Sixties Olmo
 

I recently was given an older road bike. My plan was to strip the paint and try my hand at painting. A friend of mine saw the bike and suggested I check here first to see if that is a good idea.

I'm not looking to sell the bike unless it's outrageously valuable. I just want to know if I should clean it and ride it or if I should restore it. I would rather restore because that seems like a cool project. Also, I am a mountain biker with a few older cruisers and would like to try road riding, especially this winter.

Can anyone shed light on what this bike is and the best course of action? Clean it up, restore it (first restoration) or sell it. Personally I'm hoping for restoration but don't want to ruin the value of the bike. The bike was a gift so I would have to clear it with the giver before selling.

I have several more pictures. Basically I wanted a steel lugged frame to try to paint some alternating colors on the lugs and the frames. some of these lugs are painted, some chromed.

Thanks for any help you can give!

Mike

I would take some chrome polish and a little turtle wax to it first, you may find that it's in better shape than you think. I personally like the color. I have no idea if it's valuable, but that seat cluster is a work of art!

Well, we're going to need more photos... looks like a pretty nice frame to me, though. Campy dropouts, nice lugwork. I second purevl's advice: clean it and polish it before you do anything rash.

Do those dropouts in the 3rd picture say Brev Campagnolo? I think I see Brev there...hmmm...

It would really be ashame to paint that bike. Especially "try" painting.

That bike is in very nice original condition and just needs "detailing".

Not worth a fortune, but a nice original bike that the right person would really appreciate having. If it's not your cup of tea I'm sure you would be able to trade for something that was.

You did right by checking before digging in. There's plenty of old bikes out there to customize without issue, I would really leave that one as-is.

Thanks!!
 

You people are on it!

So on the chrome, can I just buy chrome polish at Ace Hardware or something? I use steel wool and WD-40 on my old cruisers. Cleaning wax on the frame? What should I be careful to do/not to do? Soft bristle toothbrush on the components with some mild cleaner perhaps?

Is there a reason not to strip the parts of the frame and clean them and the frame before reassembly? What about tires? Should I get some retro tires or just any 700ccs that will fit and look good?

Now I'm excited. I was afraid (oddly enough) that the bike would be worth so much that I would have to sell it. I'll clean it up and maybe and just maybe ride the triple bypass on it next year!

Here are the remaining pics. I'll check to see what the writing on the drop-out reads when I get home tonight. If anyone can tell me what to look for specifically or what picture to take I can do it. The blurry shot behind the seat post tube was intended to show the Burbank CA bike license from 1964. That was what made me believe that is from the sixties. If anyone knows how I can pinpoint the date I would love to hear it. Oh, should I removed the bike license and if so, how? It appears to be a sticky.

Finally, I found some Olmo frame stickers on eBay. Should I buy and apply?

Thanks so much for such quick replies!

Mike

Indeed it is! And has the OLMO seat binder band. Alas, the headset doesn't.

Yes pleeease!
I've got pics to burn of a very similar bike I picked up recently.
2nd that.

Try being the operative word there. ;)
I wouldn't be ashamed to paint it.

Overhauling would be better. The deraileurs look pretty bad. Chain & cogs? (all 5 of 'em);)

"Worth" is relative.
To the OP, if this is your first venture into "road bikes", WELCOME, you have found an Italian classic.
I would "customise" to suit your needs, but retain the heritage. Maybe Campy Gran Sort deraileurs.
Simplex or Campagnolo, eBay is your friend.
And don't forget to rent Breaking Away from the retro-video store!:D

BTW, do you have a serial number?
I have D256 on the back of the seat cluster. It's perported to be about a 1962.
Anyone have a link to OLMO serial numbers?

Thanks. And GOOD FIND! :thumb:

I'd start with brasso or similar on the chrome. Leave the Burbank license as long as you can; it's part of the bike's pedigree, so don't hurt it. Hold off on decals for now....

Is the rear brake an Altenburger, or a GB? Whole thing looks pretty nice to me.

Indeed it is! And has the OLMO seat binder band. Alas, the headset doesn't.

Yes pleeease!
I've got pics to burn of a very similar bike I picked up recently.
2nd that.

Try being the operative word there. ;)
I wouldn't be ashamed to paint it.

Overhauling would be better. The deraileurs look pretty bad. Chain & cogs? (all 5 of 'em);)

"Worth" is relative.
To the OP, if this is your first venture into "road bikes", WELCOME, you have found an Italian classic.
I would "customise" to suit your needs, but retain the heritage. Maybe Campy Gran Sort deraileurs.
Simplex or Campagnolo, eBay is your friend.
And don't forget to rent Breaking Away from the retro-video store!:D

BTW, do you have a serial number?
I have D256 on the back of the seat cluster. It's perported to be about a 1962.
Anyone have a link to OLMO serial numbers?

Thanks. And GOOD FIND! :thumb:

A nice vintage find. What name is stamped on the hubs? Is it Campagnolo? Steel or alloy rims? If the wheels are original you can remove a couple of the cone locknuts and look for a date stamped on them which would assist in the dating process. However if there is sufficient serial no. data available I would go with that first for dating your Olmo. The RD looks like a replacement (Is the shifter lever on the down tube bent?) I'll bet it had a Gran Sport as original equipment. Definitely an early 60's Olmo.

OK, here's my Sporty Olmo.
These picture are the day I brought it home.
It had some hack-job cranks & bits ON it, but the seller had all the original pieces. :thumb:
Ambrosio stem & bars (very narrow)
Balilla brakes and Magistroni cranks(46-50):p
Campy bits are the seat pin, Gran Sport deraileurs & the Record HF hubs.
Laced to sew-up rims with new tires!!!:D
Tires that coast UP-hill.
So far I've only done one 25 mile ride on it, but what a breeze!

Riding along with the greatest of ease, I can't help but want to say ciao Pappa, ciao Momma!
The Italians are coming!

(see Breaking Away reference in above post) :rolleyes:

The one picture I don't have downloaded is of the winged wheel Campy decal on the seat tube panel.
Just like PastorBobs "Sporty", only smaller.

Ciao 4 now!

Dr. D

I'd avoid the steel wool for cleaning the chrome and use Brass wool instead. It does just
as good a job and won't scratch the chrome like steel wool will.

I'd probably replace the derailleurs,especially the delrin simplex which is prone to catastrophic decomposition! maybe Campy Gran sport as suggested but otherwise leave the rest of the
original components.
Magistroni crankset? hubs?

Marty

Look's like a fun project and a good bike to get back into the fresh air.

Instead of steel wool, I would recommend a choreboy copper pot cleaner (available at most supermarkets). It is less likely to scratch and you want to keep the character of the original paint.

With a little elbow grease, you will be surprised by the results. Enjoy.

Oh, and in the movie "breaking away" - it's the Masi, not the AMF (the race at the end) to focus in on...

+1 on most of this...

One of the greatest joys of tinkering with old bikes is the results you can achieve in one weekend with some wrenches and pail of soapy water (or diluted Simple Green IMHO).

And on behalf of all color snobs: savor and enjoy that beautiful yellow and don't tell your bike you ever considered painting it!

Enjoy enjoy enjoy! If you lived in my hood I'd offer to help just to see the 'after'.

Thanks everyone! The hubs read Compognolo.

I have seen the movie Breaking Away although it's been years.

I'll take the wheels off tonight and start some light cleaning. See if I can find a serial number and identify if the word Brev appears on the srop-outs. What does it mean if that word is on there/not on there?

So, I guess my exceitment is abated a little since I now wonder if I can make this into a rider. I mean to ride it on long rides and even something here in Colorado called the Triple Bypass. The Bypass goes over three mountain passes but someone pointed out that the brakes and wheels might not be 100% reliable. Any thoughts on that? I don't want to be screaming down Vail pass only to find that my wheels and brakes fall apart. As a mountain biker I am used to crashes but not at those speeds....

Any chrome specific polish should be fine, as mentioned already if you need something a little more aggressive brass wool is a safer choice than steel on your thin Italian chrome. You might also consider searching for "oxalic acid" and deciding if you'd be up for the project.

When I rehab a bike I tear it completely down, wash everything {frame, fork, components, etc} in mild dish soap and water. I use a toothbrush for areas such as inside the bottom bracket or when scrubbing greasy driveline components, nothing more than the soft side of a sponge is advisable on the paint. Don't use the same apparatus on greasy or gritty parts as on painted parts. Dry thoroughly, including spraying a water displacer or other similar treatment in the frame when necessary. Use a quality automotive wax to polish and protect the paint work. Then just reassemble, cleaning, greasing and adjusting the parts as you go.

take good care of that ride , it just needs som tender loving care .
it seems to have be neglected for quite some time , but a bit of elbow grease and time and im almost positive it will turn out to be one of your favorite road bikes . atleast until your next project if your life me in any way
please keep us updated when you make a bit of progress on your clean up and tuning .

al the best m8
Cheers
T

riding it on long distance (Century?) rides might be a stretch for it, unless you really get it fixed up nice, and going up those long passes might put you in need of a triple crank!

I do believe the Brev. is the Italian equivalent of trademark. It probably indicates the dropouts are Campagnolo also.

Suh-weet!

The only negative I see is that someone evidently hacked off the Campagnolo derailleur tab to make room for that Simplex with its claw adaptor. The crankset looks like my Agrati, with the very strong integral spider and arm. The Simplex 3-to-bolt system restricts you to 44 or more teeth on your chainrings but you can mount a 50-36 unit directly to your spider. A Gran Sport rear derailleur would be good for 26T, and a combination such as 50-36 / 14-26 would get you decent range for those hills.

Looks like a pretty nice old Olmo. Like JohnE I'm a bit concerned about whats behind that dropout. Could it just be the threads are stripped or the last guy just wasn't mechanically inclinded and didn't know how to get the claw off? I took my Bottecchia on the Buena Vista and Elephant Rock centuries this year. It handled the decent off Tennesee Pass just fine. Once everything is cleaned, serviced, and properly adjusted the wheels and brakes should be just fine. You'll want new rubber and brake pads of course. I'd like to see it when you get it cleaned up. Maybe we can gather up our front range brethren for a vintage ride one of these days.

John E is right, at least I think so. There is not a derailleur hanger on the dropout and something has been ground off. Other less than steller news, after striping the bike down I discovered that that paint is not original. It was a purple/pink pattern originally.

So now... Can I use the same or a slightly modified version of the hanger that was created and still have a functional bike? Actually, the derailluer worked just fine, I set the bike in a stand and cranked through gears. The chain has no rust and seems to be okay.

Second question (today anyway). I couldn't find a link that was easily breakable. Should I just use a chain tool to remove the chain? It's got to come off sometime..

Now I am going to paint. Actually, I have a friend with a media blaster which is a good start and he also has access to a powder coating booth so technically I wont be the one painting.

This is going to be a nice looking rider before the end of winter.

The hubs look like the 3-piece Campagnolo: are they steel centers with pressed on alloy flanges? If so, that would place it in the 50s. I'm not sure the yellow is original; I've seen red and blue ones. I don't think the brakes are original, and probably not the Simplex rear either.

I have a similar blue one with Gran Sport deraillers and Ballia brakes, same steel crank.

You could get the decals on ebay, but from what I've seen they're based on a low-end 70s bike boom model.

Personally, I think anything can be a rider properly assembled and maintained. When I was restoring bikes regularly years ago, my first step upon completion would be to take a new bike on a 30-40 mile ride to check it out. Remember, people once rode identical bikes in the Tour de France and other European stage races. At that time, the bikes were state of the art.

As far as wheels, if spokes and or rims are questionable you should rebuild. And new tires. Brakes should get new shoes, housings and cables. Of course, all the bearings should be cleaned and regreased and adjusted. The only other issue is the gearing given the route you're going to take. The old steel cranks typically had chainrings that were pretty close together, like 50/47. Quite a challenge unless you're Fausto Coppi!

A frame builder or repairer can replace the hanger portion of the dropout; in fact Campagnolo made just the piece for those repairs. Otherwise, you could continue to use a hanger adapter for any derailler you chose.