bikemig 

So how OCD are you when it comes to restoring a vintage bike?

There are some for whom every detail has to be original equipment perfect (or period correct), some who use lots of vintage parts but take "artistic license," and others who could just care less as long as the bike works.

I have to admit there are some things that drive me a bit crazy.

I can't really handle mismatched wheels. I recently did a multi day tour where my real hub broke at the flange and I had to get a replacement rear wheel to finish the ride. That bike will be getting "new" old wheels soon because there is no way I'll ride it with mismatched wheels when I have other options


I started this thread because I need to make a decision soon on a Reynolds 531 Libertas I'm rebuilding. The bike came to me with mismatched calipers and levers (universal cx calipers and "Alfa" brake levers (I think they're Spanish). They work together as the brake lever has a cable adjuster (the calipers do not). I'm not sure if I can handle the mismatch when I build the bike up, . So either I find universal cx brake levers or just get a different set of brakes with matching levers.

How OCD are you in building up your bikes? Here is a pic of the mismatched lever and caliper:

Jd512k

Guilty of being quite OCD. Currently rebuilding a 90’s Bianchi.. spending far too much $$ replacing and/or detailing every single thing, down to the bolts, screws and barrels and springs, keeping it as original equipment as humanely possible and having the frame professionally painted and new decals. Can’t stand mismatched parts either....

Will all my future builds be as detailed? Probably not, depends on the bike and what I envision for it.

bikemig 

Pics or it didn't happen,

Jd512k

Bikemig, as requested! 😁



‘98 Bianchi Campione Del Mondo

JohnDThompson 

Not at all. Having worked in bicycle manufacturing, I've seen that OEM component selection is more a matter of meeting a certain price point than having some mystical properties about the chosen components.

bikemig 

I'm with you on this. Certainly back when these bikes were being made, no one thought twice about swapping out parts on bikes.

SurferRosa

I'm ocd with polishing and tuning ... not so much with componentry anymore.

Edit: hubs, rims, and tires should match. Derailleurs and shifters should be the same brand (generally speaking).

JaccoW

Period correctness? Not something I worry about at all. While I do try to keep the styling as "classic" as possible I have absolutely no qualms about putting modern components on if they don't spoil the look or offer significantly better performance.

ThermionicScott 

If a part goes onto one of my bikes that matches the original spec, it is by pure coincidence.

nomadmax 

That ^^^^

And I like to ride my vintage stuff regardless of terrain (hills and mountains). Modern components for me on all my rides. So I guess the only things vintage on my bikes are the frame, fork & rider.

I LOVE looking at period/component correct bikes, I think there's nothing more beautiful. But I don't want to ride one.

Drillium Dude 

I invented OCD

I, too, can relate to disliking mis-matched wheels - I can't even stand mis-matched tires.

DD

bikemig 

Yeah but I'm just having a hard time wrapping my brains around universal cx brakes and non universal brake levers . . . .

I'm hoping this thread will help me get there!

ryansu 

I am more of a function over form kind of guy. I am happy to swap out a stem, bars and brake levers for the sake of comfort i,e wider bars, taller stem chunkier brake hoods make a ride more enjoyable for me and in my experience uncomfortable bikes do not get ridden. That being said I am bugged by mismatched wheels, tires, brake levers. I can tolerate it but it bugs me.

I have one C&V bike that is nearly bone stock a 1978 Motobecane Grand touring, the others get taller stems, wider bars and areo brake levers, not so much because I don't like non areo as the Tektro levers just have a nice chunky grip area that I like more than the petite hoods on a C&V lever.

rootboy 

How many times during the day do you wash your hands?

It's not a disorder if a mismatched set of brakes bugs you.
Change 'em.

ridelikeaturtle

I don't mind mismatching parts as long as they work well. E.g., modern nutted long-reach calipers on an old frame? Totally fine with that. They also need to come in pairs. It's fine to mix up components, as long as they're working together as a whole.

What things would bother me?

Different manufacturer wheels, tyres, or brake calipers - things that "should be paired". OK, maybe a Shimano rear brake and a Campy front brake work fine, or a Michelin front tyre and a Conti rear tyre... but these things would drive me nuts - to me it's the same as having a LOOK left pedal and an SPD-SL right pedal.

squirtdad

not very (except for matching wheels and tires)

my 84 team miyata I would have liked to be a bit more OCD. with, it did not come with period brakes and levers, but I could find those, the killer was it had a 165 cm Dura Ace ex crankset and I had no luck in finding one or one that was not in the many hundreds.......so I built in to be close to represent the ethos of the original build so it ended up with the original Dura Ace derallers and shfiters, seat post and stem and handle bars, and head set it got 7400 brakes, levers and crankset and I put a sanshing hubbed, Mavic 330 tubular wheelset on it (spec was dura ace GP4 tubular but it had dura ace MA40 clincher when I got it) flyte titanium ok substitute for turbo

this is how it turned out



this is catalog



this is catalog

crandress 

I do hate mismatch parts! I like to be period correct, but am not as worried about trying to make it exactly like it would have been. Though most of my bike were probably sold as frames anyway. Campagnolo is always good! However, I also don't mind a classic look for a new component. I recently purchased some Velo Orange rims for example. Very classic look, though I can run wider tires. But they will be laced to Record hubs (is there anything else??

mpetry912 

I'm in agreement with my right honorable friend here. Some get carried away with OCD over locknut date codes and so forth, I try not to worry about such details. Polishing and tuning, and some tasty "period correct" upgrades are what it's all about.

Worth a read is Richard Sach's "Period Correct" article from almost 20 years ago, this was actually what got me started on the vintage bike thing.

https://www.richardsachs.com/period-correct/

I think my white Raleigh Pro is the most OCD bike in my pile. But it was restored by the previous owner. I made it right for me.

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA

Drillium Dude 

I remember reading that article and while it gave me ideas, it also showed me how easy it is to go completely down the rabbit-hole...

DD

crandress 

Isn't the rabbit-hole the best part???

droppedandlost 

Colors tend to bug me. I generally stick to black and silver outside of the frame. I'm fighting with brown right now, I can't find two things the same shade even from the same company. Another random thing was the saddle/post curve on my Colnago. It HAD to line up. Wheels and tires match or I stay home.

natterberry 

Not so concerned about period/catalog correct. Everything better match and function well though.

retrodude

It depends for me, I would never run mismatched tires period, mismatched wheels don't bother me as much if they are the same color ans shape. I recently added LX cantilevers to an MTB restore while the existing are dia-compe 987s, finding used 987s for a decent price kept me from matching them.

I do try my best with my vintage camp road bikes to keep them as close to full groupos but money is a factor

horatio 

Who was credited with creating the concept of “groupset” BITD? Was Shimano first, or Campagnolo?

jdawginsc 

Basso restoration: All Campy, Cinelli... different rims but same hubs, Shimano pedals for ease of going bike to bike.
Rossin: All Campy Record, Cinelli, Rims and tires match. Campy pedals required a second pair of shoes...

Faggin: MA40s/Dura Ace 7700. The rest will be whatever I keep after all of the oddities I bought, and now don't need. I will be posting in CV store soon...