Hello to C&V from So. Cal.
 

Hi folks,

Somebody on another forum suggested I post some pix of my ride. Unfortunately, I don't yet know how to do it, but I'll learn. For the moment let me describe it a little. I bought it as a frameset (Ciocc) in the spring of 1983, I really didn't need it and I'd just two years before built up a really nice Gios. Anyway, back to the description. The hardware is full Campy NR and SR, except for the Regina freewheel and Jap clincher rims. The rims for my sew-ups are Italian but not Campy. I just changed out the 13-20 freewheel for, don't laugh too hard, an 18-23. Hey, I'll be 70 years old in January.

It had a Regina SL chain (the one with hollow pins), which served me well for many thousands of miles, but finally had stretched to where it tried to skip cogs. So I replaced in with a Campy S9. Not "period correct", but sure shifts sweet! I recently saw a Regina SL NOS go for $170.00. A bit too rich for this working stiff. Oh, the clincher rims are Arayas, put them on 25 years ago because they were lighter than the other available clincher rims. My original rims for the sew-ups were Fiamme Yellows, but I gave them to my kid when I gave him the Gios (big mistake). This past week I laced up a pair of Ambrosio Montiels. I've ordered some cheapo tires from YJ, the three for fifty bux ones. I sure miss my Clements. Oh, the clinchers on at the moment are Asian things called Vittoria Rubino Pros with light weight Conti tubes. Also had the old logo double crest Cinelli handle bars which I can't find. I put on some newer Cinellis with a cheapo logo that looks like doggie doo. If I don't find the originals I'll watch for some NOS on eBay.

I'm buying a Park wheel truing stand to dial in the wheels I just laced (not like the old days when I set the wheels in the drop outs and eye-balled em). After that I'll let you all know how those "Servizio Corse" tubies work out.

I know a picture would've been better than these thousand words.
John,
So Calif

That was me, so I officially get a C&V finder's fee for bringing you in.

I do warn you though, at least one person, whose name shall remain EastHill, will quickly decend on this thread and demand visuals.

Welcome to the club.

jim

Welcome to C and V from another Southern Californian! :D

we'd love to see your ciocc. i've always coveted that marque, never had opportunity to ride one.

I am beating her to it, we want to see pics. Or posting some pictures of your bike would give us a much better visual of the bike you so lovingly described.:D

John, welcome. I wish I were in So. CA! Can't wait to see the pictures.

jgedwa, no finder's fee until you educate OSG on photobucket links.

Daaamn.......we need a guy like you around here. :D

Welcome 'OldSchoolGuy', Love to hear some more about your Ciocc, and the Gios. At your age, and with your experience with the old school 'fast bike' stuff, I'd say you fit-in quite well on C & V.

I say you're hired, (with the obligatory company 'Lexus' at your disposal, and full use of the corporate 'Gulfstream' of course) :D

Welcome OSG!

Fans of fine Italian craftsmanship are always welcome in our little nook of the intarwebz.

Can't wait to see teh pics of the bike!

If I see you riding your Gios around SoCal, it'll surely be the only 3rd person I've seen with one.

Just down the Santa Ana river from you! Costa Mesa.

I remember seeing & lusting over Ciocc's back in the early 80s. Never have seen one on the road. Where'd you get yours?

I have a Univega Super Strada of about the same vintage. It was a leftover bike sitting in the window of Bicycle Man of Orange. Just about to take it out down PCH.

Ciocc was one of those bikes that I lusted after in my youth.

Always wanted one, never did get one.

Now hunting for a particular one.

I bought it in the spring of 1983 form either, I believe, Marina Del Rey bike shop or Bikecology in Santa Monica. Used to have the invoice but have not been able to locate it recently. I Paid something like $500.00 for it.

Won't see me on the Gios or Olmo anytime soon as I gave the Olmo to my kid in 1980 when I bought the Gios, then I gave him the Gios in 1983 when I bought the Ciocc. Also gave him the Cinelli handlebars with the double crest logo, Modolo Kronos breaks though I kept the levers. Those Kronos levers were really comfortable. At the same time I also gave him my Campy SR break levers. I doubt he still has any of that stuff anymore. Now that I've returned to riding the Ciocc, I've taken the Kronos levers off and replaced them with Campy SR via eBay. This past week there was a nice pair of Campy NR levers with Ciocc pantographing, but they went for $147.00, too much for this old guy.

I used to ride the Santa Ana River trail every weekend unless I did the Santiago Canyon run. I'll be doing it again soon. I'd just returned to cycling a little over three years ago having quit after a serious motorcycle accident in 1992 trashed out my left leg. I'd begun to do fairly well for an old guy then quit for a heart valve replacement three years ago. The Doc demanded that I return to exercising but honestly, I was afraid to. I told him that when I ride my bike I do so vigorously. He continued to bug me and finally, just to shut him up, I'm back on the bike.

Saturday I took it out to test the shifting with the new chain and freewheel. Well, I was a bit off on the deraileur adjustment and about two miles down the road lodged the chain between the freewheel and the spokes. Fixed it Saturday night and did 22 uneventful miles on Sunday. It really felt good, the terrain was mild hills and the Campy chain and America freewheel shifted better than anything I had before. I still have my 13-20 Regina CX which I might use again if I can loose a lot of weight and regain some heart/lung capacity. For the moment, its the non-period correct America 1993 with 18-24? cogs.

If somebody can tell me how to post some pix, e-mail me at jttoner@hotmail.com and I'll give it a try. I do have a digital camera and a camera on my cellular which has a USB port. I think the regular camera also has USB capability via my SanDisk. The bike is not as good looking as it was in 1983. It was my daily rider and sole means of transportation for four years. Also, to me anyway, it looks weird with the black clinchers (Thailand Vittorias), but they do ride nice.

Welcome OldSchoolGuy! Greetimgs from England, home of the world's newest Third World Economy! I know exactly what you mean re - cog sizes! When I've dropped a stone and a bit I might return to my 54 X 12, but for now 42/53 X 14/28 feels right! I'd love to see photos of your Ciocc when you get round to posting them.

Welcome, OSG! SoCal here as well. Looking forward to hearing more about your collection over the years! :thumb:

Strange coincidence. It was a motorcycle crash in '95 that got me back on bicycles. I had to exercise to get leg function back. Picked a Schwinn beach cruiser out of a dumpster. Rode it a year, and then got me a real mountain bike.

The best way to post photos, IMO:

Open a free photobucket account. It's easy. Load your pictures of your bike there.

Under each uploaded picture are four options when you place the cursor over the picture. The second option is "Direct Link" which when you click on it, automatically copies that www address into your clipboard.

Once "Direct Link" is copied into your clipboard, jump to the BF-C&V post/thread you are responding to. After you have typed your response, hit enter to start a new line, then click on the little icon in the menu bar which looks like a mountain range with a sun in a yellow sky. When you click on this icon a box pops up that says: "Please enter the URL of your image:" Use the "Ctrl V" command or "Paste" from your Edit menu to insert your photobucket "Direct Link" into the box. Click on "OK" and the picture www address is inserted into your response. If you post more then one picture, use a separate line for each picture.

When you click on "Post Reply" your picture will be displayed just like the one I've inserted below. I usually do this on a separate last lines of the reply. Best of luck.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...veCloseup1.jpg

Pastor Bob,

Thanks, I'll give it a try this weekend.

John

With names like "OldSchoolGuy" and "John" and a classic Ciocc, you are an instant friend. I like your freewheel selection, since I am into close-ratio gears but not high ones. (My motto is "no ratio above 100 gear-inches.")

I live in a delightful beach town in north San Diego County. My late mother used to live near the Santa Ana River beach trail, and I took the boys there several times when they were young, but I have never biked it. Welcome!

Hello from SoCal! (Santa Maria, actually.)

Nice to meet you also, Ciocc's are my favorite italitan bikes. Kudos to you for riding one.

A simpler method of posting pictures:

1. Make a photobucket account.
2. Upload your pictures to Photobucket.
3. Put your mouse over one of the pictures uploaded to photobucket,
and from the drop down menu, click "IMG URL" or "IMG" or whatever. The bottom one.
4. Start a reply to something you're posting here. The line of text you copied from photobucket will be said image, wherever you paste it in your reply!

I used to try the way the BF setup had you do it, but that was difficult, I just use the IMG instead.

John E.,

You've some sweet rides there yourself. BTW, I went to High School and Junior College in Pacific Beach. The school's long gone, was the Brown Military Academy (Class of 56), at 1800 Garnet St., P.B. Been replaced by a shopping center last I heard.

John