Wednesday, June 19, 2013

The More You Learn...

…the more confused you get!

   During this frustrating search for a Campagnolo freewheel, I’ve collected all sorts of background on Atala bicycles and more is on the way, since I ordered Bike! A Tribute to the World’s Greatest Cycling Designers, which includes a feature on Atala bikes. If interested, there are several websites with excerpts from the book if you do a Google search.
   A lot of information I’ve gathered conflicts with my original plan to outfit my bike entirely in Campagnolo parts, but that might not necessarily be a bad thing! It seems a major reason I’ve been having difficulty finding what I want is that Campagnolo freewheels were made with a lighter alloy that wore out relatively quickly.
   I wondered about the idea of Campagnolo freewheels becoming expensive collectors’ items, instead of a part being put to use on a bike, but now there seems to be a reason – they don’t last. You can guarantee I won’t be shelling out big bucks for a nicely packaged, mint condition, Italian-geared paperweight!


   Campagnolo at one time apparently purchased better parts from a German company and stamped their name on them. Later Campagnolo simply paired freewheels of other manufacturers with their component group, or gruppo, if you want to sound like a true aficionado of Italian bicycles.
   I first heard rumors of this quirky practice on a couple online bike forums and then confirmed it using websites like Lightweight Classic Vintage Bicycles (also known as Classic Rendezvous) and Old Roads.com, through which I was able to hook up with downloads of some old Atala and Campagnolo catalogs from the ‘70s and ‘80s. I then contacted a few folks through eBay and craigslist who were selling vintage bicycles with full Campagnolo gruppo in order to find out what type of freewheel was included on their bikes.
   Wouldn’t you know it, in about a dozen cases, I’ve yet to find ONE bike that has a Campagnolo freewheel? The really funny thing is that the most common freewheel found on vintage Italian bikes is Regina – the type I had in my possession a couple weeks ago. Now keep in mind, at that point it was too early to just give up on my search, and I would have had to go through all the trouble to remove it from the wheel-less hubs, AND I would have had to take care of relisting the hubs and skewers, so I don’t see that ever being the correct option!
   I’ve also found Campagnolo drives paired with freewheels made by Maillard and Sachs, which eventually absorbed Maillard and is now SRAM. Older Atala bicycles had freewheels by G Caimi, a company that became Everest. Interestingly, I’ve discovered that some newer Atalas had full Shimano setups, not only because of a lower cost to the consumer, but also because the Japanese were doing some innovative things, particularly with freewheels. They were using a design that had more easily interchangeable cogs, which had also been enhanced by deeper grooves and shaped teeth that provided smoother shifting.
   Initially I pondered the presence of the Shimano derailleur and freewheel that were on my bike at the time of purchase, but considering that nearly every other part on the bike was Campagnolo, I don’t think those parts were original. Although Shimano and SunTour certainly put out quality products, I do think it’s a bit sacrilegious to have anything but Italian parts on an Italian bike. I remember my brother-in-law letting me have it when he saw Shimano parts on my Pinarello when I bought it!

   In summary, I’m pretty much giving up on the “full Campy” treatment now, and I’m weighing the cost/quality issues to make a decision on whether to use a Regina or G Caimi freewheel. Oh, and to leave this entry on a high note, the left-handed drill bit worked like a charm to remove the broken bolt from my Colnago! Now I just have to contend with the apprehension that this "wrong way" bottom bracket issue will happen again.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Getting nowhere fast

   I can't say that I really have progress to report! I thought that I had finally found a freewheel, purchased along with some nice Campagnolo wide flange hubs. My winning bid factored in the money I would receive after polishing the hubs and skewers and re-selling them. One drawback was the difficulty of removing a freewheel that no longer had spokes and a rim attached, since using them for leverage when turning the wrench in the opposite direction is rather useful!
 
 
   I searched the 'net for some advice and found some interesting solutions, including the partial rebuilding of a wheel. Because the cogs get in the way of inserting spokes in that side of the hub, one would essentially just rebuild the non-drive side. However, I was concern with the torque put on the part, since it is made of relatively lightweight materials (keep reading for an example of torque horror), and I didn't like the idea of potentially twisting the hub out of alignment.
   I came up with the idea of making a simple jig with a board that had a hole cut just big enough to fit the narrower axle through. I would then cut the board in half so that the hub can be inserted in the hole, between the two halves of the board after they are realigned and clamped together.
   Using the holes in the non-drive end of the hub as a guide, I would then drill holes and insert bolts that would fit up into those larger holes that serve as a weight-saving and decorative element on the flanges. The bolts would be just long enough to fit up underneath the freewheel without making contact, so that the little bit of downward pressure I would be using while turning the wrench would keep everything in place, but not gouge the underside of the freewheel as it turned.
   All this clever thought was for nothing, because what the seller listed as a Campagnolo six-speed freewheel, was actually a Regina freewheel, clearly marked on the smallest cog. Regina makes great stuff, but...oh, you get the point by now! I had already taken out the skewers and polished them up nicely, so it was clear that the seller was going to have this item returned in better condition than that in which he had sent them.
   I was met with a bit of a dispute about what a "full refund" meant, in that the seller intended for a buyer to pay return shipping. After I opened a claim and sent a note explaining the error in the listing, all I received was the eBay "eligible for full refund" form response. I asked for a personal response from the seller and simply added that the incorrect listing was his fault, and that I should not be paying anything, since I wasn't getting anything! Fortunately he was quick to send an email and settled everything to my satisfaction.
   Unfortunately the freewheel search continues.
 
   I went on a ride on my Colnago the other day and experienced a ping during every revolution of the pedals. I looked down and noticed the bottom bracket had rotated out towards the right and the left crank was tapping the chain stay when I turned the pedals. This is one of those wacky Italian bicycle features that cause complications, and nobody in the design/repair world knows why they have yet to change it.
   All non-Italian bicycle builders thread the bottom bracket sides in different directions to account for the pedaling motion and its tendency loosen, or in my case, completely unscrew the part. I can't believe I am that focused when I ride that I didn't notice it sooner, but apparently I didn't have the Herculean strength (or so I thought, but stay tuned) to permanently secure the bracket cup against the frame.
   I had to remove the cranks (which I hate to do, faced with the prospect of putting them back on) in order to insert the bottom bracket tool, make the adjustments and tighten everything as much as I possibly could. It all went downhill from there when the crankarm mounting bolt sheared off. I can only assume the part was bad because I've seen the guys at the shop wrestle with this job, and I know they are putting more torque on the tools than I can - not just because they are younger, but their muscles are more used to this very job-specific exercise.
   I am now into the frustrating process of aquiring/attempting several tools to remove the broken bolt from the pedal axle. At this point I have a small pilot hole started, and after finding that a larger bit makes the bolt turn deeper into the hole, I conducted a fruitless hunt locally for a lefthanded drill bit. I'm convinced this will work to back out the broken bolt, so I'm awaiting an eBay delivery on the bit, along with a replacement Campagnolo bolt set.
   By the way, I did not pay the $40 MSRP for the parts - no bolts should cost $20 a piece!! I found a couple used - no bolts should cost $6.50 a piece!!                ...but I'll live with it.
 

Monday, June 3, 2013

Some R & R

   Just a fairly short entry today, since I haven't had much to write about the last couple of weeks while still in the process of collecting parts for the Atala bicycle project. I'm most of the way there, with only pedals remaining on my "Needs" list. There have been plenty of items available on eBay (except for the freewheel, which is an upcoming story in itself), but I have been very patient to get reasonable prices. I'm awaiting delivery of a few parts that will be installed together, then I can give a better progress report.
   Although nothing really newsworthy has been involved, a few customers have been in the shop recently. Some of these repairs have also involved collecting of parts, particularly a neighbor who needed most of a new drivetrain. His '80s Trek, while in decent overall shape, had never had its chain or rings replaced and showed major wear.
  
   This has been the earliest in a calendar year that I've hit the 1000-mile-mark, but I was discouraged lately about how I've felt out riding, with rather dead legs and not a lot of jump. I was hoping my body was just slow responding to the heat, since the temperature rose into the 90s after a week or so in the 60s and 70s. I did a good amount of fall and winter riding, and maybe its just taking me longer to get into "the season".
   I've been eating and drinking properly, especially on the longer rides, and I would discount sleep as a factor, because mine has ALWAYS been erratic. Sue suggested that maybe I just need a extra day or two off, since she has fine-tuned her triathlon training and has found the value of rest days in order to keep fresh. Looking at the forecast, she had also noticed the heat wave was due to break, so I took her advice.
   I was encouraged by how I felt today after taking a three-day haitus from my regular riding schedule. A shorter, 20-mile route on a cloudy, mid 70s day was good medicine as well. And who says guys never listen to what their wives say?