I am looking at doing a re-spray of my Daccordi frame which is 23 years old. I am looking to go black/gun metal gray shades.

The bike currently rides like a dream. It is faultless and I do the rides for the fun and to keep fit. I have no desire to race or compete. I would just like a good looking bike that works well.

I was toying with the idea of re-chroming the components but I have a suspicion the cost will be more than buying new. I will certainly be re-chroming the forks as originally done.

What I am not sure about is the gear changing set-up. Obviously the old style gear changing is more hassle, and quite frankly, more dangerous. The Shimano set I have works well.

My question is this. Am I "obligated" to keep the set-up original or do I go for the modern gear changing set-up?

I have not made up my mind and am keen to hear what others think, however brutally honest.















The last pic below is the finish I am aiming for, however, in the example below the owner "Steven Cascalheira" has retained the original setup.

The parts on there are worth good money, you could ebay them for close to what modern parts will cost. Do whatever makes you happy.

If you like the bike as is, you will love it with modern STI brifters. If it were mine , I would update it and leave the paint alone . Just my two cents.

A few ideas:

About the frame. I wouldn't bother respraying it. You'll never recapture the essence of the original paintwork. New bartape and matching tires go a long way for aesthetics.

As for parts, I see Dura Ace 8s. You can source 8s STIs and make that the only component change. Easy! Everything else will work.

Another option (my favorite if you want to keep the DT shifters) is to fit a 10s cassette and chain on there. You might need a 9-10s big chainring but everything else will be compatible in friction mode. You won't miss indexing with how smooth that works.

I know I know, what am I doing in C&V?

Am I missing something here? What is it that is dangerous about the "old style gear?"

Agreed.

Personally, I'd:

ditch the stem to get a good fit/look

new bar tape

a proper round of maintenance for performance and safety- How are the brake pads?

and some matching tires like a set of Veloflex Master 22s.

and I certainly would not dream of repainting that pretty bicycle.

What's wrong with the chrome anyway?

Clean and polish, that's what I would do.

ps Is that the saddle you received with the bike, or is it yours? If it doesn't fit you, toss it/sell it and get one that does.

Very pretty bicycle though. I hope you enjoy her!

Like the others said:
I really like your bike's paint and graphics. I don't see any bikes like that around here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I got a 1975 Raleigh International that was all scratched and rusted. I just removed the rust spots on the chrome with oxalic acid, and used Meguiar paint cleaner and wax on the paint. The scrapes are just "patina", I don't want to fix them.

Thanks RM

I took the bike out yesterday and spent a couple of hours working on the chrome. The spots which I thought were the chrome coming off were actually easily removed, and I agree, there is no reason at all to touch the chrome.

I even cleaned up the components and was very pleased with the results. I'll post a few pics asap.

I will be looking for a new stem as that clearly is detracting from the look and will finish with a more practical colour for the tape for the handlebars. I had not even considered the tyres so I'll be getting a matching pair today.

Thanks heaps for the input.

Hugh

Hi gomango

I love her. I have been blown away by the smoothness of this bike after so many years. I am amazed at the comments re the paintwork. Perhaps after a while you get used to the paintwork and simply want a change.

I was under the impression that the "old style gearing" had a name. Something along the lines of "death levers" because you tend to wobble every tme you change gears. Glad to hear you guys don't agree as I would like to keep the original levers.

As posted below, have already polished the chrome bits and had a very good result. Am about to clean the rest of the bike and polish the paintwork.

Have no idea about the saddle. It's just too long ago, and bear in mind I inherited the bike from my late father-in-law who I used to ride with at the time. It may have been a replacement saddle he put on. I find it great. Is there a reason you mentioned it though. Is there something which would suit the bike more?

Thanks for the input. Appreciate it!!!

Howdy!

Again, you have a very nice bike that only needs some fine tuning.

Does the saddle fit and feel great after a thirty mile ride?

If yes, who cares what it looks like.

If not, you could have some great options for upgrades.

Also, how's the ride with that stem?

How agile are you?

It may be easier to shift with less reach from the bars..

Something to think about.

If you need an inexpensive period correct Cinelli stem, I'm certain I could find one to send you.

Keep asking questions. We'll help you dial her in and drain your wallet in one fell swoop.

$0.02: That's a sweet ride. Of course do what makes you happy. It sounds like you've got the resources to get it done right, and you can't argue with components that work well for you and bomb-proof finish that's easy on the eye.

Downtube shifters aren't for everyone, and brifters are the bomb in terms of functionality and comfort. As somebody said above, if you could get the right brifters, you'd be set. You could also go with bar-end shifters. In both cases no need to change any other equipment. Your setup is classic, and you could keep it classic while making it work better for you if you want.

On the paint, you've asked a pretty conservative (maybe reactionary is more the word) lot. The consensus will be: "It's only original once." It would be worth four hours on the weekend, though, to spend some time with Meguir's Scratch-X (EASY on the decals!) and some chrome polish and wax and see how much of a difference you can make with the original finish. It can be pretty startling. And cheap.

This is a friend's Daccordi with updated components, they lightened it up a fair bit. He acquired it with a mix of Shimano 600 and some other components, and the original owner bought it as a bare frame set and pieced it together. In this case, there wasn't much pressure to "keep it original."

BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

That is absolutely stunning!!!

Very interested to see your friend has exactly that same bottle holder as me. I assume that came with the bike?

PLEASE could you tell me where they sourced the decals? I am assuming those are new?

I have spent quite some time cleaning the bike with amazing results. I still need to get a new stem and have ordered a set of Veloflex Master 23s as suggested by "Gomango". Master 22's are apparently no longer produced.

Pics posted below:

Nothing like a nice clean bicycle.

You are off to a great start.

Great choice for the tires, I think you'll love them.

When they arrive, install and put some miles on that beauty.

That usually will let you know what you need to tinker with next.

I always check general maintenance items as well, such as brakes, of any used bicycle I purchase.

Hi Gomango

I'm interested to know what you think about the saddle. I have done a few 40 mile plus trips with no issues whatsoever. You mentioned the options for upgrades for the saddle. I'm very interested to know what you think.

The stem is fine. The truth is I probably don't have enough experience to know any better. I'm very agile, so again the stem has never worried me, but as said before that may be a case of just not having anything to compare with.

I'm much more of a runner but seem to be slowly being sucked into the cycling which I have found to be incredible.

As far as the stem goes, not worried about price, just want to get the right stem for the bike and the best available. Any suggestions?

Thanks for the advice.

Hugh

Appreciate the response. For now I'm going to keep the paint original, but not entirely convinced. It may be original but I think it has faded significantly and I find the colours weak. I need to source new decals though before I will re-paint. No-one has suggested where to source those.

Regards

Hugh

I think people have mentioned the stem because it slopes upward at a strange angle. You might consider the Nitto Technomic. It looks good and will allow you to keep the bars high.

Thanks shel,
I will have a look at the Nitto. What I really want to know is which stem would have been used at that time. And more importantly, where do you get one?

Regards
Hugh

I'm not sure if that cage came with it or not, it looks like an old Cobra from the photo. The decals and paint are original, it was pretty clean when he bought it. There are a few minor blemishes, but nothing that would justify a repaint, and the original fade paintjob is gorgeous.

My friend's has a 3TTT stem that's pantographed (engraved) with the Daccordi logo, it's just visible in the photo below. These stems come up on eBay occasionally, but a plain 3TTT or Cinelli would be equally appropriate.

Beautiful bicycles, i had a chance to buy a Daccordi back in 1989 ad my first real road bike. i didn't have the funds, so i opted for a 1988 Schwinn Premis that was in my price range. Does anyone else remember Wheels bicycle shop in Erie? i believe they were one of the first importers for the brand.

LOL
Not really. Someone mentioned to me that the old style gear levers had a name along the lines of "death levers" because you tend to wobble every time you change gears. I kinda get that but I guess after a while you get used to it.
It's probably more a case of being left behind every time the guys kick. I find it takes more time for me to change and there is no doubt that I cannot exert as much force with only one hand on the bars compared to the other guys.
I guess unless you're a serious racer it does not really matter that much.

Don't listen to those wobbly, brifter-spoiled old guys, you'll adjust to holding your line with just a little practice. FWIW, I found another photo of my buddy's stem pre-upgrade. It looks a bit tatty in the photo, but it cleaned up very well:

I found a classic Shimano Dura-Ace HS-7400 stem which is still in the original packaging. Will be collecting it on Monday. Paid a sh*t load for it but hoping it's worth it.

I was going to say something about the stem, but it seems like you're way ahead of me.