Cdubs

Picked this up last week. A vintage steel road bike by Finelli. I've never seen on of these Canadian bikes. This one was well taken care of and didn't require a whole lot of work. I've ordered new tires and tubes and I'm going to re-tape the bars and polish up the metal. Got it out on a little close to home run and it worked so well. Definitely feels like an old vintage bike but it's going to be a fun one to bomb around in a bit.

Piff 

I love the name. One of your best investments you can make into your bike are some new tires. In fact, I would recommend notriding until you have done so. I bet that paint will sparkle once you've cleaned it up

Cdubs

Thanks for the tip. I was worried they wouldn't last on the short ride and didn't want to damage the bike so I'll wait until that tire and tube set arrives.

Murray Missile 

Drive side pics or it didn't happen......

Definitely get some good tires and tubes on it. It's also begging for some aluminum wheels and barcon shifters. Looks like a fun project, I'm diggin' the color.

Cdubs

I just started looking for some aluminum wheels but I wasn't sure what to go with. I'm pretty new to the road bike world what's the benefit of Barcon shifters? Here's a pic of the drive side.

ntn007us

What size is that frame?

Murray Missile 

Probably more of an aesthetics thing than anythng else as barcons are considered "sportier" than stem shifters and were mainly found on a little higher level bikes, They don't require reaching as far from the handlebar as down tube shifters. Stem shifters were usually found on entry level bikes or more recreational type road bikes but if you mainly ride on the upper part of the bars like I do stem shifters are actually more convenient. I'd never ridden with them until about 4 years ago when I bought my '79 Soma Prestige, I'm now planning on using them on at least 3 upcoming builds.

Cdubs

Rough measurement was 60cm. It's a big one.

SurferRosa

You never forget your first.

Cdubs

Haven't done a whole lot to this bike so far but I've shined her up a bit, replaced the tires, new seat, tried out some new tape in the bars just for colour (I think I'll end up using yellow) and added a small bike trunk. This bike has ended up being my main commuter since I have such nice paved trails to take to work. This winter I will do more of the cosmetic and polish when I take some things apart for maintenance.

smd4

They were more than just an "aesthetic" thing. They were common on touring bikes. The main benefit was that you didn't need to take your hands off the bars to shift gears.

iab

What a coincidence, my first vintage project was also a Finelli. Except in my case change the "F" to a "C" . Either way, a fun hobby to do.

Cdubs

Thanks. I do really like it's originality it always gets comments from other riders on it. At least from any vintage fans. Luckily my commute is pretty straight forward with only a couple kilometers of climb at about 3.9%. The bike was well maintained over it's life so I plan to keep her rolling.

smd4

Personally, I'd advise you to sell it and get a properly sized bike.

John E

That's why I gave my otherwise-beloved 1980 Peugeot PKN-10 to my elder son. I was simply one size too pituitary-challenged for it. I would rather ride a frame that is a bit too small than one that is a bit too large.

I second the recommendation for barcons, which I have on my slightly too small for me Peugeot UO-8, and which I have ready for my Carlton rebuild.

randyjawa 

How I remember my first vintage bike, a seventies something Sekine which I nick-named "Big Green"...


What did "Big Green" teach me..?

1. Make darn sure the bike is YOUR size, as suggested in post #15, assuming that the bike is too big or too small. "Big Green" was way too big for me but I did not know that back then...
2. Check the bike over, check everything, to ensure that the bike is road worthy and safe to ride. The transmission does not have to work. The purpose here is to see if the bike pulls to one side or the other when ridden, indicating a bent fork or bent frame or both...

I checked the Alan over carefully and, using a shorten chain and with no shifting opportunity, I took the bike out for a spin to see how it rode. By a spin, I mean a short test ride, not a fun ride, just enough time to ensure that the bike rides true.

3. If the paint and art is good, keep the original paint and art. This is a dollars and cents issue.
4. If this all checks out in the positive column, then you are good to go for a test ride. If not, think it over.

I commented on entry level bikes, and hope that no one here takes that as a negative comment. I have restored top of the line dogs from well and even not so well know stables. And I have had great times restoring and riding entry level steeds...


But something I have learned over the years, is that years and grease are not good bed fellows, as this mummified rodent can attest...


What I am trying to say is completely rebuild the bike if you hope to keep it. Failing to do so might result in the bike failing at what will, most likely, be an inopportune time.

As far as cost goes, to make an old road bike road worthy and safe to ride, figure on a couple of hundred dollars. Get a bit fancy (paint and art) and expect to spend a couple of hundred more, add chrome plating and go broke real fast.

This entry level Toapado was given to me for free. As pictured above, I have close to six hundred dollars (CND) invested in my entry level Italian bike (this is the same bike that appears above, the grey one I painted with my trusty 1" brush)...


and my next project is, you guessed it, an entry level bike...