Italian Masters

   Regular readers of my blog are familiar with my affection for Colnago bicycles, but my taste is not limited to that Italian builder only. My everyday ride is a modern Pinarello FP2, and you may recall my recent work on a vintage Atala racing bike. I regularly look through eBay listings for a Bottecchia, Ciocc or Guerciotti bicycle that may be a little rough around the edges, one that I can purchase at a cheap price for refurbishing and resale.

   A few weekends ago I was helping the Anthracite Railroads Historical Society move some materials from a home in New Jersey. While I was there, I hoped to hook up with someone in the area who was selling a 1997 Bianchi Trofeo bicycle. He had listed his seldom-used machine on eBay with a “pick-up only” request, and at that point this detail seemed to be keeping bidders to a minimum. I told him that if his asking price was not reached to contact me, but I didn’t hear back from him.

   Two weeks later I was planning to head back to finish the moving job, and shortly before I prepared to leave, I was contacted about the bike being available. Turns out that a Korean customer had not seen “no shipping” in the listing and backed out on the deal. After a quick exchange of emails to explain my situation (more on that later) and a quick phone call, I had knocked nearly $100 off the asking price and arranged a meeting place not far from my son’s college campus at Fairleigh Dickinson.

   I really couldn’t have been happier about the Bianchi’s condition. The seller had bought it with the intent of getting into cycling, but a growing family took his attention away from that idea. He had it tuned up at a shop last summer when he made a second attempt at regular riding, but again got tied up in other activities. But for a couple tiny nicks from careless storage, the bike is pristine! It has a rather eclectic mix of components, but they are all original to the bike, according to BikePedia’s detail sheet.

   Other than changing the seller’s mismatched bar tape to that of the famous Bianchi celeste color, and a general wipe down, this bike required minimal work. I know I could make some money immediately on craigslist, but I think making this very attractive bike available to a wider market on eBay with shipping options would further increase the selling price.

   The “situation” I had referred to earlier was that I had already purchased another project bike since the Bianchi auction originally ended, and I had already gone deep into my shop budget. I set aside money from my spring/summer repairs to purchase bicycles for repair/refurbish work and resale. Sue had provided a boost to my project fund as a Christmas gift because she saw how much I was enjoying my hobby and that I was making some money out of it as well!

   I saw an early 1980s Pinarello Treviso listed on eBay at a relatively low price, considering it was a bicycle with components maybe just a notch lower in quality to the Colnago Nuovo Mexico I’m working on. The seller had an option available of making an offer instead of using the regular bidding process, so I set a hopeful price close to what I paid for the Colnago package. I figured that, although the Treviso doesn’t share the status level of the Nuovo Mexico, this was a complete bicycle, and required far less work to restore it to its former glory.

   Unfortunately this bicycle has turned out to be quite a headache, starting with the completely inept packaging of the disassembled machine. Protecting the frame with pipe insulation tubing is a great idea, in combination with a standard manufacturer-type bicycle box, but this Bulgarian postal service job (according to the seller) only involved a whole mess of plastic wrap and some craft paper!

   The mailman had only a slightly more puzzled expression on his face than I did when he plopped this large brown mass down on my porch and asked me to sign for it. I told him that I knew what it was, but that I expected a more secure method of shipping. “A bike…in there?” he asked. “Ha, good luck!” 

Well, I haven’t had too much fortune with the bike so far, but I’ll keep this entry to a reasonable length and fill you in on the rest of the story next time.   

Highs and Lows

   Score! I finally acquired a Campagnolo Super Record headset for the Colnago Nuovo Mexico build-up. Listings on eBay had been rather sparse since December, but three different auctions appeared last week, and luckily one of them ended at a price with which I was comfortable. An added bonus was that it came via a seller from the States, so that I didn’t have to wait weeks for parts from Spain or Hungary, as had been the norm for “Campy” parts that I’ve collected so far.

   I’m always surprised by how much less space bikes take up when they’re assembled and leaning against a wall, instead of when individual frames and parts are hanging up or resting on shelves in my workshop. I was anxious to put as much of the Colnago together as possible because storage has become an issue with so many projects going on, a couple of which are well on their way, but I’ll talk about those bicycles next time.

   Here is a  photo of the assembled headset with the fork, stem and handlebars in place:

   Next is a before/after shot of the fork crown, which I cleaned up with some steel wool and light oil. I then repainted the engraved Colnago with black enamel, as it had looked originally before dripping sweat and oxidation took their toll.

   The installed aero seatpost that can be seen in my "progress pic" below is not original, but needed until I find a Super Record version so that I have something for my wall clamp to grab onto other than the frame. I will probably hook up the chain, cables and derailleurs during the next couple days, but I still have to hold off on the brakes and their cables until I can find some new hoods for the levers. It is nice to finally see the bicycle take its familiar shape!

   Well, not everything goes according to plan. When I arrived to pick up the Pinarello Prince frame from the painter, I was immediately met with a confession that he didn’t really like how it turned out. Perhaps if he would have more closely listened to my instructions, the job would have turned out better!

   The painter’s workshop is attached to his home, but he had told me that it is not heated particularly well. Because the airbrush is sensitive to temperatures, he was concerned with turnaround during this brutal winter. I assured him that I was in no rush, and he could wait until the weather turned a bit milder.

   Unfortunately he wasn’t very patient and rushed through the work during one of the days the temps hit the low 50s – BIG mistake! There were runs and some sloppy overspray on the graphics (see photo below). I had explained that I just needed the white areas that lay beneath the logos to be extended, and provided the logo sheet for size reference. Again he proved a poor listener, and went overboard, wrapping the white paint around the frame tubes.

   To his credit, the painter told me he would not accept payment for the frame, and I was very happy about that. However, I’m not so pleased to be faced with trying to correct the mistakes and finding someone to complete the project in the way I intended it to be done.

   When I returned home I more closely inspected the frame and gently scraped at some of the clear coat blobs with a dull X-acto blade to see if they could be removed, and/or sanded down. At first I was disappointed to have a blob pop off with the white paint, right down to the original orange undercoat (also visible in the photo near the top of the seatpost). I then realized that if this small patch came off so easily, I might be able to remove the whole white coating and start from scratch.

   Yes, I’m facing more work or the cost for someone else to complete it, but with the alternative being a really shabby looking finished project, I’ll suck it up! I have an appointment with someone who does automotive airbrushing later this week, hoping to get a good idea how to proceed from here.   

Progress...in baby steps

   While I continue to be frustrated in my search for a headset and a seat post for my Colnago, I have been able to do some assembly recently. I received the bottom bracket spindle of the appropriate length in the mail last week, and put together the major components of the drive train, although I'm leaving off the chain. I figured why risk having it accidentally bounce into the chain stays until the headset is installed.

   Another difficult part to find has been the gum rubber covers for the brake hoods. I have seen some new, old stock pieces sold recently, but at pretty outrageous prices! I'm considering purchasing some Campagnolo levers with the covers, removing them and then reselling the levers.

   I also received all the parts necessary to fix up the hybrid bike. I found out one of the shifters was stripped - perhaps someone tried to change gears with the rusty cables seized up inside their housings. I was disappointed about having to purchase new parts after finding out that a working version of this model of shifter/brake combo (released 20 years ago) is nearly impossible to find. However, I was able to purchase inexpensive levers identical to the pair I used on my father's upright conversion last summer.

   These shifter/brakes have an excellent feature that enables conversion to linear pull for road bike cantilever brakes from the V-brake mountain bike-type setup by flipping a small plastic wedge that sits under the brake lever. The package came with new cables, so I felt better that I didn't have to purchase those parts as well.
   With the new grips and some Continental cyclocross tires installed, the bike is ready to go...that is, whenever we escape the grip of this BRUTAL winter!

   I also received word that the Pinarello frame that needed some airbrushing is finally done. I plan to pick that up tomorrow on my way to take my son to class. Other than some cables and housing, I have everything sitting in my shop to complete that project.

   I know it seems like jumping the gun, but I actually have a couple more projects lined up. I'm always on the lookout for a fantastic bicycle deal, especially when the machine involved has collectability and only requires some minor work to make it roadworthy. More to come soon.