Switching It Up

   I have been browsing eBay and craigslist bicycles recently for a couple of friends, trying to find something of quality at a reasonable price that I can maybe upgrade for them into an exceptional ride. I am very happy with my bicycles, and let most of the “eye candy” go by without much thought. However, something occasionally catches my attention that will start the gears in my head going, and in this case the bicycle was a 2005 Bianchi Axis.

   My son Carrick, who is now the tallest member of our family by an inch or two, expressed during a summer ride that his mountain bike felt small. His full-suspension K2 Attack 1.5 (photo below) was part of a swap I made only a couple of years ago, so although I was a bit disappointed he didn’t get more use out of the bicycle, I could take some solace in the fact that I didn’t sink a lot of money into it. There is not much you can do about a teen growth spurt!

   I don’t do a whole lot of mountain biking anymore, and I thought just giving him my Giant Boulder SE (photo below) would be an easy solution, but I still use it on some of the more leisurely-paced trips with my father and on our annual Lehigh Gorge family rides. The upright bars and wider tires provide stability when crawling along, which is often the case during these excursions when conversation, not fitness, is the priority.

   I then came across an eBay listing for the Bianchi (photo below), which has a frame with actual cyclocross geometry, as opposed to some of the road bikes I’ve fit with knobby tires, allowing for tire widths approaching those on mountain bikes. This Bianchi had also been converted to an upright bar setup (including trigger shifters instead of stinkin’ Gripshift!), which gives it a look similar to today’s popular 29er mountain bikes.

   The recent sales dominance of 29ers, mountain bikes with 29 inch wheels, has many manufacturers questioning whether they should continue producing traditional 26 inch-wheeled MTBs at all. The larger wheels are the same diameter as a road wheel and roll faster through increased angular momentum; the wheels will lose less speed to small obstacles and rough sections. In the past, the argument against the 29er was lateral flex of the larger wheel and a perception that the bikes weren’t as nimble as their smaller cousin, but today’s off-roaders don’t seem to be bothered at all.

   I thought of a couple of trips with my father, such as the recent ride on the W&OD, when I was relaying back to a vehicle by myself and would have appreciated a bit more speed. Considering all factors, even the idea that eventually I might want to downsize my collection and that this bike would fit two slots as a mountain bike-type ride and a faster trail bike, the Bianchi seems like a perfect buy. Plus it has the mystique of the world’s oldest continuous bicycle manufacturer!

  Although the family bike collection is changing, the title of my blog actually has more to do with me going in a bit of a different direction in the next few months. Last winter’s projects stretched WAY past the expected completion schedule, and I am still waiting for the right person to wheel the “Pantani” Bianchi and the Cervélo Soloist out of my shop.

   I made a decision not to start anything new until at least two bicycles are sold. The Pinarello Treviso is still in a holding pattern while I await the new paint job, but I guess that is what you get when you express that you aren’t in a real hurry, and the artist has other pressing jobs on his to-do list.

   I’ve met a few people this autumn through my selling attempts, and I may end up doing some work for them eventually, but otherwise the shop has been fairly quiet, and that’s okay. I’ve been wanting to turn some attention to my other hobby, model railroading, and I have been consistently setting aside a few dollars here and there from my bicycle work.

   Three years ago I dismantled a large layout (if interested, you can view pictures here) on the third floor of our house, partly because my sons had abandoned me for other interests, which made the solo maintenance of the layout a bit of a burden. However, I also wanted to devote some of the space to my indoor trainer with the capability to leave it set up for the winter.

   I saved a couple of the structures that I had spent extra time building, as well as a few locomotives and freight cars, so I won’t exactly be starting from scratch. This layout will be more of the table-top variety though, and I’m building it in four sections that will be lug bolted together, so that it can be disassembled and transported, if needed. Over the past week, I’ve completed framing the sections (photo below) and attaching the plywood top.

   My previous layout could handle a couple of running trains at once, but it required electrical blocks of track that had to be isolated for the use of two separate power packs. In this situation, an operator was pretty much glued to the spot where a power pack was mounted on the layout in order to move his train. The new layout will have digital command control (DCC), which involves a circuit board decoder mounted in each locomotive, which takes the power from the track and converts it to an individualized signal and allows the running of multiple trains, even on the same section of track.

   Operators will be able to move around the layout with hand-held throttles, which are tethered, but can also be unplugged and moved to a connection elsewhere on the layout. An added bonus to DCC operation is sound-equipped locomotives which simulate the engine rumble, bell, horn, etc. that you would hear along the railroad tracks.

   Above is a plan of the layout made on a program called AnyRail. My focus will be the Lehigh Valley Railroad around 1974, before the federal government got involved to save the collapsing railroad scene in the Northeast. On one side it will feature the station complex in Bethlehem, PA (my hometown) and on the other, an interchange with the Baltimore and Ohio (Chessie System) at a place called Pittsburgh & Lehigh Junction, just west of the Finger Lakes in New York. The tracks leading off the upper left edge are for an optional fold-up railroad yard.

   There will be a center divider (the dashed line) with a scenic backdrop on each side in order to separate the geographical locations, and a track will pass through the center to simulate cars going into an industry on one side and a finished product coming out of a separate facility on the other. I don’t plan to provide layout updates here, since it obviously isn’t the intended subject matter for this blog, but if you would like some photos as I progress, just send me a note.

Otherwise, I will be taking a few weeks off from writing the blog – unless the Treviso magically shows up at my door, all ready for me to start assembly. Happy Holidays!

Pedal Peculiarities

WARNING:  This week’s blog is LOADED with pictures – as always, you can click on them to enlarge and get a better look!

   My topic choice was influenced by a couple of articles in last month’s issue of Cycle Sport Magazine. The first detailed some of the concept bikes at the recent Interbike trade show in Las Vegas. Bicycle manufacturers try to make an impression on consumer markets, and not necessarily toward World Tour team managers, whose bicycles are bound by UCI restrictions. While not all of their far-flung plans will be seen on products released to the general public, some of the ideas first sprung on concept bikes have become fairly commonplace. Tri-spoke wheels, disc brakes, oversized tires, and belt drives are fairly recent developments, but are now regular features in the catalogs of major bicycle manufacturers.

  The highlight of the show was BMC’s Impec concept bike (above), which features oversized carbon fiber tubes with compartments for storage. There would be plenty of space for a small pump, extra tube, tools or maybe even an extra energy bar or two. The asymmetric bicycle has a single front fork leg and rear stay, in addition to a fully-enclosed drive train to keep out dirt and moisture.

   The second article featured the innovative designs of time trial bikes during the 1990s. Italian Andrea Collinelli (above) rode the Pinarello Parigina to a gold medal victory in the 4000m individual pursuit at the 1996 Olympics. The bicycle was noted as the bike that perhaps “went too far” and led to UCI restrictions on bicycle shape. Riding positions such as Collinelli’s “Superman” stretch and Graham Obree’s tuck (below) were soon outlawed as well.

   An internet search resulted in some wonderful concept bikes, many of which use a seat-tubeless configuration similar to that of the Softride bicycle, which can occasionally be seen in elite triathlon races.

   Bradley Waugh’s Nulla, which means “nothing” in Italian, certainly emphasizes a minimalist design. The spokeless machine uses rollers, in combination with a direct-gear chain drive system that engages the teeth on the inside of the rear rim.

   Specialized’s Scott Robertson has come up with some interesting concepts, including the Black Widow, which incorporates disc wheels with sliding rollers instead of a traditional hub in front, magnetic rim on the rear. Suspension is provided by the front and rear sections of the frame, which pivot independently.

   Scott’s Viper has no rear hub, but a magnetically polarized rim that floats in suspension. The drive train is also based on magnetic principles – the super low friction involved means quick starts and high speed, plus minimal wear on moving parts!

   This unnamed bike from Scott’s “Venom” series incorporates the same features as the Viper, although it has a somewhat more traditional setup in frame shape and handlebar position. With less cowling and fender material, it also looks significantly lighter than the Viper.

   The Ktrax Ski Bike immediately makes me think “I want my two dollars” and of the famous downhill chase in the movie Better Off Dead. The company manufactures kits designed for adult- and child-sized mountain bike frames.

   Electrobike completely turns away from traditional frame geometry with its PiCycle, which basically only consists of a long, arcing top tube. The drive is electric-assisted, with the motor built into the front hub, eliminating any meshing complications with the “human powered” belt-drive rear wheel. The bike also features hydraulic disc brakes and the “PiFi” smartphone application that gives performance data, as well as remote diagnostics to alert the owner of needed maintenance.

   Modern bicycle manufacturing isn’t just a matter of steel, aluminum or carbon fiber frames. Although bamboo bicycles have been made since the late 1800’s, Calfee Design puts out a high quality selection of bamboo road and mountain bicycles.

   Italian craftsman Tino Sana makes incredible bicycles, built with pressed layers of beech and ash together with hardwood inlays, which improves the frame strength and durability. I find it interesting that Tino chose a futuristic “spoke” configuration, as well as a frame shape with no seat tube.

   I’ll leave you with a sample from Japanese ship builder Sueshiro Sano, who tried his hand at a different mode of transportation and built a collection of bicycles made of mahogany.

Autumn - a second spring!

   Sure, later in the season things turn a bit bleak, but when the leaves change colors, it’s almost as though flowers are in bloom. Temperatures are a bit more comfortable (although we had a relatively mild summer), sight lines become a little better as roadside vegetation dies off and I’m already in good cycling shape – what could be better?

   Well, I could do without the wind! It was fairly still outside today, but we have been getting a consistent dose of blustery days for the past week or so. I don’t mind a light, steady breeze, but 20-30 mph gusts can be a bit dangerous, let alone leg-sapping. Taking some shelter on one of the area trails is one way to combat the conditions, but since those routes are often out-and-back affairs, they can get old really fast. And it’s WAY too early to hop on the indoor trainer…ugh!

  

   The cable/housing set that I needed to complete the Cervélo arrived last week, and the assembly was complicated by internal routing of the cables. Some manufacturers build in some type of tube that makes insertion easy, but Cervélo does not. Luckily, this summer I learned two little tricks to get around this problem when switching the components on my Pinarello, which also has no internal guides.

   The holes in the FP2 frame have small plastic ferrules into which the housings fit (see photo above), and these can be popped out to expose the 1/8 inch diameter holes in the frame. Before removal, I taped the end of the new cable to the existing cable and slowly pulled everything through. This would have worked perfectly had I not forgotten to put the ferrules back on, along with the housing sections, when I slid the cable back through.

   My son Carrick is a tinkerer, and years ago he took apart some old stereo speakers and collected some of the high-powered magnets that were inside. I borrowed one and held it against the top tube near the brake cable’s insertion hole, with the intent of keeping the magnetized wire near the surface in order to meet up with the exit hole on the opposite side of that tube. Since the carbon fiber frame is not magnetic, I could get a really good feel as to exactly where the cable was located as I slowly pushed it through and slid the magnet along with the cable end.

   This technique worked perfectly for the Pinarello, and as it turned out, came in handy with the aluminum (non-magnetic) Cervélo. It had no pop-out ferrules and very small holes drilled in the frame, which did not allow room for two taped-together cables, so I had to go to the magnet once again. However, the operation didn’t go quite as smoothly as it did with the Pinarello, which had to do somewhat with the difference in frame materials/construction and the Cervélo’s holes not being flush with the tubing. I had to slowly spin the cable until it curved into alignment with the hole.

   Inserting the cables into the downtube was much easier, as the frame had a large slot (see photo above) from which the cable emerged near the bottom bracket. After making some slight derailleur adjustments and centering both front and rear brakes calipers over their respective rims, the bicycle was finished. Here are some photos of the finished product:

C'est magnifique!

   I was thrilled when the carbon wheelset arrived just before the weekend, and I thought I would be able to put the final touches on the Cervélo Soloist bicycle and post the finished pictures today. I was looking all over my basement for the sterling silver Jagwire cable/housing set I thought I had ordered months ago. Since I had used an identical set on both my brother-in-law’s Kestrel and my Vitus, I could have sworn I had ordered three, but it turns out that my mind may have shorted out from the number of projects I was tackling this summer!

   My disappointment in having to wait a few more days to finish the Cervélo was negated by the delivery of the Turbo Matic saddle for my Vitus. I was planning on joining a friend in Philadelphia for a ride in/around the city, including the new Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk, and I was excited to be able to take my “new” machine for a spin. Although the saddle is close to thirty years old, it is in wonderful condition, and after a bit of polish, it looks even better. Here are a bunch of photos of the completed bicycle:

   On Sunday Phil (appropriately named) took me through some great neighborhoods near the Italian Market area, as we made our way west towards the river. After I mildly complained about some folks parking in the bike lanes, he explained the relaxed restriction on Sunday churchgoers. We also discussed Philadelphia’s recent #14 ranking in the Bicycling Magazine “America’s Best Bike Cities” article, and how more people need to commit to two-wheeled transportation for the situation to improve even further.

   Despite our flowing conversation and the need to constantly be in tune with the busy surroundings, I remained aware of my bicycle’s operation. I immediately noticed the quiet coast of the Sachs freewheel, particularly compared to the “hive of bees” freehub featured on my Campagnolo Vento wheels. The best comparison to the Sachs sound is someone winding a wristwatch – and since my ears are about five feet away from the rear hub, that gives you a pretty good idea of its relative silence!

   The buildings sheltered us well from the chilly wind, but when we reached the Schuylkill we got a full gust directly in our faces as we headed north. The new boardwalk structure was beautiful, providing a great view of the river, the city skyline and several area landmarks, such as 30th Street Station. I had brought the Atala bicycle for Phil to try out, and he was certainly enjoying it, as we did about fifteen miles, up West River Drive to Falls Bridge and returning back the Kelly Drive side of Fairmount Park.

   On Monday morning I was itching to test the Vitus out on some unpaved trails. I decided to do one of my regular routes that incorporates some street riding with the Perkiomen and Schuylkill Trails as they loop back through Collegeville, Oaks, and Phoenixville to reach Spring City, which is just across the river from my hometown of Royersford.

   I knew from my ride over the weekend how much easier the Vitus would make the six mile paved ride out to the Perkiomen trailhead in Rahns, but I was much more concerned with its performance on the trail itself. Over the irregular, rocky surface, the Vitus’ bonded aluminum frame provided a ride quality that was somewhere between the ultimate vibration-dampening quality of the Atala’s steel frame and the bone-shaking variety provided by the welded aluminum Specialized bicycle I owned previously.

   The nimble Vitus made up for some of the rough ride with its handling in the twisty sections and its easy acceleration away from the road crossings that intersect the trail. The lightweight frame was also noticeable when taking on some of the inclines in the gorge areas along the Perkiomen Creek. However, the Vitus really shined on the Schuylkill Trail from Phoenixville to Spring City, where the surface alternates often between asphalt and packed cinders - the bike just felt “twitchy” fast.

   An interesting tidbit - at the Cromby trailhead in Phoenixville I noticed preliminary grading of the old railbed that once tunneled under the large hill on the north side of town. The current connection for the Schuylkill Trail takes cyclists up a rather long, stiff climb, and it will be very nice when that obstacle is eliminated. In my dream world, someone would magically smooth out the hill up Main Street towards our house in Royersford, because the vintage gearing is not ideal for that slope – especially with twenty miles of hard trail riding already in my legs!

Trails To Rails To Trails

The information from this blog series on the trips my father and I took to complete the 333-mile journey from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh, PA, has been published in a book:

Instructions for purchase of the book in hardcover or via Kindle will be coming soon!

Mostly Sunny With a Bit of Downpour

The information from this page, as well as the blog series on the trips my father and I took to complete the 333-mile journey from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh, PA, have been published in a book. If you are only interested in details on the Virginia Creeper Trail, send me a note, and I'll be glad to share!

Please click HERE! If you order a physical copy, I’d be happy to sign it, and you can bring along your bike for a free inspection!

The Great Big Wait

   Three projects are now very close to completion, and then it will be a matter of clearing bicycles out of the basement in order to recover the funds I’ve put into the projects and hopefully make some money on the sales. I don't have a whole lot to write about this week - I'm just keeping an eye out for the mailman with expected delivery of a few parts from overseas.

   I received the washer/mounting plate that was sent by friendly forum connection Kevin, and the part works perfectly. The Mavic rear derailleur is now in the correct position, and the mechanism shifts very smoothly. All that’s left is for the saddle to arrive and the Vitus will be ready to roll!

   I was extremely happy to finally be able to nab a pair of carbon wheels for the Cervélo Soloist bicycle. Fortunately I happened to be browsing eBay just as a few sets from one particular seller were listed with a reasonable “Buy It Now” price.

   The Pinarello Treviso is a bit of a wildcard as to when it will be completed, since Bruce told me his painting schedule is a bit full this month, but I’ve been working on this bicycle since late February, so I can’t say at this point that I'm really in a hurry! I’ve had all of the components and decals ready for the assembly process for a couple of months now, so I am excited to see the frame with some color. I had originally thought a dark green would look classy, but after looking at old Pinarello catalogs online, I noticed that green wasn’t among the traditional Treviso color choices. I decided to change things up and talked to Bruce about a color similar to that pictured below.

   I probably won’t be posting on my regular day next week because my father and I are heading out for a mini adventure. This trip is bound to be more enjoyable without the complication of a tow dolly, but we have a much simpler plan in mind this time around anyway.

   We’ll be travelling out the panhandle of Virginia to ride the scenic Virginia Creeper Trail, which stretches 35 miles from Abingdon to Whitetop. Constructed on the right-of-way of the former Virginia-Carolina Railway, the trail twists and turns through the mountains, crossing Laurel Creek countless times over spectacular bridges and trestles.

   Luckily Dad has a childhood friend who lives part way in Charlottesville, so that with an overnight stay we can break up the seven hours of driving to get out there. We then plan to do the motel thing on the return drive, somewhere in the vicinity of Leesburg, VA. We plan to finish the 35 mile segment of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath that we missed (due to tow dolly issues, of course) from White’s Ferry, MD, into Washington, D.C.

   If you tuned into this blog recently and hadn’t heard about our 335 mile ride from (nearly) Washington to Pittsburgh on the C&O Canal Towpath and Greater Allegheny Passage, which we completed in three separate yearly trips, you can link to the stories here:

Meyersdale, PA to Big Pool, MD - October 2011

Big Pool, MD to White’s Ferry, MD – October 2012

Meyersdale, PA to Pittsburgh, PA – July 2013

French CORRECTION

   Let’s review my project headaches this year: 1. Colnago Nuovo Mexico was missing several parts from the box, which were never recovered, but I received a partial refund from the seller. 2. Pinarello Treviso arrived at my door in craft wrap (still have that horrid image in my head) with a bad repaint job, a stem that was fused to the steering tube and a frame out of alignment – again a partial refund, the bike has been dropped off (finally) for new paint, and a frame expert helped to fix the other issues. 3. Bianchi Record SL project needed a set of wheels that were unfortunately very rare and expensive – a replica pair fell into my lap with another Pinarello purchase that was made to complete my parts list for the Treviso. 4. Atala Cromor Triomphe had scratches to its (used-to-be) perfect paint during shipping, due to carelessly poor packaging – although damage was minor, I did receive a small refund, and I matched some touch-up paint to make it barely noticeable.

   I haven’t let this trouble streak totally discourage me, although I am considering taking this winter off from projects, or at least keeping them to a minimum. You would think with my final (promising myself) purchase of the year, that my luck was due to change. And you would be VERY wrong!

   Last week I told you about the delivery of my latest Vitus project, but during assembly I discovered a problem. I had replaced the 42 tooth smaller chainring with a 38 tooth version to give the bike more “climbability” and then installed the crankset. When I went to affix the chain, I noticed the rear derailleur was loose. It appeared that a washer was missing, which would cause the mechanism to slide in and out on the mounting bolt and mess up any chance of accurate shifting. I simply inserted an appropriately sized washer, and thought all was well.

   It turns out a very special part was missing. The washer/mounting plate that came with the Mavic derailleur was intended to keep the mechanism vertical, so that the return spring would keep the chain taut between shifts. Without the part (circled in red in first photo below) the chain sagged badly, causing it to drag across the chainstay when pedaling. When in larger gears, the derailleur would actually tuck under the chainstay and rub on the frame (second photo below). Comparing my current Vitus setup with a photo I found online of the correct Mavic 851 SSC derailleur position (third photo), I knew I was in trouble, particularly because years ago Mavic decided to stop making anything but wheels!

   After fruitless internet searches for the part, a string of expletives was echoing around the house, and because of the make of this bicycle, I kept thinking “Excuse my French”. Whenever someone uses that phrase, my family likes to reply, “We all speak fluently around this house!” I was able to calm down and use my brain after an hour or two away from the bike.
   I turned to one of the many online cycling forums. Unbelievably, I came in contact with a collector named Luke who was also frustrated by this missing part and had surveyed forum members to see if there were others in the same predicament. Luke received enough positive responses that he was encouraged to contact a machinist friend, invest a little money and have a bunch of the parts produced, which he could then sell. Yes, the price for the little part is ridiculous – it’s just a damn washer with some bent sides – but if it’s a case of buying the part or my bike won’t work, I’m buying it!

   On the more positive side of things, I found a rare Mavic 451 brake/lever set on eBay and was able to talk the seller into dropping his price by $50. The fact that I was willing to buy it from his website and save him the eBay final value fees certainly helped.

   I was considering the purchase of an old-school Elite Ciussi water bottle cage, and then I remembered that I still had the one which I removed from my Cannondale. It was a bright yellow that didn’t match the more “golden” shade of the bike graphics, and I prefer the way red cages blend in with the bike anyway. Since the yellow cage had some paint chipping, I stripped it completely, and it now goes perfectly with the polished aluminum frame sections on the Vitus.

   A Selle Italia Turbo Matic saddle that had light signs of wear showed up on eBay with a “Buy It Now”, so I quickly snapped that up. I found this cool old magazine advertisement someone had scanned and posted:

   When all the parts arrive, this bike will be ready to go. Unfortunately I’ve been frustrated repeatedly by folks who have money to burn outbidding me at the last moment for a set of carbon wheels for the Cervélo. I keep assuring Aaron (my generous frame donor) that this bike is nearly done, “if I could only find some wheels.” I learned he was in need of a pair of pedals for a bike he recently purchased, and since a great set of Mavic clipless pedals came with the Vitus, and I didn’t need them, I sent him a special package. After all, I have to get that karma thing turned around!

French Connection

   Years ago, when I had an interest in acquiring a French bicycle, I unfortunately picked the wrong one. The Motobécane Mirage repaint project was a great experience, and it proved successful as far as its resale value, but in ride quality, the bike proved too cumbersome for my liking, so I moved on to other options. I would have loved to spring for a pricey Look machine, but that wasn’t a realistic plan, since I already had two expensive modern road bikes.

   What I should have purchased was a Vitus. Back then I really knew very little about the brand, but Sean Kelly rode Vitus bicycles – did I really need to know much more than that? Sure, a cyclist wins races with his legs, but the company states on its website that about 80% of Sean’s 193 professional victories came aboard a Vitus. In fact, he is considered the company's “brand ambassador”, and directs the Ireland-registered An Post–Chain Reaction pro UCI Continental team, which rides Vitus bikes. 

   Although currently competing with top-notch manufacturers who produce carbon fiber bicycles, Vitus is historically known for pioneering the use of aluminum frames and had a reputation as the lightest production frame available during the mid-1980s. The original 979 frames were assembled by the French aerospace company TVT from Dural 5086 aluminum alloy tubes, which were slip-fit onto aluminum lugs and then bonded into place using a dry, heat-activated epoxy. The result is a frame that has a suppleness which dampens vibration and provides a more comfortable ride than the welded, and more rigid, aluminum frames of other manufacturers.

   There are some rare stories of failed bonding, and some cyclists experience too much flex in larger frames, but this is most likely attributed to the added weight of the people riding these frames. I have heard that Sean Kelly rode on a slightly smaller frame than normal, and he may have done this to further reduce the flex produced by his powerful pedal stroke, but it may have just been a personal quirk, and I doubt you'd ever hear him admit to any flaws in Vitus products these days anyway!

   Vitus bicycles are aesthetically pleasing with polished aluminum lugs, chain stays and seat stays. The finish on the frame’s main triangle is tremendously durable because it is anodized, an electrolytic process in which the surface of the aluminum is dyed, instead of painted.

   Sean Kelly rode for the Spanish KAS team to many of his famous wins, and the Vitus 979 “Duralinox” Mk I bicycle I saw listed on eBay (photo above) had a royal blue finish that matched up well with their team colors. It was also outfitted with some interesting Mavic components, including what collectors refer to as a “starfish” crankset.

   The 979 “Duralinox” Mk I can easily be distinguished from the Mk II and later versions by its use of round tubing, instead of aero-profiled, and a traditional seatpost binder bolt, as opposed to an unusual rear-mounted “grub screw” (see comparison pictures below). The Mk I will also have a single set of water bottle cage mounting holes on the down tube, while later versions will have two.

   The auction I was watching ended with the seller not responding in time to the offer I had made, but he later contacted me to see if I would complete a transaction outside of eBay and save him some money on fees. At first I was wary, but I read about how Paypal has improved its buyer protection policies through their electronic invoice system in order to expand its business away from eBay. After a telephone conversation with the seller, I agreed to use this alternative system. I was glad to see the box arrive at my front door a few days later.

   I don’t particularly like the Mafac brake levers (above) – although the drilled handle is attractive, the plastic body is not, and seems rather flimsy. I’ll try to find a set of aero levers (preferably Mavic) to move the cables out of the rider’s face. MAFAC, or Manufacture Arvernoise de Freins et Accessoires pour Cycles (Arveni Manufacturing Works for Bicycle Brakes and Accessories), was one of the most popular makers of center-pull brakes back in the 1950s through the ‘70s, but I’ll have to evaluate their side-pull brakes (below). Just to keep the components consistent, I’d like to find some Mavic calipers, but they are rare and probably expensive.

   The wheels are built from quality Mavic “Module E” clincher rims and wide flange hubs from Exceltoo, a French brand about which I haven't been able to find much online. Other components from France were the Huret shift levers, the stem made by Atax and the Philippe “Franco Italia” handlebars, which have a neat etched design near the clamp of a cyclist riding in a tuck position. Because of reflections off of the chrome and the fact that the logo wraps around the cylindrical bar shape, I couldn't get a good picture, but it is a simple line drawing similar to the photo below (guidons is french for handlebars).

   I have already purchased a Sachs 7 speed freewheel to replace the incorrect Maillard 5 speed version that was affixed to the rear wheel. The bike also came with an anachronistic carbon fibre Selle Italia SLR saddle. I wouldn’t want it anyway, because it has the anatomic cutout – a design feature that, despite its intent to provide comfort in “that particular area”, has only proven to cause discomfort for me. I will replace it with a Turbo Matic saddle, made by the same company, because it fits the era of this Vitus bicycle, AND that’s what Sean Kelly rode!

   I found an interesting bit of trivia when I was researching French bicycles and components, the city of Saint-Étienne is considered the center of France’s bicycle industry, with Vitus, Mavic and Motobécane all based there. The capital of the Loire département in the Rhône-Alpes region, Saint-Étienne has frequently been host to stages of the Tour de France, including the finish of Stage 12 and beginning of Stage 13 of this year’s event.