Page Turner Posted January 22, 2018 Author Share #101 Posted January 22, 2018 ...I think this is my next project, a Carlton Flyer from the early 70's. Either this one, or a Richard Sachs bike from the same time frame that I finally got decals for. The Carlton is a sweet bicycle, top of the line for them at that time. But I'm having trouble figuring out how to touch up the flamboyant green paint, which is a complicated process of a transparent green/bronze over a reflective undercoating. The Sachs is just red, and recently repainted with automotive enamel. So if I put on the decals, it might jump to first in line. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirwickWithCheese Posted January 24, 2018 Share #102 Posted January 24, 2018 Page, I will accept the Carlton has a token of your affection for me. Please put it in front of the line and include shipping. You're very kind, I thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share #103 Posted January 24, 2018 ...don't you want to wait and see how the paint touch ups turn out ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirwickWithCheese Posted January 24, 2018 Share #104 Posted January 24, 2018 4 hours ago, Page Turner said: ...don't you want to wait and see how the paint touch ups turn out ? You are a bicyle hippie guru. I am sure it will be great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted January 25, 2018 Author Share #105 Posted January 25, 2018 2 hours ago, AirwickWithCheese said: You are a bicyle hippie guru. I am sure it will be great! ...this is a real challenge. Not certain you understand the complexities of matching a flamboyant paint job. There's all this transparency going on, so it's difficult to fade in your work. I might have to wait until the next psilocybin mushroom bloom here to get this right. It would be horrible to get it wrong, because the original paint is still pretty nice. This was like the Aston Martin of British criterium bikes back in ancient times. Think "licensed to kill." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirwickWithCheese Posted January 25, 2018 Share #106 Posted January 25, 2018 I expect perfection and you will deliver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted January 25, 2018 Author Share #107 Posted January 25, 2018 ...here is an example of Carlton Cycles flamboyant red paint. The Catalina was an OK, but lesser Carlton than the Flyer. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted January 27, 2018 Author Share #108 Posted January 27, 2018 ...the Woodrup from page one has a new winter livery. It accompanied me on a 30 mile Ramen House ride today. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted January 30, 2018 Share #109 Posted January 30, 2018 On 1/21/2018 at 7:39 PM, Page Turner said: ...I think this is my next project, a Carlton Flyer from the early 70's. Either this one, or a Richard Sachs bike from the same time frame that I finally got decals for. The Carlton is a sweet bicycle, top of the line for them at that time. But I'm having trouble figuring out how to touch up the flamboyant green paint, which is a complicated process of a transparent green/bronze over a reflective undercoating. The Sachs is just red, and recently repainted with automotive enamel. So if I put on the decals, it might jump to first in line. What do you do with these bikes when you are done and where do you even find them in the first place??? Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share #110 Posted January 30, 2018 1 hour ago, Razors Edge said: What do you do with these bikes when you are done and where do you even find them in the first place??? Tom ...I ride them. I only buy the ones that are sized appropriately, and there is a two car garage here filled with them. Some of them will be moving on in the next few years. They're all off the Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Area Craigslist. High zoot steel bikes are all over the place here, due to the long history of affluence and year round riding season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted January 30, 2018 Share #111 Posted January 30, 2018 2 minutes ago, Page Turner said: ...I ride them. I only buy the ones that are sized appropriately, and there is a two car garage here filled with them. Some of them will be moving on in the next few years. They're all off the Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Area Craigslist. High zoot steel bikes are all over the place here, due to the long history of affluence and year round riding season. And what size are you? I wouldn't mind a nicely refreshed 56/57-sized steel bike Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share #112 Posted January 30, 2018 ...I think that's what Cheese is looking for, too. All of these are in the 58-61 range, so they might as well not even exist insofar as you're concerned. Mostly I look for 59-60 seat tubes at this point, but I still have some racier 58's I set up back when I wanted more saddle to bar drop. 56-57 is a popular size. If you look on the Craigslist where you live, I bet something will turn up. Prices are down right now, because the steel riders are all going into nursing homes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted January 30, 2018 Share #113 Posted January 30, 2018 3 hours ago, Page Turner said: ...I think that's what Cheese is looking for, too. All of these are in the 58-61 range, so they might as well not even exist insofar as you're concerned. Mostly I look for 59-60 seat tubes at this point, but I still have some racier 58's I set up back when I wanted more saddle to bar drop. 56-57 is a popular size. If you look on the Craigslist where you live, I bet something will turn up. Prices are down right now, because the steel riders are all going into nursing homes. Well, then, to answer your original question of "What can I do here to make Square Wheels less sad??", I suggest forwarding to me any 56/57 Richard Sachs you happen upon. That surely would make SW smile. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share #114 Posted February 2, 2018 ...sunny and fair weather with highs in the low 70's. Time to break out the fair weather bikes. This one could use a matched wheel set and some paint touch up. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share #115 Posted February 2, 2018 ...I note that this Cooper was the first bike in the thread. Not to worry there are two more of them out there in the garage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted February 4, 2018 Author Share #116 Posted February 4, 2018 .....today's miles courtesy of Raleigh and their International, Schwalbe tyre, and Velo Orange fenders. The saddle adjustment, and maybe the saddle itself, need some work. It's one of those new fangled leather ones from Selle Anatomica, and right out of the box, I can see I'm probably gonna need to lace it. On the old Raleigh Pro's, you had to ride them for a while before the skirts started to flare, but these have been so improved that they do it when new. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share #117 Posted February 5, 2018 ...I originally bought this Selle Anatomica saddle because of all the ecstatic (best saddle ever) reviews on the internet. I't turning out to be very problematic for my needs, because after I laced it, it now squeaks like a hamster in the throws of epilepsy. I have now melted a bunch of wax down between the leather and the rear support frame, in hopes that it might still prove to be an OK saddle. But these are things I've never needed to do with a new, out of the box leather saddle before. All in all, disappointing thus far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkpow Posted February 5, 2018 Share #118 Posted February 5, 2018 If it rubs, it's going to squeak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted February 6, 2018 Author Share #119 Posted February 6, 2018 ...if the wax don't work, my last idea is to cram some teflon tape up in the crevice between leather and frame at the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted February 16, 2018 Author Share #120 Posted February 16, 2018 ...it's been too cold to paint here, sosince the Richard Sachs was already painted, and the paint well cured, I've been assembling it. Here is what it looks like so far. It's an early frame from him, a custom order originally sold through the Toga cycle shop in NYC back in the 70's. (He told me so over on e-Richie.) I just put on the decals and installed the bearing assemblies. I still need to build some wheels. The rest should go together rapidly after that. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted February 18, 2018 Author Share #121 Posted February 18, 2018 ...Sekai 4000. I cannot say enough good things about this bicycle. The frames were produced by a small frame shop in Japan, Miki. They were marketed (mostly on the West Coast) by a partnership of a local bike business in Seattle and a bicycle exporter in Japan. ( IIRC) The guys who ran the business here were serious cyclists, and they sponsored a team for a lot of years in the 70's. Rebecca Twigg was one of their riders, and she trained on a 4000. This one was a lot of work to restore, because it had some internal rust issues. But it's a wonderful ride. More information on Sekai bikes here. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted February 18, 2018 Author Share #122 Posted February 18, 2018 ...here's what their touring bike of the same vintage looks like. Hi tensile double butted tubing , which you don't often see. But it works well for something designed strictly as a utilitarian touring bike, where weight is much less of a concern. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted February 18, 2018 Author Share #123 Posted February 18, 2018 ...this is what I mean by "some internal rust issues". I bought it in the semi-darkness of an evening meeting at some guy's storage locker. Looked OK on the exterior, and it was too dark to take it much apart, but this is what it looked like when I did. Guessing, I think he just had it stored somewhere for a while near the coast somewhere, where the air is saltier. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkpow Posted February 18, 2018 Share #124 Posted February 18, 2018 I've wondered about rust on the inside of tubes. I was thinking a wire tube brush on a string and on a ram rod type of thing would be good. I know there are tube brushes for things like boilers and heat exchangers. On my bike, I did the best I could with spray and things like rags on a string and on a stick. There are some sprays that will passivate the rust if you can remove the heavy surface rust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted February 18, 2018 Author Share #125 Posted February 18, 2018 8 hours ago, donkpow said: I've wondered about rust on the inside of tubes. I was thinking a wire tube brush on a string and on a ram rod type of thing would be good. I know there are tube brushes for things like boilers and heat exchangers. On my bike, I did the best I could with spray and things like rags on a string and on a stick. There are some sprays that will passivate the rust if you can remove the heavy surface rust. ...you can get a round wire brush of the proper diameter for most older seat tubes, and attach it without too much trouble to a wood dowel. So I do that on seat tubes if there's rust and flaking that will adversely affect the bottom bracket bearings. But most of the other tubes and stays are inaccessible. Your two choices (and I've done both) are total immersion in a shallow kiddie pool in oxalic acid solution (which you can still find at the hardware store..used as wood bleach), or using something less toxic to fill up the main frame tubes like Evapo-Rust. You miss the fork and the seat stays with that, but usually those are not that rusted because there's only a tiny braze hole to admit air/water. If you do the fill up the frame thing, you need to block off all the holes and the BB openings, and then fill from the top of the seat tube. For an interior spray oil finish afterward, I just use this stuff (recommended by the local frame builder guy as what he uses.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted February 18, 2018 Author Share #126 Posted February 18, 2018 ...I reached into a dark corner and pulled out my hipster bike today, then I rode it over for coffee and a pastry. It's light, and it's fast. And I've made some significant mechanical upgrades. Sadly, I just don't get the single speed thing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkpow Posted February 18, 2018 Share #127 Posted February 18, 2018 That's a very nice looking bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted February 25, 2018 Author Share #128 Posted February 25, 2018 ...an old, but still good Legnano. Needs a different wheel set, for which I have the hubs and am waiting on the rims. But I wanted to ride it a little to see how it feels. It's amazing people used to race on these. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share #129 Posted March 8, 2018 ...in bright sunlight, like today, if you accidentally look at this Faggin without sunglasses it can blind you. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share #130 Posted March 8, 2018 A 1980s visit to the Faggin frame shop in Padova, Italy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkpow Posted March 8, 2018 Share #131 Posted March 8, 2018 Are those rubber 'hoods' still in good shape? If so, you are very lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share #132 Posted March 8, 2018 2 hours ago, donkpow said: Are those rubber 'hoods' still in good shape? If so, you are very lucky. ...yeah. I brought them back a little bit with Armor All. That stuff is great on old hoods. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted March 10, 2018 Author Share #133 Posted March 10, 2018 ...chipping away at the Richard Sachs. Everything is aligned, the wheels are built, and it just will take a couple of dedicated days now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Wheels Posted March 10, 2018 Share #134 Posted March 10, 2018 Show a picture of your bike barn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted March 10, 2018 Author Share #135 Posted March 10, 2018 3 hours ago, Square Wheels said: Show a picture of your bike barn. ...that window behind the hummingbird feeder leads right into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Wheels Posted March 10, 2018 Share #136 Posted March 10, 2018 1 hour ago, Page Turner said: ...that window behind the hummingbird feeder leads right into it. Pretty please, just a quick peek inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted March 10, 2018 Author Share #137 Posted March 10, 2018 ...no. It would only make you sad, and that is not the purpose here. No peeks inside. You would either be sad for me or sad for all the people who used to own those bikes and sold them because they no longer got ridden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted May 5, 2018 Author Share #138 Posted May 5, 2018 On 2/25/2018 at 2:19 PM, Page Turner said: ...an old, but still good Legnano. Needs a different wheel set, for which I have the hubs and am waiting on the rims. But I wanted to ride it a little to see how it feels. It's amazing people used to race on these. ...now looks like this. I think it might be finished. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted August 11, 2018 Author Share #139 Posted August 11, 2018 On 9/6/2015 at 12:19 PM, Page Turner said: Here is one from March of this year. Rauler was an operation that also built contract frames for Colnago. ...remember this one ? It was not too bad in terms of paint, but the original decals were starting to look rough and the chrome on the right chainstay was rusted and pitted pretty badly from being abused and being Italian. So because it's such a nice riding bicycle, and easily the equal or better of a Colnago, I decided to repaint and decal it here at home. For some reason unknown to me, bike repaints by professionals have reached into the stratosphere in pricing, with 8 and 900 bucks being often quoted for a first class repaint with decals. I have a crummy little paint gun ( from Harbor Freight )and a portable compressor, so I decided to give it a try. Decals will set you back about 40-50 bucks to start, and if you use good auto epoxy paint, that's probably gonna set you back another 20 bucks for the color coat, and either 20 bucks for the clear coat in a two part spray bomb (which is what I used) or 60-80 bucks for the quart size that is way more than you need for one bike (that you mix and spray yourself. ) Otherwise, if you've ever painted with a spray gun, it's pretty straightforward. The hardest part by far is color matching, and figuring out what they used originally for a primer color and base color. In this case, I ended up pretty close with a dark grey self etching primer, and something from House of Kolor called "Marine Blue" in trying to match "Rauler Blue". It's not especially well prepped, just roughed, derusted on the chainstay, and primed. But that spray bomb clear coat is shiny enough that you don't notice it very much. If your time is worth anything to you, do not get into doing this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted August 12, 2018 Author Share #140 Posted August 12, 2018 And, it would even be neat to see a start to finish documentation on some of them. Tom ...so anyway, I got that Carlton Flyer up at the top of the page repainted and rebadged, I even did some of the lug lining in gold. I started reassembly today. These photos will show you why I think that "start to finish documentation" pictures are kind of boring. I know when ever I see them for a car restoration, it puts me to sleep. Before and after pictures are always interesting, so the before is way up at the top of the page, and here is the current repaint. It's pretty difficult to achieve a successful repaint on a "flamboyant" finish, so I just went with a golden green that looks good with the gold decals and lug lining, and clear coated everything. The Carlton Flyer was their top of the line bike at the time. The box of miscellaneous parts is exciting if you are trying to put together a more or less accurate representation of one, but to most people it just looks like a box of miscellaneous parts. I think I'll do that patterned lining on the seat stay caps in gold, too. Later, when it's cooler. That's a genuine Campagnolo Record ( not Super Record) set of front and rear derailleurs in the box. And the GB engraved bars, while narrow by today's standards, are the schizzle. I already built up some wheels for this, so it shouldn't take more than a week or ten days to put it back together. Less if I get a couple of cooler days where I can work on it for 6-8 hours. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted August 20, 2018 Author Share #141 Posted August 20, 2018 ...what it looks like as of today. The air quality is still poor to middling, so I'll wait a few days and see if it clears up before I do any riding. *sigh* 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted August 29, 2018 Author Share #142 Posted August 29, 2018 ...the heat wave has broken and the air is breathable again. #thnk_u_Jesus 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkpow Posted August 29, 2018 Share #143 Posted August 29, 2018 How do you feel about dropout adjuster screws? I'm thinking anymore that their presence is more of a nuisance than benefit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted August 29, 2018 Author Share #144 Posted August 29, 2018 4 hours ago, donkpow said: How do you feel about dropout adjuster screws? I'm thinking anymore that their presence is more of a nuisance than benefit. ...I like them. They let me fiddle around with the wheel placement and centering, so I have a reference point for changes. With the newer tyres, I don't flat very often. So the original rationale for quick wheel changes is a moot point. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkpow Posted August 29, 2018 Share #145 Posted August 29, 2018 I just bury the axle in the drop out. When I build up the bike, I check alignment with a tape from the BB spindle center to the center of the wheel axle. If it is square, I'm good to go without the adjuster screws. Modern derailleurs don't need those screws, either. From what I have read, the adjusters were used to help fine tune shifting. I've not seen anything in this area because I just put on new derailleurs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted August 29, 2018 Author Share #146 Posted August 29, 2018 1 hour ago, donkpow said: I just bury the axle in the drop out. When I build up the bike, I check alignment with a tape from the BB spindle center to the center of the wheel axle. If it is square, I'm good to go without the adjuster screws. Modern derailleurs don't need those screws, either. From what I have read, the adjusters were used to help fine tune shifting. I've not seen anything in this area because I just put on new derailleurs. ...well see, you're into practical transportation. I, OTOH, will happily restore something with what was, even at the time, a second rate derailleur just because it says Zeus on it. Then I spend the rest of the time I ride on it fiddling around with the god damn thing trying to get it to work better. People who do this call themselves "enthusiasts". I don't really know why. We should call ourselves "masochists". This Zeus Competition has the additional "advantages" of being French metric tubing, French threaded, and to have been built with the rear dropouts slightly askew from the horizontal, so the rear wheel only sits straight in one spot in the drops. So you can see where those adjusters come in handy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted September 3, 2018 Author Share #147 Posted September 3, 2018 ...not original as sold. Team Edition Bottecchia from the mid or late 80's, in the lesser Aelle tubing frame. Lemond was riding for them, IIRC. Not sure if he was doping, but he says he wasn't. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted January 26, 2019 Author Share #148 Posted January 26, 2019 ...a Casati Perfection (probably from the late 70's or early 80's). Casati was influential in the development of internally routed cables. This was a total repaint/overhaul. Both derailleur cables run through the down tube, and the rear brake cable runs through the top tube. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkpow Posted January 26, 2019 Share #149 Posted January 26, 2019 Very nice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted January 27, 2019 Share #150 Posted January 27, 2019 On 1/26/2019 at 7:19 AM, donkpow said: Very nice. An understatement! Very impressive as well. Always making me smile with those pics. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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