Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Ready To Ride

   To my surprise, when I arrived at Bikesport Friday morning to pick up the Atala after it was packed for shipping, the Colnago AND the Tarmac were also ready to go! I was very excited to get home and start putting things together.
   The first step was to install the new seatpost clamp, replacing the one that was fairly mangled on the bike when I purchased it. This had to be done first so that I could use the seatpost as location to clamp the bike into my work station.
 
 
   Next came the installation of the drive train, starting with the bottom bracket and crankset. The large chainring provided a height reference to locate the front derailleur. I then added the pedals.
 

   I followed up with bolting on the rear derailleur.
 

   I needed the rear wheel and cassette on the bike to fit the chain and adjust the derailleurs, so I mounted the brake calipers at the same time and centered them. At this point I also set up the front wheel and brake, and while I was up there, I put on the handlebars.
 

   Next step was sizing the chain (method covered in an earlier article) and then feeding it through the derailleurs and connecting the master link. I actually had all the derailleur housings pre-cut from another project and installed these next, along with some cables I keep in stock. I made all the necessary adjustments and clamped everything tightly.
 

   The last few steps included cutting the brake cables and housings then adjusting the calipers. I found a good method to do this is holding the calipers closed against the rim and locking in the cable. Since new cables stretch a bit, I then squeeze the lever hard, which usually leaves enough clearance between the pad and rim. Finally I wrapped the handlebars to complete the project.
 

   Bob was thrilled when he came home from work, and I met him with his “new” Tarmac. He was also delighted to find out that we kept the whole project under $850. Patiently searching for needed parts, setting prices and sticking to them with smart bids goes a long way!
 
 

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Communications Breakdown

   The Atala bicycle I finished rebuilding this summer finally sold to a nice Greek gentlemen who now lives in Chicago. He told me he used to ride a bike just like it back in his homeland. This sounds like the perfect home for a beautiful bike that I enjoyed working on!


   Unfortunately, the Colnago project at this point has proven not to be so fun. After discovering the missing parts and damaged handlebars, I contacted the seller to explain my disappointment. I also mentioned the packaging tape issues, and how some of the decals were affected by removing the adhesive.
   To his credit, the seller was very apologetic at first and said he would accept a return, if a solution couldn’t be found. He said all items should have been in the box and mentioned that he was rushed preparing for a business trip, which made me think some carelessness may have been involved. I mentioned how I have in the past absentmindedly left something out of a nicely-wrapped package, only to have to undo all my worked in order to insert the missing piece. I explained that the gaps in the box seams would not have allowed larger items like a saddle or pedals to slip out easily.
   From my past experiences browsing and buying on eBay, I feel that I have a good grasp on the value of vintage parts, but not wanting to scare off the seller in my attempt to have my money partially refunded, I actually set the bar a bit low when mentioning prices to replace the individual parts that were missing. I felt bad that if indeed someone tampered with the package, that the seller was now on the hook for what was missing, and I told him that I wouldn’t include the shipping costs for the replacements.
   Despite what I thought was a reasonable proposal, he apparently didn’t like what he was hearing, because his tone became accusatory, with talk of filing police reports. He insisted that he would “find out if it was me or a FedEx employee involved in this theft”. He became more adamant about the return of the bike, which I thought might be a case of his new understanding of the true value of the bicycle, but I had no intention of sending it back. I had invested a good deal of time researching the bike and had already ordered some parts in anticipation of building it up.
   The seller then attempted to bring up the cost of the frame, which he learned from me was incorrectly listed as a “Super” and was really a “Nuovo Mexico”, a potentially more valuable frame. I mentioned that he didn’t have to accept my offer, but he did, and the real issue is that everything included in the auction was not delivered to me. I went into a detailed description of each part as I would conduct a search for them online, and included the prices, inviting him to do a bit of research as well.
   The next few exchanges became frustrating, as the seller kept switching between his repeated expressions of disbelief that the items were missing and his estimations of value for the missing items, which were WAY off. I told him in a friendly manner that I would really love to know where he shops, but instead of arguing in circles, I told him that I would provide receipts for anything I paid and return any money that I overestimated.
   I don’t think he understood the value of “piecing out” a bike for resale – in other words, selling off individual parts, instead of a complete bicycle. People will often buy a frame, new or old, and choose to outfit them with their favorite components. When dealing with vintage bicycle restoration, you are dealing with items that wear out and just aren't available anymore. If someone needs a specific detail - large or small, simple or complex - they are willing to pay much more than normal for that rare piece to complete their project. High-end Campagnolo parts are a gold mine! I knew ahead of time that one of the brakes on this bike was missing the barrel adjuster (see red circle in photo on left), a part which can be found on eBay from anywhere between $20-60. OH MY GOD!
   After yet another request for a return of the bike, I called FedEx to see I could find out what the original shipping weight of the package was. I then put all of the packaging materials in a bag, grabbed a large box from the basement and stood with everything on the bathroom scale. Subtracting my weight, I found that the materials were three to four pounds lighter than the package shipping weight – something had definitely been removed in transit!
   Sharing this information with the seller seemed to change his attitude a bit, and although it was only about two-thirds of my dollar amount, at least he made a reasonable partial refund offer. I was then caught up in a circle of misinformation, with very little help from the seller, involving eBay and FedEx policies and who was responsible for filing a claim. Finally, after several phone calls, I had all of the details straightened out and received final word that the seller had to file the FedEx claim.
   Reminding him that the damaged handlebars were still involved in this discussion, I accepted a partial refund of $180 dollars. I have a feeling the seller is going to use my value estimates when he files the claim with FedEx, but I’m not going to worry about that. I’ll just be happy when (if?) I get my money back.

   When I took my Atala over to Bikesport today to have it professionally packaged for shipping, I also gave them the Colnago frame to have the Dura-Ace headset cups popped out. I don't have the tool to do that, and I can't justify the expense of getting one, since headset cup removal isn't a process I undertake very often. I also needed the aid of their conditioned mechanic muscles to remove the fixed-side bottom bracket cup. I feel somewhat guilty when I take troublesome tasks to them, but when those jobs are specifically for me and not a client of mine, I feel a little better. By the way, while I was there, I found out that one of the barrel adjusters from the Tarmac bike project has been completely cleared out - whoopie!


 

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Not So Super?

   No news is bad news, as far as the Tarmac project goes, since that means the guys at Bikesport are still picking the pieces out of the rusty barrel adjuster mounts. I informed Bob of the situation: “I have everything waiting in my shop – I could have it ready for you tomorrow, if only I had the frame!” Well, maybe it would take me a couple of days to assemble everything, but he got my point.

   In the meantime, I can introduce you to a more long-term project that I’m going to work on during the autumn/winter, as funds allow. If you are a frequent reader of the blog, you may recall my discussion on Colnago bikes and my love for new or vintage models of that bicycle build. I have a saved search on eBay for Colnago bikes, just to browse through when the mood hits me. My brother-in-law also directed me to a fairly new internet site called If This, Then That, with which I can plug in details that will alert me to new Colnago posts on craigslist.


   A few weeks ago I saw an auction on eBay for a Colnago Super Saronni, which refers to a vintage machine modeled after the bicycle on which Italian Giuseppe Saronni (pictured above with bike) won his 1982 World Championship. The bike is distinguished by its wine red color, which I’ve heard is done by applying an undercoat of black with a translucent red topcoat – very much the color of a real candy apple, not the color people regularly call “candy apple red”.
   Colnago also started regular use of the World Championship rainbow stripes on their frame decals to celebrate Saronni’s win, even adding them diagonally behind their trademark Ace of Clubs logo (photo right) on their bicycle headtube badge.
   The bike up for auction wasn’t complete, but it featured a mixed bag of components, including Campagnolo front and rear derailleurs, aero seat post, pedals, brakes and brake levers with hoods, Cinelli handlebars and stem, a Dura-Ace crankset, headset and bottom bracket and a new retro-look Selle Italia leather saddle. Someone had obviously built up this frame with high-quality parts, but in my mind I was already selling off the mismatched stuff and returning the bike to its original all-Campagnolo glory!
    I was aware of the bike’s value, but I wasn’t willing to invest the $900 the seller asked with the “Buy It Now” feature, but he also had a “Make Me an Offer” button on the page, and I punched in $700. I was a little disappointed to see the auction end later in the week, but just a few days after that, I received a Second Chance Offer at my price when the original buyer backed out.


   Aware that the bike required a signature for delivery and that Carrick’s class schedule might not allow me to be at home when the FedEx truck came by, I requested the bike be left at the Collegeville FedEx office for me to pick up. On the way home from Wednesday's class, we picked up the package, which was obviously a do-it-yourself job in a U-Haul box. The box was not particularly well-sealed, with some of the seams split open a bit, but nothing from which I immediately thought any of the larger parts could escape.
   The large box wouldn’t fit into my Honda Civic, so Carrick and I unpacked everything and put it in the back seat. The contents were in a big, taped-up cluster of  what I thought was pipe insulation tubes used for packing protection, but upon closer inspection, I think the seller just split a bunch of those floating foam noodles kids use in the pool. There was no way Carrick and I were going to undo this in a parking lot, and with our empty stomachs begging for dinner, we decided to wait until we were at home to attack this mess.
   Sellers often use free shipping as an incentive to buyers, and unfortunately some people go the "do it yourself" route. I am used to receiving bicycles professionally packaged, especially because it involves partial disassembly of the bike and some experience arranging the parts in the box efficiently in order to protect the valuable bicycle – skills usually beyond the average person. I was very annoyed when I saw the packaging tape was all over the paint and the vintage decals, which (unlike modern vinyl decals that sit under a clearcoat for protection) do not stand up well to any type of handling, let alone adhesives!
   I was somewhat glad that the paint had no issues with the packing tape, but I wasn’t happy to spend hours removing all the torn pieces and rubbing off the tape residue left behind. With some assistance from Sue, I kept damage to the decals to a minimum, but this shouldn’t have been a problem at all, if the seller had a clue what he was doing.
   After the unwrapping was complete, I assessed what was in front of me. The nasty “splash” bar tape immediately stood out, and, as most people know how much I hate that crap, it was the first thing to go! I was disappointed to find someone had drilled holes in the beautiful Cinelli bars, apparently to allow for internal cable routing. The real problem, however, was that the seatpost, saddle and pedals were missing!
   I quickly ran out to the car to double-check that we hadn’t left anything in the back seat, but unfortunately it was empty. I then sent a quick note to the seller to inquire if he had accidentally left these parts behind, and after the time he spent on his tube/wrap extravaganza, I wouldn’t be too shocked to find out that was the case!

This posting is getting a bit lengthy, so next week I will let you know about the (painful) exchange of messages with the seller to try sort out this deal and any progress I’ve made on either of these projects.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Slow On the Tarmac

   Throughout the summer I kept an eye on craigslist and eBay listings for a large carbon fiber bike frame for my 6’3” neighbor Bob. In late August I contacted a man in Doylestown about a 61 cm 2005 Specialized Tarmac Comp. The bike was missing the major components, but had the original Specialized seatpost and saddle, as well as a new Easton stem. A nice pair of wheels built with Shimano Dura-Ace hubs and Mavic Open Pro rims, was also included, but I was warned ahead of time that the rear hub was cracked.


   The seller was asking $400 and explained that he had bought the frame for the high-quality SRAM Red components, which, except for the bottom bracket, he had stripped from the frame. I told him about my intentions for the frame and that I had seen some newer Tarmac frames listed for not much more than he was asking for this eight-year-old version. I also asked for a close-up picture of a couple noticeable scratches.
   I was surprised when he countered with a $250 offer, and considering all the parts that were included, I quickly arranged to take a look, with cash in hand! Since my son Carrick has class at the community college’s new cooking school in Lansdale, I was about halfway to our planned meeting on a Wednesday afternoon. As stepped out of my car at the "neutral site" parking lot, Mike said he knew I was the right guy when he saw the Colnago decals on my car windows.
   The Specialized frame is an interesting aerodynamic shape, and the paint job of black with silver accents looked pretty slick. I noticed the seat post clamp was a bit chewed up and would need to be replaced, but the scratches were fairly minor and were already touched up adequately with black paint. Mike pointed out rusty barrel adjusters (you can see one of them in the picture above, just below the downtube to the right of the "D") that he thought would be easy to loosen with some WD40.
   We shared our disappointment in the beautiful Dura-Ace rear hub being so damaged and wondered how the previous owner may have done it, considering how unaffected the rim and spokes appeared to be. I told him how my wife and I both managed to destroy wheels (incidences separated by nearly 20 years) by propping them against the rear bumper while loading our bikes, then forgetting to retrieve the wheel and backing over them. She wrecked the rim and spokes, but my damage was very similar to what we were seeing on this wheel.
   Mike told me that he had picked up the bike in downtown Philadelphia and ridden it back (despite the damaged wheel) down the Schuylkill Trail to his car. Considering he was about my height, Mike must have been stretched out quite a bit on this huge bicycle frame! He made me very comfortable about buying the frame by sharing as much information as he could and clinched the deal by telling me that if I had any problems, I could contact him for a refund.
   Bob was excited to see the frame, and I told him that if he was hesitant to buy in any way, I would be keeping it myself to build up and sell. However, he was happy with what he saw and the low price. He liked the prospect of looking for higher quality parts to customize his ride, since we were well below his budget so far.


   Finding a set of Specialized handlebars and a nice set lightly used Look pedals was relatively simple, but I was surprised at the short time it took to come up with a component system. Only a week later, we found a full Shimano Ultegra group (picture below) that was a take-off from a new bicycle. We liked the idea of the stealthy image the black parts were going to give the Tarmac, and I set out on a bit longer search for a replacement wheel.


   In the meantime I visited the local Specialized dealer to order a new seatpost clamp and bought a couple new barrel adjusters while I was there. However, Bikesport is my go-to shop for repairs, and I dropped off the frame there to have them work on removing the rusted parts, since (despite Mike’s prediction) they would not budge after I soaked them in WD40 and attempted to extract them myself.
   The wheel situation didn’t turn out much better, when I discovered upon further inspection, a hairline crack around one of the spoke holes. I removed the rim tape and found the crack was even worse on the inside. Open Pros have been a standard racing rim for years, and I was disappointed to miss out on the funds we could reclaim by reselling the part.

   During my somewhat fruitless search that following week for a matching Dura-Ace/Mavic wheel, I saw the high prices on similar items and found it might be possible to sell the one good wheel and to buy a complete wheelset of very good quality. Eventually I was able to sell the remaining front wheel for close to $100, which allowed me to purchase a wonderful set of Mavic Aksium wheels (photo left) with a very good set of tires already installed!
   I have been having conversations with Peter at Bikesport, and I am getting the impression they are having a frustrating time with the rusty barrel adjusters. The hollow bolts (because the cable feed through them) sheared off during initial attempts to remove them. Peter is alternating picking at the broken pieces with a set of jewelers tools with sessions of soaking the parts in solvent to help loosen the tiny shards of metal. He said there is light at the end of the tunnel, but because of the head tube being in close proximity, getting into the right angle is difficult - a lot of knuckle scraping has happened, apparently. Hope he doesn’t charge by skin loss!

 So that is where things stand, in limbo, for the time being.