Another impulse buy...Vintage bikes are beautiful. When the opportunity strikes I seize the moment. The 450$ paramount was not a great bargain but hey...Its a paramount! There is a nice little surface rust spot and dent on the seatube...My guess is that it was raced good and went down...a wheel perhaps dug in deep. Ride quality is pretty cush...

On the record here I'll say this...Its not going to be a period correct bike. I can't afford the fine details of a realistic restoration. I don't want to pay 100$ for NOS period correct hoods. I'd rather sell off the levers and drivetrain to an enthusiast who will cherish them on a much needed project. The cranks with cracks appear to be in good enough shape to polish out. If I can get almost all the money back on the parts and keep the frame in its original paint for the next decade I'll be happy.

She will be my patina queen with class. I will ride her until the last fatigue cycle she will endure. Only the brakes will remain...Suntour/Shimano...Ah and I think I'm going to be a man and use sew ups!

The details are it has NR components,hubs, derailleurs/shifters/brakes. The bad is that the cranks do in fact have the infamous cracks starting. The bottom bracket is smooth and operable. The hubs spin nice. The good is that the front wheel is a well used module clincher rim. The rear rim is an MA40...I don't think Jobs Brandst is full of hot air when he says that anodized rims are inferior. This rim has a crack starting to develope due to a dirty break pad. Both hubs are high flange original hubs.

My other MA40 has a nice crack too! Arg...This is frustrating. Non machined rims without anodizing are the way to go...My old Module rims were such dependable units. Freaking Mavic...Go back to your roots!

Brake levers appear to be original but the hoods are AMF...I dont know if the shifters are period correct but I do have another set of shifters in better condition with beautiful white original slip covers on the levers ready to go if need be.


I was like a kid in a candy store removing the rear wheel and accidentally cracked both pulleys on the rear derailleur. To tell you folks the truth...I'm going to scrap those no good Campy derailleurs and put a Suntour Cyclone on. I have both units like new ready to use. The great moral dillema is if I should cold set it to accomodate a modern cassette hub. I've got a local frame builder who will do the frame/fork alignment and probably set it for about 60$

I'd rather take it to a pro than use a 2x4 and possibly screw things up. The geometry is interesting. I'm riding a 60CM Masi with what appears to be a longer top tube but I think in reality the top tubes are identical because of the seat tube angles, the only difference is seatube height. I felt comfortable riding on the top of the bars on the quick test rides. I think with a 120 stem she will be right at home.

I've got a brooks b17 waiting to be broken in. There is a Terry Liberator saddle on the bike now that was part of the deal. I'm really humored by this butt busting saddle. Brooks is comfy with regular pants and no underwear. The liberator should more appropriately be called "anus oppressor"

I promise photos in the morning. I need to get over my stupid breaking of the pulleys...

Wow, sounds like a nice project

An excellent plan. Make it fit, make it run smooth like silk, ride it often and revel in it's wonderfulness.

I have been meditating on this question myself--restore or customize my recent chrome currently garage queen Schwinn Voyageur?

My conclusion: Period correct restorations are not for extensive riding--they are for showing off after frequent and and loving gentle and sensuous rub downs.

Classic

Those pulleys were going to crack anyway, they nearly all do. So all you have to do is contact Bradley at American Cyclery in SF for his replacements, or go SunTour as you intend. Those hoods are Ame (not AMF, they stuck to making bowling pins ) and tho you may not like them they will outlast gum rubber hoods: synthetic is why.
Congrats on your 'Mount!