calamarichris

Any idea what size? Any pics? Their website doesn't show much.

Wspsux

I will be speaking with them tomorrow so I'll find out then, they're building up something sexy and italian for me.

calamarichris

That's very kind of you. Doubt it's my size (60-62cm), but I'm a firm believer that in the Information Age eventually every patient human attains his heart's dearest desire.
Post pics of your Italiana when finished. Here's one of mine, currently being built up with NOS/NIB 6400 Tricolor Ultegra.
(THe wheels are just frame holder-uppers for now.)

Wspsux

Awesome Masi! What is that SLX? I'm having a Pinarello Montello put together with Campy.

The Madison is more like a 54-55.

calamarichris

Ah nuts. I just learned today that the large frame size Schwinn made of that year was 58 and change.
I'd work in a chocolate factory to get one of those lovely Madisons to fit me, but I'd have to cut my legs off and have my feet reattached at the knee.
You shorties get all the pretty bikes.

Mtrhed

I've always liked the look of these frames. Not the best track bike out there from what I've heard but the folks that have 'em seem to like 'em.
I picked this mess on eBay and am trying to bring it back from the dead



I've never been able to make pictures post properly so hopefully this works.
No idea as to the year of this frame. Is there a list of years by serial number somewhere?
This frame spent a lot of time out in the weather before I bought it. Everything is rusty. I mangled up a cheapo saddle but was finally able to get the seat post out.



The sealed BB feels like it has rocks in it, new one on order.
No dents in frame but plenty of chips & scuffs. If I like the bike I'll powercoat it latter. Looks like a trip to the fingernail polish section for now.
Things I've added:
New wheels
48h 1/8 Inch Julian rims (Stickers gone now)
Dual-Free set-up in the rear
Suzue sealed font
Half black half silver spokes alternating L to R. These are heavy wheels but tough as nails and should ride good. This is my 3rd Dual-Free set-up and I love 'em.



If I was concerned about weight I wouln't have bought a Madison in the first place.

Thick Slick 700 X 25's
Wanted white for a vintage look but this is A LOT of white. This size is really tight in this frame. Wish I could remove logos from these.

Generic 90MM CF stem
Nitto bars
Inline brake lever
White rubber grips. Probably with go with cloth tape eventually. Going to try doing a harlequin wrap on my Orbea track bike. If I can make that look good I'll go that route on this bike.

Black FSA Vero crankset. This arrived all scratched up. Stripped the black anodizing off with Easy-Off and been sanding all the buggers out. They're almost ready for polish. These look like a matched set but one arm has RPM cast into the back the other has FSA???



FSA 44T chain ring. Black with scratches but will touch-up with a Sharpie and run it for now.

Yellow KMC chain
MKS Sylvan pedals with aluminum MKS clips
Will add yellow straps

There are still lots of little things to clean up but it's coming along. Just added a vintage style headset badge, probably doubled the value of this poor thing. I'm praying I can get chainline straight without having to redish rear wheel. Rear hub was a 110, added 5mm spacer on each side to keep it centered. Have ordered 103mm and 107mm BB's to see which gets me in the ballpark. I think these came with a 107mm.
My first bike was a Stingray in Lemon Yellow. I'd love to find a Madison in 60cm in this color.

Mtrhed

Kind of suprised to see a 27mm. Mine was rusted and stuck but it clearly had "27mm" marked in it once I was able to remove it and sand thru all the crud.

Scrodzilla

2008 Madisons were blue. 2009 were black or yellow.

My 2008 took an annoying 27.0 seatpost.

SquidPuppet

What am I seeing between the hub flange and the cog?

Gonna need a longer axle.

Mtrhed

The DualFree uses a propritary freewheel that has either one or two thumb screws to switch between fixed and freewheel. It does look like an additional part in the photo but it's all part of the freewheel. This setup works pretty well. There is a bit of slop when you back peddle with it in fixed mode but it's managable. It's nice to have the option to switch between fixed/free without breaking out a wrench but I've only need to switch one or twice so far. The freewheels are the trick and thankfully they wear like stone. These do come up for sale on occassion. I've got a few extras for each bike that has this set-up.

Mtrhed

....and yes, I am going to need a longer axle!

SquidPuppet

Interesting, thanks.

Mtrhed

The thumb screws control spring loaded falling blocks. When the blocks are down, the gear is fixed. I try and take a pic of a freewheel so everyone can see this. They're kinda cool.

IAmSam

I remember reading about this DualFree, of which Mtrhed speaks, on 63XC - which was the fixed gear moutainbike bible quite a few years back and even then they were considered "vintage." They were Suntour items - separate hub and freewheel, but it does explain his predeliction for 48 spokes as IIRC the hub was only available in 48h.

I ran across that thing when I was kind of interested in and researching SRAM's Torpedo hub that switched between fixed and free with the turn of a screwdriver but reportedly had the same unfortunate bit of slop that Mtrhed talks about having in his hub. On a side note - I wonder if the Torpedo is still in production?

Mtrhed

Heres a shot of the back of the freewheel.



You can see the two slots on the inner part that the locking block fall into.



Here you can see one block is locked and the other is still set for freewheeling. These use a coaster brake style cog attachment with the three ears. The freewheel drops on and there is a seperate threaded lock-ring that goes over the bearing cone that is tightened with a pin-spanner.







I've only seen three of these hubs in the flesh and I ended up owning all three of them. I sold one with a complete bike (I really regret doing that now!). But just bought another hub/freewheel on eBay today! Here's a shot of my Bianchi that has my first one if these set-ups.





My first hub was incomplete and I was lucky to find a machinist who loved a challange and he made me a lock ring from scratch. I've had my first set of Dual-Free wheels on three different frames but they really seem to like the Bianchi the best. I have high hopes for the Madison though.
Other then the scarcity of the hubs and freewheels the major drawback is they ony made these in 17T so any gearing changes have to be with a chainring.

Lazyass

I think this one is a 2010. Does $275 sound fair? About how much does it weigh?

TejanoTrackie 

SquidPuppet

Lazyass

Well that's cool, never mind then. Adios.

casanewt

I just picked one up, Needs some TLC and a freewheel added to one side of the flip flop, but this thing is a beauty.

MAK

I asked previously on the forum but not on this thread which seems to be the most logical place. Answers I got were not conclusive. I love my Madison (beautiful blue and about 6-8 years old) and would like to carry a quick link or master link just to be prepared. What speed chain does the Madison use? Some said 8 speed and others 9 speed width chains.

What are your experiences? Another way to put it...If you need to replace the chain, what do you buy?

Thank you

Broctoon

I'm not sure what kind of chain rings and cogs came on the Madisons, or if yours are original. If you have 1/8" thick sprockets, you need a single-speed/track chain. If you have 3/32" you can go with 7, 8, 9 speed... whatever blows your skirt up.

Bikerider007

The light blue Madison looks nicer than the original Madison IMO. Pretty bikes with fender mounts as well.

seau grateau

Get a 1/8" track chain.

3speedslow