My Epiphany

   Well, maybe really more of a realization, but I thought the word was appropriate, considering the date. Anyway, I’m finding that during the winter, the pickings during my eBay searches for parts have been pretty slim. It is testing my patience a bit more than usual, but I’m in no real hurry to complete my projects, so I have to hang tough. This lull, however, has helped to confirm my idea that it would be smart to sell these bikes closer to springtime, when people will be looking for something to ride.

   On the bright side, shortly before Christmas I finished up my 4000 mile goal with a couple of shorter spins around the neighborhood. The temperatures were colder than that in which I like to ride, but I figured (correctly!) that the weather could turn even worse, so I rigged up a string of battery-powered LED Christmas lights on my bike and installed head and tail lights for extra safety on two separate evening rides. I wish I had a dollar for all of the double-takes I received from drivers or people out walking their dogs!

   I haven’t had a whole lot of luck with the remaining parts for the Colnago, although I did find an appropriate set of wheels built up from Mavic M40 clincher rims and Campagnolo hubs. Although the wheels were true laterally, the rear wheel was unfortunately a bit out of round. The seller refunded me the money to have the wheel fixed, so I took it over to Bikesport for repair.

   There was a bit of a setback when I went to assemble the drivetrain for the Colnago, finding the bottom bracket spindle to be too narrow, which would cause the chainrings to rub on the frame. This will be a matter of finding a part of the correct length, which is no major problem, just another annoying delay.

   I had picked up a group of Campagnolo Chorus carbon components (photo above) for the Pinarello shortly before Christmas, including brake/shifter levers, front and rear derailleurs with the appropriate cassette and chain. The clump of plastic wrap in the photo is the still-unwrapped cassettes (an additional Campagnolo-compatible version was included, which I will eventually sell) that both needed a good cleaning! I also purchased a Fulcrum Racing T wheelset, all at very reasonable prices.

   When I look at the total for the Pinarello Prince project so far, it seems a bit high, but I got good deals on the carbon parts, so it could be much worse. I keep thinking of a line I hear repeatedly on American Pickers, “Only buy things you really like, then you won’t feel bad if you get stuck with them.” Well, if I do have any trouble selling the Prince after building it up, I could always switch out the less expensive Shimano Ultegra components on my own Pinarello FP2 and replace them with the Campagnolo parts. I can’t say I’d really be crying about that!

   I spent some time over Christmas vacation removing as much of the damaged decals as I could with a plastic scouring pad, then I used the edge of an X-acto knife to gently scrape out the remaining pieces. Because the decals had cracked under the clear coat, I had to sand everything smooth, which caused some paint loss to the white highlighted areas. I have since been in touch with a local airbrush artist about touching up those spots before I can replace the logos with a new vinyl decal set.

   Again, I’m in no great rush to get this all done, but I am excited to see how this turns out. Even if I have to scale down the project and sell it as an Ultegra version, I won’t be too disappointed since I am enjoying the “work”. If I become really desperate to get rid of the bike, I could always turn to a couple of Flyers fans who I know would get a charge out of the orange and black paint job!