AdventureManCO 

Mad Honk Macguyver909

Quick update - Nothing happening with the Huffy for the next few days, as I have some work commitments keeping me out of the shop. Trying to get some things done around the house late the other night meant I wasn't able get a couple packages out. The wife might be able to while I'm out, but just in case it doesn't happen, they should be in the mail by the weekend. Thanks for your patience guys!

Next up for the Huffente is going to be prepping the Super Record wheelset for the HD tubulars, as well as 2 shims for the shifters and cable guide. Oh yah I still need to make a seatpost!

Life is good. Stay safe y'all!

sbarner 

I have a box of Wald pencils...Erasers as hard as a John Bull brake shoe.

sbarner 

Full-Campy, Nuovo/Super Record, 531 racing bikes were typically around 21 lbs with tubulars. You could get the weight down to sub-20 lbs. without too much difficulty, especially in smaller frame sizes and using ass-hatchet saddles. One hopes that there won't be butchering and drilling of classic components for the sake of this little farce.

jdawginsc 

Campy made 25.0 seatposts for ALAN I believe. What does the Huffente require?

Hondo6

Campagnolo did in fact make 25.0mm seatposts. But there are only 2 current listings for those on eBay, and the cheaper of the two is $153+ shipped - before sales taxes.

Campagnolo also made 25.4mm seatposts - which I think may be what the Le Grande would need.

But there are also only 2 of that size listed on eBay. And the cheaper of the two is just short of $190, shipped - also before sales taxes.

In contrast, a Kalloy 25.4mm alloy Uno seatpost (350mm length) can be had in silver as low as around $16 shipped + sales taxes.

This might be a case where financial sanity should take precedence over Campy bling.

jdawginsc 

I completely concur. But the artiste will be making the call.

dddd

Doesn't the Huffy have 1" OD tubing including the seat tube?

That would make the seatpost size likely 7/8" or perhaps even 13/16", i.e. much smaller than 25mm.

Hondo6

Possible. Apparently some Huffy-built bikes from the 1960s used a 7/8" seat post.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/134154433274

However, I've read elsewhere that some Huffy BMX models used a 1"/25.4mm seat post.

Could be either, or something else entirely. Dunno.

Hopefully @AdventureManCO will have time this week to take a measurement of the existing one and post it on this thread.

Eric F 

Nonsense! This bike deserves the best!!

(As long as I'm not the one paying for it)

AdventureManCO 

Correctamundo on the seatpost size. I measured it a while back and was quite dismayed to find it 7/8" and even more dismayed to learn that Campy never made 7/8" Super Record seatposts for dumpster bikes. Such is life.

However, we shall adapt, overcome, and ghetto-fy. Many a great-length conversations, both online, and off, have happened regarding the seatpost. As it stands, there may have to be 2 seatposts made, version 1.0 and version 2.0.

Version 1.0 - anything that can work in time for the big event and that is not a boat anchor. I've got some ideas but won't post anything yet. There may be a hint about the design later on in this thread soon, but you'll have to look for it.

Version 2.0 - Utilize a hacked up, cut up 25.0mm Campy Record/Super Record seatpost that would be too short for any sane project, making it only useful for either the dumpster bin or the Huffy (same same). We would only need the post to be as long as it would be sticking up out of the frame. I (as in 'someone else') would then take aluminum bar stock, turn it down to 7/8, and then create a 'landing nub' for whatever the ID of that 25mm seatpost is. So it would be 7/8" in the bottom, and 25mm Campy Super Record on the top. Business on top, party in the back (below). Let's call it the mullet of seatposts.

For now though, the seatpost is on the back burner. There are SO many little thoughts and details (as well as big ones) that are in process. First things first - we gotta get that fork re-attached. So the headset adapters will need to fit right. Secondly, the BB adapter needs the threads chased. Once those two items are sorted, the 'real', 'true', 'actual' build can commence. Up till now, its been 'roll your eyes' level stuff (this I know), but soon, it will reach fever-pitch, bite your fingernails, sign up for therapy level energy. You definitely want to be around to witness that. Or maybe you definitely don't want to be around lol.

Since I didn't see any responses about my inquiry of the crown race size for a Super Record headset, I'll have to pull mine and measure. I hope we are close. Who knows. I'm sure it will be way off. I mean it's the Huffy!

If anyone does know the answer to this, please let me know, so I can start to visualize how much pain I will be in soon while I can't do anything about it currently.

AdventureManCO 

The bike these parts came off of came in at 18.9lbs, with pedals attached. It was not completely original, but still pretty true to form. I know we are going heavier with the frame, and I've got all these adapters I'm using which create weight, and the tubulars on this particular build are somewhere around 70-80 grams heavier each.

However! I was really surprised to learn that even with that light of a bike, the Campy BB is completely boat anchor steel, so eventually I think I am going to get a Phil Wood ti BB or build my own for it, with a ti spindle and save somewhere around 100-130 grams.

Here is the chunky beast that we speak of:




Oh, and how dare you call it a 'little farce'.


There is nothing 'little' about it, especially weight-wise.

I think 'heavy farce' has a nicer ring, don't you?

AdventureManCO 

Me either!

Hondo6

Ouch. Yeah, that's gonna complicate matters. BMX alloy 22.2mm seatposts are out there, but very few if any I've seen appear to use a standard 2-rail saddle mount.

stoneageyosh

Sounds like time to find a cut off top from a stuck Campy post and some lathe time to shrink fit a suitable lower section.

AdventureManCO 

I think I need that cutoff Campy post to find me

Since people want 'crown jewels' money for even a 3" OAL cut up Campy post, I'm going to try making one first, while I wait for the perfect donor.

If I find one, I'll throw it in my Campy junk box -

stoneageyosh

You don’t want to know how much still usable Nuovo and even more Super Record parts we junked after providing tech support for the ‘84 Olympics or ‘86 World Road Championships. There are probably some folks on here that would break down in tears and not think too kindly of what we did.

Mad Honk 

Went to the co-op tonight and found nothing of value for the build. A couple of pictures:

The good news! 27.2 Seat post will take a7/8 insert for the build.

The bad news, The Technomic stem I picked out had been ground down to a smaller dimension. It is actually 7/8" at the upper section.

If this stem had not been ground on it could be a donor for the seat post. I'm gonna hafta find a good stem to carve up for this project.
It may be that an SR from Japan will have the right dimension for a post. Smiles, MH

AdventureManCO 

Hmm! I didn't even think of a stem! The Le Grande and I are honored that you are thinking of us. I do have a plan for the seatpost, and it involves another cannibalized part. I've got one in the shop, haven't started work on it. Soon.

AdventureManCO 

So...

I've been doing some work in another town and thought I'd bring my '87 Ironman Expert to get a little exercise and see the town.








Just a load of interesting buildings...everywhere I looked! I love looking at buildings that are full of character.


wow...look at that seatpost...hmmm


I even found a local bike shop as I was just riding along!



Owner's name was Joe - we talked shop for a bit. Really cool guy. They also had a really cool bike hanging up in the shop...

'Wait...is that...SUPER RECORD!!?? Hey I know another bike that...uh...actually, nevermind let's not talk about it'



This is a Melton, as in Mike Melton. There is an interesting read about him on Classic Rendezvous - Mike Melton

I wonder if bulgie knew him, as it sounds like he had a connection to Santana. Maybe it was a bit later.

Another interesting thing is that that Mike Melton took all his amazing, incredible custom bike-building skillset and went to HUFFY Corp.

I mean, I know my bike is from 1980, and Mike went to Huffy around '83 or '84, but I'm pretty sure Mike basically custom built my bike. Sounds like he headed up Huffy's involvement in the '84 and '88 Olympics. Cool stuff, and cool connection.


But! This post isn't really about any of that.




This post is a confession. You see, I am guilty.




Guilty of riding a bike that wasn't the Le Grande. Don't get me wrong, the IM is amazing, at least 20x lighter than the Le Grande, but...I felt the Huffy's tears as I saddled up, like it was being betrayed.

Therefore, I wrote you all a song/poem as atonement for my injustice toward the Le Grande.



I've done this terrible thing, I'm afraid
The biggest mistake I've ever made
My nerves are frayed; I should be banned
For I didn't take the Le Grande

A terrible confession, a horrific claim
Nevermind that it's just a frame!
No excuses! I'm to blame.
I didn't take the Le Grande

I can't believe what I have done
I didn't bother to take 'The One'.
I don't care that it weighs a ton
I should have taken the Le Grande

My favorite bike is what I demand
My oasis gone; all I see is sand
Like a traveler in a foreign land
Just get me back to the Le Grande

If I had my frame, I'd cry the tears
of joy as parts just magically appear
Stop the press and stay thy hand!
I've finally got my beloved Le Grande

Everyone would be in awe and stare
As I pedal on tires made of clouds and air
And cables form from maiden's hair,
That's the power of the Le Grande

A substitute just can't fill the gap
Like when you really want what you cannot have
Like when you want meat but all you've got is spam
Oh, I should have taken the Le Grande



I'll have to pick up chocolates and flowers on the way home.

Hondo6

You did remember to ask them if they had any trashed/unusable seat posts lying around and what they'd want for one, right? Because you need the top section in order to fabricate an odd-size replacement seat post "for your custom vintage bike project"?

cudak888 

Let us all have a moment of standing ovation. AdventureManCO has perfected the art of the "bottom bracket pictures only" thread.

-Kurt

AdventureManCO 

The only art that can match it is the art of noticing it.

Mad Honk 

And even more bottom bracket pictures to add to the pile of rubble.

This BB adaptor came in the mail today. Sized with a standard Campy English threaded BB. Width of the adaptor is 2.65" but might be sized down a bit if needed.

Off set for drive side crank arm measures at .082" The threads are cut quite nicely and the cups were easy to turn by hand all the way down.

Off set for non drive crank arm is .073" It should give enough clearance for the arms on both sides of the chain stays.

Diameter of the shell adaptor is right at 2.0 inches I hope the shells are the same sized for the Huffy.
Perhaps Adventure Man can shed a bit of light on these size specifications. Smiles, MH

sbarner 

I was applying the dictionary definition of the word:I think that about nails it, wouldn't you agree?

On the seat post, I see no reason why the donor post has to be any specific diameter. For all the different ODs that Campy offered, there may have been only one or at most a few IDs, as the post was turned down to the desired size. I'd suggest having a straight aluminum post turned down to the correct diameter and then cut off the Campy post and bore it out to fit the outside of the straight post. If you want to get fancy, they could be welded (and that might mean you can simply cut the Campy post square), or epoxy the straight post into the bore in the Campy head and drill and insert a pin through the joint as a reinforcement. None of this should be hard for a hack with a lathe. Oh, that's me. If you want to send me a suitable Campy donor post, I can work it up for you.

sbarner 

Schwinn was the first to use some tire sizes, such as the 2.125 balloon. There are some interesting histories that describe how Schwinn in the 1930s broke the back of the US monopolies that stuck the American public with horrible "single-tube tires" which had a lot to do with dampening adult interest in cycling in the early part of the 20th century. I'm not sure why the rest of the industry went with different standards than Schwinn for middleweight and lightweight 26" tire sizes, where Schwinn was also the trendsetter. The Schwinn sizes were the most logical, and were based on established European sizes. I think their mistake was in selecting the 26 x 1 1/4 EA1 as their lightweight size (popular in GB for club racers) and then calling it 26 x 1 3/8, which was in fact the EA3 size which was coming on all the rebranded Raleighs that the other US manufacturers were importing as their "lightweight" 3-speed models. Schwinn also had their whole "Schwinn Approved" schtick, which often was just rebranding, but sometimes included modifications that made the components a better fit for their careless and clumsy US customers.