randyjawa
Nice bicycle and my first question is how does it ride? If you are restoring or refurbishing the bicycle before test riding it, you might be making a big mistake. Vintage road bicycles are pretty fragile and often times experience frame or fork trauma (bent or out of true) that will negatively impact ride quality.
I quite agree! But there is another story.
I've bought only one complete bicycle in the past 28 years. (94-95 Trek 930.) My other bikes all began as builds on frame-sets. And I have three more lined up that I have to do — only one of them being my ride — and only two of them a size I can ride. So what to do when you cannot test ride the frame? For the record ... and in hope that my 2 cents will be a worthwhile contribution to those new to the "passion", here goes:
First, I would recommend that newcomers seek out Randy's web site article about frames at
My Ten Speeds. This is the most succinct and instructive primer on the subject of assessment that I've found after a lot of trolling in the deeps seas of the darkened arts of frame making.
The visual inspection is the first step. (You have most likely done this already.) Then the more detailed steps should be done with special tools by a skilled person. In my opinion, these things are important and under-valued. My projects to date have included a trip to a frame maker. I've asked him to check out the frame and align the drop-outs. Every time there were things Mastumoto-san had to correct and dial in.
Do not be surprised to find that there are some people who do not ascribe to the resetting of frames. Arguments have arisen about the necessity. You be the judge there. And further, these recommendations only concern steel. For example, I did not touch my epoxy bonded Vitus 979. Al and exotic materials are not included here.
For myself, I am not going to do another project without stringing the frame. Decades ago I did this on motorcycles. More recently I was inspired by a photo in Dawes Man's thread concerning the restoration of his Kataura Silk. Therein is a photo of a notable Japanese craftsman executing this process. Still later I found it all described in Randy's frame article.
Having serviced the frame, I have a good chance of coming out OK. If the frame has been severely pranged in the past, it should show up in the measurements. If it is out of adjustment — spreading stays, bent drop-outs and so on — they will be corrected. Of course surprises can happen and spring out of nowhere, as in the rest of life. But if one needs a total guarantee, a new bike with a good warranty is the only answer. That is not meant as a snide comment, but merely as a reminder that we in C&V are often restorers of well-used machines. Gremlins come as a matter of course. We hope to never see them, but rejoice in their excision.
Anyway, you
mikemowbz, are starting out on a frame-up build ... and I hope that we can be of some help. It may ride perfectly as it sits now, but Randy has a point. Besides, the check-out process is part of the fun ... part of the ride. I'm still learning about it.
Once again, please keep us up to date.