ehcoplex 

Funny, this thread reminded me of when I went to buy my PX-10 a couple years ago. It was a FB ad, I think it was just listed as something along the lines of 'vintage bike' and might even have had Peugeot spelled wrong. Anyway, it needed attention, but the price was right, etc, etc. The woman selling it said they were clearing out their garage for a pending move to 'somewhere warmer' and the Peugeot had been her husband's (who was actually kind of lurking around, but didn't even say 'hi'...). But apparently I had 'really missed a good deal' on the Huffy she'd sold a couple days before.... The PX got a kinda 'this old junk' attitude, but she gushed praise over the Huffy I'd missed out on... It was a little weird (but also funny). But now with this thread, maybe I really did miss out! I mean, the PX-10 is nice and all, but..... the Huffy that got away..

Vintage Schwinn

Nice interesting build project Adventureman! Hey, isn't that an old circa 1984-1985 solid state, made in England, MARSHALL LEAD 12 amp that is next to the repair stand in your pictures in post#2 ??

Spaghetti Legs 

Well done on the resurrection and build! Can’t wait to see the final product! If you really want to show your commitment to the brand though, you’ll have to ride it over the Passo di Gavia like Andy Hampsten did with his.

AdventureManCO 

The PX-10 is nice and all, but...we are talking about the grand Le Grande, after all!


If it fell, it would probably kill the Peugeot


The scorecard for today: Le Grande - 1, PX-10 - 0

Finally got to take it for a spin. It started off slow, and, well, just kept going slow. I think the bikes 'muscles' may have atrophied from not being ridden in so long, but we finally got into a good groove.

Coming from the PX-10, the Ironman, the Trek 957, etc...I was actually very impressed with the ride. It was smooth (for the most part), and was very comfortable. The needle on the dial moved a line past 'I wouldn't care if this was stolen', so I think the test ride was a success. Its got a slightly wicked lean to the left, but I think I know why and should be easy to address. Honestly, it was a big nostalgic. I never had a Huffy road bike growing up, and didn't really ride road bikes growing up, but I did have a black Huffy bmx when I was a kid, and grew up on relatively pedestrian bikes. I always drooled over the GTs, Elfs, PK Rippers, and Robinsons down at the GT BMX Store that was literally a couple miles from my house. So it was kinda cool to be taken back in a way.





It was also very plainly obvious why people hate these bikes, and I think we can isolate much of that to the components (which will be going away eventually), so that is actually good. The brakes just plain suck, there is no other way to put it. They are flimsy, flexy, weak, and have little chance of success with those steel rims. I road through a little bit of water and snow here and there, and after that there was just no hope. Lost probably 60-80% of braking power and it screeched and screamed so loud when pulling up to my house I actually laughed. Since brakes are such an integral part of a functional bicycle, I can see why people just wrote the whole bike off completely. And very few people would have been willing to change out the brakes AND the wheels. That, and the seat tilt adjustment. It was either -5 degrees, or 15 degrees, nothing in-between.



While one part of me hates the idea of separating out all the original components since the bike is still in such stellar condition...they will find their way to the dumpster soon


My heart will go on


I think what I am going to do, however, it try to put at least 100 miles on the bike before really tearing things down and gutting it, again, just to get a better impression in it's 'before' stage. Plus it would be fun to do an unofficial 'Clunker Challenge' with it (paging @Narhay !), since it currently meets the criteria. Bike's gotta earn its keep!

In sad news, I tried the SR Royal Extra Super Light stem, and it definitely didn't fit But it wasn't off by much. Stem diameter was a true 22.2, and the ID of the steerer tube was weird, something like 21.6mm. So, do I attempt to shave off .6mm from around an already light stem? I haven't taken a digital caliper to the wall thickness of the stem, but opinions are definitely welcome. The Jun stem was actually a slightly loose fit. I haven't weighed the Jun, but if we end up going with that one, we are definitely going to shave it down a bit and use a titanium wedge bolt and an aluminum wedge (drilled out, too).

The great news about this build is that I have some time to think about things. I already have most of the upgrade parts, but riding the bike as-is will allow me to get a better feel for how things will need to change.

Oh, and based on what a previous posted mentioned, I did look it up, and it sure does look like Rene Herse makes tubulars...





But...uhh...well, maybe those 100 first miles will give me time to setup a gofundme for the bike!

All in all, a good day. Tomorrow I'll be busting out the polish and we'll see how clean and shiny that frame sparkles.

albrt 

Seems to me the final build needs to maintain at least one of the (1) dork disk, (2) stem shifters, (3) turkey levers. Did Campy ever make any of those things?

The co-op where I volunteer had a 1983 Greg Lemond signature Huffy Elite until recently. I think the LeGrande is a better choice. The Elite was basically a middle of the road Taiwan frame. I'm looking forward to hearing whether you can feel any supernatural resistance (or possibly even sparks flying or your head starts to spin around) when you try to lock Campy wheels into those crimped dropouts.

AdventureManCO 

You've got a good eye...



If you look close, you can see that outline is a little larger than the original speaker. I took out the original 10" and put a 12" Celestion Vintage 30 in back there. Killer amp for its size and output. These amps really get into that 'plexi' territory very well. I've also got a Reverb 12 (Lead 12 w/ reverb) and the cab is much better condition. In the basement, I've got a Marshall Valvestate 100 (8100). My buddy had one in high school, and I liked the sound so much, I kept an eye out for one. Had to replace the power transistors, but since then has been completely reliable. Heck of an amp, and sounds monstrous. When I gig, I actually use the little Lead 12 (with the V30) as the speaker cab, so in essense I have 2 amps - if the main one goes down, I just plug the speak jack back into the Lead 12 and party on. Its funny to see youtube videos on the 8100 and seeing it called a 'classic' now, it sure wasn't when I got it!

ehcoplex 

The grace and elegance of that fork rake is just...... well, it's..... I'm left speechless.

It seems to me a more appropriate amplifier to sneak in the background of future photos of the Huffy would be a Peavey.

PatTheSlat 

I love this.

Be ready to come up with some sort of shim for the front derailleur, I bet that seat tube is 25.4 OD instead of 28.6.

repechage

A Campagnolo formfactor headset may not fit, even with reaming, facing.

dmark 

dmark 

"...Hey, isn't that an old circa 1984-1985 solid state..."
But can it go to 11?

RustyJames 

Maybe the Huff-y parts could be donated to someone who wants to put them on their De Rosa for an opposite kind of build.

Schweinhund

You may have missed out on that elusive bad@ssed 1983 huffy, but I doubt it.

Murray Missile 

I used one of those to put a Sugino triple on an old Clumbia Clipper "faux klunker", it work quite well. The BB adapter, not the faux klunker LOL.

dddd

Lucky to find your dream "grail" bike in this bike's less-common 24" frame size, having 27" wheels.

The ~70-degree frame angles alone will shorten the handlebar's reach reach forward (from the bottom bracket) by roughly 3cm or an inch compared to a frame with normal geometry, so allow me to recommend a longer stem, not to exceed perhaps 10cm, and using wider handlebars to control steering flop.

The stem quill diameter is .833" or 21.1mm, also known as "bmx diameter". These stems can be found in aluminum in 9, 10 and even 11cm extension lengths.
Look for SR, GB (stamped "S") and Comp Forged branding, these came on many early-70's Nishikis and the like (and on Schwinns and Windsors).

You might consider staying with the current cranks, or replacing with much-nicer cranks taken from a Schwinn (which will be made of better metal, better chrome and with much better bearings). Tioga and Tange I believe both offered upgraded #64 ball bearing retainers having increased ball count (and with chromium balls just like Schwinn's).
You will still be limited to use of 1/2" threaded pedals, though clipless versions of such might still be found if you're patient.

The original headset similarly might be a best choice, though it's not chromed.

Campy brakes might not be an option unless you want to use a drop-down mount for the mounting bolt, due to the reach (especially after changing to 700c rims).

DT shift levers and front derailer will have to be low-end 1"-clamp parts, or be shimmed using 1/16" stock so as to mate to the 1" OD tubing.

1" chromed cable housing clamps are out there as well, from Dia Compe.

Using different brands of "seatpost guts" clamp assembly and/or different saddle can allow you to fine-tune the saddle's angle more subtly when dealing with a straight post. Ideale even made a micro-adjustable clamp for straight/plain posts.
Reversing the seatpost guts clamp to effect negative offset can compensate for the aforementioned 3cm of offset due to the 70-degree STA.


I also dealt with the following issues when hot-rodding my 1964 Schwinn Varsity:

I should have used a larger 24" frame instead of the 22" inch frame because of the slack "American style" frame angles (I have since procured 24" frames in my preferred lime green (Varsity) and chromed (Huffy) for any future such builds.

I found clipless (Wellgo, and Bulletproof by Wellgo) bmx-style pedals in 1/2" threading, so I retained the original Schwinn Ashtabula crankset. Alloy racing-style Lyotard quill pedals with 1/2" threading were made for the French youth bike market.

My downtube luckily had spot-welded shift lever mounts because it was such an early Varsity, so I used normal DT stops and Ergolevers.
Simplex 1" downtube shift levers can be found today on Ebay (having white plastic levers attached). You can remove the levers from the clamps and then mount DT stops (perhaps sell the cool white plastic levers to a forum member). These lever assemblies were made for French youth bicycles.

I kept the stock Schwinn kickstand (weighs only .9lb complete).

I also retained the 1" clamp original front Huret/Schwinn derailer.

I retained the original, long-reaching, spindly Weinmann Calipers, which now work quite well using Kool-Stop dual-compound brake shoes.

I've found that on bikes having steel chainrings that 9s chain works perfectly in all ways, many examples so far (both American and European).
A 9s chain also seems to play particularly nice with Alpha-7 (and other 7s Suntour) freewheels.


Did you weigh your stock Huffy yet?

I ended up with about a 32-lb bike as I recall, using an OEM (MA40 + 105 freehub) wheelset.

My build mistakes both had to do with consequences of the frame's angles. I used too small of a frame size and too narrow of a handlebar, both of which compromised spirited riding.
Your 24" Huffy frame almost certainly has identical geometry to a 24" Varsity frame, at least my 24" Huffy frame does.

Things might get interesting locally if your conscientious build perhaps motivates you to greater heights in terms of fitness/form.
So don't refrain from perhaps pacing a local weekly training ride to see how far along you can hang from one week to the next, in conjunction with the bike's ongoing "development".
Remember, a bike's weight and vintage are perhaps only a small deviation compared to one's seasonal range of spiritedness or "competitive" form.

Another (more practical?) approach might be to simply develop this Huffy starting where it is now, and simply making frequent upgrades as dictated by the need of improvement of perhaps one or two components at a time.
Especially as yours is in such good condition as is!
That's how I developed many of my own "gas-pipe" sort of bikes, never bothering to tear the bikes down at all.
There's a bit of fun in making steady improvements as an adjunct to the pleasures of actual riding (just ask the Harley riders).
Weather-permitting, I've even indulged in extensive riding using a variety of chromed 27" rims, once the aged brake pads were addressed as needed for sure stopping.
Using an on-going approach also gives one more time to consider the many options, evaluate fit, and to perhaps opportunistically find parts that can be difficult/expensive to source during any shorter time frame.
Testing each change individually also makes for more informed evaluation of interconnected things like the effect of stem length and handlebar width (longer stem often seems to beg for a wider bar on this kind of bike for instance).
Also the decision on what gearing ends up complimenting the bike, being ridden in what turns out to be it's preferred environment(?).
Lastly, LOL, don't put an uncomfortable saddle on it.

MooneyBloke

Ah! Nice picture of the good old 7-11 Serot^H^H^H^H^HHuffy. 😉

Andy_K 

I would expect 21.1, which was the size used by low-end Schwinns. That's what I found on my Huffy AeroWind.

BTW, you beat me to the punch, but I'm totally planning to do something like this with the AeroWind. I was thinking of starting a "Lipstick on a Pig" challenge to see how many other people would be willing to do something similar.

So, let me formally introduce you to the competition:



Someone had already done me the favor of recycling most of the original parts. I got this as seen above. The seller was asking $10, but I only had a twenty, so I gave him double his asking price. I'm very glad they left the seatpost, because I'm not sure I'd be able to find a replacement.

The AeroWind may not be as Le Grand as yours, but it's definitely got your commercial beat.


So aerodynamic, you have to wear a loose flappy jacket to slow yourself down to a manageable speed!

My plan is to go with modern indexed shifting, but not Super Record.

My biggest concern is that I think this might have originally come with 26x1-3/8" wheels. I'm not sure 700c will fit in there.

beng1

Well I hope when you are done you have saved all the original parts to this bike so you or someone can restore it back to original. All your light parts will do is save weight, which may help in climbing some hills, that is the only advantage. I put close to 2000 miles on my Huffy last year, a 1973 Scout ten-speed, and I did a 19.5 mph average in a local Time-Trial. Having the Campy crap on the bike would have made zero difference. My bike came with Shimano derailleurs and hubs when new and Araya rims, as good as any Campy in quality, just heavier. In the 70s I rode a Columbia ten-speed, which is about the same quality as the Huffy or a Schwinn Varsity, not bad, just heavy. So the only disadvantage these bikes have is going up hills, you just have to go slower is all, and of course they do not ride as comfortably as a high-end snob bike, because they frames are more stiff, they ride like a steel mountainbike. Other than those two things they have no disadvantage compared to a high-end bike, your top speed on level ground will not be affected by the light drivetrain components etc... Me in the time-trial last year;

Hondo6

Not sure about the amp. But with the right groupset, the bike certainly can - if the rear dropout is (or can be spread) to 130mm.

AdventureManCO 

Bada bing, bada boom! 26" Huffy w/ 700c wheels -



Pah-lennnty of room to spare.

I did this experiment the other day. This was the other Huffy the seller gave me, that he was going to throw away. Had those same 26" wheels on it, and I got a little curious on the clearances. You might find that the brake mounts also work okay for you as well. They didn't look horrible on my example. I tried on a suuuuper long reach Weinmann centerpull, and it was a hair too long, so then I tried a no-name generic regular dual pivot, and it was a hair (I mean just a hair) too short, so you will probably be A-ok. If your 26" Aerowind is anything like this one, it should work just fine. Now, I did take a look at the BB height. I measured one of my other 700c bikes, and the from the ground to the center of the BB was somewhere around 11.25"-11.5" (real rough measurement). The Huffy, with the 700c wheels on it, was measuring around 12.5"-13" I believe (at center of BB).

So what you trade away in low center-of-gravity stability, you gain in clearance, so you can take that road-wheeled Huffy through the rock garden with ease.

In any case, I'm thrilled by your project, and ecstatic to have some bottom-of-the-barrel competition. The Aerowind commercial definitely has the Le Grande one beat 1000x, but in my heart of hearts, I still prefer the Le Grande theme song

I had a few Huffys that I was considering - I really just wanted to find something w/ 27" wheels on it, and something with an 'okay' chainstay length that wasn't a mile long. The Techtra ( Johnny Mullet favorite), 626, Aerowind, and now the Le Grande all were possibilities.

I hope that this thread, and your upcoming one, will inspire others to take a second look at these pieces of junk In all honesty, many millions of them provided acceptable, silent thankless service to many common folk while being sneered at, which is sort of what drew me to it. We are going to be turning that sneer around, and in style!

@ehcoplex mentioned earlier in this thread that he wanted it to be a Santa Fe. I started researching that bike, and most of what I found were the smaller-wheeled renditions (24"? 26"?) but then I did see that they did make a 27" wheeled size, they just don't look to be as common.

If I find one, I'll get it, just because it could be the start of something else beautiful

RB1-luvr

this is a great read. I'm looking forward to more.

Huffy drop bar bikes have a place in my heart, as I rode one in high school to work 8 miles each way from Columbia, CT to Willimantic, CT as a stockboy at Benny's Home and Auto. At night in the dark I timed myself getting home. No lights, no blinkies, just pure luck I'm still alive.

I had a Sante Fe like this:

thumpism 

Found it. Also received the PM with your shipping info so will get this off to you.


As with anybody who worked in shops, me and Huffy bikes go waaaay back. We used to say that anyone can fix a Colnago but it takes a real mechanic to make a Huffy sing. I've even been to a couple of Huffy Throws over the years.

AdventureManCO 

Update from the weekend:

I have good things to report, which will be broken down into two separate sections -

1. I didn't die

and

2. I'm still alive



No updates yesterday, as we try to make that family/church day and mostly try to stay off technology. But there are plenty of updates!


'I didn't die'

So all of you know, just in case you may think the project may be slow at times, I'm attempting to ride the bike 100mi before changing anything, in honor of the Clunker challenge, and to channel the spirit of the ride, how any normal, sane person would attempt to have endured it day in and day out. Sort of a Cino/L'Eroica approach (i.e. 'for the challenge of it').

That being said, it is hard. Not because the bike is hard to ride - not because it is heavy, slow, absurdly loud, and likes to veer dangerously to the left right into the traffic lane...no, not that at all. It is because I'm a bit of a weight weenie at heart, and I haven't even undone 1 little bolt to take off the kickstand which would instantly save a pound of weight (weight weenie confessional: the kickstand has proved immensely useful).

First thing I did was start with the polishing. The paint came out really nice -





The stickers/decals were delicate. I just used my finger to clean the grime off. The chrome one was a bit more robust, but the 'Le Grande' sticker started ever so slightly fading, so I stopped. But everything seemed to clean up real nice. I didn't hardly remove anything since I know I will do a deep clean when I replace all the lead hardware, but I did remove the rear brake to clean around the bridge. Just for fun I thought I'd weigh it...



Lol. Although I thought it was going to be over 300g. Still. From the sale pictures you'd be under the very mistaken impression that they would have been some cheap no-name alloy numbers, but nope, SOLID STEEL.

So we (yes, me and all of you, vicariously) had a good ride yesterday. I felt the first ride had slightly underinflated tires, so I pumped them up to who knows how much (they felt like rocks, so good to go) and off we went. @beng1 mentioned above that his bike proved 'stiff', and I receive that. It did, but I think some of that was the rock hard tires and the rock hard seat. I would much rather take stiff than noodly. I had a Zebrakenko with Tange 2 back when and the bike was a complete noodle, so much so that I gave it to a co-op to play with (nothing against the Z brand, I still like them). So I'll take stiff all day, I can work with that.








I rode it about 2-3mi yesterday. We'll just call it 2. So I'm up to about 3. We are not really measuring, but I will err on the lower side just cause. Rode to my wife's sisters house since she and her boyfriend were needing help with moving the couch in. The bike got me there and back. On the way there, found some stuff on the side of the road to recycle (old book) -



I saw the garbage and the bike nearly screamed and squealed to a halt almost by itself. It's the kind, environmentally-conscious Le Grande.

Ride two down, booyah. Nobody died.

AdventureManCO 

'Im still alive'
@albrt mentioned that upon the first bit of Campagnolo to touch the bike, the earth may shake and the sparks may fly. So, this may be the first truly offensive post of the thread. The bike touched Campagnolo, an old tubular wheelset off my TdF...







And then...










Haha just kidding. I was wondering if a massive earthquake was going to hit or if WWIII was about to touch off. The bike resisted quite fiercely though, rejecting all first attempts to attach the wheelset. The dropout spacing is weird on this bike. The front is super narrow, and the back is probably somewhere around 126-130mm. I didn't dare start with Super Record, for that surely would have wrought Armageddon.

As hard as it sounds, once the 100mi are completed, the real work begins. The frame will be stripped and we'll see what kind of adaptors will need to be made. It will take a more work than at first glance, since everything is sized differently. But we will do it. 100% commitment.

AdventureManCO 

This is wonderful news! I am most appreciative, and please let me know shipping so I can compensate.

I'll have to look up 'Huffy Throw', never heard about that before. I like the tidbit about your history with the brand as well. Much like 'everyone knows someone who has had a car accident', 'everyone knows someone who has owned a Huffy'!