andyfloyd

You Lucky dog, 90 bucks is insane for such a nice bike. I have a bare frame 87 Expert right now in the garage. The frame has seen better days, and the seattube is splitting from a crack where someone before tried to shove in a larger seatpost. Then they JB welded it to fix it...haha. So I am stripping the paint on it tonight and removing the jb weld. Then Ill take the frame to my TIG welder buddy and have him TIG the cracks closed with a seatpost in so that it doesnt deform the seattube. Going to do with a bare steel with original decals on it. Plan to do 600 Tricolor on the frame with 9 speeds out back with Ultegra STI's. I got the frame for free so if the seattbe is ultimately not able to be saved then there is no real loss in it. Ill post a build thread soonish on it. Love yours though!

cehowardGS

Sounds like a winner!! You know a powdercoat would fit right in right here.. Just a thought!!

The STIs are going to kill on that bike. When I first got mine, even for the $90, and downtube shifters, the bike was super smooth with the shifting and gearing. However, once Robbie Tunes got a hold of it, put Flight Decks on it, and something with the freewheel I think, in order to be in line with the STI.. No matter, when he finished with it, BTW, I had those wheels put on at that time too, even though the stockers were good, these wheels turned out better, in looks and ride..

Post it up when you finish..

andyfloyd

I know I could powdercoat the bike, but I want a the raw bare steel look. I havent ever seen anyone else do an Ironman bare steel with decals so I wanted to try something different. I think bare steel lugged frames look so cool because you can see the brass brazing around the lugs and raw steel has a really neat look to it. I love STI's because they just make life easier and I think the Ironman is a good enough frameset to warrant such an upgrade. Downtube shifters are fun, but STI's are way better. Ill take some preliminary pics tonight before starting the long process of removing the paint.

RobbieTunes

The kids are gonna be fine. I can peacefully die now....once I get two more bikes done.

cehowardGS

oh, no, I am a family member now!!!

andyfloyd

How does a raw steel 87 Ironman treat your emotions? Good....Bad....Indifferent? Inquiring minds would like to know.

ShoreCyclist

Great looking Centurian!!!

RobbieTunes

Quite cool. Brazing looks like lug lining. Nice change of pace.

dohc97 

robbietunes since you are the resident ironman expert, how do i go about buying those same wheels? what is the spacer i will need to use a 7 speed cassette?

jimmuller 

And another thing, RT. What sort of wheel would an Ironman have had originally? I built mine with a set of wheels I picked up originally for another bike, Sanshin Gyro-master hubs and Araya rims with a red label. I figured they be culturally appropriate for the IM.

roccobike

OP, for $500, you can pick up a used set of Ksyrium SE or SLs. You might be able to find a new set of Mavic Ksyrium Elites. Do not buy Ksyrium Equippe level as they are only an upper entry level wheel, with non-machined rims. IMHO the best upgrade you can make to that bike is wheels. The original wheels are OK for vintage wheels, but can't really compete with a set mid-level to high end wheels.
Adding STI shifters later would be a good idea, but bang for the buck, wheels are the way to go.

cehowardGS

Can't put it any better than that...

BTW, my 89 Ironman Master, with cheap knock off copy wheels.. $160..

Ironman Master with OEM wheels..



IronMan Master with $160 knock off cheapo copy Chinese wheels..



In this picture, the Master is setup for NIGHT RIDE DUTY. About 2500 lums pointing forward.. Snatch off all my lights, IMO, she is even prettier.. Proud papa I am..

RobbieTunes

If you're tallking about the wheels on cehowardGS's bike, I'd just go on eBay and look for 'em. You have enough posts for PM's, so PM Mr. Howard and he'll point you there. The spacer you need for a 7-sp cassette is a 4mm, and that should be easy enough to find on eBay, as well. I've never had a problem finding one.

Your Ironman would have had 105 hubs laced to Wolber Super Champion Alpine rims, dark anodized, and your hub had a 6-sp cassette on it, I believe. The 105's were the "new" 105 and had a freehub, while the Masters with 600EX still had freewheels.

RobbieTunes

Yep, a set of SL's were for sale on local CL for $400, and went on eBay BIN for $375 (they were mine). However, our local CL presently has a set of WH-7800's in silver for $400, and they are nicer, IMO, than the Ksyrium SL's. rocco knows of what he speaks. He's also an Iron man.

Barchettaman

To the OP: put a pair of Continental GP4000s with latex tubes on your current wheelset, 622-25, and see how you get on.

jimmuller 

Duh, I guess I knew that. Or should have, since I've seen a description of the Expert/Master history. Selective forgetfulness-ism.

That I didn't know. I wouldn't have guessed Wolber. Dang. My Arayas are totally wrong. I feel so ashamed. Something felt wrong with the aura. At least now I can compensate with my expectations.

So what's the story with GP4000s? I've seen them recommended elsewhere. I've liked 622-25 Pasela TGs for general use, or non-TG if I'm willing to live dangerously. Also have 622-23s Vittoria Open Corsas on the Masi, which I really like (and running them is really living dangerously). How does the GP4000 compare to either?

RobbieTunes

I've never met anyone that didn't like their GP4000's.
I imagine you combine them with an Ironman and you go cosmic.

Jim,

The Wolber Super Champion was a nice rim, but my favorite Ironman rim was the predecessor, the rounded Araya 20A in copper, for looks, anyway. I imagine the Super Champion was expensive, because the next year Centurion went back to the Araya, the CTL-370, named for the claimed weight of the rims. They probably should have called them CTL-380 to 388 on average.

I've got a set of Sansin sealed hubs laced to Matrix Titan S's. They're the closest thing to the CTL's, lighter in the hub, heavier on the rim. I saved them for a bud's Ironman build, and he decided his '87 Master needs his 600EX/Super Champions, instead.

The Ironman was notorious for the wheels going out of true. This was not due to the wheels, but most likely due to the 700x18 Panaracer Technova tires. They were hard as rocks. Two bike magazines tested the Ironman, and both threw out the tires after the initial rides.

The GP4000 rolls well and lasts well and is a tough tire, from what everyone tells me. I have riding friends who only ride them, no exception, on every bike,

Barchettaman

The GP 4000s rolls as well as anything out there and for a race tyre offers excellent puncture protection.

Latex tubes vastly reduce the risk of pich flats and decrease the rolling resistance still further.

Of course if you're riding in an area with those horrid goathead thorn things everywhere I wouldn't recommend them over a Gatorskin or Armadillo tyre.

Teon

+1 I have some nice black ones on my 85 Ironman......they look great on a vintage bike.

Force 

How about some vintage tubulars? Cheap way to get a lighter wheelset and different ride characteristics, IMHO. I've got a pair I want to try on my Ironman.

dohc97 

ok, so i decided to do the wheel upgrade as i collect parts for the campy conversion. I have a set of wheels coming as well as the 4 mm spacer i will need to use 7 speed. Now my question is about the cassette, what type should i be using with 80s shimano 105 crankset/biopace rings? can i use hg or ug? or does it matter?

rccardr 

Either will work, but HG shifts more smoothly in my opinion.

dohc97 

thanks, on to the next question. current on bike is 12-21, what a decent cassette to use? i mostly do flats but will be moving to dallas(dont know how hills are down there)

dohc97 

so im now in Dallas, my wheels came in the day before moving so i just put them on. I went with a 13-28 cassette because the hills in this neighborhood are killer, here is the picture after finishing up today:

dohc97 

bar tape will be black once i get all the campy parts to do my 10 speed conversion.....