Classic & Vintage - Marinoni - so long porteur, hello "proper" drop bar!

After accepting the reality that my Marinoni "Special" (for folks who don't know the history, the original thread with pics is here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/705364-1983-Marinoni-quot-Special-quot-Porteur-IT-IS-DONE%21%21%21%21%21%21/page2?highlight=)) really should never have been built up as a Porteur, I have re-worked her to a much more appropriate classic road racing machine.
As before, I am using new components (with the exception of the NOS ITM stem), yielding an up to date classic for longer road rides in the mountains.

For the moment, the Sturmey Archer S3X remains out back, but I plan to re-build the rear wheel around a silver Alfine 11 speed hub as soon as the boys at J-Tek finish their development of the bar-end shifter.

In the mean time, the bicycle has been serving as my sunny day sporty commuter and moderate terrain road bike.

What I've done:
- remove porteur rack, bars, stem, and fenders
- Install 44cm Nitto "Noodle" with NOS 110cm ITM chromo stem and Cinelli cork/gel tape
- install Cane Creek SC-5 levers w/gum rubber hoods
- Install 700x25c Continental GP 4-season tires

The idea is to have a classic bike with modern functionality for longer rides in the mountains. I am really liking how the bike is turning out. I'll hopefully have the Alfine going by the end of July, at which point it will be a wonderful IGH road bike. :thumb:

The bike rides beautifully - it reminds me of a slightly more relaxed version of my Tommasini.

So, here is the current state of the bike:

206722
206719
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Cool, dude! You're as bad as I am. Can't leave anything well enough alone.

I loved the porteur version but I love this version just as much. Some day I'll have a BA road bike with a IGH...:rolleyes:

I have admired that Marinoni for a while and like it even more with the drop bars. Nice going.

I like it a lot!!! (IMHO: I would have left the fenders on.).

Cheers,
Chris

How are the Paul's Racer brakes treating you? I like a lot of things about this bike.

hey what brakes are those, they look interesting?

Yep. That's freakin' hot. Dang.....

hey what brakes are those, they look interesting?

Readin's for chumps...

This bike is awesome.

Thanks for the compliments, guys!

I am pleased with the performance of the Pauls - extremely responsive, tremendous power, and excellent modulation. They pair really well with the Cane Creeks.
When I built the wheels, I was able to get full tension (100-110N) and within <1mm, so I'm able to run the brakes really close to the rims. The feel and engagement is spectacular on these brakes. The spring tension is adjustable, so it is quite easy to get the brakes to have perfectly symmetrical actuation - both pads hit the rim solidly at the same time.

And Colonel - yeah, I can't stop tweaking ;) I think I always knew the bike would end up as a drop bar, but the idea for the 11 speed is a recent idea. heh heh........

I do think the fenders will make an appearance again. The original mounting for the front fender utilized the boss on the porteur rack, and I had tapped a hole in the custom stainless bracket, where I bolted the fender below the fork crown.
When I removed the rack, I found that none of my daruma bolts were long enough, and I didn't have a spare bracket (and wasn't in the mood to fabricate one at the time).

I also think I will put a longer crank on it. The 170's were fine for fixed gear riding, and are okay with the 3 sp freewheel setup, but are too short for longer rides. So 175's are in the plans, as are another set of pedals.

Once the 11 sp bar end shifter is on, I would like to shellac the cork to match the saddle. I have some cut ends from the tape that I can do some tests with to color match and to assess how the shellac will work with the "gel cork" tape.

I've been having so much fun riding it set up this way. The porteur setup was okay, but the frame really wasn't as conducive to ride that way (for my fit anyway).

Ultimately, I will probably install a set of Grand Bois 26mm or vittoria Corsa Open gumnwalls on it for non-urban riding. The GP 4-season's are on there at the moment to help ensure a relatively flat-free experience within the urban jungle, while still providing a somewhat livelier ride than the 32mm paselas.

hey what brakes are those, they look interesting?

Paul Racer Medium (http://www.paulcomp.com/racerm.html). I love 'em!!!!! These are the polished alloy version.

FYI, http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/745207-Curve-ball-Putting-my-83-Marinoni-Secial-IGH-conversion-up-for-sale

I won't go into detail, but I no longer have the luxury of N+1 of this quality. I'd prefer for the bike to find a home among BF, but if need be will part her out and sell on Ebay.

Warmly,
Michael

That's a bummer, canyon. I wish you the best of luck.