Here's the metallic tangerine Palo Alto frame/fork I picked up a few months ago, now fully built. I'll test ride tomorrow.

Almost always I build a new bike from parts on hand. Almost always this requires some hoop-jumping. In this case I could not find a non-recessed side pull front brake caliper with enough reach. Campy, Suntour, Gipiemme, Modolo, Weinmann and a few others were all about 3-4 mm short. I didn't want to drill this fork. Nor did I relish using center-pulls of any ilk. Drop bolt time.

Cudak888 showed me a Scott drop bolt specifically designed for non-recessed use. Kurt asked me to emphasize its existence so no more C&V forks necessarily need be "Drewed". I bought the bolt and tried to plug it in. Long story short the 6mm shaft on the drop bolt would not work on the 5mm caliper arm bore of all the previously mentioned candidates except one - the Modolo Speedy/America. OK, we'll go with the grey.

I acquired the grey Americas and red cable housing, along with a batch of other Modolo brake bits in a trade with our man in Nayarit, Kroozer. He's down there teaching.........kids, I suppose.

Thanks to both for their contribution.

So, it was another enjoyable build, all-in-all, especially given the anticipation primed by Bigbossman's supercool red PA racer he's been complimentary about in several previous posts here. Thanks to BBM for sharing the fruits of his good taste.

Elsewhere: Phil/Mavicwheels, Gatorskins, red Retrofrictions, Suntour XC Pro seat post and bombproof Sprint/Cyclone transmission, Cinelli stem/bars, Campy NR BB/headset, self-dyed bar tape, self-covered Selle Flite Ti, Edco Competition crankset, Mavic rings. Pedals? I don't know yet.

Altogether a colorful, worldly bike did up Chattanooga style.

Now, here are pics. Nobody reads this stuff, anyhoo.

Back story and pics......

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...70s?highlight=

Holy smokes, she's a looker.

Congrats.

That's a sharp bike, man! I've never seen the red Retrofrictions. Looking forward to a ride report!

Didn't have enough red housing for the derailleur?

I do like all the red bits though; it's a nice touch.

I'm jealous all over again.

You're right. I had only those two lengths of red. That third piece would have been better but it'll have to wait. I'm going to ride this thing
for awhile.

Thanks,

J

That crankset is lovely.

Really sweet build. You did a super job on the Palo Alto. I used to drool over their catalog.

Grady, Mr. skidoo, Justin, mud boy, qcpmsame, thanks all.

J

Looks great! I still wish I'd of ended up with this frame. Just curious, is that your normal fitment? Saddle pushed all the way forward with a long stem - or is that what you're doing to make it work with parts on hand? I wasnt sure if you knew something about your weight being more forward or something...

Frame is killer. Cool mix of parts. I'm enamored with those red simplex retrofriction shifters, which I've never seen before either.

So, where can one find these Scott drop bolts? They seem pretty rare.

Absolutely beautiful!!


(Male singer)
Tangerine,
She is all they claim
With her eyes of night and lips as bright as flame
Tangerine,
When she dances by
Senoritas stare and caballeros sigh
And I've seen
Toasts to Tangerine
Raised in every bar across the Argentine
Yes, she has them all on the run
But her heart belongs to just one
Her heart belongs to Tangerine

(Female singer)
Tangerine,
She is all they say
With mascara'd eye and chapeaux by Dache.
Tangerine,
With her lips of flame
If the color keeps, Louis Philippe's to blame.
And I've seen
Clothes on Tangerine
Where the label says "From Macy's Mezzanine".
Yes, she's got the guys in a whirl
But she's only fooling one girl
She's only fooling Tangerine!

One of the nicest pictures I've seen on BF in a while:

Whoa...eclectic build!

I think I remember those red anodized retros that went for auction at ebay maybe about a year ago. There couldn't be too many of those around and the color anodizing must have been a one-off run by either Simplex or a bike manufacturer to put on a specific bike model that needed red shifters. I have a pair in anodized black. I have only seen one other pair in black so far. I'm trying to figure out what bike I might use them on. Problem is, all my bikes are black or grey and I'd prefer some sort of contrast with the shift levers.
Really nice Palo Alto BTW, I still remember recieving Palo Alto catalogues in college during the 80's with those bikes in them.

Chombi

Lament of this frame's previous owner (courtesy of Led Zeppelin)

Tangerine

Measuring a summer's day, I only finds it slips away to grey,
The hours, they bring me pain.

Tangerine, Tangerine, Living reflection from a dream;
I was her love, she was my queen, And now a thousand years between.

Thinking how it used to be, Does she still remember times like these?
To think of us again? And I do.

I was going to post that one next.

Beautiful job! Hope it rides as good as it looks!

I watched this one on the bay, IIRC, and even stuck in a very token bid. I think, however, it wound up in the right hands, judging by the build.

Beautiful! That paint must be stunning in person.

This is a very interesting observation and subject, Brian. Fit and riding position. It's complex - and always evolving, in my case. It's technical and emotional ( I think of Eddie and his constant tinkering with seat position).

I came to the personal conviction awhile back that saddle position relative to the crank/pedals is the key to my good fit. Everything else follows that for me. I've experimented pretty thoroughly with various saddles, posts, stems and positions and I've know that the saddle forward position is the right starting point for this seat and post (zero setback) on this frame, given my body geometry. I look for a sense of rightness over the pedals, of the most natural position of power and comfort.

I have yet to really ride this bike so adjustments are sure to follow.

And, yes, it's also a function of working within the limitations of equipment at hand. That's a great part of the fun - creating something artful, well-balanced and purposeful, intuitively.

I'll take covetous remarks seriously and give you dibs when I'm ready to part with this frame, if you like. ;-)

Best,

Julian

BG, the metallic flakes in this paint really simmer. Photos don't begin to capture the richness and liveliness.

Actually, the paint is sun-faded in certain sections. I tried to harmonize the tonal differences by using the splashes of color - reds, greys, black, yellow - as I did. Distractions, pretty distractions.

Thanks,

j

Chombi, I bought the red Retrofrictions about a year ago off Ebay. Gotta be the same pair you saw. I knew they would not come around again soon so I paid a little premium for them. No regrets.

If you ever want to sell or trade your black ones, I'm your man.

Best,

J

I like the panels of light and the wheel shadow. The red tape just pops here. That and the angularity/circularity of lines makes the whole look abstract, almost 3-D.

Thanks,

J

I'm reasonably sure a bike like that can get you arrested for pedaling porn.