Sekai 4000 before (sellers photo):


Sekai 4000 after:


I replaced the chain, chain rings (50x36), saddle, tires, all cables and housings, brake pads, levers and hoods.

I've posted this bike before somewhere but since it's been modified I hope it's ok to post it again!

1st Before:


2nd Before, or after 1st Before:


Current after, complete with a 28/38/48 mountain triple crank-set , indexed thumb shifting and a flat bar (And down to a respectable 26.8lbs from 30lbs):

Turky Looks like a good all around ride now. Set up the way you want it.
Ed

Thanks

I don't think Robbie has had a chance to ride the Semi-Pro much, if at all. Being the one who sold him the bike, I can say that the bike rides great. I rode it on a couple of metric centuries, iab's Spring Ride, and did numerous club rides on it. I found it to be quick and agile without being twitchy. Robbie helped me ID the bike before I bought it. I had told him that if I sold it, I'd give him first chance. He took it. I love what he has done with it. The changes he made have been all for the better.

Okay, so I thought I had my "before and after" handled before. But the fact is, while my Tempo is a pretty darn cool bike it was butt ugly. I've said before, whoever came up with that color/decal scheme should have been summarily dismissed. Anyway, here it is as it came home from the CL buy:


Here was my first "after." Added rando bars and cleaned it up a bit. Still very yellow/white 80s:


Here it is now:


Obviously that's not a correct 80's decal. It's a Paramount decal from I'm-not-sure-when. 60s? Anyway, the headbadge says "Schwinn Tempo" instead of the standard-issue "Schwinn Quality," so the model is still apparent. And the new look is cleeeeean.

Miyata GL212 1984

Before





After (...lots of nos parts)

Hot dog. That looks great!! Really nice job on the frame paint restore. The look of it is very clean. What Sugino crankset is that?

Thanks for the comments treal512
Its a Sugino GT crankset. Not sure how the crank lettering got worn because I didn't touch the anodised parts. The anodise layer is still mostly intact so I'd like to think its from heavy wear... but maybe a previous owner tried polishing.

Everything, down to the wheels and that crankset looks great.

Good save, was well worth it imo.

What is the extra ring covering the big chainring called?

a bash guard.

Schwinn World Sport Before (Top) and After (Bottom)

Here is my 1983 Raleigh Gran Tour, though with no rack mounts and made from Reynolds 531C tubing it is used for lighter loads when needed so I think the name "Gran Tour" was being bit optimistic on Raleigh's part! I replaced the Cinelli handlebars and stem only beacause the stem was too long and the 42cm bars a bit narrow for me. They were replaced by a 44cm Nitto Noodle with 60cm Technomic stem, new cables installed, tossed the Avenir seat for a Brooks B17S, Shimano 600 pedals for MKS Sylvan Touring and the Shimano 600 brake set for Tecktro - with Kool Stop pads. The handlebar wrap is leather.Replaced the Continental 32mm black wall tires for a pair of 35mm Soma New Xpress. I also added the Carradice Pendle saddlebag as well as a Tubus Logo rack for mounting a pair of Carradice Kendel panniers. Otherwise it is as it came from the original owner with Super Champion 36H 700C clincher rims laced to Shimano 600 hubs. The rims had a fair amount of oxidation but I managed to bring back the original mirror finish which I really like. Shimano DX rear derailleur with Shimano 13- 34 six speed freewheel, Deer head front changer with 600 shift levers. Sugino 48/34 crank set as well as a Shimano 600 headset. I also added a 1960's Reg frame pump. It is fun to ride, nice and stable with quick, predictable handling. I paid 180.00 for it so not sure if it is a great deal but considering how uncommon this model is thought I should buy it - had to go down to Seattle though. The paint is fairly scratched up, especially on the drive side top tube and the right side fork chrome is quite pitted but otherwise it is dent free and straight. I just need to add some hammered fenders and perhaps a triple crank set and I think it will be finished.

I should mention this was purchased by the original owner in England as just a frame - which is how Raleigh sold it in their home market. I believe it was sort of a domestic replacement for the International when production of that model moved to Japan.

Weyless Pedals

Before













After (re-anodized)

best b/a in a while!!! so very awesome.

Well THERE's a seldom-seen gem of a bike, VR. - I would think the relative scarcity would only serve to increase it's value, and anyway you didn't pay exorbitantly given that it is a Reynolds frame. Personally I would prefer a shorter stem, but I can appreciate that sometimes we have to make these concessions to comfort.

Thanks! The re-shaping, filing & sanding was a lot of work, but those pedals were worth saving.

P.s. I'd also like to give a tip o' the hat to [MENTION=6981]miamijim[/MENTION] for his excellent post on servicing sealed bearings:
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...1#post10004116

heres my Grand Prix ,that i turned into a portuer bike...

before

after

Here is a bike I was given as a 15 year old. That was in 1985. It was old then. It was yellow, had no decals. I was told by the cousin it was French. It has French BB threading. The original cable guides and location most closely match an early 1970's Gitane.

I never liked how it rode. But just like the cat, this bike keeps coming back to me. I got the bug to turn it into a touring or cyclocross bike by stripping it down and adding some braze on's

Here is the most before I have. It lived outside on a balcony for 15 years. This pic is actually after I tuned it up and did a bunch of work to it.



When a friend of mine got wind of my little project he wanted it as a Christmas present for his son. Powder coated and outfitted with studded tires as a winter bike for his son.



Christmas morning, the son did not want to keep it since what he really wanted was a $25 bike that would not get stolen from school.

So I have it back again.

Very, very nice. Inspiring!

I have finally gotten my circa 1957 Cinelli back together.

As found:


Now:


Along with new cables and tape I replaced the saddle, brakes and wheels.

The saddle is a butchered Brooks B-17 champion standard. There are no date codes or patent stamps, I think it is from approximately the right time period but I'm not 100% sure.


The brakes are Universal 51's with the wraparound springs and pointed levers.



For the wheels I tracked down some Campy three piece high flange hubs with the feather details in the logo, open "c" skewers and Fiamme red label rims with the ferruled valve holes. I didn't manage to find any period spokes and got impatient so I went with some Phil spokes. I might change them out in the future. I also decided to try out Veloflex tires.



The rest of the parts came on the bike and I think are original. You can see more photos here.

1957 Cinelli Refurbished - a set on Flickr

I would like to thank [MENTION=57649]iab[/MENTION] who gave me the original parts recommendations for getting this refurbishment started.

I am interested in criticism so let me know what you think.

So you changed the handlebar tape? Thats it?

Well, no. I stripped off all the original decals and went with the oldschool Schwinn decals. Kind of like what I said in the post. The overall look was much different and I thought it might inspire someone else whose bike has a butt-ugly factory color scheme.

Tires and seatpost were also changed. More has been done since. I just have a bad sense of when I've truly reached "after," I guess.