ADKO

bikes2

8 min read

Here’s a summary of the text with the requested annotations:

The author shares their decade-long passion for restoring and customizing Bicycles, often as a winter hobby. They have sold some Bikes and given one away, even selling one to a reader after moving to California. A recent Ebay purchase, a Gios racing frame for $140, is a prime example of their restoration skills. Despite being heavily chipped, missing Gios coins, and having inferior decals from a repaint in the US, the author, an artist adept at spot retouching, was able to fix it. They used expensive Cobalt blue oil paints from their portrait box to match the color, as commercial retouch paints failed. Decals from Serbia were used to improve its appearance. A unique touch on this Gios is the replacement of the original plastic Gios coins with vintage Italian lire from 1908, which the author finds aesthetically superior.

The bike is equipped with an 8-speed rear gear cluster with a 32T top gear for the Sierra Nevadas hills. While most components are Campagnolo, the rear hub is an exception due to the difficulty of finding large gears for Campy 8-speeds. The author expresses a preference for top-shelf Campagnolo or Dura Ace, noting the historical prejudice against Japanese Dura Ace that has since faded, with Dura Ace now being more prestigious and ridden by more Tour de France riders than Campy. The author affords these parts by scanning Ebay for deals for over a decade, often finding parts from sellers unaware of their value or from those with broken or incomplete items. They are able to “marry” parts together and polish aluminum components. The author generally avoids 9-speed Campagnolo and later as they are not yet in the “deal” category on Ebay.

This particular Gios features track bars (bull horns) for reduced weight and improved rideability, as the author rarely rides on the drops. Finding a Cinelli stem to fit the 25.4mm bars, which are less common than the 26.2mm size, was a success. The author also builds their own wheels, including lacing spokes, emphasizing the strength of older, overbuilt wheels (32 spokes front and rear) compared to modern racing bikes. They cite their Torpado, built in 1987 on Velocity rims, as an example of a durable wheel that hasn’t needed truing in 37 years. The author contrasts this with modern Tour bikes that have 16-18 spokes. They also mention that their own racing bikes have become lighter than their original weight due to components like cut-out cogs and clipless pedals, which they prefer for safety over toe clips and straps.

The author defends building 32-spoke wheels for aesthetic reasons and cost-effectiveness, as older rims and hubs are cheaper and less sought after. They are not concerned with a slight weight increase for non-racing use, prioritizing reliability. The front wheel on the Gios features a Mavic OpenPro rim and a Vittoria Corsa tire, with double-butted 15-16-15 race spokes. These bikes are described as glorified day tourers, with an aesthetic that evokes a racer from 30 years ago, combined with an “art-bike” sensibility focused on color coordination and aesthetics, avoiding clashing colors and dull carbon.

The text then introduces a second bike, an underpriced Ebay frame with added Schwalbe whitewall tires. This bike was built as a city commuter with upright handlebars and stem-mounted shifters. It features a Campagnolo Gran Turismo rear derailleur, considered an upgrade for its long cage to accommodate a large rear gear and its attractive chrome finish, despite being considered heavy and a “joke” by Campy snobs. Red alloy pulleys were added to match the color scheme.

Another French bike, a 1958 Peugeot, is presented as a “picnic bike” with period French parts, including Lefol hammered fenders and a wicker basket. The author restored it from a frame, utilizing original decals and headbadge. A similar restored Peugeot from 1956 is also shown, featuring an older single cottered crank and cream-white tires. Another Peugeot from the late 60s is described as a picnic bike with cantilever brakes and “bling,” including dummy lights and a built-in fork-lock.

The author also presents a mid-fifties Columbia Newsboy Special with mostly original paint and decals, including a speedometer. This heavy bike was sold in Taos to fund their move. A 1940s Shelby Hiawatha was completely repainted by the author, including baby blue rims. The restoration process involved hand-painting frame points and re-upholstering the saddle with added padding and new leather. A torpedo headlight was repainted to match.

A three-speed bike restored and sold in Taos is mentioned, with a small front chainring added for the local hills. A large size Raleigh Competition GS from the early 70s features Modolo brakes, white tires and fenders, and Campagnolo components. The brake lever position is described as “Siegfried.”

A 1970 Peugeot picnic bike, the author’s first restoration around 2016, is shown with an Ideale saddle and a triple crank, notable for having fenders with 27” wheels. A rare English Maclean from the early 60s, upgraded with a Campagnolo Nuovo Gran Sport derailleur, is also featured, along with whitewall tires.

A fancier Raleigh GS is presented as a commuter bike designed for someone who wants to “look like the cat’s meow even while showing off his green side.” It includes a rare Campy three-arm crank, hammered fenders, Campy frame pump, Brooks springer saddle, Michelin whitewalls, and leather saddlebags.

A 60’s Motoconfort built in Cali is shown, with the author highlighting the importance of good original paint and decals. Decals are sourced from Serbia, Ukraine, or Australia due to the closure of the only US decal maker, Velocals. An antique Motobecane cottered crank is described as a significant artistic upgrade. The freewheel was upgraded for hills, requiring a long-cage derailleur, and the original French Simplex derailleur was replaced with a Shimano unit. Japanese white tires are praised.

A Triumph bicycle, rare in the US, is presented, featuring a Campy rear derailleur upgrade and a distinctive chainguard. The author rigged a rear brake using a long-reach caliper and angled pads. Crates are preferred over baskets for this type of bike. The bike includes a rearview mirror, working headlight and generator, and a steel bottle. The buyer reportedly liked the chainguard most.

The author’s original Torpado from 1987 is a cherished bike, with a recent upgrade to its rear derailleur for a 30T cog. A 1984 Ciocc acquired at a discount on Ebay is also showcased, with Modolo brakes and a Campy triple crank. It features a Sachs freewheel and a Super Record seatpost obtained cheaply due to an odd size.

A restored original Schwinn Black Phantom from Taos is mentioned, featuring a skiptooth chainring and a rare saddle. Another Schwinn, a Tiger from around 1960, has a repainted rack with a stripe, front light, and whitewalls.

Finally, a 1978 Guerciotti is still being worked on, with paint nicks filled and chrome improved. It features a Dura Ace aero seatpost, a Campy Rally long cage derailleur, and a Shimano Uniglide rear wheel. The bike has an Omas superlight headset and is lighter than some of the author’s other bikes due to components like a Michelin Pro3 tire and a titanium saddle. The author expresses a fondness for corked steel water bottles, despite their period inaccuracy for some bikes and weight compared to plastic.

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