Cinquebicicambio - it's Italian!

   It may not roll off the tongue easily, but I like the sound of it. Pronounced cheen-quay-bee-chee-kahm-bee-oh, it’s the name I’ve adopted for the complicated "five bike swap" process I’m currently undertaking. Actually, I’ve briefly incorporated a sixth bicycle, but that was only to exchange one of the more climb-friendly 13x26t Campagnolo cassettes I’ve acquired during this massive accumulation of parts with the 11x25t version that was previously on my Colnago.

   I sent the photo below to my brother last week, along with an updated pic of the Pinarello Prince that is eventually headed his way, to give him an idea of the assembly line of components I have set up. Parts are fairly organized, ready to go as each bicycle is hung in turn on my wall clamp for completion.

   By the way, if you haven't noticed, there is a link to photos of my bicycle collection in the righthand column. As always you can click on any pictures in this blog to enlarge them.

   A couple of weeks ago I was working on a friend’s Specialized Tarmac SL3 Saxo Bank team issue carbon fiber bike, which really could be lifted with two fingers! Apart from the carbon wheelset, I was trying to get a handle on where the big weight differences between it and my FP2 were. It seemed there was added heft in the back end of my bike, and I removed the seatpost and saddle to compare the weight to the Tarmac’s respective parts.

   It turns out the MOst (correct spelling/typing of Pinarello’s in-house brand) aluminum seatpost was manufactured at an exaggerated length to compensate for modern bicycles with a sloping top tube. No one had bothered to cut the post down to the appropriate size for this bike. After making marks for needed height and also the necessary minimum length at the insertion point, I cut off about four inches with a hacksaw. I filed the edges smooth and re-installed the part, which was now significantly lighter.

   I had explained a couple of weeks ago the concept of BCD (bolt center diameter) in sizing the chainrings on a crankset. The three letter abbreviation quickly became a four letter word after I discovered yet another wonderful Campagnolo quirk while attempting to change the rings on my Pinarello FP2 crankset. I really like the red color and graphics on the MOst crankset, so I wanted to keep it and just install Campagnolo rings, but I found they would not fit.

   Again, in the company’s efforts to keep their customers buying only “Campy”, they rotated the ring so that only four bolt holes are in view and one is hidden behind the crank (see comparison photos below), which requires a special bolt. Not only that, they moved that hole out a bit, effectively making the rings 112 mm BCD, as opposed to the Shimano/SRAM 110 mm. Thanks a lot for that, Campagnolo (add sarcasm)!

   In order to keep my MOst cranks, I now had to find a Campagnolo compatible chainring set that fit on a Shimano compatible crankset. I had to laugh at that possibility, but ended up finding a prospect in FSA (Full Speed Ahead), who claimed on their website that their products do the trick. A 50/34t set is on the way!

   Although the Prince’s (again Campagnolo compatible) Fulcrum Racing T wheelset was of high quality, when I considered switching those over to my FP2, I realized that I wanted something just a bit flashier. I really like the Campagnolo Vento wheels on my Colnago, so I first looked at a set in black and red to match this bike’s scheme. Considering the funds I already had tied up in my combination of projects, I certainly didn’t want to blow a lot of money on a pricey new wheelset, so I started a casual search for a used set on eBay and craigslist. A couple weeks later, after meeting up with a nice gentleman down in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square, I came away with an affordable pair of Ventos that just needed a little cleaning.

   Another bit of “bike bling” on my FP2 came about from my efforts to correct a minor cosmetic annoyance. I had inverted my stem when I originally installed it in order to take advantage of the relaxed angle and achieve a more comfortable riding position. This unfortunately caused the cat eye graphics to be upside down, which made the eyes seem to be looking backward. I did have a little room at the top of my steering tube, and realized I could move the stem up in order to compensate somewhat for the change in position. I inserted this cool red carbon fiber spacer and flipped the stem to its proper orientation and appearance.

   The MOst Wildcat F3 wheelset from my FP2 was destined for the Prince, and most of the Ultegra 9 speed component group would be a fairly simple changeover. However, I wanted to change its standard crankset to a compact, and its 11x25t cassette to an11x28t cassette, in order to simulate gear ratios closer to those provided by the triple chainring setup Craig has been riding with on his Trek. On eBay I found a chrome Ultegra crankset that included a bottom bracket and the needed cassette to complete the drivetrain – now I just have to be patient with the Postal Service!

   Craig had also mentioned some tightness in his neck and shoulders on extended rides, so I definitely didn’t want to provide any additional discomfort by overextending him with the long 130 mm stem that came with the Prince. I found the same model stem, only a couple centimeters shorter, and installed it on the flip side which provides five degrees of rise. This will make the riding position slightly more upright and relieve pressure on his arms/shoulders, as well as reduce slightly the backwards flex of his neck.

   I received all of the necessary parts for the Bianchi cassette last week and put the 16t cog in the appropriate position with the rest of the 8 speed cogs. I then replaced the 8 speed spacers with the thinner version to create my own 9 speed cassette that fits the obsolete 8 speed freehub. The only small issue was that the cassette extended to a point almost flush with the edge of the axle nut. When I put the wheel on the bike to test it, it wouldn't spin freely.

   I tried slipping a very slim washer of about one millimeter behind the locknut, which provided just that little bit of space to allow the wheel to rotate without rubbing the inside of the rear dropouts. The photo below is not from my bike because with the cassette installed, the parts were too close together to get a good shot, but this diagram gives you a good idea of the arrangement. The rear wheel doesn’t pop in and out as smoothly, but that is a very minor trade-off, considering how complicated any freehub surgery would have been!

   Next I used some fine steel wool and light oil to rub off the Torelli logos - just look (photos below) at the two different sets of wheels now! These Gipiemme wheels are really a miracle, something I just stumbled upon as a throw-in with the Pinarello "donor" bike. Beats the heck out of paying for the $800+ Shamal wheelset!

   I’m not trying to fool anyone, and I’m not going to do something dishonest like apply reproduction Campy decals. Honestly, I think the magenta logos are ugly and clash with the Bianchi colors anyway. I just wanted a really close representation of the build Pantani used on his bike. I don’t think I could possibly come up with anything better!

   I didn’t have any reservations about decals when creating my own version of the ITM BigOne stem because I actually started with the correct stem. Finding the rare (and again, probably expensive) yellow Mercatone Uno Team-version of that part just seemed like an impossible proposition, so I decided to compromise. I took some photos of the white ITM logos on the black stem, sized them appropriately and then created a monotone negative image with photo editing software. I had the local copy shop print out the images onto some blank water-slide decal paper.

   I sanded the stem lightly and applied some spray can primer and a few coats of yellow enamel that matched the hue on the Bianchi. I have plenty of experience from creating custom model railroad cars and locomotives, so the application of the decals was no problem. After a clear coat to protect the logos, this stem looks like the real thing – well, it actually is, in this case.

In the meantime the big eBay parts re-sale is going on – hopefully to put the budget(s) closer to the black! More next week…