Something wicked this way comes - pics of my latest bike project
 

Lol - sorry for the theatrics in the thread title, but this bike is a bit wicked looking. I wanted to do an all black bike, and I wanted to mix vintage and modern components. The project is about 90% done. I still have a few bits to get and the frame painter neglected to cover the downtube mounts when they powder coated the frame, so now I have to figure out how to get that off without hurting the rest of the frame.

The frame is an old Centurion Ironman Master that I rescured. Cleaned it up and media blasted it and had powder coated - gloss black of course. I went with a Brooks Team saddle - black with copper rivets and rails. I had a Thomson Elite seatpost laying around that was perfect. I discovered a gem of a stem on Ebay - an Ernest Colnago ITM stem. I need to do a little touch up work on it but it is in good shape. The wheels are just Open Pros - one laced to an Ultegra hub the other to a White Industries H1 that might be shot. I dunno I have to look at it later when I have more time but I know it needs new bearings if nothing else. Drive train is a 105 10spd RD I got cheap. I had the cranks from my Motobecane - FSA SL-k compacts. FD is a FSA compact specific derailer. Shifters, when I get them on, will be Dura Ace downtube shifters.

Overall I think it came out wicked cool. ;) Good bike for Halloween eh? :D

Sorry, didn't have a lot of time to do a super solid job with the pics but here they are:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...e/DSC_0795.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...e/DSC_0799.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...e/DSC_0803.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...e/DSC_0812.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...e/DSC_0810.jpg

couple more - like this one of the whole bike better:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...DSC_0796-1.jpg

look at that perty stem:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...e/DSC_0800.jpg

I did the exact same thing with a Ciocc frame but I went with a 9-speed 105 kit. I just won some decals and will apply them soon. A black crank would look nice on mine, I've switched it to an old 600 crank since this photo was taken:

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j1...march010-1.jpg

Is it just me, or does the crank on the Ciocc look really, really low?

Both very nice bikes.

I prefer the first, but both are very nice.

Sick, sick, sick.... :)

both great looking rides.

thanks all. :)

If you want to see something really wicked, I just put my Zipps on it. :D I'll post a pic manana.

oh well, why put off to tomorrow what you can do today?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...e/DSC_0816.jpg

Now it's just plain sicker. Extra points when you replace the chainrings with black ones (Spécialités TA), get a dark-coloured chain

You need yourself one of the black 105 derailleurs on that thing. Otherwise, super super sick.

I wonder if you could take apart the derailleurs enough to have them powder coated black. That would kick so much a**.

Ultegra Sl's would be nice on that bike... They're pretty dark...

Very nice. I think I have now decided that when I re-paint my Ritchey, it will come back as a black bike -- maybe with deep blue decals?

Is that frame a little small for you?

Hey Rockets - I have short legs and a long torso, so I can do either a 56 and use a long stem or a 58 and drop the saddle. This is a 56cm frame and a 130mm stem!

The Ritchey would look good in black. The guy I used is actually quite good (and pretty cheap too) - just be sure to tell him to cover your downtube mounts... ;) If you get it painted we could start a MIB cycling team. :D

Another option for all black would be campy, or the 105 from two or three years ago that was black, like the guy with the ciocc posted. Very cool. Plus it'll be pretty neat to see a bike with Zipps and downtube shifters.

Hey there Ravenmore. Your Centurion has to be a model for the true "stealth" bike. I liked the way things are in your first pic, a potent combination of modern components with classic ones coupled with the sleek lines of the frame makes your ride one of the sexiest rides I've seen so far.

I wouldn't have put on the Zipps on the frame, even if I had the green. IMO the Zipps distort the classic lines of your ride, but its your ride and so long as you're happy, screw the others :D

I just realised the chain was missing :p

Cuda - I thought about the black 105 group too - that might be an idea for down the road.

I like Campy but I like the be able to switch and swap parts from one bike to the other and Campagnolo would limit me in that regard. SRAM Force might be an option too but that's just too expensive.

The Zipps aren't going to be on there full time. I switched it last night just to see what it would look like. Most of the time the Open Pro wheelset will be on there. I'll probably put the Zipps on from time to time though just for effect. It'd be fun to roll up to the occasional group ride like that. ;)

I need to get an all black kit. Do you think that'd be over the top. ;) :D

Know where your title comes from?

After seeing the build, it works for me. Nice job!

Whereas not as wicked, but with plenty of stealth nonetheless, here's the one I just finished...sorry no Zipp's yet, but I do have a pair of SWISS THREAT wheels on the way for this one.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=357210