noglider 

Very well done, LeicaLad. My wife bought our house in High Falls in 2012. The sellers had been trying to sell for years. Their price was too high, the house was a wreck, and their realtor was a dope. My wife used techniques similar to yours. We sweet talked them and chatted over coffee and cake. They came down to my wife's price. We remain friends now! The realtor nearly killed the deal, but we got around her, too.

LeicaLad 

Realtors. . . don’t get me started.

Aaron, thanks for that image and idea. These bars have 1980’s State of the Art Grab-On foam. Hardly used, but a bit hard with age. Kinda ugly, kinda interesting in the same way.

The brake levers have been chewed by aluminum-eating rats, at least that’s what they look like. I’m assuming that the bike spent some years faced into a shelf or something unfriendly. Possibly hung in the basement against pipes. It isn’t a road rash, but almost as ugly. Both levers, too. The hoods are surprisingly clean and seemingly supple.





If nothing else, that puffy Velo-Orange black tape (and I have a spare roll, too!) will greatly improve those aesthetics.

Part of me thinks to cut that foam off and start clean. Nice Cinelli stem and bars. Think of color options. Double Hmmmm.

Part of me wants to put on a pair of Tekro levers (clean pair in the parts box), just ‘cause they are SOOOOO much more comfortable to ride. I ride hoods a lot. But the aero cable routing would be an issue with that old Grab-On foam. Hmmm. It also is a real dis-junct with the time line.

Sorry for the poor lighting on the photos here. Weekend will give me daylight hours for a couple shots. Although the bike may be in pieces as I think about the bottom bracket. It is also locked down very, very tight. Sigh.

himespau 

Beauty, so this is going to be a rider?

fender1

Make it work as a rider. These came as frames, so there is no "correct" build.

KonAaron Snake 

+1

Take some photos of it with the time appropriate group, keep them on the shelf if you can afford to...and ride it with Tektros. You can always toss on the others if you want to sell it or show it. You'll eat the tape, but spending a few bucks on tape and two hours changing it out is worth riding the more comfy levers.

Not sure if you intend to use racks, but if you're going with a medium weight rear, I think a ti tubus would work great here to keep it sports tourer'ish and functional.

LeicaLad 

Thanks, guys. You're all fantastic, as always.

Rider? Absolutely. I'm dying to ride it today, except I would die from sub-10F weather!

I have to keep my head low on expenses, as the mrs has already reminded me of my pledge to let one go in return for this acquisition. (I'll quietly drag my heels for a while.)

I have multiple bb options, although I think just cleaning this one and repacking will save me from fighting with a fixed cup for now. The adjustable cup is damn tight and I got no budge from the wrestling match with it yesterday.

I do have a spare Campy crank, if needed, but prefer not to destroy this one in removing pedals. New chainrings of the SR variety will spruce it up, too.

RD? I have a NOS Suntour Cyclone w/3 pulleys as one option. A NOS first-gen Rally (the weak-necked version) another option. Or go all-out bling with a NOS Euclid RD that is just sexy and equally as wide ranging to boot.

Bars. I'd like to try the Grab-Ons to see what they feel like after a few miles. That said, they'll probably come off and the Tektro brake levers go on. I really appreciate thoughts supportive of that. But I don't think anyone outside of our small cabal would ever notice. (Okay, may L'Eroica officials, but I ain't going anytime soon!)

Racks. I have several spare Blackburns in my house. I'll pick up some nice nylon washers to protect the contact points. I also removed the blackburn water bottle cages and will add nylon washers there, too.

Tires will be a real question. At some point, I have a pair of Phil Woods Hi-Lo hubs that have been saved for the appearance of Mr. Ritchey. I'm toying with Velo Master 25, or the Paris-Roubaix, or the Challenge 30mm tire. Or would it be Paselas, if the budget is feeling tight?

The current tires on the wheels are Specialized Turbo-s in 25mm. Old, but holding air. I'll try 'em, but don't exactly trust.

I'd say this is the early stages of a loooooong love affair.

:-)

fender1

I can squeeze the Paris Roubaix on mine, but hat is about as big as I could go. I have to deflate them a bit to get past the brakes. A 32mm Pasela was a no go. Hit the front fork crown.

LeicaLad 

Good to know. I wonder if the "unheard of" 2" rake and (slightly) looser angles on this might give me an extra mm or two? I have a set of gravel grinder wheels. I'll see if they can fit. The idea of fenders also appeals, but I've never succeeded in installing a set yet! ha.

Aemmer

Challenge Eroica. Just no room for fenders.

LeicaLad 

Thanks, Aemmer. That does look tight.

Have I asked about the serial number on your frame? Have you listed your road bike on Eric's Ritchey registry?

He says he wants to update the listings, and would like to add more road bikes. Brian's has NO serial number, this one seems to be the date.

Thanks, again, for the image.

Aemmer

You already have it.

Revisit this thread.

That said, as much as I use the OMB site for their catalogs, I really need to do my part and share a few bikes on there. I think Big Red, and The Road are there, added by previous owners. The road has some misguiding information though.

SJX426 

Beautiful bike! My size too! Congrats! I would dump the foam. My favorite bike not nearly as special as yours but I decided to get it to near period correct. What I like to ride and what is period correct does differ. So these:


Will go on:
to be period correct

and replace this


Which will make a bunch of splash haters happy! It only takes 10 min or less to swap out.

And NO, N+1 does not equal DONE! Infinity = Done

fender1

Mine is more of "touring rig" and I was able to get SKS Longboards on it with the Challenge tires.The Longborads have a rounder profile than standard SKS Chromoplastics (which would not fit) which allowed me to on. I had to carve the rear fender at the chainstays, as the 45mm fender was a bit too wide.

I had also tried to fit a set of 35mm VO metal fenders but they were to tight a fit with the width of the Challenge tires and the tires hit dhruma(?) bolt under the fork crown. The 45mm VO fenders did not fit either. They were too wide and I am too lazy to dimple things.

phoebeisis

Pretty bike-
I'm assuming from the comments that it is a $2000 bike-seller wanted $12,000???

Now that is NOT even a BAD packing job-not as ebay bike packing jobs go.
Hell as ebay packing jobs-probably a top 25% pack job.
Now for a $2000 bike-not great.

I quit selling stuff-especially bikes frames on ebay because it takes sooooo long to pack a bike.

I used to buy the cheap $10 HOME DEPOT paneling-and cheap 2x2"(stake packs are cheapest)-and dry wall screws to assemble hard boxes .
It was too much work for a $500 frame-but if I didn't and the frame was slightly dinged-I would be out the frame the $500 plus the shipping.

It takes at least 2 hours to pack a pricy bike(CARD BOARD BOX)-assuming you have a suitable box-packing material-zip ties-
and if it is a card board box-it can still be punctured or crushed-so all for naught
The hard boxes meant it took 5-6 hours-too much work for any bike worth less than $1500 or so( net profit at least $400)
Yeah-not worth it to sell bikes on ebay-
CL is FREE-why bother?

miamijim

Old Grab On's get hard and a little flakey, if they seem OK swap them out for new ones or even try the real soft ones from your LBS or WalMart. A neat little trick is cut a 'U' into the so they fit around the brake levers and cover the exposed bar.

miamijim

Someone needs to teach you how to pack a bike/frame!!!

phoebeisis

miamijim
Packing a pricy bike in a cardboard box-is POINTLESS- because it can still be crushed and punctured.
If you used a cardboard box to ship a $2000 bike-you just crossed your fingers

Even in a cardboard box-if you pack wheels-handlebars seat seat post skewers pedals-all in ONE box-
EVERYTHING hard has to be separately addressed-padded-in something soft but stiff-
it then has to be securely firmly attached to something else -with something soft but with crush resistant in between them.
UPS USPS- don't handle boxes gently-they handle them FAST
and probably 50% of the bike boxes I have received- were punctured or crushed to some extent.
The cardboard box then has to be made crush resistant-and somewhat more puncture proof(double the cardboard)-put cardboard spacers stiffeners throughout the box.

If you can carefully- disassemble and securely-pack and entire expensive bike in under 2 hours- single cardboard box congrats!

I would have to make the card board anti crush spacers-and would have to glue sheets of cardboard to the original sides to prevent punctures

It became easier to just build a "hard crates" with cheap paneling-PITA- but it worked.

Now I can certainly loosen the stem/HB twist them- pull off wheels- pedals-dump in box- tape fill out lable-20 minutes

I would bet that someone spent 45 minutes-1 hr on that disassembly and pack job labeling etc

Big bike manufacturers ship entire containers-all bikes-in made to fit that bike boxes-with shippers who want to KEEP that business-
they expect some damage in shipping-and they get it-just ask bike shop owners

wrk101

I follow Jim's tutorial, almost always ship with USPS. So far, a couple of dozen, no problems yet (there always is a first I am sure).

It does take me longer than Jim. Two hours for just a frame set, longer for a complete bike.

UPS? I will never use them again.

Fed Ex is OK, but they try to back charge me later (apparently, box grows while in transit). To GM: Yes, I have a Fed Ex account. On frame sets, I find USPS the cheapest, on complete bikes, Fed Ex.

Why bother when C/L is free? Depends where you live, but around here, a road bike over about $300 does not sell. This is great for buyers, sucks for sellers. In my experience, Charlotte is no better. So I have picked up some nice gems there as well (its a drive). So if you are buying and eventually want to resell, its either give away pricing on local C/L, sell on this forum, or ebay.

KonAaron Snake 

Having received a bike shipped by Jim, let me assure you that his packing minimized risk. It arrived safe and sound...regardless of time spent packing. Doing what he did would take me far longer than two hours - but he does it more than.

gomango

Do you have a Fedex account?

I do and have been shipping bicycles, sports car parts, fly fishing supplies and gosh only knows what else without incident.

Start an account and enjoy a better rate.

Edit: @op That's a beautiful bicycle btw. What a truly rare find.

The Golden Boy 

That is an awesome, beautiful, inspirationally cool bike.

Congratulations- Although I can take a fair amount of verbal abuse, I don't think I could have put up with that nutty ****. I'll pay stupid money for stuff, but I don't know if I would have put up with that "eccentricity." I understand the prize- but I don't know that it would be worth it. Then again, I haven't had it dangled in front of me in my size.

Congratulations! More pictures are definitely in order!

ish

When the time comes, remember that we are the same size and your Team Comp is the brother to my Tomato Red Ritchey Road Classic. You never ride it anyway.

fender1

Complete the trinity......

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ritc...item4d172d9b58

LeicaLad 

Now THAT is a truly long wheel base. Yowsir. Don't think the mrs would be interested, tho.


This is a valid point. The Team Comp is too perfect, and will be the one to go -- when the mrs really holds me to my word (see earlier suggestions to that effect). Sigh. It is just too beautiful to ride. Is your Road Classic built up, or was it just that pristine frame?

As evidence from above, I tend to be the absent-minded professor type. I've asked Brian about his bike several times before it fully registered that I knew this. . . some chemical deficiency, I suspect.

As for this one, it will be a serious rider. I'm thinking I might use the winter weather as a reason to repack both BB and headset. I even have half a can of FrameSaver left, although this won't be a winter-weather bike. But, why not do it up so I can hand it on to a grandchild someday, eh?

phoebeisis

wk101
Konaaronsnake

Yeah-no way can you properly pack ship a decent bike-in a cardboard box-with wheels etc-in less than 2 hrs
It would take me 3 hrs or more-and it was STILL just cardboard-subject to being punctured.
I would use card board spacers in the box to make it a bit more crush resistant-and double thick the sides-but
the hard crate using cheap $10 4x8 siding and 2x2s- was much more puncture and crush resistant
I got pretty good at it-but the crates took maybe 1.5-2 hr to build-maybe $-25 in materials-