Three projects:

• Complete PX10 - add Simplex FD, possible Brooks professional, 700c/Campy high flange wheels, shellac tape
• 2002 Jamis 853 steel frame build - destined for sale/rent since it's 52cm
• Alan Shorter rebuild - replace threadless hb/stem (stolen for Jamis) with quill style, get Campy Ergo 8 shifting correctly

The only project I've got a current pic of is the trike/3-wheeler. Needless to say it is currently on ice, so to speak

Current "active" project is the World Sport, still giving me fits, thinking of just single speeding it and throwing on some studs and make it the winter salt monster.

Robtown, I sent you a Simplex fd last week. You should have it within a day or two.

This is what I have in the works right now:

(Photochopped concept)


So far I only have the fork and the Spaceliner frame is on it's way. Just thought it might be fun to have a something where pedaling was optional

1982 Miyata Team, with the original mix of EX/AX components, tubular tires (a first for me). In super condition, just wish it would warm up enough so I can work on it (in CA, but not used to 40F weather!)

here's one of my projects I'd mentioned, the '74 pro. The seatpost, stem and bars arent going on the bike, I was just mocking it up to see how it was going to fit me. It's on the smaller side but I'm going to make it work.





a project I just finished save for adjusting the seat and patching the rear tube is a Bianchi Sport SS 24sp Shimano Sora triple commuter for a co worker friend:



my '73 Raleigh Grand prix just got painted and I'll be building it up sometime this winter:



and this Giant Rincon was given to me by another forum member earlier this year and I'm almost done making it into my cold weather winter commuter, just needs a front tire. It's big, heavy, and ugly, which is perfect for getting beat up in the snow. I set it up with indexed bar ends, drop bars, cross levers, and front and rear racks.

I found a 1949 Claud Butler Avant Coureur (Ebay thingie) early this fall. That is my winter project. The thing was "reconditioned" last in the late '60's. All of the old creepy stuff was replaced by state-of-the-art Nuovo Record, and the frame was fully chromed (I think) at this time. It took several weeks worth of looking at poor scans on the internet before I figured out the model. I originally thought that I'd do a restoration of the 60's build, but the more I messed with it the more I wanted to see what it was like in the 40's.

So I stripped it all down and started looking for the correct vintage parts. I think I have most everything (if I can get the wheels and the derailleurs and the brakes to work...). Then, a Merckx distracted me for a couple of weeks. I really wanted to ride it before winter locked us in, and it was actually the last bike I rode before the storms came. I got about a hundred miles on it, and it is a sweetie. I'll do a photo shoot of the bike one of these days, after the holly-days.

So, then the Claud went back in the stand. I found a set of 49d cranks (not quite the right vintage, but certainly the right look and feel), and couldn't get the Stronglight bottom bracket to work with the cranks and the frame...so I finally re-used the old Campy bottom bracket and got everything spinning right. Alloy seat pin (the reference ad I have says "All Alloy Parts!") and an NOS Ideale Model 43. Correct vintage Lyotard pedals...Benelux front Rod Derailleur...

And a Raleigh International was freakin' given to me. Great shape, just needs few corrections to look just like the one in Sheldon's 1974 catalog. That turned into a little journey all of its own. The second owner had not liked the two-bolt campy seat pin. I have a few of these, so I cleaned one up...the first owner hadn't liked the Brooks Pro...I used an old one, but wasn't happy with it, because the rest of the bike was cleaning up so well. Well, there turned up on eBay a 1974 Brooks Pro, from the Raleigh-Durham area. The seller had removed it from a new bike in 1974 (too hard!), and the coincidences stacking up like that, I had to buy it...just had to...

White cables replaced black, but the aluminum adjuster barrels for the cable ends just disintegrated. Like, well, cookie crumbles. I ended up drilling the old aluminum out and retapping, and then scouring the LBS for replacements...The campy high flange wheels had also been chucked when the bike was new in favor of some no-name clinchers and normandy high flange hubs. They actually looked correct, but, well...I found some high flange record wheels in my stack'o'crap, cleaned 'em up, and installed tires that look like tubulars (with the base tape) but are not. Vredestein Ricorso Mk II, if you are looking.

White plastic tape. Hmmm......those bar plugs don't look right. Scoured the internet looking for screw tight plugs. I finally bought some tape from Ben's Bikes in Minneapolis, just for the white plugs. I found the correct vintage pump, cleaned up a bagged campy pump end, and installed it over the splintering 531 decal with a little tape and the proper vintage campy umbrella clip. New white toeclip straps. Almost done...I could almost see the Claud back in the bike stand.

But no...the danged downtube decals now looked really really bad. This bike had been run up a flagpole and had banged in the wind for about a week, badly chipping the originals, and GTS753 (Softley) provided some replacement transfers.

Let me digress from this current digression for a second, before returning to the previous digression. Greg provides Vinyl replacements, and this approach as evolved to be an outstanding solution. No varnish fix, no water slide, just a little pressure and they go on beautifully, and are so thin as to withstand close inspection. Good stuff.

I put 'em on, tonight. The bike looks great...the original owner is now pestering me to sell it back to him. As much as I love the feel of big, full circles, I will not, until I get some use out of it. I'll do a photo shoot of the bike one of these days, after the holly-days.

So now the Claud is back in the bike stand, waiting for me to get back to it. I will clean up the wheels, re-tension and re-true, pack the hubs and the freewheel, and respace the rear axle to fit in the narrow rear dropouts. Then we'll try to figure out just where the Super Champion rear derailleur goes...the one that Hilary Stone sold me.

But...I have a Medici Aero from the early '80's, and I just traded WJV a Nuovo Record setup for a Dura Ace AX setup...I've had that frame for quite a while...Hmmm....It will just take me a day or two to build that up...maybe I'll do a photo shoot of that, when the weather lets up a little, after the holly-days...

Here's one I just picked up. An early '60's Peugeot.

Edit of my previous edit: Just got this from the painter/builder. I am going to let it cure for a bit before building it up.

[IMG][/IMG]

Current Projects:

Masi Nuovo Strada...Needs lots of love...still I like it even though it is two big

Miyata 210...Needs new brakes/pads,derailleurs cables,wheelset...Will probably part out the frame.

I need to find a bike for early 60's Cyclo Beneluxe chainpull derailleurs

One vintage NR record groupo needs to cleaned up repaired and put to good use.

I need to find cones for Resillion fixed hubs! Anybody help...

Tubular track rims need to be unlaced and used with some new hubs the old ones stripped.


73 Condor needs to have bottom bracket re-tapped/faced chased...I really messed this one up. It was so stupid... bicycle gods please forgive me.

73 Masi Gran Criterium out of Carlsbad...I really want to sell this bike and make a handsome profit. I know I'm greedy but this America. I will never own a nicer bike in my life but I could really use the money

I need to simply get rid of all my projects and start again. This time I will be more particular and stop collecting junk. Sell all of my sew ups to hard core retro roadies...I'm a clincher man. I simply can't afford nice tires for sew ups. Cheap sew ups are too freaking lumpy.

Finish the in progress overhaul/builds: 84 Schwinn High Sierra, 85 Schwinn Mirada, 87 Sierra, and 89 Schwinn High Plains. All were started on a complete overhaul then ran into a snag or lack of time/motivation to finish. A few of them have shifter issues and 1 needs a new rear axle (easy) along with a shifter issue on the same bike.

Start and finish the others: Jamis Explorer MTB, Trek 800 MTB, Trek 820 MTB, 2 70's Centurion Lemans, 70's World, 70's World Sport, Fuji something, and another World Sport.

Figure out what I am going to do with list (all frame/fork right now): early 90's Trek 8000 MTB, 84' Vista MTB, mid-80's ladies Mongoose MTB, 85 Raleigh Teton MTB with a loose dropout on the fork, Fuji Regis, and my former personal Surly Karate Monkey frame.

Gonna see how many kitties I can get God to smite. Don't worry they look like this one. And I don't even believe in God.

Got a 1984 Trek 500 and a Raleigh 20 slated for fixed gear conversions, and a 1978 Raleigh Super Course with a stuck stem and a bent fork that will not. Be converted. Might put a 6 speed 14-30 freewheel on it though.

Mine?
1: Finish my Panasonic DX-6000 (hoping to have done by birthday on the 23rd)
2: Upgrade parts on the Fuji Sandblaster so my GF has a good college bike.
3: Schwinn Collegiate, though that's an extended project, and not one that needs to be done soon.
4: Lose the lard in front of my stomach.
I think that's it, for now.
-Gene-

So we're just past the new year, and my projects are already evolving. One update:

I also fitted the Dawes tourer with new decals and headbadge and will wrap/shellac the bars tomorrow. And after some trading, I have a few new projects that'll likely rise to the top of the list above:

--1972 PX-10: clean, polish, and dig some French parts out of the bin.
--late 70s Fuji S12-S: Build up this frameset w/ some Fuji-ish parts.
--early 80s Sekai 2000: I'm thinking of hanging mostly French bits on this one.

Neal

1) Repaint my 1986 Raleigh Marathon. Still thinking about a color scheme, this pink is an idea I've been thinking off... Though, another option would be to restore the original color scheme along with the rest of the bike.

2) I've been sucked into the C&V scene by you guys, and have been seriously thinking about buying an old transport bike and restore that into it's original state, possibly even better

3) Trying to convince my wife she needs a touring bike, so we can hit the road together. That would be a third bike (mixte) that would be restored.

Wrap the bars, cross levers on mr. 80 nishiki. Swap out the bent 6s freewheel for a new 5s. Maybe clean the bike too.

1. Putting cross levers and new bar tape on my LeTour. Attempting to convert back to a 10-speed after a few years as a rough 'Working Bikes' 5 speed; recently put on a set of Sugino Maxy road double cranks and a Dura Ace FD from the parts pile. Have upgraded to a set of new Weinmann alloy wheels and Weinmann centerpulls from an old Raleigh Record.

2. Attempting to transfer a set of Deore cranks and front/rear derailleurs from trashed MTB onto my Lotus Excelle roadie (with suspect parts). Have scrapped the old foamy black grips and dingy white hoods, and put on new Cane Creek hoods, new cables and housing, and new bar tape.

An early 90's Vitus in 979: a few years ago I was dumb enough to completely dismantle it for painting only to find out that the tubes are epoxied together. Then I found out that the painting facility every one here (in Japan) seems to send their frames to uses heat in the process. That stopped me in my tracks. But, these years later I am thirsty for the ride, so I am trying to refinish it by hand. It's winter. I've no workshop and outside is always a freezing wind. Well ... I'll get there in the end. Parts for it are stacked up: Nitto seat post, a leather saddle on a Reynolds 531 frame, Mavic wheels for tubulars, Campy Record hubs new NOS super record skewers stuck in the mails somewhere, Sugino 75 BB and cranks, Sugino 75 brakes, Cellini stem and Quill blah blah.

'85 Trek 560 frame set in Reynolds 501: Just acquired. I'm going to try and save the paint and decals by doing some extensive touch up and repair followed by a rub out and some clear-coat. I need to do some rust prevention on the inside as well. Next — parts hunting.

-holiday76 - The Raleigh Grand Prix is absolutely delicious!

Just bought a "fuji feather" track bike, sight unseen (other than pics). So my winter project will be to get it up and running, looking right of course. Pics forthcoming when I get it next week or so.

Now that I've got the Fuso packed and ready to ship, I can return to the 1970 Paramount project. Various Campy parts, Cinelli bars and stem, 5-speed Regina cassette on some Mavic E-Module 27" wheels. Brooks saddle.

Then it's up in the air: Maybe you guys can decide for me.

Gardin Shred (weird seat tube, bent opposite that of time trial bikes, was told it was a Shred, not 100% sure)
I got a Gardin steel fork recently so I'll use that instead of the Vitus aluminum one. It has a Campy Chorus bb already but I've nothing against using Shimano on this.

John Howard built by Dave Tesch. Aggressive geometry. I was thinking that since I'm building the Paramount and the Colnago(naturally) with Campy, I'd go Shimano on this bike.

Colnago Master This is my dream bike but will be the most expensive project. Still trying to decide what fork to use on this.

Maybe some day, My Pinarello will come back to me from the painter. It will of course be built with Campagnolo parts.

Raleigh 20's make fun little fixies. If you're one has 406 wheels, you will need to run 52:14 to get 70 gear inches, which is a nice ratio for around a flattish town.

Where do I start?

1. Get a c1920s racing bike ready for a seven day, several hundred km tour in February:
- take bike to LBS for new brake cable and pads for the period clamp on front brake.
- get LBS to build the best possible Eaddie Coaster hub and wheel out of the two wheels I have.
- put cork grips on the handlebars.
- clean the chain and put back on it.
- possibly replace the tyres.
- put the rear rack from a similar vintage roadster onto it so I put panniers on.
- put the Brooks from the Norman onto it.

2. Find a new bottom bracket and BB spindle for the 1950s Norman and put period road bike brake levers on it. Rebuild the 1950s quill pedals and put them back onto it.

3. Put a B17 on the Burco, now that I've flipped the North Road bars and put the B66 onto the Humber.

4. Dissemable the Dahon and clean and lube everything so that I can ride it.

5. Put a better seat on the Raleigh 20 Folder

6. Replace the tyres and rewire the dynamo on the Healing Cruiser.

7. Start work on my 1920s - 1930s racing bike:
- clean and get the replacement rim replated.
- lace rear rim to original hub
- put a front brake and if I can find one a period lever on the bike.
- replace with chainring with one that won't come loose from the spider every 5 km.
- tape or put cork grips on the handle bar.
- put a Brooks B17 on it.
- get the handlebars and Major Taylor stem replated.
- strip of all the old, thick (repainted) paint and get the frame repainted with the dings removed.
- find a pair of plated steel quill pedals and toe clips.

...

Progress on my three projects:

1. I've started disassembling the World Sport to get ready to paint it. I don't have all the fancy-schmancy tools, so I need to get it over to the LBS at some point to get some of the disassembly done. I'll probably buy a tool or two, and hopefully they'll pop my bottom bracket out for free with their tools (they're pretty good about that).

2. Reconditioning the Marathon has gone better than expected so far. The hubs which were in terrible shape had simply ingested a bunch of mud/dust and it had hardened with the grease. I cleaned the front and rear hubs and repacked them and they roll great.... and they're very true. I'm not gonna mess with the headset or bottom bracket until the Schwinn is ready for commuting duty and I get ready to paint the Marathon.

3. Fixie... well, I started a thread over the SS/FG forum to get advice about how to proceed with the conversion. I want to do it on the cheap to begin with. If I decide I like SS/FG riding I may upgrade down the road, but for the short term I'm doing everything cheap and reversible.