Originally Posted by
noglider
Aaron, I have a radical idea here. Don't do a thing to this bike for cosmetic reasons. Make changes for functionality, as needed. Use it as a commuter bike. If you haven't sunk much into it, you can lock it up and not worry. You can argue that it's valuable but that's only a potential, and you bring the potential out only if you invest in it. If you don't invest in it, then it's not valuable. Therefore, you can lock it up. And it's already set up as a very functional and fun commuter bike. You have enough fancy bikes to be able to abuse one of them. So whenever your Huffy doesn't suit the day's needs, you can use this. And vice versa.
Tom - as always, great post...and I do plan on using this for some commuting and trails. I did pay a good bit for it...and I don't necessarily agree that it doesn't have financial value as it sits. Yes, it's ugly - but pre-boom Cinellis just don't come up often. From a value stand point, I suspect I'd pretty much break even if I sold it...+/- a few dollars. I also have the Raleigh Twenty as a short range beater now, and I really like it for that.
I did toss SPDs on it...and I plan on making the freewheel livable, so I am already going down your path
The thing I really like about this bike is the wide tubular concept.
VonCarlos - Campagnolo pedals. I have a box with 5 or 6 sets of Campy pedals (I haven't counted recently) and they sit there for when/if I sell the bikes. I always use SPDs...total heathen.