Originally Posted by
SJX426
I don't know why I have the bikes I do. My crazy thoughts turned to Italia breeds. Now I recognize that there are kajilion of them!
The 1983 Colnago Superissimo was a surprise find on CL. It was "upgraded" with 4 items when I purchased it. I found group mates to bring it to 100% period correct. Ok the saddle is a Brook Swift! It has been parked on a dresser in a guest room for over a year. I just recently swapped the stem to one that is longer so I can ride it once the weather improves. When I do the pedals will be swapped for SPD's. I thought long and hard about stripping and painting. BF convinced me that I should leave well enough alone. I did and am satisfied. I love riding it even if it is a bit small for me.
The 1973 Bottecchia was an impulse buy just because it had chrome lugs and is Italian. It has its share of abuse patina but will not be painted. Decals? yes. It was built as a Giro D'Italia which has the same frame as the Professional. I have all the parts for transforming it to a Professional and that is the way it is built, HS excluded.
The Pinarello Tre Crime, if that is what it is, was totally stripped. the paint was cracking, had a fair amount of surface rust and no decals. It was a frankenbike when purchased, hence the low price of under $160. It will likely sport Fuchsia paint and 105 drive train before being given to my daughter. 105 and Victory were the options for that bike and Fuchsia was a color option.
The Trek 610 was also a frankbike to some extent with a rattle can paint. Stripped with some braze-ons to compensate for the ones removed plus a couple of others, it will be BRG with cream or off white panels when painted. Drive train will likely be the one from my 1972 Motobecane Le Champion that was crashed.
The Trek 760 will first be assembled with its ugly rattle can black paint and masked decals with Superbe Pro parts. It was original with Superbe, so this is an upgrade.
The 1991 Pinarello Montello is stock, stock, stock. Unfortunately it is equipped with 7400 DA. Which is a great group, BTW! it has serious patina issues on the paint but painting it is out of the question. only upgrade would be to Campagnolo or just change the DT shifting to Brifters.
Here is my recommendation. Do what you want as long as it does not permanently alter the frame. Remove and replace is my limit, Trek 610 excepted because someone else brewed it before I got it. Hold off on paint until you know what ya got. I was dead set to repaint the Colnago, glad I didn't.
If you want to see pics of the above bikes, go
here
Its always fun to see your builds and relate.
I have a Brooks Swallow on a Colnago Super, because it works just fine in the application. But mostly think it looks good with the matched factory VIP Cinelli bar wrap and the way cool handcrafted leather hoods by our Rootboy. Same bike is built along my thinking of years ago. My first Colnago was built with careful consideration of components and budget, piece by piece. That one was stolen on me, it took awhile to even have interest in another. But eventually I moved past that and now enjoying the Super. It also has Spanish made Zeus 2000 mixed in with Campy Record parts (those bits are also mildly modified with lightened hardware + drillium). I had a gumption and mood to put my feelings into it, just like I did back in 1982. Damn be what others think. I love the bike.
BTW: Further looking back, at one time Campagnolo offered their own labeled saddle made by Brooks. Of course its most rare, but goes to show the cross branding and country of origin is perfectly normal on any bike.
This leading into my low end old Bottecchia. I love riding that bike and think it oozes character. Red, chrome, mixed bag of old parts from Italy, France, Japan riding on tubulars. Also, its been in a slow transformation in making it mostly of all steel parts. The exception are the stem, hubs and rims. The Suntour hubs and Mavic rims are soon going for another build and I'm lacing it with Tipo hubs and incorrect era Super Champion Arc-en-Ciel tubulars.
Right now in the works is a mid-80's Basso. Very much a mixed build of many Italian brands. Period, but again this was how I recall what was normal back then. Only the rich folks could walk in a bike shop, pick that fine matched group out plus a frame and be done. Even more fun because I'm in no rush and there's very little cost into it. Its a fairly wild and loud looking bike.
My 1985 USA Truk 520 is now the tour rig, came in just as a paint chipped frame and fork. Cleaned and touched-up, built it with a mix bag of parts, within the range of era, mostly SR and Suntour Cyclone, Schwinn bar-ends (Suntour) and SR triple crank. Customized brake rigging -Suntour and Dia-compe. Dual platform SPD's.