To put a new 105 Black full group that I just happen to have on a Italian stallion Guerciotti SLX?

I have had better luck with Shimano 105 and 600 than frankly with equal Campy and I simply cannot spend 2,500 plus for Record and I don't like the way it looks and the 130mm rear spacing precludes vintage components without jury rigging a rear hub, woe is me.

I lean towards "no".

Sending me the old stuff would cement my vote.

Damn...

that is a dilemma.
(I'd leave it to the good ol' Yogi Berra wisdom: when you see a fork on the road, take it; pun soooo intended)

If you are going to ride it and keep it, I think that even the Pope would say that it is not a sin even if you put Simplex components on it and that suits your needs.

If you are going to sell it at some point, it would be a cardinal sin (with mucho consequences to your bank account) not to have those Campy components.

Judgment of Solomon: Do what you need to do, but keep those original components nice (and lubed, and in ziplocks) close, just in case you want to sell it some day.

-just my 2 sinful cents

I think I know what your feeling. The pope my disagree, but your not a bad person for wanting to mount JP parts on a Ital. I had similar sleepless nights after putting a nice 7spd SIS 105 group on a Bianchi TSX frame "just to ride it, I swear!" It was a fantastic ride. Of course it took away from the selling value, and that's a shame. There were many good quality Italian bikes that sold with a Shimano gruppo. My understanding is that many Italian racing teams preferred Dura Ace over Campy in the late 80's. However, I took the 105's off and put them back on the bike I borrowed them from and sold it. Now I have this nice TSX frame hanging up in my garage and wondering what I was thinking. I've since grown out of my prejudice and am prowling for a 600 or DA group. Much better value IMHO. Sin-No, Bike snobbery-Yes.

Soooo... what size is that frame? and are you, maybe, willing to part with it?

I'll allow it

Of course not. You have a beautiful lightweight handcrafted Italian frameset matched with parts that actually work extremely well.

What do i know... I prefer old Suntour components over Campy and Shimano bits from the same era.

People ask why I am not running a full Campy group on my old Cooper and my response was that I wanted parts that worked better than anything else.

That sounds ridiculously sexy, actually. What color is the frame?

New 105 is nice, built a bike with it today, but I'd recommend SRAM rival over it, lighter, crisper.

He already has the 105 or I would say Sram also.

I own and coddle a Colnago Master Extra Light with Shimano bits. It has yet to spontaneously combust. The bike doesn't seem to care one whit, nor do I. Ride and enjoy at your earliest convenience.

Resale, it hurts. Riding, it doesn't. I'm very seriously considering a 9-sp Ultegra group on a Cinelli-branded Centurion. To a non-bike person, it will look just as good, it will definitely ride better, but in my mind: clash. I think there are more than will admit that run Shimano on Italian bikes, and Cilo had no problem loading up it's Columbus frames with Dura Ace and 600.

Other than the brand situtaion, why not run your best group on your best frame?

And if you went to a couple sites right now, you could order a Cinelli frame and build it with Dura Ace or Ultegra. No problem there.

I have been faced with the dilemma of newer components on an older frame set. Now, I would not do this simply because it would mean spreading the rear forks and I do not like to distort a frame set simply because I have the means to do so. I will, however, cold set stays to realign a slightly out of line frame set with no qualms.

But the newer components on older frame set does appeal if I do not have to alter the frame set and, as luck would have it, an older quality frame set, modified to accommodate an eight speed grouppo came my way one day with a full Shimano 105 brifter grouppo installed. I did have to replace the left shifter but, once working, the bicycle has proved to be a workhorse joy to ride. The bicycle, an eighties something Proctor-Townsend, is the one that sees the most duty in my humble stable. I really like riding the bicycle. But this returns me to the original thread...

I have a Campagnolo full Veloce nine speed grouppo, good wheels and all, ready to install on something. The question is - what? Anyone got a nice old 54cm Italian or English bike with 130mm drop space they want to trade for an old Legnano?

You'd be in good company, first. Check out the lengthy thread on "retro roadies" which has dozens of examples of C&V denizens who have done exactly this.

Second, why would we think everyone who built up a new Guerciotti or other SLX frame used Italian? I know for a fact many did not. So it's plausible as an original config. Even back in the late '60s people were spending big bucks on, say, a Cinelli frame and lower-level or earlier components to get a fine-riding bike, but upgraded piecewise as time went on.

Besides, it's yours.

Oh, I remember people running Shimano Sante & 600 Ultegra on Guerciottis in the dark days of Campy.
Meanwhile, i tithed to Campy with my new Athena group. It was a Sin then, not so much now.

If it's a sin, it's a minor one, so all you need will be a papal indulgence. Can't you get one of those on ebay?

The only SIN is for a bicycle to sit idle. Oufit it however necessary so that you will enjoy it and ride it more often, regardless of the opinion of others.

I consider it a sin. That will be ten Hail Marys and five Our Fathers. Go in peace, my son. And sin no more.

I say fix it up however you want to! it really doesnt matter what everybody else thinks, as long as your happy with it and you like it, thats cool in my book!

Just put the campy bits back on if you ever sell it. No harm done.

Look at it this way: blonde, brunette, raven, redhead. All beautiful. No issue.

I miss my recently sold Bianchi with Suntour Cyclone Mk-II. I replaced it with a Marinoni and a full Campy group, but I now wish I had swapped the Suntour drivetrain over.

I like the Marinoni much better - the geometry fits me better. But I have to say I consider the Campy Nuovo record drivetrain a noticeable downgrade.

Thank you and thank you everybody. My frame was built as 130mm, it has never been cold set or any other sort of set. It is a late 80s Columbus SLX frame and it was built as 130mm, yes, I know that is weird but it was. It measures exactly 130.5 across the stays. Yes, I could modify with spacer a hub so I could run a vintage set up but I just don't like that and new Campy is so expensive for just wanting a bike to go ride and look good. If this bike were 126mm I would go vintage Campy all the way, as it is I think it will have the black Shimano 105 with Record seat post, record steering tube head set, Cinelli stem or similar with 3TTT bars and a Sella saddle. Wheels, I may take my vintage Mavic MA40s and have some new hubs installed, Dura Ace or whatever that will allow me to match up a correct cassette to the Shimano 105 group and index.

Perhaps I should see a priest.

Quite possibly - that's a seven speed Maillard freewheel with a 13-21 range, by the way.

I actually did try it with a 7 speed Suntour freewheel (13-28) but the jockey pulley rubs against the largest cog. I haven't spent any time adjusting it to see if I can get the configuration to work properly, though.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll experiment with a couple of freewheels but in the worst case this bike may end up in the retro roadies thread with SRAM Rival.