Thank you for the reply. It is quite rough right now, and I need to patiently free nuts, bolts, and cotters that haven’t moved in half a century. Oozing character is apt. I actually rode on training rides with the original owner of this bike (1971 US National Road Champion Steve Dayton). It creaked like crazy due to the riveted frame, and he had the shift levers mounted where? Down tube? No. Bar ends? Nope. Stem? Strike three. Seat tube is the correct answer due to oversized down tube and weight savings, and it wasn’t as bad as it sounds. Once I have posted enough, I can upload some pix.
Originally Posted by
chain_whipped
Neat history. As for restoration vs. preservation, these bikes are now extraordinary rare. As the saying 'they're only original once' so in this case, I would lean towards preservation. Oozes character and more interesting. If you need decals, reach out to Gus Salmon (Winter Park, FL).
Parts have really dwindled and dispersed in the past decade. The CR list (classic rendezvous / google group) will probably trigger leads. Rims, hubs, skewers and pedals occasionally are found on eBay.