It’s here, now where to start?
08-25-19 | 01:40 PM
#27
Senior Member
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 961
Likes: 734
From: Santa Rosa, CA
Bikes: Bianchi Campione d'Italia, Lemond Poprad, Kona Hei Hei (converted to drop bars), Felt F1PR, Specialized Sequoia, various other projects
The paint looks like it will clean up just fine, but the chrome is probably going to need work.
A heads-up that if you end up needing to refinish the fork, it can be difficult to find someone willing to chrome it today. If you can't find someone, one potential option is to powdercoat it in a chrome-like finish.
Ditch the adapter and aheadset-style stem; put a quill stem back on there.
A heads-up that if you end up needing to refinish the fork, it can be difficult to find someone willing to chrome it today. If you can't find someone, one potential option is to powdercoat it in a chrome-like finish.
Ditch the adapter and aheadset-style stem; put a quill stem back on there.
08-26-19 | 06:46 AM
#28
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,504
Likes: 251
From: Palm Desert, CA
Bikes: Speedvagen Steel
The paint looks like it will clean up just fine, but the chrome is probably going to need work.
A heads-up that if you end up needing to refinish the fork, it can be difficult to find someone willing to chrome it today. If you can't find someone, one potential option is to powdercoat it in a chrome-like finish.
Ditch the adapter and aheadset-style stem; put a quill stem back on there.
A heads-up that if you end up needing to refinish the fork, it can be difficult to find someone willing to chrome it today. If you can't find someone, one potential option is to powdercoat it in a chrome-like finish.
Ditch the adapter and aheadset-style stem; put a quill stem back on there.
didnt get around to tear down yesterday as I had hoped but did pick up some stuff to help with the cleaning and scrubbing. And potential sanding. Hopefully do a bit this evening.
08-26-19 | 06:48 AM
#29
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 12,940
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08-26-19 | 07:09 AM
#30
Thread Starter
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,504
Likes: 251
From: Palm Desert, CA
Bikes: Speedvagen Steel
08-26-19 | 07:19 AM
#32
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Joined: Nov 2010
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First of all, congrats on reclaiming a beautiful bike! She deserves some love after all those years of storage.
You certainly can polish up the fork as described above and patch the rust spots and keep an eye on it. I would wax the heck out of it after it is clean and you've painted or sealed the flaked areas.
But if you intend to keep it and ride it I would have the fork refinished. I've shared this before in other threads but I was able to find a company here locally that re-chromed a fork off of a Simoncini that I had bought. The bike was cherry, paint excellent, Campy components all functional and shiny. But the fork was roached. There was too much that had flaked off to make polishing it practical. So I took it in and had it redone for $50.00. When I picked it up 2 weeks later and opened the package, it was like jewelry, seriously. It was gorgeous. To me, on a De Rosa that is a keeper, $50.00 would be a no-brainer.
Good luck whatever direction you go!
You certainly can polish up the fork as described above and patch the rust spots and keep an eye on it. I would wax the heck out of it after it is clean and you've painted or sealed the flaked areas.
But if you intend to keep it and ride it I would have the fork refinished. I've shared this before in other threads but I was able to find a company here locally that re-chromed a fork off of a Simoncini that I had bought. The bike was cherry, paint excellent, Campy components all functional and shiny. But the fork was roached. There was too much that had flaked off to make polishing it practical. So I took it in and had it redone for $50.00. When I picked it up 2 weeks later and opened the package, it was like jewelry, seriously. It was gorgeous. To me, on a De Rosa that is a keeper, $50.00 would be a no-brainer.
Good luck whatever direction you go!
08-26-19 | 08:05 AM
#33
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,504
Likes: 251
From: Palm Desert, CA
Bikes: Speedvagen Steel
First of all, congrats on reclaiming a beautiful bike! She deserves some love after all those years of storage.
You certainly can polish up the fork as described above and patch the rust spots and keep an eye on it. I would wax the heck out of it after it is clean and you've painted or sealed the flaked areas.
But if you intend to keep it and ride it I would have the fork refinished. I've shared this before in other threads but I was able to find a company here locally that re-chromed a fork off of a Simoncini that I had bought. The bike was cherry, paint excellent, Campy components all functional and shiny. But the fork was roached. There was too much that had flaked off to make polishing it practical. So I took it in and had it redone for $50.00. When I picked it up 2 weeks later and opened the package, it was like jewelry, seriously. It was gorgeous. To me, on a De Rosa that is a keeper, $50.00 would be a no-brainer.
Good luck whatever direction you go!
You certainly can polish up the fork as described above and patch the rust spots and keep an eye on it. I would wax the heck out of it after it is clean and you've painted or sealed the flaked areas.
But if you intend to keep it and ride it I would have the fork refinished. I've shared this before in other threads but I was able to find a company here locally that re-chromed a fork off of a Simoncini that I had bought. The bike was cherry, paint excellent, Campy components all functional and shiny. But the fork was roached. There was too much that had flaked off to make polishing it practical. So I took it in and had it redone for $50.00. When I picked it up 2 weeks later and opened the package, it was like jewelry, seriously. It was gorgeous. To me, on a De Rosa that is a keeper, $50.00 would be a no-brainer.
Good luck whatever direction you go!
08-26-19 | 08:42 AM
#34
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,504
Likes: 251
From: Palm Desert, CA
Bikes: Speedvagen Steel
08-26-19 | 02:46 PM
#35
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,841
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From: Seattle WA
Bikes: 2009 Handsome Devil, 1987 Trek 520 Cirrus, 1978 Motobecane Grand Touring, 1987 Nishiki Cresta GT, 1989 Specialized Allez Former bikes; 1986 Miyata Trail Runner, 1979 Miyata 912, 2011 VO Rando, 1999 Cannondale R800, 1986 Schwinn Passage
Nice bike OP, if I may suggest before you take it apart to clean it take lots of pictures of how things go together, how the brake and shift cables run how the seat clamp bolt goes in etc it can help a lot on reassembly and if you don't do it you may regret it later, ask me how I know 
. Have fun, take it slow, for sure deal with rust but I think you can deal with the rusty chrome area, touch it up with some silver nail polish to protect the bare metal you will have after you remove the rust and do the other maintenance -ride it, see how you like it, does it still fit? and then consider how to do a more permanent fix to the chrome, I have not done it but I understand re-chroming can be pricey.
. Have fun, take it slow, for sure deal with rust but I think you can deal with the rusty chrome area, touch it up with some silver nail polish to protect the bare metal you will have after you remove the rust and do the other maintenance -ride it, see how you like it, does it still fit? and then consider how to do a more permanent fix to the chrome, I have not done it but I understand re-chroming can be pricey.
08-26-19 | 06:28 PM
#36
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,504
Likes: 251
From: Palm Desert, CA
Bikes: Speedvagen Steel
Nice bike OP, if I may suggest before you take it apart to clean it take lots of pictures of how things go together, how the brake and shift cables run how the seat clamp bolt goes in etc it can help a lot on reassembly and if you don't do it you may regret it later, ask me how I know . Have fun, take it slow, for sure deal with rust but I think you can deal with the rusty chrome area, touch it up with some silver nail polish to protect the bare metal you will have after you remove the rust and do the other maintenance -ride it, see how you like it, does it still fit? and then consider how to do a more permanent fix to the chrome, I have not done it but I understand re-chroming can be pricey.
. Have fun, take it slow, for sure deal with rust but I think you can deal with the rusty chrome area, touch it up with some silver nail polish to protect the bare metal you will have after you remove the rust and do the other maintenance -ride it, see how you like it, does it still fit? and then consider how to do a more permanent fix to the chrome, I have not done it but I understand re-chroming can be pricey.I've always built up my bikes and motorcycle engines, and used to having a few "extras" lol so taking pics prior to tearing down has kind of become second nature!
Good idea about not rushing (which I'm frankly prone to do). One of our local LBS's where I know the owner very well may have an untouched record 10spd group, probably late '90's that he's going to dig out for me to see if it's of interest. He thinks that it's all silver save the rear derailleur. Don't know price or compatibility yet. The rear wheel is currently built with a campy rim that I must have gotten cheaply because I laced it back in the day to a Shimano 600 freehub. Not sure if I can change out the freehub to a campy or if I'll need to buy wheels, etc. more research to do (love it)!
I am definitely going to take my time though with the cleaning and set up. I don't have a quiver of bikes. My daily ride is a Speedvagen (mostly steel with a carbon seat tube, fork, bars, etc). The DeRosa will supplement that, it won't be a piece of wall art, it will be ridden regularly.
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