Modern Looking Vintage bikes
 

Has anybody taken an older bike, say from the 80's or early 90's and gave it a modern look? I'm thinking about getting into road riding; and putting something unique together. I can find bikes from this era, but they don't exactly look that great. I would love to bondo the lugs, paint the frame lime green with satin black fork / handle bars, that would look awesome.

I know this seems a bit un-kosher, but it would be an awesome project. I'm just trying to figure out if such things have been done to these style of bikes before.

Since this is the classic & vintage forum, I'd guess most of us would rather leave 80s and 90s bikes looking pretty much like they were when they left the showroom. In fact, some of us have brand new custom bikes that look like they're from the 70s. Some of us even think lugged frames are much more aesthetically pleasing than TIG welded ones (gasp!).

Just sayin' :D

*faints*

If you don't like lugs, find a late 80's or 90's welded or filet brazed frame. Please, don't bondo lugs, even cheap ones.

Don't bondo the lugs, you can use an angle grinder to grind them off. Then use lead to smooth out the transition.

Don't forget the splash bar-tape to finish it off!

That just might compromise the integrity of the frame depending on what kind of lugs and how much material gets ground off.

I'd not bondo the lugs or add lead filler, just on the basis of weight! I also wouldn't try to grind them down, because of not understanding how they might be necessary for structural integrity or the dynamic behavior of the frame.

A lot of people have replaced classic gruppos with modern Campy 10 or Shimano whatever, and reported that to be the best of both worlds.

You might want to consider that many top-quality 70s thru 90s lugged frames are collectible even if repainted, as long as you can prove what it was originally. After you're done racing you would like to be able to sell it well, right? If so then feel free to repaint it, but don't mess with what the original builder did in the metal work.

Road Fan

Grab a fillet-brazed schwinn, or even electro-forged, they pretty much look the same.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/schwinn-braze.html

:rolleyes:

The kiddies these days.
Now I understand why my folks and people their age complain about the state of the young generation.
I must be getting old.

Or a fillet-brazed Claud Butler, circa 1948.

http://web.mit.edu/nlerner/Public/Bi...audButler5.jpg

Who need lugs, anyway?

Neal

Well you should really leave the lugs alone... but if you wanted, you could always put on a newer fork, newer cranks, pedals, other components, etc.

Thought my statement was over the top enough to be taken as jest. For future reference it was meant as a joke. Not that it was funny, but still a joke.

Wow, now that's a cool bike.

Yah but we make things look cool :D
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/3997/s8000083lx7.jpg

Here is what I'm looking for (at a reasonable cost):
http://i24.tinypic.com/wclt7q.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...S3011357-1.jpg

That green Kilo TT can be had stock for like $350 (bikesdirect.com). Not sure what the green Deep V's would run built, but it couldn't be too bad. For the work, cost, and all to make a vintage roadie into that it's worth just starting with a frame that's ready to go the way you want it.

Only issue is that I'm not looking for a SS bike. I should be able to find something similar though, with the gears. I think at this point I will try to avoid lugs, but worst comes to worst I will probably just leave the lugs as is and hope for the best.

Well, that's what you did show pictures of.
Are you really opposed to lugs? You may start to like them.

People pay a lot for new lugged steel frames. Trust me, in terms of bling, lugs are cool.

If you really don't like lugs, just go out and buy yourself a new Trek.

I'll live with the lugs :) . But a new bike is way out of my price range right now.

Do what I do. Take an old lugged steel frame. Update it with modern componentry, wheels etc.

Guaranteed your bike will turn heads.

Ohhh my eyes... That BD crap gives me a headache, seriously dude if you want a bike that looks like that, they sell those frames on-e-pay for $90.

Nice GTI by the way, I'd kill one if it set that low, but it's nice. I'd love to find a clean Jetta A2 , used to have an A1.

Look for a late 80s to mid 90s (or even beyond) Cannondale 3.0 frameset. Aluminum, no lugs, and oversized tubes. I think they are still popular for the very reason you state: they have a bit of the look of modern AL and CF frames, but are much more affordable.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21..._driveside.jpg



I much prefer the lines of the first generation Rabbits. I had one myself (no, not this one - mine was a basket case), and it handled like a wooden roller coaster! Fun times.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21...ide_34_300.jpg

Go to K-Mart and buy several different sized rolls of wrapping paper and some gloss spray paint. Remove the wrapping paper to get to the inner cardboard rolls, and have a blast. :D :p

"...but they don't exactly look that great" Huh??? Egads man! What are you thinking? Bikes from that era are beautiful compared to what came after (the older ones are even better!). Lugs are fantastic! Chrome 'em, paint 'em a contrasting color, pin stipe 'em, the posibilities are endless. Even good TIG welds look like a scar from a gal bladder operation. I kinda like what they are doing with carbon fiber these days but TIG welds whether on steel or aluminum are just plain ugly. Not real fond of fillet brazing either. Reminds me too much of Schwinn Varsity's and there's no place for the chrome!

you know lowering your car that much screws up your suspension geometry. do you dirve it that low or do you have adjustable coil overs and raise it up to a real level when driving around?