretch them some, but not to any kind of extreme at all.
Gluing is where the big differences come to the front, some advocate several coats of cement applied to the tires and wheel rims, others tell you to put on a coating to each surface, and when it drys you can place the tubular on the rim, that is personal taste and experience. Others that use the multiple coatings tell you to give a day or so for each coat to dry before applying the next coating, especially the tires.
I don't subscribe to the multi day regimen, I apply a thick coating to the tires, and the rims are as clean as I can get them if they are previously in use, sand the dried adhesive off if you want a good clear clean surface, the wipe with acetone or alcohol wipes. I try to keep the glue as neatly applied as possible, I clean up the tire's sidewalls and the rims when I finish applying the adhesive. Acid flux brushes, from a plumbing department or supply store are what I use to apply the adhesive, cheap and sturdy little items that I can just toss when I finish up. When both the rims and tires are completely dry I install the tires onto the rims, take your time, they are stiff and will take some work to pull completely in place. When you have them on the rim, get them seated properly, checking the cloth tape for being equal on both sides. The valve stem can be a problem, when getting the tire at them, completely seated to the rim, I use cable zip ties on each side of the stem to pull the tire snug down on the rim and let things set up for a while before riding. I like to wait a day before riding freshly glued tubulars.
Some of the more experienced guys might offer up other methods, I learned mine when I got my International, in 1979. I have not rolled off a tubular tire to date, thanks be to God! Your bike looks absolutely super, great job.
Bill
__________________
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977
I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977
I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
Last edited by qcpmsame; 02-25-17 at 10:29 AM.
02-25-17, 11:09 AM
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Point Reyes Station, California
Posts: 4,631
Bikes: Indeed!
Liked 3,800 Times
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1,197 Posts
Very nice job on a very nice bike!
I think that seeing a neglected high-quality bike like this brought back to life is a great pleasure to many of us here. Thanks for posting.
Brent
I think that seeing a neglected high-quality bike like this brought back to life is a great pleasure to many of us here. Thanks for posting.
Brent
