Okay, maybe I need a little therapy

   I had a slightly different comment about my bike mania in the title to my blog entry from September 2012. On that occasion I had pulled into our driveway with four bicycles packed into our van, but this time around I'm only dealing with one. I really do put a lot of thought into my actions, no matter how goofy they may seem at the time.

   It occurred to me when looking at my current collection of bikes, and when talking to some friends who are into vintage bicycles, that I had too many modern machines. Even my one older bicycle had modern components, so I thought that I should make an adjustment.

   The Specialized Allez bicycle (above) I had been using as a trail bike was the logical choice to go, even if I had it for only a year. It was the least valuable in my collection and, compared to the other three, meant relatively little to me personally. Frankly, the cyclocross tires didn't have a whole lot of clearance when installed on the Allez, and I sometimes felt that with one large pebble or twig getting stuck in the tread, I had the potential to lock a wheel and go flying head-over-heels!

   The Allez was in fantastic shape, since it was barely used when I received it, and I anticipated an easy sale. It was on craigslist less than a week, and I even made a little money on the bike when a really nice guy stopped by Sunday to pick it up.

   You may recall my restoration of a red Atala bicycle last spring. I was very happy with the results and appreciated the quality of its craftsmanship. I had toyed with keeping that bike, but during my research for parts I had seen an Atala with a blue and white paint job that I prefered.

   Through my weekly eBay and craigslist searches for inexpensive bicycles to refurbish and resell, I found an Atala at a very reasonable price and in the color scheme I liked. There were some minor issues, but unlike my experience with the Colnago or Pinarello, this seller was in constant communication with me and was very reasonable when we discussed compensation to correct the problems.

   Laurence immediately informed me that he was having trouble removing the carbon seat post in order to fit the bike in the box for shipment. He ended up scratching the chrome saddle mount parts pretty badly when using an improper tool (I think vise-grips). Since I intended to install a more era-appropriate part, I had told him not to worry about it too much, but the replacement price of the valuable carbon post would still have to be a consideration. He said he would send along the part and leave the refund up to my discretion!

   When I finally received the bike and had a chance to look over the situation, I realized Laurence had not cut the post to an appropriate length before inserting it into the seat tube. Modern seat posts are manufactured at a greater length to account for the geometry of sloping top tubes that are now prevalent on bicycles. This carbon post went so far down the Atala seat tube that it got wedged behind the water bottle cage mounts!

   The seller had unfortunately attempted to package the bicycle himself, and although plenty of cushioning was provided, Laurence neglected to include some specialty parts that a professional would use to keep the bike and wheels from shifting in the box. As a result, one of the wheels rubbed on one of the seat stays and gouged the paint a bit. The Selle Italia carbon saddle was also beyond use, with the gel cushion crushed flat from heavy use and the leather worn through all around the edges.

   The final issue was simply a case of the seller not being very knowledgeable. He had listed the wheels as Campagnolo, when they were actually built up from Gipiemme hubs and Campagnolo rims. They were quality wheels, but not quite as desirable as vintage all-Campy. With all flaws considered, I decided to ask for a $100 partial refund. Laurence was very apologetic and agreeable to the price.

   I was pretty sure I could find buyers for the carbon parts, because even when they are a bit nicked up, they are still quite valuable, but I was shocked to receive nearly $40 for EACH part! I'm not sure what someone is doing with a saddle in such rough condition, but I know that it was fortunate Laurence had not cut down the seat post. 

   Atala bicycles were distributed in the U.S. at a certain price point and often had a mix of Italian and Japanese parts to make them easier on the wallet. This bicycle was no exception, with SunTour derailleurs and shift levers among the mid-range Campagnolo Triomphe/Victory components. Of course, I can’t deal with this type of situation, and I’m already in the process of finding the appropriate parts to complete the Campy gruppo.

   I found the Atala frame and fork have plenty of clearance for a pair of Continental cyclocross tires, which I installed onto the vintage rims with some difficulty. New tires are often a bit problematic to put on, since they lack the flexibility of a used tire, but these were a real bugger!

   Here is a very useful technique for getting those really tight wire beads around a rim. First, make sure to center the tire as much as possible between the sides of the rim in order to provide as much slack as possible. The next step is to push a tire lever between the tire bead and rim on each side of the trouble spot, so that the work you've already done will be held in place.

So that you don’t break it (nope, never happened to me), slide the third lever under the tire as close as you can to one of the others in order to pry the bead up and over the rim edge.

   I have been working on my other bike projects sporadically, between homeschooling, rides and watching the NHL playoffs, but I’ll get into those details next time around!