I’ve been thinking about this topic for a whole but another thread made me decide to post this just now. Restification is a term I first heard used in the world of vintage muscle cars. Essentially it means to restore a vehicle to its original cosmetic appearance while making such modifications needed to improve or alter performance without significantly changing the vehicle's appearance. So, what would restification look like on a bike? Let’s look at an example…

Let’s say you have a treasured old Italian bike with a Regina Oro 13-17 corncob but it’s spent the last few years in the garage because you just can’t push it up the hills anymore. It needs some work so you decide to swap the freewheel. A pure restoration would require putting a new 13-17 corncob on there but that wouldn’t do any good. You could put a Regina Oro with more acceptable gear range like 14-28 but I would consider that simple tuning. It’s something you might well have done even when the bike was new. And it wouldn’t improve shifting at all. Or you could just go out and buy a new IRD freewheel in 14-28 – it would dramatically improve shifting and provide an acceptable gear range but it’s nickel plated and would negatively impact the appearance of the bike. That leaves…restification. So let’s say instead that you choose a freewheel that will provide the gear range you want, improve shifting, and still be a gold colored freewheel that won’t be noticeable to the casual observer. Maybe a Shimano UG twist tooth or a Suntour Winner Pro gold. That would be restification. Want more? Cold set the frame to 126mm, swap the axle for a longer axle, redish the wheel, and bolt on a gold 7-speed freewheel. Again, all of the improvements you want without altering the appearance of the bike. Of course it’s not intended to fool a concourse judge, just to give you the performance you want without obvious modifications to the bike that would be spotted at 50 paces. So no modern plastic saddles, no cork bar tape, no modern rims of any type, especially colored anodized rims, no modern derailleurs or cranksets and especially no brifters. But yes to clincher rims, updated freewheels, modern tires, heck, even titanium bits if you want. Want to be real sneaky? Say you have a late 80’s C-Record bike…how about thate cool new Electra high-flange sheriff’s star rear hub adapted to fit Campagnolo 9-speed (I don't think it will fit 10 but maybe), a late 90’s polished aluminum Record RD, and Campagnolo indexed downtube shifters?

So what do you think? What’s your opinion of restification?

The fact that there isn't an "inside" to hide things in would seem to limit what one could do with a bicycle.

Certainly but it doesn't prevent some mods. How about handlebars? A Brooks Pro Titanium saddle? Or have an IRD freewheel plated in a gold color (not sure what plating that would be but I'm fixin' to find out). And of course simple stuff like teflon coated cables, lined cable housing. How about a Rally long cage on a Nuovo Record derailleur? Like I said, the point isn't to fool a concorse judge, just improve the bike's performance without changing it's appearance.

Make it rideable. Just keep the old parts, and do not do anything that can not be reversed later.

But most changes won't be obvious to a casual observer, even one who is a cyclist. Most people who look at my Eddy Merckx don't notice or care that the headset, stem, handlebars, seatpost, saddle, pedals, hubs, rims, tires, bottom bracket & computer are not original to what the bike was. They also don't see the flaws in the pain job that I see.

I won't even mention the Colnago that I had repainted from the perfectly serviceable original blue to a white w/ blue pearl clear coat back in 1990.

It may not be possible to apply the term in the same manner as automobiles, but I see where it can easily apply. Better then giving a convoluted explanation as to why it isn't a simple refurb job.

The only thing I don't care about the term is that it sounds akin to "rustification."

-Kurt

Yeah I wouldn't ever make changes that couldn't be reversed but in most cases I find I'm replacing a worn out or damaged part so there is nothing really to save. If a future owner wanted to return it to absolute original condition he'd have to buy the new NOS stuff anyway.

...unless you're of the persuasion where you belive you need to have the original part even if it's worn out or damaged but I see no reason to keep a worn out chain or a pitted spindle unless I'm working on Fausto's or Eddie's bike and in that case I wouldn't be doing any restification anyway.

My restificated Merlin ...



Headset is all that may be original, the rest I just chose as personal preference, or whatever was handy.

Campy side pulls instead of Universals or Weinnmans; Campy Rally mixed with post safety SR front; Super Record triple on a Nuovo BB with Gran Sport pedals, mated to 14-32 gold Regina 5 speed freewheel; Record hi-flange laced with DT to Mavic G40 rims, 40h rear 4x, 36h front, laced crows foot.

Other French bits are the Retro-Friction shifters & the Mavic seat pin, as well as the logo'd Motobecane stem. The seat is a Rolls and the tires are Specialized Expeditions, just for the cool red sidewalls.
The upwrong bars & motorcycle style grips are new, and the brake levers are currently Paul Love Levers.
(NOT so good with sidepull calipers)

I've heard such cars referred to as "Resto-Mods" and if I had the ludicrous sums of money sitting around that they charge for those things I'd have one, probably a Triumph, sitting in my garage instead of a subaru (because i'd still be out riding my bike).


I think a restificated bike would probably be a well known marque, with 8-10 speed group, indexed bar-end shifters, Aero Brake levers, modern cranks with SPD pedals, 28 spoke wheels with new Suzue or Phil High Flange hubs...possibly even with the frame drilled up for aero cable routing

basically what many would refer to as an abomination.

I get some of those mods...but why the modern cranks? The crank is one of the most visible parts of a bike. Changing that for a modern one would totally change the character of the bike and put you stright into the "customized" catagory.

I would think something more like this: well known marque from the late 80's (that way the aero-brake levers would not look out of place on it), indexed bar-end shifters, 80's vintage cranks but we have the mounting bosses milled to narrow the chainring spacing to 10-speed spec, American Classic or the new Electra high-flange hubs, and we can allow the aero cable routing since it was common by the late 80's anyway.