WolfgangVerne 

Hello all,

I just picked up a 1984 Guerciotti GLX (my first Italian road bike!) off of Craigslist, so please bear with me if I ask anything silly. It's definitely a frankenbike and appears to have been a parts bin build from the previous owner just to get it running. I took it out for short test ride before the purchase and it definitely had some of that "magic" I've heard spoken of on this forum. That being said, I'd love to bring it back to its original condition, or at least as close as my budget will allow, so I'm hoping to get some build advice as I have minimal experience with all things Italian.

Here's the bike as purchased:


Here's the current build/specs of the bike:

Tubeset: Columbus SLX
Headset: Campagnolo Super Record? Or Nuovo Record?
Stem: Nitto Triathalon
Bars: Modolo X-Setra
Seatpost: Campagnolo Super Record? Or Nuovo Record?
Brakes/Calipers: Shimano 600 Tri-Color
Shifters: Campagnolo Super Record? Or Nuovo Record?
Front Derailleur: Mavic 860
Rear Derailleur: Suntour XC 9000
Crankset: Shimano Deore
Front Wheel: Mavic Gel 280 Rim laced to a Campy Super Record Hub
Rear Wheel: Mavic Mach 2 CD 2 Rim laced to a Winners 2000 Hub w/ 8sp. Dura Ace Cassete (12-21t)

For comparison here's the link to the 1984 catalog with the components that would have been original to the bike.

Now that that's out of the way, on to the questions! And please feel free to add in anything else that might be helpful to me!

-Is there a large performance gap between the Nuovo Record and Super Record Derailleurs? I like the aesthetics of the Nuovo Record and I think it'd be a little more friendly to my wallet. Would there be any compatibility issues with an 8 speed cassette with either of those derailleurs?
-Are any of the above components (outside of the current Campy stuff) worth still using on the bike? I'm leaning towards at least using the current stem/handlebars as I like the black. I know this question is highly subjective, but just wanted to get some opinions from you all.
-Would it be appropriate to use other Campy groups such as Victory/Triomphe? Or would they look way out of place?
-Tubulars. Never had a bike with them before, what's the maintenance like on them? Would I be better off trying to find some clinchers instead? I'd also like to have matching rims, which is making me lean towards replacing them with clinchers. But I'd also rather not lose the Super Record Hub.
-This is purely aesthetics, but any opinions on handlebar tape? And on the saddle color/model?

Thank you all in advance!

bassogap

well first off, your bike is just about my favorite brand....I just love guerciottis! I almost bought one in 1984 instead of a basso gap.

your bike is crying out for white handlebar tape absolutely....for many, many years I rode tubulars...I didn't find them too expensive or finicky, but like everyone else, about 10 years ago, I did switch to clinchers.

the important thing with these bikes is to ride them.....you have already noticed your bike rides "special"

there is not a thing wrong with the parts you have (except the pedals).
whitebar tape ill rally make your bike sing.

I'd COMPLETELY clean it, an start ridingit. As you can afford t, I'd ge period correct campy, r sell wh campy you have and get a dura-ace group.

but your bike is asolutly georgousand perfect.

enjoy!

Ex Pres 

I have a little later age GLX frame that I've outfitted with 8s Chorus, then 7s DA, and finally 7s 600 as it became my trainer bike.

When I was using the 8s Chorus, it was always a giant PIA to remove/replace the rear wheel as the small cog would jam around the dropout/stays. I finally resorted to fully removing the skewer (so I could "overspread") to accomplish this task. No clearance issues once in place, though. But it was one of the reasons I decided to go with 7s groups later.

For an '84, I would go with SR or NR, whichever you prefer. Victory came on lower level frames, and you'd have to deal with the 116BCD crank.

I ran tubulars with the DA group, clinchers in the other 2 configurations. I like tubulars, but you do usually need to be self-sufficient on any ride, because [usually] no one else can lend a hand.

kroozer 

The GLX was equipped with Campagnolo Super Record. There's tons of SR stuff around and although it's often expensive, if you're patient you will find deals. Some of the best deals are complete bikes: remove the parts, resell the frame, and you often end up paying very little for the parts. Ride it with the current parts in the meantime.

WolfgangVerne 

Thank you for the kind words and for the advice!

I'm partial to cotton handlebar tape and I'm worried white would get pretty dirty quickly, but I agree it would look nice. Hmm...I suppose I could try using some shellac, does that change the feel of the cotton to kinda hard and crusty? And yes, the pedals definitely need to go. I've got an extra set of Suntour Cyclone pedals that I'm going to throw on for the time being. You've definitely gotten me even more excited to clean it and get out on the road ASAP

WolfgangVerne 

Thanks Pres and Kroozer,

It sounds like my best bet would be to practice some patience and wait for the right components to come along (specifically Super Record stuff). And that's good to know about your issues with the 8sp. I was leaning towards returning it to the 7sp it originally ran already and that helps confirm it.

Henry III

Looks like some of the original Campag stuff is still there...SR seatpost, SR headset, Record shifters. I'm guessing he wanted some wider gears hence the homemade compact crank and the different derailleur and rear wheel. It's not the prettiest but looks like a get the job done type of bike.

Salamandrine 

I suggest you buy campy NR stuff for it, as your budget allows. SR derailleurs are pretty much exactly the same as NR except they have titanium bolts to lighten the weight. (1st generation SR looked the same as NR, but the end pieces were black)

That gel saddle and the crank have to go first. They scream I am slow.

I still like sew ups. They're easier in some ways.

That's a SR headset btw, NR are chromed steel.

Lascauxcaveman 

I can go along with that; and since the OP stated a preference for the looks of NR, you don't need to split hairs so much. It works well enough and isn't horribly expensive, if you shop around.


Shellac over white tape is a terrible idea, unless you're hoping to match a yellow-orange colored saddle.

WolfgangVerne 

It took me some time to gather up all the necessary parts, but I've finally finished up this build and was able to snap some quick pictures. There's still a few tweaks and adjustments to make (looking at the pictures I think I may need to shorten the brake cable housing a bit), but overall I'm quite satisfied with how it turned out!

It's mostly fitted with Campagnolo Super Record Components with the exception of the pedals which are Ofmega Competitions and the brake levers which are Modolo Professionals. I would have loved to outfit it with a full Campy groupset, but the prices for pedals and brake levers seemed a little astronomical to me. I may go that route in the future, but for now I'm content. Any further recommendations, questions, compliments are all gladly accepted! And with that, on to the pictures!

Photo Apr 03, 2 46 30 PM by Dillon Driscoll, on Flickr

Photo Apr 03, 2 46 44 PM by Dillon Driscoll, on Flickr

Photo Apr 03, 2 47 48 PM by Dillon Driscoll, on Flickr

bikemig 

Wow, this bike really pops; nice job. By the way, the old RD is a pretty nice touring derailleur.

Ex Pres 

+1

ratfink76

Super build!

WolfgangVerne 

Thank you all for the kinds words!

One thing I wasn't completely satisfied with was the color of the brake cable housing, it's a lot more lemon yellow than I would have liked. I'd prefer some housing with a little more orange/gold in it similar to the handlebar tape. Anyone know of any sources?

WolfgangVerne 

That's what I've heard, I'm thinking about building up a touring bike next and utilizing that derailleur and possibly the old crankset.

bikemig 

That's a good start; finding a frame can be tougher though.

jimmuller 

Nicely done!

Loose Chain

Nice job, I wish I could get mine along, eventually though.

I would not mount a sewup if it were the last tire on earth. I attempted to use those for several years without much success. I loved the way they rolled. I hate how they flatted constantly and the expense. Then along came the first addition of the Specialized Turbo slick and the rest was history. I never looked back.

J

lesterp66

Fantastic looking! I just finished up a build with the exact same frame, not a classic build like yours though.

jimmuller 

I keep thinking back to this comment. I'd add "and except the tires". Those tires on it before were, um, best forgotten. Nice selection now though.

MeadMan2

I like the yellow tape. I key off the color of the graphics to determine the color of accessories. My best example is our Santana tandem. It is red & the logo is white, outlined in black. The tape is black & white Cinelli cork micro-splash which unfortunately is no longer available, & the bottle cages are white. The saddles are black & when the chainwheels had to be replace I did so with FSA which are black. Tires are the exception because I use Contis.

TenGrainBread

Beautiful build, to my eyes.

spudly

Pretty bike to start with, but really gorgeous now. You might be interested in checking out "The Custom Bicycle" which can be had for essentially the cost of shipping. Among other things it profiles a number of frame builders including - you guessed it - Guerciotti. Anyone on this forum would probably find something of interest in this book.

spudly

Sorry, forgot to provide a link. The book's out of print, but there are many used copies around:

The Custom Bicycle: Buying, Setting Up, and Riding the Quality Bicycle: Michael J. Kolin: 9780878572557: Amazon.com: Books

SJX426 

It does pop! I would give sew ups a few years and then decide. I have returned to them for personal reasons.