Slowly Returning To Form

   I knew it would take a bit of effort to get back into the “wrenching mode” after my long break in the South, but it also seems it will take some time for my body readjust to the local geography, as I had been spoiled by nearly pan flat landscapes on which to ride. My first trip out after my return was on a regular route that featured one long, gradual drag followed by a loop back on paved trails. I felt great and set a P.R. – not that I’m obsessed with that type of thing, but MapMyRide keeps track of such stats, and I just happened to notice. I was feeling pretty confident about my early season conditioning.

   However, I was quick to be reminded of the difference between powering over flat(ish) roads while holding a pace for about an hour and climbing a steep hill at high intensity for a couple of minutes.

   Inspired by the Tour of Flanders, I set out Sunday on what is usually one of my favorite circuits that is crammed with narrow, twisty roads that are constantly going up and down. It also includes a climb I like to call the Muur de Fontaines Jaunes, in reference to the Flemish muur or “wall”, the kind of short/steep climb that is a staple of the Classics races. The second part of the name translates as "Yellow Springs", which is simply the name of the road.

   Sure, this Chester County hill isn’t cobbled or quite as long or steep as the fabled Belgian climbs in Geraardsbergen or Huy, but it does rise 160 feet in about a half mile, which can knock the stuffing out of you when you're not in good shape. Actually, my legs felt really good on the way up, but as I hit the incline at a good tempo and attempted to hold it, I did not like that somewhat panicky feeling of not being able to catch my breath!

   I pulled myself back together and thought I had recovered well enough until the wind picked up and contributed further to my legs feeling rubbery for the rest of the undulating route. My frustration grew as I recalled how comfortably I had handled this ride in the past – I definitely know where to focus my training the next few weeks.

   While I was away, the remaining parts arrived to complete Brendan’s Vitus. There was a small complication with the replacement Mavic 305 headset, in that it was missing one bearing retainer and the crown race (no wonder the seller was so quick to give me a discount), but the old 310 version had identical parts, so I used that one as a “donor”.

   Applying most of the decals was a fairly simple process, except for the large, wrap-around Sem-France Loire pieces. I always draw a light center line with pencil across the front of the clear decal carrier sheet to help aid my eye when positioning the graphics. I will often use painter’s tape and mark center lines, but sometimes parts on the bike, such as downtube shifter mounts or water bottle cage bosses, are a great reference point as well.

   Positioning isn’t necessarily the issue with the large decals – it’s the care needed to make sure air bubbles aren’t trapped underneath. I first center the decal on the tube and press down along the line I had drawn. I then work slowly outwards smoothing down the decal from the middle to the edges with my fingers and move about a half inch at a time around to the back where the two sides will eventually make contact. Because of the small overlap that will occur, it is necessary to remove about an eighth inch of the carrier sheet from one edge before completing the wrap of the opposite side.

   It isn’t often that a job comes out perfectly, since the tubes on vintage bikes will have an occasional nick or imperfection. A bubble can be removed by poking a couple of tiny holes in the area with a needle and pressing the air out.

   I will be done with the build in a couple of days, but here are a couple photos of the finished decal work:

   Shortly before I left for Georgia, the correct front derailleur for the Colnago Mexico arrived in the mail, and I completed its assembly. Unfortunately, the snow and rain we were having didn’t provide ideal outdoor photo conditions, so I had to wait until I returned to take some pics:

I’m beginning to think I had it listed at too low of a price, as I had received a handful of inquiries within a few hours of listing, and the Colnago is already on its way out of my shop!