markwesti

Fairly friendly price and they aeroed it .
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/...588558227.html

ramzilla

My 1987 Ironman frankenbike

with a brand new set of tires. Rides like a dream.

ramzilla

oops, here's a pic w/new tires & handlebar wrap..........

AdventureManCO 

Wow, so, okay. I guess that I didn't really get to give this one a proper ringing out, as the derailleur alignment issue (as noted above) kept me from really putting the pedals down. The shifts were not really on point, and something looked wonky with the alignment, so I waited until I got a new 7 speed cassette in the mail, then I figure I'd take a closer look. Turned out to be completely the derailleur. I got two RDs from the co-op, an Ultegra and an older XTR. The Ultegra was not 'in parallel'. It had some road rash that I cleaned up, but apparently it took a hit and was knocked hard enough to be bent out of true...



I put the new cassette and the XTR derailleur on, absolute perfect alignment and shifts lined up precisely.

I took it on a ride w/ my son, who is on a Specialized Crossroads (he is a little small for it, but will grow into it) -




That gave me a chance to take it for a nice little, albeit slightly relaxed, shakedown ride. Rode great!

Then we got home but it still kept calling to me. So I decided to just take it out solo and put it through it's paces. Oh wow...its just insane. It hits that sweet spot of being stiff, yet compliant. It feels great under acceleration, and soooooooooo smooth. The 7 speeds are all I will ever need and the riding position feels wonderful. This bike is a game changer. I was enjoying some of the other rides I have but this one is next level. The other bikes, I take for a spin and then hop off and think 'Hmm, nice ride, but I wonder what I can do to make it a little better' or ponder the ride qualities as if it is something yet to be discovered, not really jumping out or standing out. This one just smacks you right in the face, there is no wondering. It has really shown me what a properly fitting bike should be like, and just what it is capable of. It makes me realize about 1/3 to 1/2 of my road bikes are undersized for me. Also, it is not so esoteric or rare that I couldn't find another frame if I needed to (I might just keep my eyes open for a spare just in case). I now totally get what RobbieTunes was talking about.

I've really enjoyed aspects of the other bikes I've had or ridden...the PX-10, the little Randonee (which really is a great riding bike), and others. This is the IT bike. I mean it was that good. Quiver killer territory here. This and the Trek 750 (Multitrack) is really all I need.

The Ironman was THE model winner of the cumulative 'favorite ride' project I did a few weeks back...and now I see why.

I still need an aluminum 1" 50mm headset spacer, and will build a 7-speed indexed thumb shifter setup for it. Needs new brake pads, and a few tiny other things to enhance it. But really, it is 98% there, the rest is just pocket change.

I really need to thank all of you in the IM community for hyping this bike as much as you have. It is a transformative ride. I'm officially a convert.

It is 8pm here and 39 degrees outside and time to read to the kids and I want to take it out right now.

Romany275

I can add a third color for 1989. Mine is a master with a black and white fade. Non-lugged frame and I have yet to see another one like it. There are pictures of it a few pages back but I’ll post some better detail photos soon.

romany275

attylah

And finished. Dura Ace 9 speed build. With the Thomson seatpost and titanium spindled Speedplay pedals, it weighs in at 21 lbs even. Literally floats down the road….

markwesti

^^^^ What are those tires ? Cool .

attylah

Those are Vredestein Fortezza's. I was going to swap them out for an all black option, but kinda like the blue with the frame, and they roll sooooo smooth....

Classtime 

Very nice Classic. Someone should forward a glamour shot of that to RT. (Maybe lower the stem a bit for the photo.)

seypat

The Godfather has laid his eyes upon it and proclaimed, "That's one bada$$ IM!"

Calsun

Steeper angles would negate the benefit of the increase in fork rake of the bike. I bought an Ironman in 1985 to be able to leave one in Dallas where I was working to avoid the steep baggage rates of the airlines. It was the most stable bike at speed of any production bike I have ridden.

unworthy1

My friend (who takes much better photos than me) snapped some pix for a FS ad I just posted in my locale.
[I'm not gonna add a link cause that violates some bylaws of this Forum, but if you hunt you can probably find it.]
"Miami Vice" with mostly all the original components except for expendables, and the obvious (mismatched tires, Look pedals, Concor white leather saddle, lousy "corked" handlebar tape...you'll see)

georges1

lovely bike

top506

54cm?

Top

unworthy1

Have to re-check the measurements but I thought it was 56, I'm headed to the bike with tape measure today cause the buyer(s) certainly need to know.

Classtime 

Looks like my wife’s 54 MV. TT 54 ctc also.

AdventureManCO 

Beautifully proportioned bike...so well balanced. Is that one an '88 or 89? I notice the unicrown fork. My IM, before going raw, was Miami Vice from '87 I think, and it had a sloping crown. I'm a fan of both. Someone a tad smaller than me will really enjoy that one. Nothing there to not love.

unworthy1

It's a little curious for me, cause I have measured a LOT of frames and noting that these were sold in even number cms, I was surprised to find (and I re-checked 3X) that the seat tube is 56cm from C to TOP of the seat lug, but more like 55cm from C to C, I was trying to adjust to make 54cm C to C "fit" but no, it's over 54 (EDIT: now measure it as 54.5cm, C-C).
And the top tube is 55 cm C to C, no doubts there, either, so if these were generally "square frames" and always measured to centers, then I'd have to call it 55cm. 56 from C-to-TOP and 54.5 C-C with 55 top tube C-C. and that's my final answer, Jim!
Weird, huh?
But I could always try a different tape measure...

EDIT: "Is that one an '88 or 89?" I don't know but this is the serial number, in case anybody can decipher it for the build-date:
1785763

Classtime 

After another look at ours, I think your tape is good.

darkmoon

Colors are good, cool!
And parts are Dura Ace 7700, cool!
This bike is cool!

ollo_ollo

Here's mine, don't recall if it's posted earlier in this massive thread..... If I remember, will post a current pic from Oregon this Spring. Don

8/30/2019 As found

12/26/2019 Almost there

attylah

…. of the new build. Waited for the temperature to get above freezing then took it out for 25 miles. The ride is just superb - fast, but relaxed and stable at the same time. Wonderful on the hills, smooth and assuring on the descents. Is it possible for your gums to be frostbitten from smiling the whole ride?

AdventureManCO 

So, the godfather sent me something, since he saw my project and thought that maybe the IM could do with a nicer set of wheels, so in an extremely generous act of goodwill, I saw that something had arrived in the mail today:






A beautiful wheelset! Ultegra hubs, Mavic Reflex tubular rims, and what look like brand new Challenge Elite tubulars. I'm extremely grateful and extremely excited to throw these on the IM to see how it rides with a set of tubulars!

Classtime 

So Awesome. I ran 7 speed DT shifters that this same Iron Man thought I should have on my '86 Classic. Shifted a 7 Speed FW on Dura Ace Hubs and Gl330s wrapped with 22mm Sprinters.

jetboy 

is it the wheels that make it so stable?