help with frame choices/restoration
 

Well, here it is. I have 2 "vintage" type frames and 1 modern steel frame that I am thinking about restoring or repainting. One is a lugged steel Miele with a nice chrome fork and Columbus Cromor tubing. This bike doesn't have a serial number. It has an italian threaded BB. I have it narrowed down to a 1986 frame but have no idea what it was because the paint and decals don't match anything from the miele catalogues. It looks like a metallic 7up green. Right now it is bare frame but when it was built weighed in at 20.5lbs.

The other player is a Lotus Odyssey. It is a touring bike. Beautiful 1/2 chrome front fork and chrome right chainstay. It has columbus tubing as well and seems to be a slightly better quality. I am still using the original cranks, drivetrain, headset and other parts but have put 700C wheels on it and am trying to keep the original canti brakes too.

The last player is a 2003 Raleigh International with columbus zona tubing. beautiful frame. Great ride but the paint is crap. It still looks nice from about 2' away but if you look at it wrong the paint chips.

The question I have is which frame would you paint? I love all the frames and honestly the Lotus paint is in good overall condition except for the fork crown.

The Miele paint is good overall but is showing signs of a bike that was once raced by the previous owner in Chatanooga TN and then brought out of retirement by me for another 5-6k miles.

The Raleigh is a new frame but is still looks classic while being modern and stiffer than the miele isn't as comfortable.

Would any of you scoff at the idea of the Miele being repainted? If I did, I would take the Centaur components off the International and build it up on the Miele. I already have a campy record headset and campy external bearing cups (italian threaded) for it.

It was 7up green with yellow decals and while the green is a great color...do I really need the Miele decals? Would pictures of the current frame be more helpful? Also, I want to take the cable routing from the top of the top tube to the bottom of the top tube to clean things up some. I had her built up with Dura Ace 9 speed but would rather see it campy now.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...s/100_0901.jpg

This was her with the Rolf Vector wheels that I later changed for Neuvation silver wheels. I still have several rolls of the rasta bar tape. I know the paint looks good there but believe me it looks 1000X better in the picture than it actually is now.

Paint whichever one you will ride the most.

That Miele is a piece of art. Looks great already but if you were to repaint a frame that would be the one, however I would get it repainted with that color since I think it is SWEET. If that has a 54cm TT and you're looking to sell it let me know :D

That Miele is beautiful! And I've seen a Lotus Odyssey, so I know that's a gorgeous bike too. If you're going to repaint either, I would urge you to do a restoration-- keep the original color and graphics. They're just too beautiful to change.

Of course, if you just don't like the way that Odyssey looks, I'd be willing to take it off your hands... ;)

It seems to me that you could do a restoration of the fork crown on the Lotus, and be done for the least money, OR you could do the fork crown AND another frame for less than the cost of two frames.

That Miele is gorgeous and it'll look amazing when you have it repainted in the original green and put Centaur on it.

Any ideas where to get Lotus decals made? I have the Miele Decals.

Man, thanks to everyone that likes the Miele. She's a great bike. BikeKyle out of PA is going to do the paint. I have all the decals for her. BTW, I'm putting a centaur seatpost on the bike after the restoration.

BikeKyle is going to set the rear so it is 130mm. It was 126mm but Kyle said, 'why not do it for $20 more?'

She is a compact geometry. 56 or 57 CtC ST and something like 55cm TT. I put a 130mm stem on it.

My main bike right now is a 2006 Lemond Zurich that's 57cm.

I have a 1980s Lotus Unique frame that is 60cm CtC ST and 55cm TT. I actually liked the taller ST better. She was involved in a crash and I'm also going to get her repaired. She had all the Dura Ace stuff on her before the Miele was built.

Mike Swantak, who posts here regularly, does quality reproductions.

Here's his website: VeloGraphic

The Miele is a 1987 Beta.