FML123

Thanks, Wildwood! Yeah, you’re absolutely right, hunting for parts, refurbishing them, and building up the bike is MORE than half the fun! But, “see, what had happened was…” my wife and I are on a months-long road trip, so my road bike and all tools are in storage. After listening to me whine every day about having no bike, she gave me the go-ahead to buy a new bike. Me looking at cheap new bikes turned into me looking at bikes that I could only dream of having as a teenager in the 1970s, but can now afford as a geezer in the 2020s. 😂

Wildwood 

Totally relate…….as a ‘super senior’ geezer ( according to the ski resort. )

My quick comment is that the frame+tube design for specific characteristics in the hands of a talented builder outweighs the material decision between steel or titanium. If you value wheels+tires greatly that will be a game changer over fretting material.

I own vintage lugged steel mostly, but also titanium and carbon. A Merlin Extralight had the best ride ever (at the time) after a 2 hour demo ride but it had Reynolds latest wheels. A harsh riding, shaped tube steel bike was a dream it’s Spinergy Xaero wheels (tho not exactly vintage as from ~1999).

You always have to measure Apples to Apples - tough for a consumer given all the custom builder options. Erickson, Strong, so many Ti guys ….. and scores of steel builders can tune the ride.

mech986 

Would suggest checking the rear axle dimensions for regular 120mm 5 speed, 126mm 6-7 speed or larger, then determine how many and what gear ratios you want to use. With a set of SOMA Rally cages, regular anodized or polished on the Nuovo Record or Super Record rear derailleur, you can run up to 34T rear cog which will give you a lot more range, especially if you can find your 39T front cog so as not to need a triple. That should get you to 8-10% grades. Also assumes an English hub thread.

I’ve standardized on Suntour 888 Perfect or Pro-Compe 5 speed touring freewheels for my 120mm bikes, 14-18-22-28-34 with 53/42 gearing, for me enough for most of my hill riding of which I’m slow and steady. There are similar 6 speed touring freewheels and Shimano makes similar too although their larger 32+ cogs have IMO garish lettering saying Megarange or something equally calling for attention.

Bob Freeman designed the Soma cages after the cages on the fragile Campagnolo Rally version, they really open up the range on NR and SR derailleurs. They won’t shift any better though. Use a good SRAM or similar 5-7 speed chain. He has a number of pic of bikes with triple fronts and wide range rears on his Flickr pages.

otherwise consider switching to a Suntour GT type slant parallelogram for better shifting.

DMC707

NIICE !


This is the bike i found that set my heart aflutter -- a beautiful Galmozzi -- not sire if the groupset is the same age as the frame though

Galmozzi Record Classic Road Bicycle 1960s (steel-vintage.com)

DMC707

Errrrrr -- not for me -- sometimes i just like to ride

An example of a bike i bought from a forum member here that was ready to go

I wont mention what i paid -- some people would call it a screaming bargain, others would say i paid too much. Im in the first category

This was in 2016 - Christmas season i think, so 5 years ago -- The bike still performs like a dream -- mostly only gets ridden on nice days but have been caught out in a shower before -

Saddle has been changed and cassette changed to something less corn-cobby . Rides great and was ready to go out of the box. Bars and stem changed , but still have the pantographed Colnago stem and handlebars it came with tucked away in a box somewhere





As compared to this one --- good example of a hobby bike "dream build" for me
Ive shown pics before, but this was a bike i raced extensively in the 90's --- not a single component was salvageable and the frame was beat up and dented up.

And this was for a bike that i already owned:

Fix dents with brazing material and file smooth : $125
Professional re-paint with pearl white paint : $500
Decals : $50
Campagnolo Chorus bits and pieces: $300
First generation Record Ergo shifters: $150
New Record headset, + Cinelli stem and bars $250
New issue Turbo saddle $65
12-23 cassette - NOS Record 8 speed $125
Wheelset $ 450 (bought donor bianchi that had the wheels )
Miscellaneous (tires, cables, pedals) $200
Professional re-assembly - re-aligning frame
and facing all bearing surfaces - plus shipping
for paint $400
_______________________
$2615 -- deduct $225 for selling donor Bianchi frame = $2390


$2400 - probably more like 2500 with tax from the new parts ----- and its still a DeBernardi (more obscure brand by far) with predominately Chorus level componentry
In its defense -- i built it exactly the way i would have built it in 1995 were i not a broke college student then --- and the darn thing is F-A-S-T with those heavy aero wheels

---- Was significantly less money for the Colnago with a first generation Record Ergo group purchased complete - and i'm sure the seller sold it at a large loss, but if he is looking - its still in good hands and is well loved also

FML123

Wow, she’s a beauty! Maintaining sew-ups is beyond me, but I’d love to learn. I hear they’re amazing to ride.

FML123

Thanks, mech986, good advice. Although I don’t even have the bike yet, I was thinking of a 34T large cog, and a Campy Rally cage or mech to accomodate it, and a Campy Strada triple chainset, or a “triplizer” chainring to get a bailout gear. Wondering if the standard frond derailleur will work with a triple. I guess I’d have to get a longer BB axle with any triple setup.

mech986 

Precisely. The triplizer is easier to source than the Campy triple (at least in the Nuovo or Suoer Record versions of the 70’s) and can provide smaller inner cogs down to 24T on a 74 BCD. Specially drilled versions of standard NR/SR cranksets can be made (see aforementioned Bob Freeman) with an inner 74BCD giving a 24T-32T option instead but the special inner ring spacers and bolts are very hard to come by now and many say the lowest usable cog is 26-28T due to chain suck issues with the design of the crank. Yes, you’d likely need a wider BB spindle or consider sealed bearing cartridges. Trial fit and/or discuss with the triplizer source who is a BF member here.

There is also options in later 80’s Campagnolo triples is you don’t mind their aesthetics or considerations of a compact double from Campagnolo and others with smaller BCDs than 144 providing lower gearing choices.

I have found the standard Nuovo Record front derailleur to work OK in a triple setup but it will have to be a long shift lever throw, at least 150-170 degrees and height placement on the seat tube and cage position relative to the outer chainring is critical. Some have modded the cage with a deeper inner plate like those found on later Campagnolo models or used later versions like the Centaur, 980, or their MTB versions. Of course, many Suntour and Shimano front derailleurs will also work in this application and may have smaller throws if used with their shift levers. All depends on whether you want to remain all Italian drivetrain or look at other options.

I also recommend using Bullseye or newer Bullseye replicas (much less expensive, available on Ebay in multiple colors) type pulleys with sealed bearings. I have no experience with ceramic bearing pulleys but might suggest that those types with drilled out pulley bodies could pick up and hold a lot of dirt so may require attention to type of chain lube and periodic cleaning to avoid dirt and grit lessening chain life. YMMV.

DMC707

They are not too bad after you get the first one out of the way

embankmentlb

I have collected these for just that type of build.

DMC707

will these rings effectively make a Victory/Triomphe chain set a compact double as well?

embankmentlb

Yes sir!

DMC707

Great! Another piece of 35 year old obscure unobtainium for me to look for! LOL!

But will sure extend the utility of a bike I have if I can find! Let the hunt begin

FML123

Hey Catnap,
Correction: The GCN Tech video I saw wasn’t about Shinkai, it was about the Corsa Corsa bike shop, in Tokyo.