jjhabbs 

Ok.. Now thats funny right there. I dont care who you are!

John

Mr. Spadoni 

Those are barely broken in. You do want this bike to look like it gets ridden, don’t you?

AdventureManCO 

That is not necessarily high up on the priority list. What is high on the priority list is attaching well-loved components to junk just for the fun of it, and if such action simultaneously sends purists into writhing fits of inconsolable agony, I won't say not to be entertained by it

Hondo6

Won't having components that look like they've been ridden - presumably on the bike on which they're installed - add to the "tweak their nose" factor?

AdventureManCO 

I have some other plans that will tweak noses so far they will fall off. Thinking through how much fun it all will be is what makes waiting for 100mi under the saddle so hard. The bike is actually treating me rather well. It just wants to go, go go! I know this because of how it screams at me everytime I want to stop or slow down.

The Golden Boy 

qft

Mr. Spadoni 

Got it. But consider this: with new parts, it’s just a unique bike. But with slightly worn parts, you can have a great story to tell if anyone asks about the bike. Something like” Yeah, I took this bike with me when I was stationed in an Italy. When I heard about something called Campagnolo, I started replacing the original parts with Campy. I rode this from one end of the country to another.” With a story like that, the agony you aim to inflict with be ever so much more intensified.

AdventureManCO 

Ooohh!!! I didn't think about it like that. I like that! I will need to think about how to embellish it. Maybe something like 'I rode to Campagnolo's factory and met some factory workers. Tullio's son saw me and the bike, heard about my escapades through Italy, and after looking at all the heavy steel components, told me 'No! No! This will not do!' and gave me some old components from the bottom drawer of his dad's workdesk, as long as I promised to keep them nice and shiny!'

I'll work on it.

In other news - happy Friday!

We decided to get some pizza to celebrate the weekend. What goes well with pizza?

Wings? Breadsticks? Soda, you say?






Wrong wrong wrong!










The Le Grande, of course!


See? She even prefers Italian food!



That's +2.5mi, for a total of 15.5mi.

The goal is 20mi more before Monday. Happy weekend everyone!

SurferRosa

How schadenfreude of you.

dddd

I'm starting to consider that the OP might go on having such a good time riding this bike that he may never get around to "wildly" upgrading it.
I still think that one-part at a time upgrading is perhaps the best way, both for evaluatory purposes and because of the difficulty in getting all the racing bike part to fit.
But I also get that a shock-value "parts-cannon" approach is worthy for different reasons.

I do think that the thick handlebar padding perfectly complements the 7/8" diameter of the steel handlebar (hmmm, might make a good upgrade for my own mostly-stock 1975 Varsity).
The original Grab-On foam grips are of awesome quality, but most of the OEM's used cheapo chinese knock-off grips that age ungracefully.

AdventureManCO 

I do know that literally as soon as the mileage clicks over to 100.01mi, I am going to rip those brakes off so fast a sawzall and plasma torch would be slower. Although the squealing would be somewhat sentimental if it weren't so dangerous.

But here is the problem - if I replace the brakes, then I have to replace the wheelset. When I replace the wheelset, I have to re-space the dropouts. To do that, I'll need to align them. When I do that, I'll want to align everything else. And hence, only a frame will be left. If you give a mouse a cookie... (as someone already said)

But, I absolutely see the merit of your approach. Maybe we do a quick and dirty one-by-one parts replacement, with the intent to eventually replace everything on the bike and do the frame truing at that time. I'm not opposed.

And while your first statement is starting to 'feel' true, just based on such a good time I'm having with it as-is, I'm way too curious to let well-enough alone. Especially when well-enough, well, isn't.

Plus, it would be a huuuuuuge letdown to finally end the thread with 'welp, turns out I love the bike as is, gonna leave it as I found it, thx guys happy biking!'

Not acceptable.

We can't have that. I'm too excited for the reactions, the shock value, the conversations. Anything to distract from the fact that I'm not really that great of a biker. It will hopefully be a distraction/justification for coming in last..."oh, well he's on a Huffy I guess it figures" I'm already quite chuffed that such a 'nothing' bike has already garnered so much interst - and the Le Grande is the garage, blushing

Since I got it, the bike has wormed (worked?) its way into my heart. Yes, its heavy, crude, unbalanced, slow, screechy, clumbsy, dangerous, and totally ridiculous. But, but charming, and prepostrous yes, but certainly not pretentious. It is by no means boring, and that quality alone makes up for all other shortcomings. Sometimes if there is nothing left to fix, then I lose interest. Sometimes problems are fun.



Like Bogart on the African Queen...'cause I kinda like a' kickin' it!



Once it is fixed up with all the light and nice goodies, the the fact that it will be so unique and weird will be enough to take the place of the problems and keep the interest going. I appreciate everyone who has a warped enough interest to keep following along. I will not let you down!

AdventureManCO 

Is there a word that means the same thing, but in Italian, that you could use instead? Theme, and all.

AdventureManCO 

Okay! So I wanted to follow up on your very kind offer.

It prompted me to go out to the 'junk drawer' and see if I could find anything that would work on the bike. I grabbed anything cable related. Here is what I found:



parts and the pup




mishmash


So it looks like I have a couple of those Simplex cable guides as well. I may have to spring for one of the dual Campy ones that will allow me to run a cable to the FD. But I'll play with these and see if I can make one work. Luckily, I've got that little RD cable doohickey that I can attach to the rear chainstay. Its probably not Campy, don't know if they made one, but at least it won't slow the build. The rest of the stuff probably won't work for the project and are not Euro enough anyway!

I'm definitely interested in your Huret tt clamps. I may eventually make my own for the bike, but let me measure the top tube and see what sort of diameter I'm working with.

AdventureManCO 

Welcome @rideandgoseek

AdventureManCO 

Mileage Update: 23.5mi this weekend
39mi total

Okay! We’ve got an update from the weekend and a lot has been happening!


We put 23.5mi on the bike this weekend. I know this because I keep meticulous and detailed records in my mind. Miraculously, the bike (and I) are still in one piece (each, respectively). Even more miraculous, I’m liking the ride of the bike more instead of less. I have no idea why, but to figure that one out would take many lifetimes. It bodes well for the future. Speaking of the future – my goal is to be completed with the 100mi in about 2-3 weeks, which if I have similar productive weekends, should be relatively straightforward. Then the real fun begins!



I don’t know if I’ve entered peak Navy Seal-tier endurance mode, where pain is simply an imaginary concept to be lambasted, or if my nerve endings have simply been all cheese-gratered away, but the last time I did 7.5mi, the saddle didn’t bother me one bit. Yes, it has what feels like a solid steel seatpan underneath that cheesy vinyl pad. I don’t know, I can’t explain it. Yes, it will be getting replaced. It has more use as a plate armor than it does a seat.


Extremely rare photo of 'USS Huffyseat' right after launch, which sunk immediately after this photo was taken due to 'gross overtonnage'


We have a park a few blocks up from the house, and it is connected to a school and pathway. There is a large paved circuit there that when mapped out, comes to right around .5mi, so 2x loops = 1 mile, so that little stretch has been getting lots of action as of late. I need to throw a bell on the bike, because trying to call out ‘on your left’ as friendly and neutrally as possible still elicits violent convulsions from people who think they are about to get bulldozed by a small planet careening down the path. Given the mass of the Huffy, they are correct. When they finally catch a glimpse of me barreling toward them, they probably imagine...




On Saturday I took the kids on a shorter ride with the bike, and my daughter asked me to bring this metal water bottle completely filled up w/ water for everyone.







The thing weighs probably like friggin 8lbs, and little did she know that we were pushing the bike toward critical mass with the added weight. Luckily for everyone in the universe, the bike thankfully didn’t collapse on itself and turn into a black hole, so disaster was somehow narrowly avoided.

We rode down a little dirt path that opens up into a large open space that connects down to another pathway. With all the snow we’ve been getting, of course the path was muddy. One negative is that horrendous brakes on dirty wet muddy chrome rims meant completely zero braking power – I was riding around gripping the brakes as tight as I could, still just coasting along. But the grit of the mud had a bit of a micropolishing effect on the rims, and after it all dried and came off, the bike somehow stopped squealing. I sort of missed it, actually. But I needn’t have worried, it started coming back the next day – whew, it was disconcerting there for a moment.

I got the ‘O.M.A.S.’ bmx BB adapter in the mail (major thanks to thumpism !!!) and I think it should clean up really nice. It had 3 out of the 4 bolts, and so I started doing some research to see if anyone made any of these in titanium – I think they are M4 x 70mm. I found some, but they were like $20 for a set of 2!! And then I couldn’t even find any that were partially threaded. If anyone has a lead of some of these (especially in ti) let me know. I’ll stop by Ace to see if I can get a spare for now, but eventually I want to replace most/all hardware on the bike with ti. Someone earlier in the thread mentioned that they think we could get the bike down to 26lb. Oh. Eheheh. We are going to go way lighter than that. Even if I have to plug the frame tubes and fill them with helium myself.





Most of the parts from this bike are coming from a complete package that ended up in the sub-19lb category, so the real wildcard is going to be the frame. If the frame is +3lbs heavier, then I may still be able to hit the 23-ish lb category. It would be sooooo sweet to get in the sub-23lb bracket, so that is our near impossible plan.

I also got my ‘Super Domestique’ tires for my ‘Super Domestic’ build (otherwise known as the ‘Home Depot tubular’), so I’m pleased as punch.




lol


I really lucked out with these – they ended up not having horrendous reviews, and are right around 290g per tire. While they don’t have a tan wall, we are still in business.

Getting the tires inspired me to pull out the Record wheelset and start cleaning off old glue. It is a tedious process and I don’t think there are any huge shortcuts, but that’s just fine as it was a relaxing endeavor. I got most of the glue off, now I’ll need to finally clean it up (Acetone? Specific tubular glue cleaner?) and then polish the rims, of course. I’m also thinking of brand new ‘Super Champion’ stickers for the rims. ‘Nothing but the best for the Huffy’





I was a bit concerned about the frame and wheel spacing. I put a wheelset in it from my TdF, and really had to squeeze the dropouts closer together to get it to work. So, not immediately knowing what the axle spacing on this wheelset was had me concerned that it may not work. However, I didn’t stop to think that the TdF is like a ’72, and likely 120mm. When I measured the frame, I got somewhere around 128mm in the rear. So I took a caliper to the Record rear and, holding my breath, measured. Thankfully, we are hitting just shy of 127! Whew! I think this wheelset is going to work perfectly for our ‘high end Huffy’ needs.


We good, fam


The Super Record brakes, however, will not. At least as-is. It was completely apparent, even just looking at the brakes, and observing the spacing between the mounting bolt to the pads, and comparing that to the Le Grande which has huuuuge clearances. All is not lost, however, as I am working through a simple solution to still use the SR brakeset. The Huffy demands it, so it will be done.



I have been talking with another forum member about ideas for the saddle, and ways to still use a Record seatpost – therefore, I’m putting out a call that I am looking for the most beat up, cut up, janky Record seatpost in existence. It would help if it was so short to be completely useless for any endeavor apart from a bottle opener and, of course, the Le Grande. I think the smaller the better. Ideally, I’m looking for one of the 25mm sizes or thereabouts. If anyone has a lead on one, I would for sure appreciate it.

That is all for now, but I'm sure there will be more shenanigans to come, very shortly.

AdventureManCO 

I just had an epiphany - what if the screening brakes are the bike bell?

Hondo6

I think it's the Le Grande screaming in horror at the thought of its . . . wonderful . . . steel components being replaced with that finicky, lightweight, ridiculous Italian stuff.

Or maybe it's the ghost of a guy named Tulio screaming "No" at you from the afterlife.

AdventureManCO 

You're right...I never thought of the bike's feelings in any of this at all. Maybe it doesn't want to change!

Drillium Dude 

Nobody wants to change - particularly if they're told or coerced to do so. The Huffy's response is SOP

Btw, when I saw your edited photo of the USS Missouri (BB-63), my mind immediately jumped to this:



"Dazzle" camouflage, used in WW1 and, to a lesser extent, WW2.

And finally: I was present (and taking photographs for posterity) at Battery Chandler/Barri when the Missouri was towed into Pearl Harbor. Ultimately, she was moored at Ford Island; I attended a colleague's final reenlistment on the ship's fantail about a year later. Good times

DD

sbarner 

Upon careful inspection, I can say with a high degree of competence that your bike would meet the stringent qualifications at the Huffy Throw weigh-in. There would no doubt be some who might challenge it, claiming that the stem would cause the bike to exceed the "No more than two aluminum parts" rule, but be at ease, as it is acceptable to count the two extension levers as a single "part." You would receive an additional dispensation in that I am quite sure that the stem is original to the bike, and probably was called out as a feature in some marketing materials as everyone knows that an aluminum stem and drop handlebars makes it a "racer." Your description of the wobbly wheels and screechy brakes testifies that the bike is "as close to functional as the manufacturer intended," sealing the deal. This bike as pictured is perfect Huffy-chucking fodder.

sbarner 

Perhaps with the exception of this Murray from my collection?


1984 Campagnolo Neutral Support, frame by Serotta.

sbarner 

This video captures the spirit of the event.

AdventureManCO 

You know, we've tried to talk about this. We've sat down and had the convo. It goes something like this:

me: You know, everyone thinks you are garbage, we have to change that perception

Le Grande: They do? Really? Whatever! I don't care!

me: but I have all these nice, lightweight components for you. It will help with image. You can be an ambassador!

Le Grande: But I'm beautiful the way I am! Yes, I'm heavy, slow, clunky, squeaky, squealy, and screechy, but I've accepted it! Why does nobody like me? Waaaaaaah! *sobs*

It just falls apart from there.

As such, the bike has resisted just about every possibility for upgrading - the BB size is wrong, the headset size is wrong, the dropouts are too thin, the headtube is too small, the brake mounting holes are too far away, the seattube is too little, etc etc. The bike is so much drama!

But we are making progress. I'm not giving up! So far therapy is working but we are taking it slow. The Le Grande would appreciate no more discrimination and judgement from any of you

RandolphCarter

I have a titanium spindle Italian threaded O.M.A.S bottom bracket to toss on the bonfire add to this project.

Drillium Dude 

The Le Grande and a sixteen-year-old girl have a lot in common

DD