Day # whatever it is
and the war between the component destiny of each of these 715's continues to rage! In my head. In my head, guys, not externally. Well, maybe save for the battlefield of my wallet, which thus far has endured admirably.
So, while I let all of this happen in the (mental) background, I clean and polish things. Case in point: the SR AeroX cranks. Pretty grubby at first glance, but remarkably blemish free. This bore out when I got done with them!
I have a bike frame in mind for them, but they're too un-scuffed-up for it, if I'm honest. May be better to sell them. Presently, I know of no bike project that I could imagine them on, lovely as they are.
Do you remember my Campagnolo Strada crankset? Of course not, no one knows that I picked this up last year! And for whatever reason, I had the chance to nab a nice NR front and rear derailleur pair, with shifters, and I passed them along to a friend to buy! All you Campy guys and gals are probably saying, "You fool!"
And I think, "Does my subconscious really not want to deal with super high brake lever pull effort and that rear derailleur shifting quality...and that really dull finish on the front derailleur band clamp?" Yet I can't give up this beautiful crankset. So, like the rest of us, our logic remains impeccable!
All this blathering to say that my '82 continues to claim the Cyclone components are for it and it alone, and that I should "figure it out" with regard to the rim situation. Additionally, the crankset design and finish are considerable elements to this equation. The SR cranks, while in great condition and nicely finished, still look a bit JV compared to the Strada cranks. The Strada's finish is a lot more reflective/less satin and that actually plays really well with the level of polish of the Cyclone bits etc. The larger BCD also looks a lot better on the 65cm frame, even if a 52T ring still looks a touch small. Would be nice to have a 53 or 54T to make it more proportional to the big frame. And, of course,
to reduce drivetrain efficiency loss due to less chain angle deflection when running larger cogs/gears. Basically, the Strada cranks are frontrunners to go onto the '82.
So, the next question is, do I have an appropriate Campagnolo bottom bracket for this crankset? No!
Thankfully a JIS tapered spindle plus the years of installation/removal on this crankset means the crank arm engagement on the taper is excellent. Score! And to get a 146mm Q-factor for happy knees, I need a 124mm length spindle. Shimano et al make a 122/122.5mm one, so that will do (plus a pedal washer or two). I'd like to find a BB-UNxx unit and not use this
totally fine and already paid for cheap
new bottom bracket
in the correct length (that is also 330g!), especially with a NR crank and a 531 frame, but maybe I need to get over myself...
My second attempt at inner tube repair seems to be holding, and this is just the '82 with the 7400/Brevet wheels and Clement tires, which measure ~29mm wide on these rims. Still want that super polish, so here's what's in my decision making hopper:
- Grey anodized Araya rims are perfect for the '81 Trek
- '82 Trek wants to keep its Cyclone parts BADLY
- The Brevet rims, particularly the diamond-shaped logo/decal, really fit well with the demure pewter color on the '81
- A Soma Highway One bar was maybe picked up (used) recently, which would make the complete remake of my first '81 71x possible to complete now, and quickly, and I like that idea a lot
Devils in the details:
- Where to get a suitable pretty happy shiny pair of rims for the '82?
- Possible to use the rims that came on the '82 (Matrix Strada), but will need to do three things: 1) inspect for any cracking at eyelets 2) confirm ability of eyelets to shine up/none be rusty looking 3) sand, steel wool, and polish the scratches out that someone put in there (and on the Tipo hubs!?)
This will require disassembly of the Tipo/Matrix wheels, a wheelset I'd planned on putting on a bike to sell where the conditions of the bike and components match, so that's a bummer, BUT, I am wanting to keep expenditures minimal here and I've had success bringing back dull aluminum with elbow grease. Yes, it also means I remove the grey anodized Araya rims to put the then-polished Matrix rims on, which was also not in the original plans. They'll get disassembled only after the Matrix polishing is deemed successful. Sound good? Good.
