jamesdak
Old School Hero
Another project picked up locally last year.
Initially bought this for cheap thinking I would most likely just harvest the parts off to upgrade the Peugeot I was working on. This came to my pretty crusty and dull with lots of marks in the paint. Poor bar wrap and brake hoods crumbling under hand, no saddle, etc.
But once I started going over the bike I saw it wasn't all that bad for a 1985 still ride. Then I took it for a "test ride" with the pretty much non-functioning brakes and fell in love with it. I would consider it too small for me but on the road I did not notice the small frame. It was just smooth, quick, and quite enjoyable. So much better than the newer Bianchi I had a few years back. Not to mention that the Suntour Superbe parts are some of my all time favorites to use.
Anyway, I sorted it out with a full service, used rubbing and polishing compound to revive the paint, added on a saddle, seatpost, Cinelli stem and handlebars, new brake levers and calipers, better wheels sporting cushy Veloflex tires, and some Look Keo pedals. Finished it off with celeste cable housings with new cables, celeste bottle cages, and celeste bar tape. Once I find a celeste saddle that my butt agrees with it will be perfect.
She's sitting at 21 lbs 8 ozs as in the pics and the 30 mile "test ride" on it after the changes was really good. I think this is now a keeper even though I just don't need another bike, LOL!. It could stand some paint touch up but trying to match the various celeste paints is quite the challenge it seems. I did get a Bianchi chainstay protector from Velocals to cover up the worse of the paint chips. After I sealed them of course.
How I picked it up with just a saddle thrown on it.
How it's pretty much finished up, still need to take care of a few minor things:
Initially bought this for cheap thinking I would most likely just harvest the parts off to upgrade the Peugeot I was working on. This came to my pretty crusty and dull with lots of marks in the paint. Poor bar wrap and brake hoods crumbling under hand, no saddle, etc.
But once I started going over the bike I saw it wasn't all that bad for a 1985 still ride. Then I took it for a "test ride" with the pretty much non-functioning brakes and fell in love with it. I would consider it too small for me but on the road I did not notice the small frame. It was just smooth, quick, and quite enjoyable. So much better than the newer Bianchi I had a few years back. Not to mention that the Suntour Superbe parts are some of my all time favorites to use.
Anyway, I sorted it out with a full service, used rubbing and polishing compound to revive the paint, added on a saddle, seatpost, Cinelli stem and handlebars, new brake levers and calipers, better wheels sporting cushy Veloflex tires, and some Look Keo pedals. Finished it off with celeste cable housings with new cables, celeste bottle cages, and celeste bar tape. Once I find a celeste saddle that my butt agrees with it will be perfect.
She's sitting at 21 lbs 8 ozs as in the pics and the 30 mile "test ride" on it after the changes was really good. I think this is now a keeper even though I just don't need another bike, LOL!. It could stand some paint touch up but trying to match the various celeste paints is quite the challenge it seems. I did get a Bianchi chainstay protector from Velocals to cover up the worse of the paint chips. After I sealed them of course.
How I picked it up with just a saddle thrown on it.
How it's pretty much finished up, still need to take care of a few minor things:
