The Chesini Innovation arrived today from France.

I took a few phone pics (still better than the Ebay pics).

The blue is deep/purplish and might be a bear to match easily for touch-ups. The panto fill is more gold than yellow (hard to capture in phone photos), so I think I'll nix the idea of yellow tape and saddle...maybe Jagwire gold cabling.

There are some scratches and chips to fix. The chrome is good, but the paint on the drop-outs is quite beat...I'm thinking I will just strip them to chrome...???

Thoughts?

swee-eet! What tube set? EL-OS?

Oh my. Very nice. More, please.

Yes EL-OS. Looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about. That leaves only a MAX bike on this year's vintage radar (theoretically)...

More to come...built up within a week or two, depending on cabling. I have Campy black on hand...would need to order either Jagwire white or gold. Could go silly with gold saddle recover (Avocet 02) and tape as well.

Thoughts?

Very nice Mark.

Personally I would try to keep as much as possible period correct. The idea of gold sounds cool, but when a certain part wasn't availbale back than I would hesitate to go for it.

Fantastic.

EL-OS is really all that and more.

Are you going Chorus 10 or 11 speed with this one?

I would go subtle on the housing colors to keep the eye on those nice frame details.

Man, I love these build threads.

Hey Mel... You should know by now that I won't use period correct bits...I think the closest thing I own is an '88 Chorus 7s gruppo.

Grady... I haven't made my final decision on the gruppo...but...if I go Chorus 10s, I will need to buy or trade for an Italian BB...the Chorus 11 is ready to go.

As far as cabling...you guys don't like the gold...white or black then? White or black saddle/tape??

Also, what do you guys think about the drop-outs...try to touch them up or strip what's left down to chrome???

I'd strip her down to chrome so you can blind us.

I really would go with black housing. The frame stays the show that way.

I just checked and I have an extra Chorus 10 speed crank with Italian bottom bracket on the shelf.

Definitely have the Chorus calipers as well if you need them.

Hey... I have the Record 10 crank, but I would prefer compact. I covered the brakes by buying some Centaur skeletons for another bike and swapping things around.

I'm gonna post some pics tomorrow with a length of black, white, and gold cable in each...see what we can tell without full cabling and a build-up.

If I go black cabling/tape/saddle and Chorus 11 then everything is here and ready to go. Coupla days for paint touch-ups...

Sounds like a plan.

We'll be watching.

I like what you did with the Batavus, so good luck!

Thanx, I'm definitely looking forward to this build!

So...Has anyone ever seen an EL-OS frame with a 27.0 seatpost?

I'm thinking of reaming the seat tube (although I'm always hesitant). In this case, with the double lugs at the top it seems pretty beefy, although the brazed joint at the very top (between tube and lug IDs) with the thin tubing could always be an issue. Of course, we're only talking about .1mm!

A 27.0 Thomson slipped after tightening, a 27.0 vintage Gipiemme seems to hold, and a 27.2 Record Carbon doesn't want to go in past the first 1/2" or so.

So...Today I guess I will ream the ST and face the BB shell, as well as search out touch-up paint...hopefully a close enough match to spray the Time CF fork.

So you didn't go with the chrome fork? (I'm Stien over at Serotta) Like it.

Nah, the seller agreed on a reduced price without the unmarked chrome fork. I'll find (or maybe even order) a Chesini fork eventually. The Time Equipe Pro Featherlight is a pretty nice CF fork (for 1").

I'd say Honey Brooks saddle and matching wrap. White cables.,,,,BD

Hey Sante... Nice, but too old for the frame. Besides, I started hanging the Chorus 11s on it tonight. Kinda thinking I should go with an Athena alloy (2010) crank instead of the CF though...strangely, the CF looks "heavy" on this frame.

There definitely won't be a Brooks on this bike...currently leaning towards black Fizik Aliante and matching tape. As far as cabling, the gold Jagwire has arrived, waiting for the white Campy set to arrive...

Wrong bike for a Brooks.

The Fizik is a great choice if it fits you, but you know how partial I am to Regals.

I'd go for the alloy Athena, but it isn't that hard to swap out the cranks if the "look" isn't to your tastes.

ps I saw you listed on the race list! Way to go.

I am getting pumped about the series. Now all I have to do is learn how to ride a bike.

Yeah...I'll be there. Are you gonna let me tag along, assuming I don't hold you up??

Hoping to do a hilly gravel 70 miler here in March and another 100 miler two weeks before the Almanzo (maybe not the best idea).

The Aliante is an older plain black one. I also have an Avocet 40R and a Concor in black. Only extra Regal I have right now is a Girardi in white (some stains/spotting).

I thought this was C&V. What year is this frame made if you're putting carbon and Fizik on it? Nice frame, I guess I just don't get why it should "only" get modern parts, especially since it looks like a typical late eighties Italian frame. Whatever though, I am unsubscribed.,,,,BD


edit:

Ahh... A 92 model I see now... I really think carbon 11 speed is the wrong way to go, but what do I know...

It's a '92 and the first "modern" (production) sloping top tube frame. Campy 7/8s Chorus would be appropriate, but I have no desire for DT shifters. The Chorus 11 stuff is leftover after I "downgraded" parts on my gravel bike to alloy Athena 11.

Fizik Aliantes have a relatively classic shape (much like Regals)...I choose saddles based on what works for my butt, not purely on aesthetics. Brooks work for me, but they are heavy and they don't fit the character of the bike. I have Swifts on my Meech and Spectrum, a Pro on my Sampson, an Imperial on my Raleigh, and a B17 on my Iron Horse...FWIW.