brooklyn

I just got a Colnago Super that has been sitting in my uncles garage for years. The bike is in good condition but is badly in need of service. What should i do to start the restoration? Should i take off all of the parts and go from there, or should i wash the bike to get rid of the dirt and then take off the parts????

caotropheus

First of all you should know the basics about bicycle mechanics. If you know basic bicycle mechanic, you should know how to start. So please first tell us how skilled are you in bicycle mechanics?

timmhaan

personally, if i was faced with something like this - i would get it in ridable condition. just doing that will start you off on the basics. i would take the wheels in to get trued (if necessary), put on new rim tape, tubes, and tires. then clean the drive train really well and fine tune it so it shifts correctly. taking parts off, cleaning them, and putting them back on will get you familiar with the process and how things work. enjoy the bike for a while and then decide if you want to take the plung and get a new paint job and new components.

brooklyn

I am not a master mechanic but i can overhaul bb, hubs, headset, brakes, drivetrain. I can't repair frames or build wheels(working on this).

lotek 

Brooklyn,

You should by what you say, have all the skills needed to get this
on the road again. I would start by taking pictures detailing everything!
then I would focus on areas that will need new grease, repacked bearings
(i.e. bottom bracket and wheels), new chain, new tires (I'm gonna assume they
are old and will not hold air), clean and lube the cables and general clean up
of the entire bike. I would also suggest getting an old repair manual
(I have complete book of bike repair, 1981?) that covers the components
you have. Posting alot of pictures here is good too.
If that seems overly complicated find a good shipping agent and send
it to me, I'll take real good care of it.

Marty

brooklyn

to my suprise the tubulars still hold air in them. Either way i will have to replace the them, replace the chain and repack all of the bearings. I am going to do a search on what grease to use and polish for the old campy parts.

USAZorro

Go to your LBS and see if they have Park lube. A whole tube of bicycle grease shouldn't cost more than $5 or $6 - and that's marking up the price 70% over what it costs me - to take into account your location.

luker

I wish one of my uncles rode a Super. Jerks cheaped out and bought Exports...really, that is quite a fine bike (don't reglue the tubies, more'n likely a waste of time, get some new ones). Can you post some pre-pictures? Do you know what the year of construction was? What is the parts group?

number6

The tires on it are for spares at best from the description.
"nago supers were made for a long time as a model, with earlier ones being quite sought after. An image or two would help provide a timeframe. On Nagos, the head lugs, graphics and fork crown tell much.

Only one that hits me in the gotta have zone is an electric blue one from 1971, Major Style.