Wreaking Havoc On My Hands

   I’ve been working my hands raw (literally) the last few weeks, mostly with the polishing process on the Wilier Triestina bicycle. I would have considered using some type of gloves, but it is hard getting a good grip on the wet/dry sandpaper with anything that would be thick enough to stand up the punishment that type of work would inflict on the gloves.

   Then there was the scrubbing involved to get the grime off of my hands after each session, and of course, the cold, dry winter air doesn't help this situation. I've almost gone through a whole tube of Neutrogena from my nightly applications!

   I was pretty happy with the results, particularly considering the original condition of the top tube. Re-assembly was fairly simple, except for some necessary adjustments to undo some of the knocking around of the components during shipping. Maybe the next time I order something from Giovanni, he will take my advice and pack things a bit more carefully – this bike came away in reasonable shape, but I can’t imagine he enjoyed sending partial refunds for some of the damage caused in the past.

   I discovered that the model name of the Wilier is “Snow”, so it was very appropriate to take the bike out for pictures during the recent weather.

   One of the regrets I've had while assembling my little collection of bicycles is selling the Vitus 979, particularly because its rare Mavic components are now worth about four times what I paid for them! A few months ago I was talking to a couple of folks about vintage bikes and mentioned the lightweight aluminum Vitus bikes as an alternative to steel, and I found myself conducting occasional searches for the French brand on eBay.

   I have had a remarkable record with throwing low-ball offers at folks on eBay, having come away with “steals” for Colnago and Pinarello bikes in the past, but I was still a bit stunned to shave $200 off the asking price for a wonderful 1995 Vitus 992 in the Lotto team colors.

   I had every intent to make this a bike for resale, but when I saw it in person with its original shop decal from the French town of Montélimar, I was quickly thinking about how I could fit this into my own collection. The 992 is similar to the 979 I owned before, as far as having the aluminum tubes bonded to aluminum lugs, but the tubes on this updated model have an ovoid shape, giving them a bit of a more aerodynamic quality but also more structural rigidity.

   Looking to take the Vitus for a test ride, I met up with a couple of my riding buddies on one of the crazy-mild days we experienced before Christmas. We did about 34 miles, looping from Phoenixville south to the Chester Valley Trail, riding east through King of Prussia and taking to the road into Norristown to meet the Schuylkill Trail for our return.

   I loved the bike! It currently has a Campagnolo Veloce triple group, and I plan to swap that out for a compact double set-up. In the back of my mind, I’m also hoping to find some Mavic derailleurs and brakes at a reasonable price somewhere.

   I’ve always professed myself as a Cannondale guy, and now that I have a modern carbon version as my regular ride, I decided that the “Black Lightning” shore bike could be let go. That bike is especially rare in that it still has all of the original custom black and gold components, and I’ve already received some inquiries. I took a trip down to Stone Harbor to pick up the bike, and was “treated” to an unusual experience of driving on snow-covered shore roads, as a coastal storm hit over the weekend. As usual, it was deserted at this time of year, so at least I was in the relative safety of non-existent traffic!