For me I start with the frame. I have a 1951 Holdsworth Monsoon which I rescued from being damaged and painted with Hammerite. It now has new decals, is lug lined, and I am gradually sourcing original parts, because it deserves the effort. It now sits next to me in my office because I am a couple of parts shy. Its been a year.

At the same time I took a frame I wanted to be good to ride, and so I selected modern components, and the only problem is I had to change the bottom bracket because I was using a triple instead of a single and I needed a longer shaft for the clearance.

The only frames I have struggled with are vintage French, because everything is different. Different threads, different diameters, and difficult to get spares.
This means that instead of replacing old parts such as a worn headset, I end up renovating and rechroming parts - very expensive.




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Witcomb
 

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...11d2689f48.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0ea4935dc7.jpg
Here is my 1991 Witcomb which was recently handed down to me by my father. It still has the same 7-speed setup when it was built, so I just replaced the shifters with Microshift and a Deore LX NOS front derailleur (had campy record brake levers, 105 front mech, and 600 indexed shifters). Long term I'm thinking of going 8-speed in the back with 10-speed Campy brifters, but this will work for now. Oh, and I threw on my fav quill stem, the Nitto Dynamic II.

Purdy!

1981 Bertoni Superlight - latest iteration
 

[MENTION=474190]Honusms[/MENTION] I had meant to write, back when you had a picture of you with the huge Crescent wrench (getting a bottom bracket cup off), that I couldn't wait to see your Bertoni completed because I thought that the SRAM groupset was going to look stellar on that frame. And it does! Beautiful work!!

The brifter stuff is something I'm a big fan of. I still do downtube shifting on a few bikes--indexed very preferably (9 or 10 speeds, too)--and enjoy it, but I like the best-of-both-worlds result of modern (aka very capable) componentry with a vintage frame (ride quality and handling, looks too).

The branding and color scheme, well, and design, of newer cranksets and groupsets in general makes matching them to vintage frames a bit tricky. Non-metallic paint colors with simple graphics allow a sort of 'blank slate' approach with components. The paint and graphics recede, allowing the wheels and boldly-designed groupset to take center stage. Metallic paint colors like their complement of silver-adorned groupsets (kind of anything up until about 2010 it seems), though in the case of certain colors, like your Bertoni, the moody grey-champagne tone works with the serious-yet-restrained black components and finishing elements (bar tape, saddle, etc).

Modern groupset design has pretty well matched modern frame design in that both are bolder and louder and thicker etc etc etc. Put the newest stuff on a slender, traditionally-tubed steel frame and the frame will ask "Why are you shouting?" Big diameter frames like original Cannondales from the '80s (and continuing on) and Kleins allow the newest components to be hung on them because the big tubes match the thick, bold components (mostly cranksets). Both are proportional to each other. Cannondale's simpler non-metallic paint colors around the '90s help that as well.

If choosing a house is guided by the mantra "Location, location, location!" then outfitting C&V bikes in general (let alone with brifters/modern pieces) lives by "Composition, composition, composition!" :)

And I just recently found a bike that does better without modern wheels. I mocked up a Prologue frame with a modern wheelset after stripping and it didn't work. It puzzled me because I find modern wheels always look good to me. I finally figured out that the Prologue has enough going on with the two tone fade and multiple decals, that a modern wheelset just makes it too busy. I tried Fulcrum 5's and Bontrager Race Lites. I'll put the near new anodized MA 40's back on even though its more weight. Of course, this is all personal opinion

Every bike is a balance. And depending on your set of components and wheels, that factors into it noticeably. Obviously most importantly is the color scheme of your Prologue. I forget if you have the red/white or the grey/black. As I was able to obtain (having wanted it in the first place) a grey/black version, I wanted the components to be dark on it. And more speeds than just seven. Almost immediately the quest for full 7900-era Dura-Ace began. Between that and arriving at the optimal stem/bar combo, she is, pictured below, in her best form. And just a touch over 19 lbs (19 on the money or just under without bottle cage) with pedals. I'd love a set of deep section carbon wheels as that would look even more sinister. As it stands, you'll notice these WH-7850 (7800-era Dura-Ace alu/carbon medleys) are pretty low section by modern wheel standards. No traditional box section MA2/MA40s (which I very much like), but squared off in section no less (no V-shape at all). The wheelset's light weight (1431g) and lithe aesthetic truly complement the frame's light weight and lithe nature. The black and grey of the groupset matches the paint, and works to make this smoked and sinister looking bike.

Red/white Prologues (or any red/white bike) are tough to visually compose. It's either fully or near fully traditional (silver components, 7-speed, silver rims or MA40 dark grey) or fully aggressive with all black components and deep section wheels. The red/white just sort of sits on the fence, visually, to me, and it's up to me to take it one direction or the other. It offers no hints or desires, unlike, say a black or dark colored bike.

Anyway, here's what I have, and I think it's one of the best ways to compose this bike (there are not many bad ways to compose a grey/black Prologue, IMO). :love: [pardon the interior shot]

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...13a70ef358.jpg

He knows of which he speaks, thus proven.

Has anyone tried this sort of conversion on a bike with "aero" mounted DT shifters? Ie, downtube shifters on the top of the DT instead of the sides? How does it look?

I'm going to put barcons on a bike with an aero mount in the near future. I can post a pic here so you can see what it looks like. The cable stop will look a little flashier than normal cable stops.

Cool. Looking forward to it.

Nice. Very nice.

Very cool. What is that cable guide?

fantastic touring bike!
love the stem- it's my favorite too for vintage bikes. I have the stem on the 3 older road bikes i use the most. I like it way more than a super high -17deg technomic.

Yeah, my dad replaced the Witcomb with a VeloOrange Campeur. Which is beautiful and awesome in every way. Except that super high Technomic stem. I don't know if a Dynamic II would work for him, but I did give him a VO stem from my collection because, really, looks matter! And with that seat and those fenders, he must agree with that line of thinking.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2a9c80fd2d.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7dd317b872.jpg

My 85 TREK 500 Series just updated with a full, near new 105 8 speed group and a few other goodies. Rides nice and smooth
on 25mm GP 4000 tires.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b2d5ff11a3.jpg
And as purchased
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d4e760cde0.jpg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...17c90bd85.jpeg

My new one!

I use two10mm threaded bolts big washers and six nuts and a centre tube made from 1/2 inch copper plumbing.

To make the tube strong enough I cut another tube to the same length then slit so it sits inside the first tube

Tighening the nuts expands the overall length. I go about half as much again to allow for springing back.

Its one job that has to be done slow and careful.

Braze On is Better
 

I have never liked these bolt-ons but as I have got older, don't like downtube shifters either.

Most of my restorations for old frames involves respraying and new decals, so I normally remove any evidence of downshifters, and braze a single or double underneath.

If if want to use modern gear then I have to use modern shifters, but I have also installed handlebar top thumb
shifters such as Falcon which are easy to use but of course no indexing. Depends on the bike and who it's for..