Spring Shopping Spree

   There have been periods of time when I am looking for new bicycle build projects and there just isn't anything to be found that is interesting and (most importantly) at an affordable price. For some strange reason the timing almost always seems to be that there are slim pickings just when I clear out my supply of finished bikes and have the budget to buy. The COVID-induced bicycle shortage made the situation worse, as folks became reluctant to get rid of the higher-quality bikes they had, because there certainly wasn't anything out there better to purchase!

   Lately I've had quite a few intriguing build prospects come my way through various sources - so many, in fact, that I have had to actually turn a few away. The availability of parts sure hasn't improved, and I'm a little concerned about what I am going to be able to do with all that I have collected. Perhaps I should look at the situation from the standpoint that, for the foreseeable future, I can focus all my attention on finding the parts to complete these projects, and I don't have to dedicate any time on looking for future builds.
   If there is anything below that really interests you, and you would like to reserve a bike project, don't hesitate to ask. I actually had someone purchase this Bianchi Brava bicycle before I had even completed the planned swapping of the (Shimano to Campagnolo) parts:

   While still on the subject of Bianchi, I purchased this 1997 Trofeo Superset 2 frame, assembled with Dedacciai tubing. I've mentioned before that I am picky about which Bianchi graphics are used, and I really like the metallic teal bold Italics on this 58 cm frame.

   I was contemplating the black headset, but it is a quality Tange product, and I happen to have a set of Italian 3t handlebars and stem in black, which would match up nicely. The rest will surely be Campagnolo.

   The other day I received a call from my friend Walter, who had previously asked me to list a couple of his custom Voodoo bicycles on my For Sale page. Unfortunately, his health issues are going to prevent him from doing much cycling in the future, and he has decided to sell off much of his collection.

   One item he had that really caught my attention was a 54 cm Lazzaretti frameset. Long-time readers may recall my visit to the Cicli Lazzaretti shop in Rome and its influence on my bicycle collection, and I couldn't pass up an opportunity to build up one of their classic Columbus steel frames.

 

   Walter also had this wonderful 52cm Pinarello Catena Lusso frameset, very similar to the one Alexei Grewal rode to a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics. I would have loved to work on it myself, but I told him that, with all the bicycles in my assembly queue, I am getting budget-stretched and that he would probably get a better price for it on the open market. I offered to also put it on my For Sale page for extra exposure.

   The frame will need some replacement decals, and I can certainly give the buyer some guidance on some sources for those!

   I got my hands on another Pinarello frame, this time a new, old-stock 54cm Opera Cellini. In 1998, Fausto Pinarello created the Opera line in order to explore new materials and manufacturing techniques in a market dominated by carbon and titanium. While aluminum (in this case) may not be a "new" material, it has been overlooked in the last decade+ as what is still a reliable, durable and lightweight substance from which to manufacture bicycle frames.

   This 2006 product is of particular interest to me because its paint scheme replicates the frames used by the Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne team during the 2005 Tour de France. A young Alejandro Valverde rode for that team, and if you are a regular reader of this blog, you'll know he is a favorite of mine.

   Finally, I found a 56cm Rossin frameset that resembles the ones built for my hero Claude Criquielion and his Hitachi team in 1987 - the base paint for those frames was an orange to yellow fade, and this one is red. Marco ("Marc") Rossin was the head frame builder at Colnago until 1974, when he established his own brand. He supplied bicycles to many top teams until selling off the company in 1992.

   I would really like to build this frame up with Mavic components as the Hitachi bicycles were, but those parts have become more and more difficult to find and the price to purchase them would probably drive the build budget past my comfort zone.

Be sure to check out the Cycle Tech Sojourns calendar, as more dates have been added - I would love to have you join us!