Bianchi Campione d'Italia. First neighbourhood yard sale of the spring. I wasn't even going to go, but drove by and saw Celeste leaning against a tree. Got this and a complete Yakima cartop rack (two bike carriers, mounts, and the bars) for 150$.

http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/a...ampione001.jpg

Largely a complete Campy Mirage group on this, with a record back wheel. Eight speed brifters are dialed in and work great. Shimano 105 headset. Deccaddi/Bianchi tubeset, with an ovalized down tube. A bit of rust, but nothing major. Triple up front. Long cage rear. Pedals obvious crap.

http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/a...ampione003.jpg

http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/a...ampione005.jpg

Now I have to decide what to do with it. The frame is a pure flip; too small-- the question is if I want to keep the component set. I've got a set of RX100 3x8 I was planning to put on the Waterford, but this might take over. In that case, I'd likely sell the donor bike with the RX. Issues, issues, but I can't really complain.

http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/a...ampione002.jpg

In fact, I was going to look at another bike when I found this-- a Lemond that turned out to have broken brifters and thus was not worth the asking price. Would rather have this anyhoo.

http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/a...ampione004.jpg

geez, that was a killer deal. you could flip that stuff and pay for that waterford frame easily :)

I dig the Bianchi. Looks my size, too. ;)

Glad to see spring is arriving and blossoms like this are appearing.

I've been finding that my immediate neighbourhood seems to be the place. Since last August, yard sales have coughed up the above Bianchi, a box with a full Suntour Superbe group plus Cinelli, Campy, and Stronglight bits, and a Merckx-- all within a few blocks of my house.

There, now I've jinxed it.

My wife was wanting something to ride around the neighborhood, something smaller and not as big as her Paul Frank cruiser. So I told her she should get a 3 speed since they are reliable and perfect for quick trips so I kept a eye on craigslist.

Well yesterday I happened upon a 1974 Raleigh Sports ad from the description it sounded to good to be true. Well yesterday I called and told the woman I would come and take a look today, I was super amazed at the condition, she also had a Raleigh Sprite that was super tall also. I guess she had them shipped from back east from her uncle they both were ridden a couple of times and then hung in the garage. This is seriously one of the best examples of a sport I have ever seen.

First off change the tires and tubes then Im probably going to change the grips to cork, ad a wicker basket (her suggestion) brake pads, regrease hub, replace bearings in the headset, and oil the 3 speed hub, and later on replace the brooks saddle with a proper antique brown brooks.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...r/IMG_9111.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...r/IMG_9118.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...r/IMG_9117.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...r/IMG_9124.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...r/IMG_9123.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...r/IMG_9121.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...r/IMG_9120.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...r/IMG_9115.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...r/IMG_9114.jpg

Very nice Raleigh!I see it was purchased at Sportif in Chicago.Check out all the negative comments on this chicago bicycle shop.By the way I agree with the comments based on the one visit I made to this shop.
http://www.chicagobikeshops.info/shopDetails.php?id=24

Beautiful Sports, jamesj, it's in incredibly good condition! Has your wife had a chance to try it yet?

Did you pick up the Sprite too?

@schwinnderella yeah i saw that page such a shame that this bike came from a bad bike shop.

@chris yes it is in awesome condition, just need to clean those bare spots. she also said to say she is in love.

@himespau I would have but it was way to big, I really didn't want a bike around i wasn't going to ride. but i was tempted.

Finished yesterday... before (more or less) and after
http://users.rcn.com/jimmuller/pics/tandem.jpg
http://users.rcn.com/jimmuller/pics/...right_side.jpg
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...28pic-heavy%29

Wow! The Soup Nazi went into the bicycle business.

Here is today's find. An 80's Masi Prestige with earlier First generation Super-Record parts including ti axle pedals. I do find some nice stuff occasionnaly but this is up there with the best bikes I have found.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5300/...223e860a_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5095/...e9899b0fcb.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5251/...e597006192.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5218/...3842821071.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5094/...30de484516.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5057/...588d85981d.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5216/...bc1c2da34e.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5176/...4eef622917.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5218/...77f329ae24.jpg

Un-funking believable. What did that cost you? Please don't say $25 at a garage sale. Lol.

^^^Where did you find this?

You should start a thread for this bike. It is very deserving of it. Awesome find. Will you share some details of the bike and how you came across it?

This looks great. The tape and cable selection could not be better. I see so many Ronald McDonald looking bikes on here. It's nice to see something subtle for a change. Those cables look either beige or mustard in color?

I mostly deal in vintage bikes and the seller had contacted me over a year ago wantig to sell this bike. He never followed through and I totally forgot about it. Last week he called me and told me he was looking to sell a Masi Prestige with full a Super Record Titanium group, needless to say I indicated my interest and wasted no time asking for pictures. He was in town for work so he brough the bike with him.

As usual I had to make an offer as sellers in this context almost never state a price first. You make an offer , trying not to insult them by lownballing but at the same time keep the price interesting. He agreed to my offer which was, coincidently exactly the price he had in mind. I really like sellers like him though : the obviously took care of his bike and knew what he had but also understood that selling this kind of bike requires some work and that I still needed to make money on it. He had seen the Masi Prestige frame on Ebay so I don't need to tell you I paid way more than $25 fr the bike ;) .

About the bike I don't know much. He said the frame was from 1982 and he bought it after he stopped racing. The parts are from a bike from a former professionnal racer. I may have to start a thread about the bike since I now next to nothing about Masi's and the front hub stumps me. First time I have seen a Record hub engraved with Record S-U.

The cables are some kind of mustard color and the frame is a very pale pearl wheat color / beige .

I snagged this 1979 Super Grand Prix Nottingham built bike off Craigslist today, It obviously needs some love but it should be a great bike when done.

$25.00 and it's my size, fits me better than my current SGP :)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y17...s/DSC04093.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y17...s/DSC04094.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y17...s/DSC04101.jpg

The only downside is the left seat stay has some minor damage but the local bike shop gave it their thumbs up so I'm riding it.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y17...s/DSC04109.jpg

Excellent. My girlfriend's bike would have looked like that if somebody hadn't spray bombed the entire thing. What wheels does it have?

Great score. That is a big one. 25" or 27"?

It should clean up very well.

It's a 27" frame so yeah, it's huge but then I'm 6'6" so it should be perfect if not a touch tall but I'll be able to stretch out on this one.

As for the wheels, They're 700s but I didn't look at the brand yet and I think they're supposed to be Normandy hubs . The rear is pretty trashed and the front is pretty wobbly but I think it'll come back.

Gitane?

Peugeot TH8, 1982.

The link tells some of the story.

Finally found a pair of shiny, smooth as butter Sunshine high flange hubs in the 8 hole / 36 spoke drilling... and they were attached to some Wolber Super Champion blue label rims (630).

The rear rim has a nasty dent :( and I will lace these up to some nice 700c box section wheels at some point.

Some Araya red labels in a 700c would be nice... I need some of these.

Those rims (Raleigh branded single wall I bet) are super light and usually won't stand up to bigger riders... I have been trying to wear out a set of these that were pulled off an SGP but I only curb out at a buck forty five and rebuilt them when I got them.