what is it about old stuff?

On Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:36:13 -0800, Chalo wrote:

Nate Nagel wrote:

Â* When I came back out another customer was admiring it... now it's
really nothing that special, just an old frame with some new wheels,
fenders, and lights (OK, the Cyo is a little special)

I find myself doing the same thing... bikes, cars, whatever. Â*Something
old always catches my eye, esp. if it is a little beat looking but
someone is obviously riding/driving it regularly.

I got to tune up a circa 1983 Koga Miyata the other day. It was as
pristine as if it had been in a time capsule-- the only blemish on it
was a chip where the front caliper arm had swung around and bitten the
top tube. It had a complete and virginal Dura Ace setup on it,
including those goofy AX drop-spindle pedals and cranks-- but not
including the silly aero versions of the other parts. I was unable to
adequately explain to my young co-mechanic why I found that particular
bike so sublime.

A drop-handlebar bike "sublime"? Has someone kidnapped the real Chalo?


I was a little surprised to learn that the customer had just bought it
and intended to put it into normal service as his road bike. Oh well--
I guess that is what it's for, after all.

Chalo

Gary Young wrote:

Chalo wrote:

I got to tune up a circa 1983 Koga Miyata the other day. *It was as
pristine as if it had been in a time capsule-- the only blemish on it
was a chip where the front caliper arm had swung around and bitten the
top tube. *It had a complete and virginal Dura Ace setup on it,
including those goofy AX drop-spindle pedals and cranks-- but not
including the silly aero versions of the other parts. *I was unable to
adequately explain to my young co-mechanic why I found that particular
bike so sublime.

A drop-handlebar bike "sublime"? Has someone kidnapped the real Chalo?

Hey, I didn't say i wanted to _ride_ it. Repacking the clean and
flawless headset (which was lacking only in 21st century grease) was a
far more spiritual experience than that.

But if I were going to use a drop bar, it would be a non-grooved bar
with a constant radius bend, more or less like the one on that Koga
Miyata.

Chalo

On Mar 6, 3:35*am, Chalo wrote:
Gary Young wrote:

Chalo wrote:

I got to tune up a circa 1983 Koga Miyata the other day. *It was as
pristine as if it had been in a time capsule-- the only blemish on it
was a chip where the front caliper arm had swung around and bitten the
top tube. *It had a complete and virginal Dura Ace setup on it,
including those goofy AX drop-spindle pedals and cranks-- but not
including the silly aero versions of the other parts. *I was unable to
adequately explain to my young co-mechanic why I found that particular
bike so sublime.

A drop-handlebar bike "sublime"? Has someone kidnapped the real Chalo?

Hey, I didn't say i wanted to _ride_ it. *Repacking the clean and
flawless headset (which was lacking only in 21st century grease) was a
far more spiritual experience than that.

But if I were going to use a drop bar, it would be a non-grooved bar
with a constant radius bend, more or less like the one on that Koga
Miyata.

Chalo

There are so many great old bikes out there that just need an overhaul
and they'll provide another decase of good service.
This is what we do:
Vin - Menotomy Vintage Bicycles
http://OldRoads.com
http://oldroads.com/img/DSCN0370.jpg
http://oldroads.com/img/DSCN0354.jpg
http://oldroads.com/img/DSCN0357.jpg
http://oldroads.com/img/DSCN0360.jpg
http://oldroads.com/img/DSCN0363.jpg

On Mar 6, 8:56*am, OldRoads wrote:
On Mar 6, 3:35*am, Chalo wrote:





Gary Young wrote:

Chalo wrote:

I got to tune up a circa 1983 Koga Miyata the other day. *It was as
pristine as if it had been in a time capsule-- the only blemish on it
was a chip where the front caliper arm had swung around and bitten the
top tube. *It had a complete and virginal Dura Ace setup on it,
including those goofy AX drop-spindle pedals and cranks-- but not
including the silly aero versions of the other parts. *I was unable to
adequately explain to my young co-mechanic why I found that particular
bike so sublime.

A drop-handlebar bike "sublime"? Has someone kidnapped the real Chalo?

Hey, I didn't say i wanted to _ride_ it. *Repacking the clean and
flawless headset (which was lacking only in 21st century grease) was a
far more spiritual experience than that.

But if I were going to use a drop bar, it would be a non-grooved bar
with a constant radius bend, more or less like the one on that Koga
Miyata.

Chalo

There are so many great old bikes out there that just need an overhaul
and they'll provide another decase of good service.
This is what we do:
Vin - Menotomy Vintage Bicycleshttp://OldRoads.comhttp://oldroads.com/img/DSCN0370.jpghttp://oldroads.com/img/DSCN0354.jpghttp://oldroads.com/img/DSCN0357.jpghttp://oldroads.com/img/DSCN0360.jpghttp://oldroads.com/img/DSCN0363.jpg- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

'decade' not 'decase'
Oy.

On Mar 5, 10:11*pm, John Thompson wrote:
On 2010-03-05, Peter Cole wrote:

To people accustomed to the appearance of old bikes, things look
"right", and many of the aesthetics of new bikes: welds, sloping top
tubes, fat diameters with integrated bearings, Aheadsets and clamped
stems, and ergo bars -- just look wrong to them.

You forgot "unraked forks." Bleech.

Unraked forks are only used in the sport of artistic cycling. Perhaps
you think that forks with an offset created by a curve at the lower
leg are more attractive than those which arrive at the same position
via an offset at the crown. I'd beg to differ--unless all the other
tubes of a bicycle are also made containing harmonizing curves. As it
stands, I think the curved fork might look "traditional", but I don't
think it actually looks right and proper when mounted on a bicycle
whose diamond frame contains only straight tubes.

Per Tim McNamara:
Unfortunately the economy has been based on hundreds of millions of
Americans spending more than they earn every year. Whoops. It always
baffles me that conservative politicians and policy makers can support
that behavior with a straight face

My take is that the working definition of "conservative" has
undergone some major morphing over the last 20 years.

I don't blame the politicians: they just want to get
re-elected..that's their nature.

The problem, IMHO, lies in the collective consciousness of the
voters.

I hope I'm wrong, but right now I believe we have passed some
sort of tipping point from which there is no return.

The Republicans don't want to raise taxes and the Democrats don't
want to cut entitlements.

Every economist I've heard so far says we have to do both to
survive.

60% GDP-to-debt is a problem - and that's today.

80% GDP-to-debt is a beeeeeeg problem, and that's only 10 years
away.

20 years from now we'll be at 100% and, from everything I've
heard, that's catastrophic.

I think Greece is at 120 right now
--
PeteCresswell

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Tim McNamara:
Unfortunately the economy has been based on hundreds of millions of
Americans spending more than they earn every year. Whoops. It always
baffles me that conservative politicians and policy makers can support
that behavior with a straight face

My take is that the working definition of "conservative" has
undergone some major morphing over the last 20 years.

I don't blame the politicians: they just want to get
re-elected..that's their nature.

The problem, IMHO, lies in the collective consciousness of the
voters.

I hope I'm wrong, but right now I believe we have passed some
sort of tipping point from which there is no return.

The Republicans don't want to raise taxes and the Democrats don't
want to cut entitlements.

Every economist I've heard so far says we have to do both to
survive.

60% GDP-to-debt is a problem - and that's today.

80% GDP-to-debt is a beeeeeeg problem, and that's only 10 years
away.

20 years from now we'll be at 100% and, from everything I've
heard, that's catastrophic.

I think Greece is at 120 right now

And the Greeks, correctly, point out, "At least we're in
better shape than California"

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Mar 5, 5:31 pm, Nate Nagel wrote:


Oh, and observation for today: if you are riding a bicycle while wearing
cuffed pants, and your bike has an old Zefal pump mounted on the seat
tube, use the little pants strap things on BOTH legs, not just the
right.

My left pantleg can have a tendency to catch on the "shoulder" of the
crank arm. Never threatened to crash me yet, but definitely annoying,
and potentially dangerous.

Seriously, it was embarrassing how far the pump flew when the
lever got caught in my left pants cuff. Fortunately, it was on a
residential street with no traffic... lessons... (didn't feel the need
to get kitted up just to ride a couple miles to the local garage)


Fortunately, most of my pants are of the type that can just be rolled
up if they're getting in the way.

On Mar 6, 7:52 am, * Still Just Me *
wrote:
On Fri, 5 Mar 2010 18:32:39 -0800 (PST), Bill

wrote:
"I've tried to ride a few (fairly nice) 80's bikes "as is", and found
them to be pretty disappointing, some things have come a long way."

Peter, would you mind telling me what you found disappointing about
those steel frames from the '80s? The reason I ask is that I'm
presently riding a high-end steel frame from 1987 with non-aero
components, 32-spoke wheels and box-section rims, and I can't figure
out if I'm so slow because I'm in lousy shape or because everybody
else has a better bike. Thanks.

retrobilly

You'll need to get in maximum shape first as a test...

That's certainly the less expensive approach. And if it turns out to
be the bike after all, he'll be ready to make the most of a better
one.

Bill Crowell wrote: "I can't figure out if I'm so slow because I'm in
lousy shape or because everybody else has a better bike.

Andrew Muzi replied: "Steroids & EPO mostly"

Yes, that must be it, Andrew. It's just as I thought: I'm really in
fantastic shape but all those other riders passing me are taking
steroids and EPO. So you've noticed that, too? Damn! Thanks for
letting me know you agree. BTW, do you want to go for a tandem ride
sometime? You can be the stoker.