Saturday 29 December 2012

A winter service


Before and after pictures of a winter service carried out this week.





Service completed and ready to go back to its owner.
If you want your bike fit for the roads this spring give Bobs Bike Shed a call.
07917031850

Thursday 20 December 2012

L'Eroica build continued

 So I have spent a number of weeks searching and  collecting Campagnolo group set parts for the Raleigh TI build and although it wasn't intentional, I have ended up with a significant number of NOS ( New old stock) parts. It started with a very nice set of Super Record brakes and levers which have some slight marks on, but I think they have probably only been mounted on a display bike. So as the search continued I started to lean towards NOS parts. So much of whats advertised as used, at what I think are hugely inflated prices seem to be in a poor state, I do sometimes wonder why people don't clean stuff up before trying to sell it. Interestingly Mario (My frame restorer) reckons the price inflation on vintage components is in part due to the resurgence of using old/ new steel frames.
Along the way I have managed to pick up one or two bargains but in the main, I have paid market prices and as I want the bike to look the part I'm happy with that.  Below are some photos of what I have so far and I have decided to go Super Record as far as possible in line with a 1980's Team build although I have picked up one or two Nuovo record parts as you can see. The last four photos show the  brakes and gear levers fitted to the frame.



Nuovo Record Rear Mech

Nuovo front mech

Super Record rear mech

Seat post

Parts so far including a pair of NOS Mavic GP4 rims

Super Record Brake lever

Rear Brake

Front Brake


Down tube Gear levers







Wednesday 5 December 2012

A L'Eroica winter project

You tube has a lot to answer for, a quiet moment searching cycling stuff  had me looking at videos of Chianti in Italy  watching films of past L'Eroica sportives and dreaming of bikes I lusted after as a teenager. A thought began to develop and idea about taking part in 2013 had me trawling the internet looking at vintage parts and searching for a suitable frame.  The beauty of L'Eroica is that there are rules and very specific rules at that.
Your vintage bicycle must have all the following characteristics:
• road racing bicycle, built before 1987 (not cyclo cross or time trial bike)
• steel frame (the only aluminum frame bikes permitted are ALAN or VITUS with either screwed or glued joints)
• gear shift levers on the down tube of the frame (exceptionally, only pre-1980 bar-end gear shifts are allowed)
• pedals with toe clips and fitted straps (quick release pedals are not allowed, except Cinelli M71 pedals)
• the passage of brake cable outside the handlebars
New bicycles with steel frames can be used but they must be assembled with vintage components (gear levers, handlebars, pedals, etc).
The adjustment of the rear wheel gears to suit the difficulty of the route is permitted.
So you get the idea, this ride is for vintage bikes only. The key thing that distinguishes L’Eroica from other 'sportive's is the road surface. The event combines tarmaced roads with "Strade bianche". Unmetalled roads or roads that haven’t been tarmaced  they’re naturally chalky hence their name white roads. They can be gravelly, dusty,  sandy,  smooth and occasionally bumpy.
I want to take part but entry's are limited to overseas riders and I will have to be quick when the 2013 enrolment opens. In the mean time I can have great fun searching for vintage Campagnolo parts to build on to my recently acquired frame. Its a special build Raleigh Ilkeston Frame with the serial number SB3836 which puts it at 1980. It came from a chap in Netherlands which is quiet fitting as the Raleigh pro team was in its hey day during that period with its main riders coming from the Netherlands. The second picture shows the frame following its repaint in Team colours and now its waiting patiently for some lovely vintage parts. The icing of course will be if it gets to ride the Strade Bianche in October next year.....well we can all wish can't we 
SB3836 prior to repainting
SB3836 Repainted