Transitions

   I have always dreaded the beginning of the school year - although I was a good student, I just hated being in class hour after hour. In more recent years it meant my wife had to go back to teaching and deal with the stresses involved with the job – and I honestly just like having her around more, especially if we are off traveling together as we were this summer.

   A rather new experience will be missing the freedom to plan rides with some of my friends, who are also teachers. Last weekend a bunch of us got together for a beautiful “End-of-the-Summer Ride” out in the Oley Valley. We did a very convenient 30-mile figure-eight with our cars parked in the middle, so that participants could opt out during any of the 15-mile sections. Matt and I stuck it out a bit longer than everyone else, just so that he could do his first ride of 50+.

The "Tech Team"

   Sue and I have been changing up a little bit in our cycling habits, as the Dutch “everyday cycling” attitude has rubbed off on us greatly. I had also been reading an interesting book, Can Cycling Save the World, that points out that the average American drive is less than 6 miles – a fairly ridiculous cycling distance for us, and we plan to be more conscious of using leg power, instead of gas power.

   Sue has outfitted her Cilo bicycle with a rear rack so that she can ride to work (just over a 12-mile roundtrip) when the weather is reasonable. Not that I really needed another bike, but I came across a fantastic 1970s Flandrian bicycle, with painted/pin-striped lugs and equipped with fenders and a rear rack, and had it imported from Affigem (just outside of Brussels) for just a couple hundred bucks!

   Euros call the bike style a randonneur, intended for a long-distance cycling event (usually 200 km) that involves check points along a predetermined course and stresses self-sufficiency by its participants. The bikes are really a cross between a racing bike and a full touring machine.

   I plan (of course) to tweak the setup a bit, as it has a rather average looking and heavy mixture of Simplex and Sakae/Ringyo components. A few months ago, I had seen a Shimano 600EX “Arabesque” component group that looked really attractive, with detailed engravings and designs. I saw an inexpensive group listed on eBay that included a crankset that had been drilled out to make it look even more ornate, so I decided to go that route!

   A long-term project that really hasn’t gone much of anywhere is the Coppi bicycle, as my pal Bruce had admitted shortly before we left for Europe that my idea for a tinted chrome finish (the gioiello giallo or “yellow jewel”) would be beyond his capabilities. I had inquired about the services of several others on the ‘net, but have had little response.

   I haven’t quite given up, but I might have to go a completely different direction on the color, or just sell the lot to someone else for completion. My enthusiasm has certainly dimmed for this build – and having the bare metal sitting around isn’t doing the frame any favors either!

   The real big shake-up this week to my personal collection has been the purchase of a red Colnago Master X-Light (I’ll nickname it MX-L), which is a very small compromise to a long-time regret of selling one of my original bicycle builds, a Colnago Nuovo Mexico. The current owner, Brendan, and I have formed a friendship over the past couple of years, and I have done a couple other projects for him since. I had the opportunity to visit his home this spring and saw the Nuovo Mexico, which inspired me to re-focus my search.

   A few weeks ago I contacted a gentleman who was selling this MX-L, which belonged to his recently-deceased father. I tried to be as respectful as possible, as the seller kept referring to the bike as his “dad’s baby”, but it was listed at an unreasonably high price.

   The bike was custom-built, but I think his father may have overpaid, as some parts were less than top-quality, and it was outfitted in a Campagnolo Centaur triple groupset, which isn’t quite as desirable on a racing machine. As far as its current condition, the chrome needed some attention, and the paint had a few chips here and there. If I can give Colnago any criticism, it’s their choice of white primer, which makes even small nicks look absolutely tragic!

  I already purchased a small bottle of Testor’s red metal flake enamel, which matches perfectly, and have restored the frame to “eyesight perfect”. I have nearly completed the process of switching over the components from my blue C-97 (photo below), which I will eventually be selling.

   One minor complication was having to swap the forks, as I preferred the threaded headset and quill stem setup with the C-97’s Precisa fork to the more modern threadless system on the MX-L. Luckily this was one instance where Campagnolo’s components were interchangeable, as the bearings, cups and races have the same shape. I just needed to use the appropriate top assembly, which was the adjustable cup and lock washer for the threaded fork, and the unthreaded cup and spacers in combination with the threadless stem clamp.

A comparison of the headsets/stems after the swap was complete

   I spent a good amount of time cleaning up the chrome stays and lugs on the MX-L, using some fine steel wool and oil to bring back the shine. There are still a few rough spots, but overall it looks a lot better. I have ordered some new tires for the bike, but it has taken an unexpectedly long time for delivery. I also purchased a new Campagnolo aero seatpost for the MX-L, as it has a slightly larger diameter seat tube, and a Selle Italia saddle for the C-97, as I really don’t like the anatomic split or the funky bend of the Selle SMP that came with its red brother.

Pictures of (hopefully) both Colnago bicycles to come next week.