rideandgoseek 

Hey all,

I wanted to share my recently purchased mid 70’s Windsor Pro. I bought it back in April from the original owners nephew in LA. I live in Colorado so had a buddy pick it up and drive it out to me when he came out for a wedding in late August.

These two pics are from the original ad. I wanted to try posting from my phone instead of my computer to see if my photos end up sized correctly. I’ve got pictures of the refurb all along the way and it would be a lot easier to just post them from my phone rather than email them to myself and save each one.

More pics to come soon

shoota 

Subscribed. I have a very similar Windsor Pro so I'll be watching with interest.

rideandgoseek 

First off, let me start by saying, she’s rough. Rougher than I had hoped. Here are some pics the day it arrived in Colorado.

Some notable things..

Original Universal brake levers were replaced with Dia Compe levers.

Brooks saddle was hard as a rock and too far gone

Bike has Campagnolo high flange hubs and Mavic clinchers. Original tubular wheelset included with purchase (Campy low flange hubs)

Serial number 4014

1974 Rear Derailleur Pat Date

Columbus tubing, chromed frame

Orange Country Performing Arts Center Triathlon numbers on head tube dates from ‘88-91’

non-fixie 

Nice! It looks a little rough and unloved, but I am sure it will clean up very nicely with a little elbow grease and *the right products* (not burning my fingers on that one).

shoota 

Yeah that's a rough one. The paint on mine is pretty trashed but the chrome is almost spotless.

rideandgoseek 

Some more detailed photos of the rust. Original owner was a triathlete in Southern California and looks like he jumped straight outta the ocean and onto the bike without much of a wipe down post race. It’s also been sitting 30 years so plenty of dust bunnies caked onto greasy components, but that probably helped preserve it more than anything.

Just to be transparent. The rebuild is already complete and I’ll try and get the finished photos posted later tonight if my kids cooperate. Cheers

Kabuki12

My 1973 was raced heavily in the late seventies in San Luis Obispo California so it is not cherry. It is still one of my favorites to ride and probably the fastest. The early Phil hubs are still rolling nicely and the bike just delivers whatever power I have left in me right to the road. I can ride for hours on that bike. Mine came with Universal center pulls which I changed out for Campy NR side pulls but left the levers. You will probably love it when you get it all cleaned up and ride it. Yours is a bit newer , it has down tube water bottle bosses.

rideandgoseek 

Here she is mostly torn down before I went to work on the frame. Headset and bottom bracket overhaul to come as well.

rideandgoseek 

Would love to see another example, especially one with really nice chrome! What is your serial number? Trying to pin down a relative date on mine. Serial number is 4014 here. Most of the stuff I see online are really low 3 digit serial numbers dating to the very early 70's. I'm curious when they amped up production. My Pro very much presents as a mid 70s bike but components are a bit mismatched. '74 rear derailleur patent date, a '76 crank arm patent date, and a non dated (so pre '73 I believe) non-drive crank arm.

rideandgoseek 

Love your Windsor and can't wait to get mine out on the road. Do you mind sharing your serial number so I can help pin down a relative date? I'm still nursing a busted up collarbone from a bike crash on Aug 17th. I had surgery a week after the crash and just began PT this week. I did a real number on it and had to have 3 permanent plates and 6 screws put in, as well as some cadaver bone because of how bad it was shattered. I'm guessing I'll get back on the bike in the next 3 weeks or so and the Windsor will be the first ride! Great Windsor jersey too!

Good eye on the water bottle bosses, I was wondering when they might have started those. Obviously it was post '73 as your Windsor doesn't have them

3alarmer 

...this one had had all the stickers removed, when I found it at a yard sale here. I also have a much newer orange one, which won't help you much.

It's the only nice bike I ever found at a yard sale, and I was just riding by on another bike when I spotted it out of the corner of my eye. Kind of an odd find. I have a coiuple of spare Campy NR derailleurs available, but I've enjoyed the way the Suntour one shifts, so have not changed it. I think those Universal 68 sidepulls came with the bike, as did the crank.

rideandgoseek 

So a lot of the rust on the paint and chrome ended up coming off. All in all I was really happy with how she came out. Other areas were just too pitted and didn’t budge, especially on some of the paint where the under chrome wasn’t coming through and I was losing more paint than was worth it.

Notable component replacements…

Campagnolo Rally rear derailleur replaced Nuovo Record

Concor saddle (as it’s my favorite saddle of all time to ride and only 5 years or so post production)

Longer Campagnolo seat post to replace the snub nose one

42 tooth inner chainring replacing the 44 tooth

Campagnolo nuovo record brake levers to replace the incorrect Dia Compe levers and original Universal levers

Swapped out the Campagnolo bolt on shift levers and front derailleur for better ones in my parts bin. Did the same with the flat lever skewers.

Vittoria Corsa Control rubber

Worth noting that my best bud and de facto bike mechanic trued and detailed the Mavic wheelset and overhauled the headset and bottom bracket. Also helped me mount the tires as my arm didn’t have much torque at this point of the rebuild.

rideandgoseek 

That's an amazing garage sale find! Well done. I'm thinking that serial reads 1340? And no water bottle bosses make sense and check out as definitely earlier than mine. The Universal brake levers were original to the bike for sure. Guessing the Super Record cranks were added post production but before you bought it. Thank you for sharing! You've got yourself a beautiful bike. I'm curious about that star of david on the seat lug. Mine definitely doesn't have one of those. Any ideas?

Kabuki12

SN 1837 . Yours came up very nice. I am not sure when the water bottle bosses came in but they are handy. I love the silver they used on these , it is almost a Mercedes type (early) . I haven't ridden mine in a few weeks, time to pump up the tires and take the ole steed out for a ride! I am running 700x28c Bontrager with no clearance issues. I hope you recover soon from your crash. I had a BAD crash a few years ago up in Paso Robles and broke 5 bones in my face and my left hand , the hardest part was waiting 12 weeks before Dr. would let me ride again. Do what they tell you and soon you AND that beautiful Windsor will be out and about . Pedal on....Joe

shoota 

Mine came with Campy NR everything except for DiaCompe levers and brakes. And like an idiot I sold it all to my buddy. I had the bottle cage bosses added, I think this bike was a pretty early one.

3alarmer 

...I have absolutely no idea. Some kind of makers mark for the seat lug ?

machinist42

(Any and all pictures of Bottom Bracket cutouts of Acer-Mex Products gratefully appreciated!)

rideandgoseek 

Here is the finished product

kroozer 

Nice bikes, y'all. I have a 1978 Windsor or Carabela Super Carrera frame sitting in the garage that I'm about to begin restoring. It looks a lot like the Profesional (tight geometry, Cinelli-style seat cluster, chromed lugs and dropouts) except that it uses Japanese frame components, Tange #2 tubing and Suntour dropouts. The chrome is in great shape and it actually doesn't have any rust at all. Somebody had already repainted it so I'm going to refinish it again myself, probably orange. Components will be "mixed vintage".

rideandgoseek 

rideandgoseek 

Final shots of the Windsor. Thanks to everyone who has commented or shared photos of their bike!

shoota 

It's a great 27" -> 700c platform to work with.

rideandgoseek 

Agreed, drop bolt to the rescue!