Originally Posted by
unworthy1
Get the seatpost out and put some grease on it! (and seeing it this low it's either too big a frame for you or you have it mis-adjusted)
Get a decent saddle on that thing!
Strip it all down, clean everything, soak the bare frame/fork in oxalic acid then just dry it completely and apply FrameSaver inside and a good wax outside...this preserves the "patina" but keeps the frame from further damage.
I don't think you should blame the Shimano FW for miss-shifting without eliminating all other possibilities, if anything a good-condition Shim FW will be an improvement over a Regina. How big IS that largest cog?
Check the hanger for bending, check the chain for wear and length (!), check the RD for a bent cage (!), Clean and Lube Everything (!!!) then check the adjustments.
I like the one Simplex retrofriction lever as a replacement
it has "portacatena" dropouts, so '78 would be the
absolute earliest possible...more likely a '79 or later.
the frame is too big for me, but it rides nicely and doesnt feel too large. i have taken out the seatpost and fully polished it of all rust and other junk but unfortunately it is all marred from having always been in a low position,
the seat i am fine with for now, it is leather, has alloy rails, and is basically brand new, no rips or marks, but i realize it is not the correct era of the bike.
as for stripping it, i dont think i would ever find the time to put it back together once it has been stripped down, for now i think i will just try to tear down one piece every weekend. when i first got it i was being very methodical in cleaning and stripping each part, i started at the back and completely tore down the RD and rebuilt it with fresh grease in the bearings, i also tore down the rear wheel and polished the cassette to a level i would call food grade, but eventually i gave up on that way for the benefits of being able to ride it.
thats a good tip on the wax, is there a particular type or? how would i find that?
the chain, RD, back wheel, and FD and crank set have all been thoroughly cleaned. but it was sitting over winter so they have since collected some dust.
the rear cog is 4.5 inches diameter and 26 teeth if that helps? the one down from it is 4 inches and 23 teeth
i have checked out the RD and most of the drive train for anything bent, there is an italian bike specialist near my house and i am thinking of taking it to them if they can guarantee me a fix, but i am sure they charge out the ass. i lubed the chain with dry graphite spray, and for awhile it was squeeky but now that it has sit for a few months it seems to be good to go, it was just something i wanted to try before committing to a wet chain lube.
what i really want to know is what are some ways to get the shiny bits really shiny? i tried a few things, including one of those drill attachment red polishing balls for car rims, and creme metal polish, but it didnt really do as much as i had hoped, i just remember those amazing polishing wheels from Metals class in high school,
i have heard that tinfoil and wd-40 will make things shine and remove black spots, also before i had cleaned it up the forks and rear chromed leg (what is the correct term?) were alot worse looking, but i think they still have some more shine in them with the right technique