# 1988 Bianchi Superleggera



## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

Does anyone have specifications for a 1988 Bianchi Superleggera? I believe it was Columbus SL with Campy Chorus, Synchro shifters and Ambrosio wheels. Would these wheels be 700C or 27”. Just trying to gather information. Bought one and am waiting to receive it now. It looks all original but I haven't seen it in person yet, so I won't know exactly until I unpack it. I was looking for an older Bianchi steel frame to rebuild with a modern Shimano drive train. But this one looks pretty cool and it seems a shame to remove all that Campy. Thinking of just restoring it and using it for coffee rides with the wife or our local bike club's Tour De Café rides on Sunday afternoon. Maybe remove the synchro shift and ride it in an L'Eroica type event. Who knows.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

I have it (or maybe it is 1987 -- I bought it in Feb 1988). It is sitting in my living room on a fluid trainer at the moment. The wheels are 700c. (edit: Ambrosio 19 Elete) I replaced the rear one, but the front is still the original. I will check for you. Mine has a combo of Campy and Modolo. The crank is Gipemme. The shifters aren't ratchet.





































(I was using those pedals for awhile after I broke my ankle. Don't worry -- that isn't original stock.)

The tubing I have is SLX, but I broke the original frame and I think they told me they gave me the next one up.

Two things to keep an eye on: (1) my frame cracked at the FD braze-on. I am kind of hard on bikes, so it might be a one-off. The replacement frame was problem-free. (2) If you have the Modolo stem with the split in it, like I do, be aware that it has been recalled. Mine never caused a problem, but it is a potential safety issue.

This is a great bike. I wouldn't touch the drive train unless there is something wrong with it. I spent many happy years on this thing. I bought it with every penny I had when I was a broke grad student at Berkeley, and riding it kept me sane.


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## spdntrxi (Jul 25, 2013)

Nice wgscott.. 

Want to find something think that for Erioca..


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

Thanks. I don't think the bike I bought is 100% original. It has an Athena rear derailleur for sure. Looks almost the same as yours except the A & B screws are on the top not the bottom. I believe you have a Chorus. The stem is a Cinelli and the bars are Ambrosia. The shifters are the ratcheting Synchro type. Also the brake cables exit the back of the lever and wrap under the handle bar tape. It also has old style LOOK delta pedals.


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## hfc (Jan 24, 2003)

I recently bought an '89 Giro from the original owner and got the catalog with it. The top 3 Bianchi models in 89 were Mondiale, Super Leggera, Giro. They all had the same frame SLX with Gipiemme dropouts. Group sets were Croce D'Aune, Chorus, Athena in the order above.

Wheels are 700c , per the catalog rims for the Mondiale were Campy Omega, and Ambrosio for the others but mine has Fir EL25's.


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## Roland44 (Mar 21, 2013)

bigjohnla said:


> Thanks. I don't think the bike I bought is 100% original


Yes, it doesn't seem to be 100% original but it's still a great bike, I really like the color!


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

Quick question about Campy stem shifters. I am not familiar with Campy at all. The bike has bosses on the downtube with Synchro sis shift levers. I would like to change these out with some older Nuevo Record style levers and go straight friction shift. I like the look of these better. Will these fit on the same bosses. The only friction shifters I ever had on any of my old bikes were the kind that clamped on the handle bar stem (shimano and suntour).


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## GKSki (Nov 12, 2014)

Synchro is Campys downtube indexed shifters and Shimano had SIS (Shimano Indexed Shifting). You will be able to mount any downtube shifters on those downtube bosses.


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## hfc (Jan 24, 2003)

Yes the older style should fit. If you want friction but want to stay closer to the spirit of your Chorus Group the first generation C-Record shifters were friction. Notice the lack of bulk to the "hub" of the right side shifter. 

VeloBase.com - Component: Campagnolo C-Record Friction

Edit: I notice that's what wgscott has on his bike above.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

If you're wantin' to go straight friction, I'd recommend you find a set of Simplex Retro-Friction shifters instead of Campagnolo shifters. They are incredibly smooth operating. It was a pretty standard up grade in the day.

VeloBase.com - Component: Simplex SLJ, Retro-Friction (later version)

On my bike. The rest of the group is Super Record.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

hfc said:


> Edit: I notice that's what wgscott has on his bike above.



Yeah. The only thing that I have found that bettered these is Di2. (I was asleep for the whole index shifter and 'brifter' thing on road bikes.)


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

The bike arrived Friday. It appears to have been put together from spare parts. The frame is in great shape with a brand new headset and looks like brand new bottom bracket. It has Ambrosio Campione Du Monde bars which are gorgeous. Wheels are not original and pretty beat up. 8 speed cassette hub on the rear which is not correct for the bike. The seat post is fluted alloy and that looks really good. Brakes are Chorus coplanar and in great shape, minus some mismatched adjusters and nuts. The frame was re sprayed but the color is not to my liking. Too light. Front derailleur is Chrous in great shape. Rear is Athena and is missing some parts. Shifters are Synchro which I will replace. Lots of work but also a whole to work with too. looking forward to a fun project.


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## jhamlin38 (Oct 29, 2005)

Love this thread. I'd probably recommend going with friction shifters b/c you'll have more options for the cogs/cassette. many of the mid-late 80's bikes had fairly straight blocks, which can make climbs overly difficult, and perhaps harmful. I started to develop issues from the giant gears (in comparison to running a 50-34 12-29)
I love pre 90's Bianchi.


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## GKSki (Nov 12, 2014)

Consider this...the Campy 8sp Synchro downtube shifter will work with Campy 8sp cassettes, Campy individual cog 9sp cassettes, respaced for 8sp, and surprisingly 7sp Sachs free wheels.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

Yes, I have pretty much decided to keep the cassette hub. I am considering this project more of a spirit of the period rebuild versus a complete restore to factory spec. I own a modern carbon fiber Bianchi Infinito with Shimano and FSA components. I am thinking that an Italian made Bianchi steel frame with European components that enthusiasts of the day would have used is the way I am going with this one. I am going to stick with the cassette hub and Monoplanar brakes. I will be acquiring an 8 speed derailleur and friction shifters. Crankset is going to be the problem. I don't know of any older cranksets from that era that can be configured 48-36. I use this with a 12-28 cassette on my main ride which gets my 61 year old Clyde butt up just about anything. The new Bianchi L'Eroica has a Dia-Comp crankset in that gearing as does Velo Orange. These are options if I can't find something older.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

bigjohnla said:


> Yes, I have pretty much decided to keep the cassette hub. I am considering this project more of a spirit of the period rebuild versus a complete restore to factory spec. I own a modern carbon fiber Bianchi Infinito with Shimano and FSA components. I am thinking that an Italian made Bianchi steel frame with European components that enthusiasts of the day would have used is the way I am going with this one. I am going to stick with the cassette hub and Monoplanar brakes. I will be acquiring an 8 speed derailleur and friction shifters. Crankset is going to be the problem. I don't know of any older cranksets from that era that can be configured 48-36. I use this with a 12-28 cassette on my main ride which gets my 61 year old Clyde butt up just about anything. The new Bianchi L'Eroica has a Dia-Comp crankset in that gearing as does Velo Orange. These are options if I can't find something older.


If you're looking for a new crank that has the look, another option is IRD. They don't have the exact configuration that you mention, but they have a coupe of options.

Crank Arms / Chainrings ? Interloc Racing Design / IRD


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## GKSki (Nov 12, 2014)

I had thought that Campy Synchro DTs were late 80s. Are you certain that the were not OEM on that Bianchi?


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

The Synchro DTs were original. The left one is a friction shifter ala Pantani. The right one is a ratchet. One click, one gear. It still works pretty well. But it is missing a plate with a lever that allows you to choose between index and friction shifting. To be honest, I don't really care for the look. It is kind of clunky looking. I much prefer the old style levers from an aesthetics standpoint. Plus, it will be L'Eroica with friction shifters. I am retiring in a little over a year and hoping to make it out to Pasa Robles for the California version in the next couple of years.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

While we got some folks reading this, I am planning to strip the paint off and repaint the frame. The frame is nickel plated. Does anyone know the proper procedure for doing This. Should I use a chemical stripper? Does a primer need to be applied?


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## GKSki (Nov 12, 2014)

Afaik, the left shifter for the front derailleur has always been friction. Mine has no ratcheting or detents involved. Also, my right, rear shifter does not have any way of running as a friction shifter. It is indexed all the way. It also does not have a ratchet. It simply clicks between cogs.

Now Suntour shifters did indeed have ratcheting that was audible.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

GKSki said:


> Afaik, the left shifter for the front derailleur has always been friction. Mine has no ratcheting or detents involved. Also, my right, rear shifter does not have any way of running as a friction shifter. It is indexed all the way. It also does not have a ratchet. It simply clicks between cogs.
> 
> Now Suntour shifters did indeed have ratcheting that was audible.


Velo Orange has the Dia Comp levers which are copies of the Suntour levers.

Dia-Compe ENE Down Tube Shifters - Shifters - Shifting - Components

And Rivendell has the silver shifters which is their copy of the Suntour lever.

Silver Downtube Shifter Kits - 17101

But IMO they're neither are work as well as the Simplex levers that I referenced in an earlier post.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

It took a bit of time to acquire all the proper tools for working with the Campy hardware. I have mostly worked on Shimano, Suntour and Simplex. Probably could have removed the crank and headset with some jury rigging, but it seemed like a good excuse to acquire the proper tools. I am a fool for tools. 

The bike is now disassembled and I am getting ready to strip the frame. The paint was actually pretty good for a rattle can job. But the color was wrong and nothing had been masked off correctly so all the threads had been painted. Managed to acquire color codes for Celeste and got some paint mixed up at a local auto paint supplier. They are pretty proud of their products. 

I have also started acquiring parts. Found a very nice Super Record derailleur in great condition. Got some NOS Campy brake pads, a very nice old Head badge I also ordered a pair H Plus Sons TB-14 rims. Still need a rear hub, hoods, shifters and pedals. The Wife is being patient but the costs are starting to add up. I need to rummage through my parts bin and sell a few things. 

Still debating whether to go with a "vintage look" compact crankset or keep the Chrous crankset. It would mean swapping the bottom bracket because no one makes ISO square taper cranksets anymore. 

I will post some pics after the frame is stripped and painted.


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## hfc (Jan 24, 2003)

Well you have fallen into the vintage bike sinkhole! I bought a Tommasini frame a couple of years ago, bought another bike for the parts, but ended up keeping it because I liked it so much and so on until now I'm at 4 vintage bikes with enough parts for one or 2 more!

Campy did not make compact cranks until about 7 or 8 years ago. Velo Orange sells modern parts with vintage look such as these cranks:

Grand Cru 110 Fluted Double Crankset, 34x48t - Cranksets - Components

This is my go-to site for vintage info, you'll find a few threads there for stripping and painting frames.

Classic & Vintage


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## Mcfarton (May 23, 2014)

That velo crank is neat. Too bad they didn't make it look like super record


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

Funny that you guys mentioned Velo Orange. I made the decision to go that route a few days back and ordered one. It arrived yesterday and it is a beauty. I got the CRU-110 with smooth rings. Not the “Drillium” one. On the outside the rings look old school. But, it has all the pins and ramps of a modern chain ring. My wife said it was very “pretty”. At least I got the important stuff right.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

Here are the parts I have assembled so far. Still need a rear hub


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

Got the frame stripped this past weekend. Other than a some skewer marks on the rear dropouts, it looks like it was built yesterday


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

That looks great. When you refinish it, are you going to chrome-plate the lugs?


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

bigjohnla said:


> Funny that you guys mentioned Velo Orange. I made the decision to go that route a few days back and ordered one. It arrived yesterday and it is a beauty.


That's great. I think I may get that instead of the White Industries, which I had my eye on, but frankly don't think my bike warrants that kind of expense. I need some wuss gearing.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

wgscott said:


> That looks great. When you refinish it, are you going to chrome-plate the lugs?


 The nickel plating is in very good condition. I am going to polish the fork crown, drive side chain stay and drop outs. The engravings on the drop outs are still nice and sharp. They should polish up nicely


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

I have not had much time to work on my bike. My wife had hip surgery last month and I had to move mom to a nursing home. But, I have put a few hours in here and there and almost have the frame ready to paint. I polished the fork crown which was investment cast stainless steel. The It has shined up very nicely as did the chain stay on the drive side and the drop outs on the frame. Going to paint the fork first to practice. The frame is nickel plated. I am using Rustoleum Automotive primer. Should I rough up the surfaces to be painted with 1000 grit sandpaper or Scotchlok to give it a little grip? I was going to go with two coats of primer. The base coat and clear coat are Sherwin Williams Automotive. I have read that I should use at least 4 coats of base and 3 of clear. Bought a touch up spray gun and a,mbuying a compressor this weekend. Wish me luck. Recommendations welcomed.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

First snag on this build. The bike has a braze on derailleur mount on the front. I installed the Velo Orange crankset just to see how it was going to look. Did not work out too well. I am not going to able to lower the derailleur enough to use the crankset. So I am going to have to go with the 53-39 Campy Chorus crank that came with the bike. It is a little scratched up, but I should be able to polish it up and use it. I could cut the mounting tab off and go with a clamp on derailleur but the bike is too nice to start carving on it. Don't want to add an extension or anything like that either. Oh well, I have a crank for a future project.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

bigjohnla said:


> First snag on this build. The bike has a braze on derailleur mount on the front. I installed the Velo Orange crankset just to see how it was going to look. Did not work out too well. I am not going to able to lower the derailleur enough to use the crankset. So I am going to have to go with the 53-39 crank Campy Chorus crank that came with the bike. It is a little scratched up, but I should be able to polish it up and use it. I could cut the mounting tab off and go with a clamp on derailleur but the bike is too nice to start carving on it. On want to add an extension or anything like that either. Oh well, I have a crank for a future project.


Don't know if you saw (in the other thread) I had the identical problem. I tried putting on a clamp-on, but there wasn't enough room. For now I shimmed it, to cause the cage to tilt backward. It works, but it is supremely ugly.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

wgscott said:


> Don't know if you saw (in the other thread) I had the identical problem. I tried putting on a clamp-on, but there wasn't enough room. For now I shimmed it, to cause the cage to tilt backward. It works, but it is supremely ugly.


 I did see your post. That is I what prompted me to temporarily install the new crank. I was getting ready to start painting and wanted to make sure I wasn't going to have to come back and repaint it. To be honest, I kind of fell in love with the the Velo Orange crankset and bought it because it was on sale. I was starting to have second thought about it. The Campy crank was looking kind of sad sitting over in my spare parts bin.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

How wide a chain can it tolerate? I think mine is a six-speed chain, and it is noisy on the inner ring.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

I never could get the rear dropouts quite straight with my homemade tool that I fashioned after one I saw on a You Tube video. I broke down and bought the ParK FFG-2 Frame and fork alignment gauge. It should arrive today. Once this is corrected I will finally get to start painting. Bought a compressor and dryer last week. Going to make a visqueen paint booth in my garage. I have gotten pretty good with rattle can paint jobs. This will be my first attempt with a "pro" setup. Hope to post some pictures soon. Wish me luck.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

Good luck. I look forward to the pictures.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

Another month and a half has gone by and I still have not painted my bike. At least I have a good reason. I have been riding a lot. Over 2000 miles since February. I have doodled a bit here and there. Polished up the seatpost and painted the flutes an Italian Tricolor. Disassembled the crank and polished yhe chain rings. The anodizing has been rubbed away pretty badly on the crank arms in a couple of spots. I am going to remove the anodizing and polish them. Going to lose the winged emblem but hoping to find someone who can engrave them on the arms. Disassembled the pedals, polished them up and ordered some decals from Cyclomondo in Australia. Going with early 60s style Red Bianchi decals. Similar to the ones they put on their neo-retro L'Eroica bikes that they have started selling to capture the nostalgia fever going on with old fart's like me.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

Here is how mine looks at the moment. I haven't tossed any of the parts, but this now has a Nitto stem and bars, Origin8 brake levers (the hoods had rotted off the Modolos, and I needed something less ergonomically sucky), and I put on the IRD crank, which then had the unanticipated consequence of making me replace the Campy rear derailleur (with an $18 Tiagra at the moment, while I try to decide if it needs a $130 Athena). It looks approximately ok if you don't read the label, but it bugs me. The ugly shim of the front derailleur can also be seen in the crank shot. Too many compromises, but the bike works.




























I'm contemplating the pros and cons of getting it this:










Campagnolo Athena 11 Silver Triple Group Set - Athena - Campagnolo - Group Sets


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## blackfrancois (Jul 6, 2016)

bigjohnla said:


> The anodizing has been rubbed away pretty badly on the crank arms in a couple of spots. I am going to remove the anodizing and polish them.


i've done this countless times with great results. I always use the private label brand of aerosol oven cleaner.

strangely, only my seatposts get a bit cloudy over time. but a minute of polishing with a rag coated with some old Mother's residue corrects it.


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## blackfrancois (Jul 6, 2016)

bigjohnla said:


> First snag on this build. The bike has a braze on derailleur mount on the front. I installed the Velo Orange crankset just to see how it was going to look. Did not work out too well.





wgscott said:


> Here is how mine looks ...


yeah, that's quite a gap. but as long as it shifts ok and the chain doesn't rub when on the small ring and a smaller rear cog...


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

blackfrancois said:


> yeah, that's quite a gap. but as long as it shifts ok and the chain doesn't rub when on the small ring and a smaller rear cog...


The chain doesn't rub only because I shamefully jammed a washer in between the mount and the FD. Zoom in and have a look. I bought a FD clamp-mount converter hanger, but unfortunately it forced the FD just a little bit too low. My only hope is to buy a FD with a clamp-mount and hope it fits properly under the hanger, live with this, or get the Triple Athena group-set...


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

wgscott said:


> The chain doesn't rub only because I shamefully jammed a washer in between the mount and the FD. Zoom in and have a look. I bought a FD clamp-mount converter hanger, but unfortunately it forced the FD just a little bit too low. My only hope is to buy a FD with a clamp-mount and hope it fits properly under the hanger, live with this, or get the Triple Athena group-set...


I was looking at this and had an idea, just don't know if it's a good one. It might take someone with a mill to accomplish so it may not be do-able.

I'm thinking a stepped extension bar, something that matches the curve of the mount. The extension would be bolted to the front of the derailleur mount and extend down below the mount. It would need to be stepped where it extends below the mount to be flush with the rear of the mount creating a longer lower mount. If it was long enough to bolt on at the top of the slot the hardware should be clear of the derailleur. The step would allow the derailleur to be mounted on the same plane and low enough to allow it to work as it should. The placement of the mounting bolt in the derailleur looks like it would allow the derailleur body to bolt to the extension and bridge the extension and the stock mount stiffening everything up, which is where the step comes into play. If the extension were painted with some celeste paint you would probably need to point it out for it to be noticed.

Like I said it would probably need to be done with a mill or by someone who has a drill press and is handy with files.

I hope I explained my idea clear enough to be understandable.


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## blackfrancois (Jul 6, 2016)

wgscott said:


> The chain doesn't rub only because I shamefully jammed a washer in between the mount and the FD. Zoom in and have a look. I bought a FD clamp-mount converter hanger, but unfortunately it forced the FD just a little bit too low. My only hope is to buy a FD with a clamp-mount and hope it fits properly under the hanger, live with this, or get the Triple Athena group-set...


guessing that washer lowered the fd just enough to make it work. good enough.

we usually don't use the small ring and the two smallest rear cogs on any bike anyway. more efficient gears are usually available.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

velodog said:


> I was looking at this and had an idea, just don't know if it's a good one. It might take someone with a mill to accomplish so it may not be do-able.
> 
> I'm thinking a stepped extension bar, something that matches the curve of the mount. The extension would be bolted to the front of the derailleur mount and extend down below the mount. It would need to be stepped where it extends below the mount to be flush with the rear of the mount creating a longer lower mount. If it was long enough to bolt on at the top of the slot the hardware should be clear of the derailleur. The step would allow the derailleur to be mounted on the same plane and low enough to allow it to work as it should. The placement of the mounting bolt in the derailleur looks like it would allow the derailleur body to bolt to the extension and bridge the extension and the stock mount stiffening everything up, which is where the step comes into play. If the extension were painted with some celeste paint you would probably need to point it out for it to be noticed.
> 
> ...


Wont let me rep you so I must say thanks manually.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

Well the last couple of months have been insane. My mom passed away after a long battle with Alzheimers. Then the record deluge and flooding in Louisiana has reeked havoc on the area. Fortunately my home was not flooded but my shop took a about a 1/2" of water about six times. It smells like a musty old horse barn. The humidity level has hovered in the 80-90% range for about 2 months making it impossible to paint. It is finally starting to dry up and the humidity is supposed to go down this week. Once I get the frame painted, I can build her up and hopefully have it ready for all the spring cycling events. Really anxious to get it finished and start riding it.


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## blackfrancois (Jul 6, 2016)

^ damn. that's some serious stuff.

wrenching helps with pain. at least with mine...

your post #38 needs pics!


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

Well one year later and I still have just a frame and a bunch of parts. The past few months have been insane. Too much to do at work and very little time to do much of anything else. Finally calming down so can get back to my build. With months to think about it, I found a few more parts along the way. I acquired two really nice Ofmega crank sets. One from a friend who was cleaning out his garage and another one that had Bianchi branding that I got off EBay. I think they look a little more vintage than the Chorus cranks that came on the bike. Of course, Ofmega has their own slightly different spindle so I had to get a new bottom bracket. Got the frame masked and primed. I am hoping to get some color on it tomorrow. Will post pics


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## hfc (Jan 24, 2003)

Looking forward to pics! Here's mine that I posted in this thread last year. I'd just gotten it and the frame was a little too big, so ended up selling that frame and finding another in a smaller size. Took a couple of months to get that squared away but worth the effort as it is an awesome bike.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

Still not much progress on the bike. Our plan was to make L'Eroica California this year but there were a few hiccups in our retirement plan we decided to push it off until next year. I have been working on the bars a bit. Doing mock ups. The original Campy brakes were aero Athena. I could have rerouted the cables to non aero and met the Eroica specification but I did not like the calipers. I had a set of Dia Compe levers and acquired some dia comp calipers. Didn't like these either. I just ordered set of Modolo Sporting levers and calipers. These are going to be the ticket. My wife thinks I am addicted to bike parts.


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## hfc (Jan 24, 2003)

If she complains too much, drop my a line and I'll email you some pics of my parts closet. It's like a vintage bike shop but makes me feel all fuzzy inside.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

I understand, I have 4 complete bikes, 5 project bikes about 15 wheels hanging from the rafters. Shelves full of every imaginable part. The woman may have a point,


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## SantaCruz (Mar 22, 2002)

BigJohnLA, thanks for keeping this post alive with an unfinished project. It makes me feel much more relaxed when gazing upon my Batavus Competition - 6 months and still not yet ridable.

But that's OK as there are plenty to ride and a new project to compete with the Batavus.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

Well, it is now 2018 and have had the bike for two years now and it is hanging in my garage primed. I am waiting for a day with low enough humidity and high enough temperature to start the color coats. I am finally retired, I should get it painted soon. Eroica California is a little over three months away. I will post pics soon hopefully.


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## Veloptuous (Oct 13, 2017)

*I second that*



velodog said:


> If you're wantin' to go straight friction, I'd recommend you find a set of Simplex Retro-Friction shifters instead of Campagnolo shifters. They are incredibly smooth operating. It was a pretty standard up grade in the day.
> 
> VeloBase.com - Component: Simplex SLJ, Retro-Friction (later version)
> 
> ...


I'll second that on the Simplex Retro-Friction shifters. I have them on my '86 Bridgestone 500 and they are by fare the nicest friction shifters I have ever used. Not only are they smooth operating, but they feel nice to the touch.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

9 months later and I have still not made much headway on getting this bike built. Last spring was a disaster. A death in the family caused me to cancel the Eroica trip for the second year in a row. I lost my momentum on the build. I am currently training for an Ms150 and have gotten back into golf. After playing about 1 or two times a year, I am playing twice a week and sometimes three. I am shooting in the 70s and have my handicap down to 5. I have mellowed quite a bit, and instead of losing my mind I am just pfffttt big deal. Fortunately, the MS training has gotten my cycling juices flowing pretty good again. I started back working on the bike. I am lacing up the wheels. Figured, if I could get one thing completed it would make it easier to get some momentum. The biggest hiccup is going to be the paint. The humidity in south Louisiana rarely gets low enough for an amateur to do a good job.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

Well, another 8 months and still not much progress. Missed Eroica California again. My nephew is getting married in California in 10 days. I could not afford two trips out there in one year. Hope to get the frame painted next month.


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