Load 'em up and (hopefully) move 'em out!

   All of a sudden, as it usually happens this time of year, I find myself all backed up with work – and a good portion of it is my own doing. I can’t complain too much, because it is also a result of completely clearing out my stock of bikes for sale and having to “reload”. However, there are also a couple projects brought in by some old and new friends.

   First Brendan, my fellow Sean Kelly/Vitus bicycle fan, brought in his De Rosa for a few tweaks, such as changing up his mismatched 3T stem and Cinelli handlebars – yes he’s picky like me! He also asked what I thought about derailleur situation he had (Campagnolo Chorus and Record parts from different eras), and I suggested to match up C-Record parts with the Delta brakes he already had installed.

   He was very receptive to that idea, as he remembered seeing the C-Record rear derailleur (photo below) on the Colnago Mexico I recently sold. I believe the words he used were, "Looks pretty tight!" The only problem is that the derailleur is a bit rare and pricey, so we need to be a bit patient for a good deal. 

   A new friend I made during the sale of the Wilier “Snow” recommended a friend of his to me to do some work on a vintage Cannondale he picked up. The bike is way too big for Jeff, even if he had been managing to ride it pretty well, so I am spiffing it up a bit for eventual resale, while keeping an eye out for something affordable in his size.

   Speaking of Cannondales, I hadn’t even received as much as a sniff for the R1000 Optimo bicycle in the past month, as I feared folks would be wary about the dent in the top tube. Well, it wasn’t like I spent a ton on the frameset, and maybe someone will want it as a wall-hanging or a really cheap build of their own. The high-end Campagnolo parts from that bike are now destined for the Colnago Alu’08 I mentioned last week.

   During some preliminary searching for a new ride for Jeff, I found a really pretty 2005 Cannondale Six13, a frameset of bonded carbon and aluminum, named for the atomic numbers of the two elements, respectively. Although the bike might be out of Jeff’s price range, it will give me an opportunity to use the rest of the parts from the R1000.

   Next, my old pal Ron, for whom I did a custom build and paint job on a Monteverde bicycle, stopped in for some adjustments. Unfortunately, he also brought along with him the twisted wreckage of his Fuji Altamira bicycle, which his wife accidentally backed over with her car! I’m not a huge fan of Fuji bicycles, but it really was a sharp looking modern carbon bike, and I couldn’t bring myself to share photos of the tragedy on this blog. Anyhow, I’m disassembling and salvaging parts for resale on his behalf.

   Ron also returned the Basso frameset that I had restored, since he couldn’t find any takers in his family. He was willing to take a small hit on his original purchase price, since he knew I would give it a first-class treatment with parts appropriate to its era. You never know - when he sees it assembled, he might want it back!

   So if you are keeping track of my mental “to do” list, that’s the Basso, Battaglin, Cannondale R500 (Jeff’s), Cannondale Six13, Colnago Alu’08, Colnago Master X-Light (really just needs some tires/tubes) and Vitus 992. Oh, and my Coppi bicycle is still in Bruce’s possession – I guess telling him that “I’m not in a hurry for that” was more accurate than I thought!

   I just finished watching today's coverage of the 100th Giro d'Italia, with the finish of this stage occurring in Messina, the hometown of last year's winner, Vincenzo Nibali. Fittingly, his team was driving the pace as the peloton headed into the city center for a couple of six kilometer circuits. As the pack was nearing the finish line for the penultimate lap, one of Nibali's Bahrain-Merida teammates jumped out in front, and I figured he might be just maneuvering his leader forward, out of danger.
   However, as his gap quickly increased, and I could see the effort with which he was driving the pedals, I thought, "Oh no, does he think..." Sure enough, poor Luka Pibernik threw his arms in the air in a mistaken victory salute. I suppose the crowd was cheering so loudly that he didn't here the bell ringing, but what a sad sight to see him totally spent and spit out the back in confusion when the peloton charged by him for one more lap!