Adventure Bike IV: The Farce Awakens

   Yes, the Star Wars references will eventually stop - I only have one of these builds left...that I know of.

   The end result of the conversion of James' 1983 Schwinn Super Sport from a Campagnolo-equipped road machine to a Shimano gravel bike looks great and operates smoothly. However, trying to work with the new GRX 1x10 group was unnecessarily problematic, despite the research that I put into assembling the bike.

   There were a couple modifications that had to be made to the bike and our overall plan, but we knew beforehand that this might be the case. We realized that clearance for the knobby tires and the reach of standard road brake calipers to the rim's braking surface might be an issue. Ordering a set of brakes with a longer reach solved both of those problems.

   The vintage Schwinn had brake mounts for older, flush-nutted calipers, instead of the modern recessed mounts. I had no problem drilling out the back of the fork to accept a recessed nut, since there is a thick wall of steel in that location, but I didn't want to drill out the delicate rear brake bridge. We got around this by purchasing two front brake calipers, which have a longer mounting bolt, and attaching the rear brake with a nut and concave washer.

   Despite having read from a couple online sources that 10-speed Shimano 105 (or Ultegra or Dura-Ace) shifters will work with a GRX 10-speed derailleur, they do not. The cable pull in the levers is not adequate to extend the derailleur to the largest cog - many of the other nine gears were operating noisily, too. The funny thing was, I had purchased a 105 long cage derailleur from an employee at a local shop, as part of a set with the shifters. I didn't think the derailleur would have the capacity to shift to the 34-tooth cog on the cassette, but I threw it on out of desperation, and it works perfectly!

   I've learned to handle compatibility issues with patience, but it is annoying when the "expert advice" steers you wrong! That said, this bike should encourage anyone with an old bike in their garage to upgrade to modern parts and make it perform like it's a new machine.

   I don't have much else to share this time around, but I was able to complete the stripping, repaint and application of new decals on a Concorde Aquila frameset in PDM team colors. I also painted in the logo engravings on the fork crown.

First race of the "Classics Season" is tomorrow - Omloop Het Nieuwsblad!

 

   

Crowded House - Hey Now, Hey Now

   In a previous blog entry I mentioned having a full stock of complete bicycles, but with the world’s ongoing supply issues, I’ve still found it necessary to purchase interesting items when they come available, particularly when they are at relatively inexpensive prices!
   A few weeks ago I thought I had bought an Eddy Merckx bicycle at an incredibly cheap price, but the seller found that an error had been made in the shipping price. Ignoring that this was really his fault for not double-checking the listing, I set aside any anger/disappointment and contacted the seller about a possible purchase outside eBay. The result was a purchase that was a bit more expensive for me (still a great deal, though), but without the eBay fees, netted him a better profit.
   The 2000 Elite model aluminum bicycle needs only a bit of touchup and maybe a set of tires, and it should be ready to go. The photos from the listing weren’t spectacular, but you can get the general idea what I will be working with.

   For quite some time I had been looking for another Bianchi frame to build up, and I’ve discussed previously how picky I am about the color and the graphics required. The one concession I will make is a black frame, and if some celeste highlights come along with it, I’ll consider it a bonus. The 1885 model is an homage to the company’s founding date, and I have some Campagnolo 9-speed components ready for it in my build queue.

   I also picked up a incredibly cheap LOOK KG 281, and I have a friend in mind for this vintage (if that is a proper moniker for a carbon-framed bike). I have some modern parts set aside, including a set of carbon wheels, to bump up the performance, and I’ll swap out the Campagnolo parts for a future project.

   I moved bikes and frames around a bit to make room when my friend James dropped by with his Schwinn Super Sport with the idea of a 1x10 conversion. Back in October I had finished a similar conversion of a Panasonic bicycle for his son, and James said that he had really enjoyed the bike himself when checking it out. He also liked the idea of some trail riding on knobbier tires.
   I had previously used SRAM parts for my 1x projects, but because parts by that manufacturer have been so scarce lately, we decided to go with Shimano’s GRX system. A set of 105 brake/shift levers and a pair of Mavic Classics Elite wheels will finish it off.
   He had seen the yellow Olmo and inquired about possibly taking it home, pending the installation of some modern components. I suggested simply swapping the Campagnolo Chorus Ergo group from his Schwinn to the Olmo, and we had a plan in place.
   I had to order and await delivery of parts for the Schwinn, but Olmo was ready a couple days later. Here are a couple photos I had sent James as a “teaser” before he eventually picks up both bikes.

   Finally, a new acquaintance named Steve dropped off his Dolan Hercules SE for me to assemble. We had been exchanging a few emails, and I was looing forward to starting his build, not only because I had never worked with the Dolan brand, but also because he had purchased an all-new Shimano 105 group...and it was 11-speed, also a first!
   There were no surprises putting it together, though I’m still having to double-check directions when routing the cables in the shift levers and adjusting the quirky front derailleur. I understand the new configurations have mechanical advantage, but they take some getting used to.

   My pal Walter came by to pick up the Voodoo bicycles I had been listing for him, as I think he had been feeling a bit guilty about taking up storage space in my shop. I told him that it really wasn’t necessary, but I sure appreciate the elbow room it provided down there!