cog_nate 

I got several projects in their final phases. A lot of work has gone into most of these already, and but there's still a couple things to do in the next few weeks/months to finish them.


TI Bianchi, needs cables and bar tape (and an Interstellar Galactic Brewery sticker, need to find the best place for it).


Gotta add the front derailleur and cable up this Catalyst, too, once I figure out what kind of handebars to put on it.


Any more cables after the previous? 'Cause this Merlin needs some, and some grips.


The grips on this MC 4500 are hosed up and there's a small dent in the top tube, gotta smooth all those out somehow.


Always wanted to re-cover a Brooks. Well, here goes...

RobbieTunes

gaucho777 

Nice Lotus, Robbie! '83 Classique?

Edit: Just noticed your sign line indicating "19?? Lotus Classique." As far as I can tell (based almost entirely from info gleamed here: https://www.vintagelotusbicycles.com/Classique.html) that looks like an '83. From the fork crown and chrome it's either an '83 or '84, and I'm going with '83 from what little I can see of the crank.

orangeology

nice Lotus!

one of 3 just started: Pinarello Single Speed — to proper build long term including repaint, a temporary replacement for now 'til 3V comes back from repair.
headset installed. not liking the quality of cheap Dia Compe HS. looks ok, bearings are not super smooth. guess you get what you pay for.
a spacer used under top nut to hit the right height. well just for the winter, anyway.



brakes and crank done. DA 7403 double pivot front, Dia Compe with Campy axis—recessed conversion rear calipers.
crank is Superbe Pro gen 2 (144 bcd) + Chorus cartridge BB. Bar/stem + cable/lever works tomorrow and on.

neo_pop_71

You'll have to forgive me for quoting myself... I didn't want to explain or post the same pictures again.

I'm one step closer to getting my winter project completed, today I brought the MC-7500 frame and fork home from the powdercoaters (I also brought home my '93 Giant Kronos lugged steel road bike project). The frame came out better than I anticipated, the "Wet Black" powdercoat looks fantastic! It's very similar to rich black paint and considerably more durable. I just got my hands on an excellent group of 6 speed XT components that will go a long way to returning this Tange Prestige gem to better days. As I mentioned previously, the decals are a serious problem, VeloCals only makes a single Panasonic decal set and that's for a touring model. I've spoken with a few decal makers but no one wants to attempt those original colors. I'm hoping one of my old silkscreen buddies comes through with a lead but I'd probably have to do a run of 10 sets as a minimum. Either way, I'm having a good time and enjoying the 80 degree sunny weather (sorry for the cheap jab but it was beautiful today).

(Please excuse the lousy job I did wiping down the frame prior to taking the photos, sorry.)



Here is an interesting side note for you guys that love Celeste Bianchi mountain bikes... a good friend went with me today to the powdercoater, he was dropping off his '88 Super Grizzly. He rides the same size dirt frame that I do, I was curious as to what similarities did these frames have in common. Here is what we found...both frames are lugged Tange steel from Japan, both frames have the same lugged fork, both frames (alone, no fork) have similar weight but the Grizzly was heavier, they share identical geometry when put on top of the other, and both came with Shimano XT group. My buddy pointed out a couple differences, the tubing on the Grizzly is double butted Tange CrMo vs. Prestige, the a Panasonic's detail work on the lugs vs. the Bianchi's straight lugs with no sculpting, and the seat post cluster is more refined than the Grizzly. He also pointed out the fact that my MC-7500 originally came with chromed drop outs and chain stays but as I had that stripped off and then powder coated over, I wasn't going to count that detail. I can tell you this with all honesty as we have swapped and ridden plenty of times, both are excellent bikes that have provided hours of fun, should you ever come across either... grab it and run!!!

Lascauxcaveman 

First incarnation of my winter Fixie/SS project. It rides nice, and is a good size for me, but I can tell the 17T freewheel was a mistake. The 15T fixed cog feels more natural at a reasonable pace on the flats. Back to eBay, I guess. (Yes, the fender lines suck, but those old steeel fenders are most likely going on my Super Course.) 25.5 lbs as shown, in all its Hi-Ten splendor.

mikemowbz

The hi-ten sibling (or perhaps a cousin) to my '81 Imperial. Believe it or not, the Imperial, a Tange 2 beast, came stock with Dura Ace AX.

Pretty much the same decals and headbadge, though:


Yours have a dealer sticker on it?

Also wondering what you're running for a front chainring. Thinking of doing a single speed or fixie build myself, and considering options.

Thinking of either the Apollo or the beatup pink Shogun triple triangle pictured elsewhere in this thread. Gotta build those lungs (and legs) back up.

Lascauxcaveman 

Nothing you haven't seen a thousand times before, eh?



I'm assuming mine's an early-mid 70's model due to lack of braze-ons. I bet 65er or Randyjawa could tell us the year; they both seem to be chock full o' Apollo knowledge. Serial number 80 03 51386. OMG, March of 1980? It can't possibly be that simple, could it?

The one shown is a 40T. Seems to be a popular size with the fixie crowd.

noglider 

RobbieTunes, I worked at Larry and Jeff's in 1978 and 1979, and we sold Lotus bikes in the latter year. I left, and I assume they continued to sell the bikes for a few years.

cyclotoine

It that the imperial with the missing bottle bosses on the set tube? just holes or something, like someone drilled is and just screwed into the tube? If so I have come across that bike several times. The first was about 10 years ago at bike doctor Burnaby where I was working as a mechanic a few days a week for one summer.

pinch1967

Bike is almost complete took it for a test drive and it rode smooth !!!

mikemowbz

Thanks for the info. When asking about as dealer sticker, I was thinking of a possible shop sticker in addition to the Deeley decals. IIRC, mine was sold through Cap's, a venerable Vancouver institution.

If your serial follows the format of mine, it would be just that simple. First two represent year of manufacture. That may not be a given, though, as I believe they used more than one maker, and so may have multiple serial formats.

No evidence of anything like that on the seat tube, I'm happy to report. Though it would have made for a fine coincidence...

I got this as F/F/HS + Dura Ace BB from a guy who, from what I can gather, may have run a junkyard in Surrey. CL pics seemed to be set in one, anyways.

Funky Kuwahara headset is a bonus.

Coincidentally, Peter at Bike Dr. on Broadway was certainly familiar with the model when he saw it a while back (I think he said he used to own one with full DA kit).

Lascauxcaveman 

Oh, I thought Deeley was a bike shop chain as well as an importer. The other sticker is really gouged up and stuck on crooked, so I thought it was from a used bike shop maybe, but it looks like it says "Country Cycles LTD" and located on Glover Rd, Langley.

jeirvine 

Update on the Trek 414. Wish I had taken before pictures, pre-powdercoat.

pinch1967

trying again Fiori Before and Fiori After !

RobbieTunes

Man, that is so cool to find out. The protective covering on the shop decal had not been removed. The outline you see is basically after I took it off.

Thanks for the info, yes, a Classique, and I think it may be an '83. There is no 4 in the serial number at all, but I didn't try to decode it. Thanks for the link. It's staying OEM and I've got to stop myself from binging on Brooks again....I'll change it to '83 until I learn otherwise. Sugino GT crankset.

Thanks.

I redid a Montello about 2 years ago, new paint and repro decals, for a 65-year old guy who'd just retired. Fixed gear with Campy brakes and levers, seatpost, crankset, front wheel, Cinelli steering. $60 fixed rear hub/cog laced to the OEM rim. I was skeptical, but it actually looks super. He didn't drew anything, so if I outlive him...

SnapDemon

I took an old Apollo bike, stripped it and kept the frame, handle bars and crank. This is my first ever build as well as my first fixie. I would like to paint it a primer gray. Looking for some advice on painting, maybe a link to an existing thread.

Nice bike caveman.

lord_athlon

My bike is from the same bike shop.

PugRider

Refurbishing this 24-inch-wheeled beast for my 9yo, after my 11yo grew out of it. Replaced bb bearings, headset bearings, replaced steel wheels with older set of alloys, replaced those bearings (not shown). The last pieces are a set of Sram twist grip shifters, a flat bar, and some nice Shimano bl-550r levers. A little heavy, but a nice little bike.


nishiki bravo by Eat More Plants1, on Flickr

lord_athlon

Im about half way through the refurb of this one.

Lascauxcaveman 

[QUOTE=lord_athlon;16411941]Im about half way through the refurb of this one./QUOTE]

Get some nice closeups when you get closer to done. I have a serious weakness for chrome Schwinns, and am constantly on the prowl for one in 63cm.

Note to self: sell some bikes so you have dry powder in case one pops up.

mikemowbz

They certainly did sell bicycles retail at some point in their history, probably for many years and quite likely at multiple locations. I know there was a Deeley bike shop here as far back as the 1920s, in addition to their primary business of selling motorcycles...incidentally why Fred, Sr came to Vancouver at first, as a rep for BSA. My possibly flawed understanding is that the latter-day Fred Deeley Cycles, which I believe was largely the work of Fred Jr., was mainly a distributor, selling through shops all over BC and across Western Canada (at least by the time my bike was sold by Cap's). So I was curious if I might be familiar with the shop if there was another sticker on there; Cap's, for one, is still around.

Country Cycles seems no longer to be in business, incidentally...and the above history should be taken with a grain of salt, cobbled together as it is from hearsay, old threads, etc. One thing I can say for sure is that bicycles were really only ever a sideline to the family motorcycle business (which says a lot about the volume and profitability of the latter). [/end tangent]

Velognome 

Ready...............


Aim.................

Fire.................




It's on eBay at $549 in Texas

( if, ifs and buts were candy & nuts; oh what a sweet life this would be! )

Last ride 76 

The first winter project... started as a fall project. It was taking me so long, I bought a bike to ride, while I worked on this one. I'm going to see if I can find any early "before" pics.

Should be priming frame today, I hope.

Bike Rebel