Monument Man

So I just picked up this Pinarello Asolo frame - obviously it's a road frame but it's going to become my autumn project and new fixed gear. Ive been looking for a frame for a little while, finally found what i was looking for and got a nice deal on it. i think it's probably an early 90s frame but i'd really appreciate it if anybody has any more info on the model year. i saw an asolo (ya bad name, eh?) in the 87 pinarello catalog and it wasn't the same frame and i'm thinking mine is newer.

since i ended up buying italian i suppose i'll have to go ahead and keep an eye out for campy components. it's a used frame and i plan to use this bike as my primary urban transportation around the city. i've got a few more pics if anybody wants to see.

Pinarello Asolo
"Ferrari" Red - no **** - the italians had funny color names like "italian ice" and "spumoni"
56cm
Steel Lugged Frame

its got cool internal cable routing and nice forged dropouts, water bottle bosses on the seat and downtube, and a real nice badge on the head tube. the right chainstay is chrome.









so how much did i pay? well, it cost a lot less than these pinarello bars/stem currently listed on ebay (which would be a nice addition to this build BTW but dude...kind of pricey?)
https://cgi.ebay.com/PINARELLO-CINELL...QQcmdZViewItem

cassette

don't make it a ss/fixed gear. treat that **** right...

hyperRevue

Yeah, jesus, that bike deserves gears.

Monument Man

lol u guys are killing me. i ride lots on the road and this frame is much nicer than my main roadie. exactly what i was thinking when i picked it up, damn i should put some gears on this ****er!

but anyway it's going to look hot with some drop pista bars and a chrome fork and yeah, a fixed gear setup.

eyefloater

Ahh for the love of god, don't turn that into a fixed gear/singlespeed.

ISeeDeadHuffies

If it ain't fixed its broken!

sers

throw some deep v's and risers on that joint!

eyefloater

*sigh*

**** it, at least add a few porno spoke cards while you're at it.

Aeroplane

You can always put a Miche group on it too, to save some of the coin that you no doubt spent on the frame.

Jesus kids, does everything have to be a fashion show?

shants

that frame probably didn't run all that much. it's just an early 90s bike. nothing particularly vintage and not in stellar condition.

since it's nothing special (in terms of collectibility, etc), you might as well make a conversion of it. enjoy. don't listen to people telling you to keep it "pure" or any **** like that - it's just a ****ing bike.

Monument Man

cool i'll check out miche i didn't think of them. i will probably go all vintage/used except for the saddle. i like my boys to have their own new platform. they dont like to share.

you're dead on. its a well made, quality frame in a hot racing red but its real used and nothing particularly "special" or collectable. it wasnt pricey. but i like it.

eyefloater

I dunno Shants, you're pretty consistent with what you're willing to turn into a fixed gear bike - at least from what you post on these forums.

[Personal prejudices full disclosure]

I don't think it's a case of staying "pure" to the bike. If you're going to build a fixed gear or singlespeed bike, try to use a frame that's been designed for that use from the start. All those unused bosses, the derailleur hanger, etc. end up looking like crap when not in use. The hassle of dealing with cold-setting a rear triangle/chainline issues in some cases just turns my stomach.

I think, in my sad little pea brain that you might be better served just touching up the paint job and flipping the bike to someone else who will appreciate it. Then take that money and have your pick of the "few hundred dollar" frame options.

[/Personal prejudices full disclosure]

But hell, dude who's "beater" is a Ciocc conversion is one of my favourite bikes.

Edit: Don't ever grind **** off the bike, either. That'll kill the resale value and limit any future use you can get out of it.

mcatano

Just build it the way you want and ride it. Personally, I'd avoid grinding off the cable guides or derailleur hanger, just in case you get a track frame in the future and decide to sell the Pinner (heehee) or build it up with gears. Buying a decent road gruppo ain't cheap - you might as well ride it sooner than later.

m.

shants

I have a 1970s Gitane road frame conversion that is my beater/bad weather bike. I ride the **** out of it. It's no eye candy, though. https://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2005...aronPratt2.htm -- that's the first incarnation of it. things have changed very significantly, but yeah.

Let's just say that the Pinarello frame was purchased for $150. Chances are very good that, given the current state of the track market, you would absolutely not be able to buy a track frame with comparable quality tubing and build for that amount. Sure, the extra bits look a little odd and perhaps ugly when not in use, but the frame, for the cost, is a hell of a lot nicer than most of the entry track options.

Monument Man

yeah i hear you guys about grinding **** off the frame. it'll all stay, i really don't care. the shift bosses need to be dealt with but i'll do it in a way that preserves the integrity of the frame.

so dealing with the derailer hangers, the 130mm spacing, all that is not ideal for a track bike, but the deal i got on the frame was too good to pass up. even tho i wont sell it (well anytime soon anyway) i know i got agreat value here and ppl will pay bux to buy it from me off ebay if i keep it original.

i have a vintage 60s raleigh frame which is nice steel lugged with the campy dropouts, can accept racks and fenders and has a real nice vintage look. real good for a fixie cept it weighs like 10-12lbs just for the frame. but it would cost me just as much to build it up as the pinner (but i'd want to paint the raleigh) and it wouldn't command nearly the pricing on ebay or craigs. it requires all kinds of raleigh specific components (BB, crank, headset), which i was unaware of when i picked it up. i figured that since it was english, well that i'd be ok. live and learn, i guess.

i will need a new road/cross bike at some point (mine tops the scales at a beefy 27lbs but those wheels are bombproof!) but i decided to keep it until i literally can not maintain it anymore. built up a new wheelset last month so now it's pretty good condition - but i ride a lot and the components are just all blowing up cuz i ride a lot. if i get a new road bike i want something pretty new/modern and i won't build it myself. those new grouppos are freaking ridiculous, and you can save all kinds of loot just buying used off ebay or craigs - even a brand new bike would probably cost the same as just buying hte grouppo separately. but the fixed is going to be primary transportation and i just want something a) that speaks to me and b) that i will ride every day.

its going to take a while to build because i'll look for deals online and that will take time, but i'll show u guys pics and i'll need lots of help building up the wheels/spacing. its my first fixed gear "conversion" and the proper spacing is the part i'm most worried about.

mcatano

The 130 (are you sure it's not 126?) spacing shouldn't be much of a problem at all. You can either "cold set" (ie, bend) the rear triangle, or you can just spend a few nickles and buy 3mm (for 126 spacing) or 5mm (for 130 spacing) worth of spacers for each side. Provided your rear axle is long enough, it shouldn't pose any more than a few seconds of extra work.

m.

Shiznaz

My ex-girlfriend got a minty fresh pinarello asolo frame in blue (with frame, fork, campy headset+bb, cinellu stem+bars, modolo levers) for $300CAD and I built it into a SS and then FG for her. She loves it and it looks amazing and she gets nothing but compliments. Do what you want with the frame, Asolos are SUPER fun to ride... Really lovely and lively geometry. I determined her frame was from 91-92 and yours looks newer from the position the internal cable bosses are mounted and the decals. Thats probably from 93-94 or somewhere around there. That paint flakes off like crazy though so watch out when locking up.

Monument Man

any chance you want to sell that fork? those forks are super cool, me like a lot! definitely wish i had that fork, does it have the cool pinarello stamp on the top of the fork kind of like how colnago has those cutout club symbol?

so you just made me very pumped to build this thing. glad she enjoys the ride. any pics?

hey also any idea what kind of paint would be used for a good touch up job? i don't want to have it repainted, but want to steer clear of obviuosly horrible paint applications. what did you do with the shift lever nobs?

TRaffic Jammer

Build it up! Shiznaz's gf's ride is really nice. Don't shave the roadie bits off just in case you want to gear it up one day.

Aeroplane

Some folks just get old friction shifters and stick 'em on there. They don't do anything, but you can turn'em if you want to, and they keep you from scraping your leg.

Monument Man

genius

done. thanks.

Sammyboy

You can also get a bell that mounts to those.

Shiznaz

hmmm... come to think of it I don't think I have any pictures of it built up... I got dumped too soon!