[Colnasty]

This is my first thread like this, but after browsing through so many of everybody's builds and learning a bunch I thought I would add my own.

So, here is my starting point. A beautiful Colnago Decor that I'm guessing is from '96 or so. Record headset seems in great shape as well.

View attachment 276312 View attachment 276315

After a few years on carbon, I have gotten the bug to build a steel bike. My plan is to use a lot of the spare parts I have lying around and source a few others to end up with a bike that rides well, looks "correct" and can be finished on a decent budget.

I have an '09 Chorus 11 speed group that I plan to throw on, though I might want to switch to Athena alloy cranks and shifters.

I'm into quill stems and allot seat posts, and it seems Deda is making a few, as well as some 26.0 bars. I think a silver or chrome finish will look best on this frame.

I have some really old Zipp 303 tubulars and Mavic Ksyriums laying around, but I would love to find a cheap 11 speed wheel with silver or chrome hubs and rim. Any tips?

Should start throwing things together soon!

 

[PRB]

Nice bike....congrats.

I have an '09 Chorus 11 speed group that I plan to throw on, though I might want to switch to Athena alloy cranks and shifters.

You should be aware that the silver Athena shifters are Powershift, unlike your Chorus which are Ultrashift - this may matter to you. However, it is possible to move the alloy levers and blades to the Chorus bodies and end up with silver Ultrashift.

I have some really old Zipp 303 tubulars and Mavic Ksyriums laying around, but I would love to find a cheap 11 speed wheel with silver or chrome hubs and rim. Any tips?

You can source silver hubs (there are inexpensive options out there) and rims and either build them yourself or have the LBS do it. Ebay is another option if you are OK with used wheels.

Oh, and I'd go for a classic Campy seatpost.

 

[crossracer]

That's going to look great. Keep us posted

 

[humanbeing]

I'm into quill stems and allot seat posts, and it seems Deda is making a few, as well as some 26.0 bars. I think a silver or chrome finish will look best on this frame.

I have some really old Zipp 303 tubulars and Mavic Ksyriums laying around, but I would love to find a cheap 11 speed wheel with silver or chrome hubs and rim. Any tips?

Cinelli have reissued the A1 stem and the Giro D'italia bars which would suit your needs and Velomine sell wheelsets with Silver Miche hubs and Mavic Open Pro for a pretty reasonable price, however eBay is a good source for Campagnolo hubs which should be combined with Ambrosio rims. Plenty of decent Campagnolo seatposts on eBay too.
Can't wait to see the build

 

[brewster]

Very nice frame there. Don't forget the saddle. Most of the new style saddles look out of place on vintage frames, to me anyway. Luckily, they still make San Marco Rolls and Regal and even the Concor model which are fitting for this build. For a mid-90s frame, you could also go with a Flite which are made again as well. That should be a killer build. Be sure to post some final shots for us to drool over.

 

[american psycho]

I did my Master Olympic this winter with Record carbon 10 speed, and am currently building a paint-stripped Monotitan which will sport 1982 Super Record.

The saddle is required to look like this - which I'll let go for a song... View attachment 276344

The Master Olympic looks like this (I post this photo whenever I get a chance):
View attachment 276345

 

[Colnasty]

You should be aware that the silver Athena shifters are Powershift, unlike your Chorus which are Ultrashift - this may matter to you.

Thanks for the heads up, I was not actually aware of that! They will still function with my chorus derailleurs though, right? I picked these up cheap a few months ago anticipating a project like this. They just look better for this kind of bike don't they?
View attachment 276348

 

[Colnasty]

Hey Humanbeing,
I did notice those Cinelli pieces. I think I'm going to do this Deda Murex and classic bar. They have a "neo-retro" look i'm digging, and I also like being able to drop the bars out the bottom
. View attachment 276352 View attachment 276353

 

[Colnasty]

Ok, I pulled all my chorus stuff of my donor bike (rip) and got it cleaned up pretty good. The levers are bit trashed from the accident (damn cars) so I'm going to go ahead and try the Athena.

I was using a Super Record Crank, and am going to put that on as well since I already have it. At this point paying for a lesser component (Athena Alloy) just for looks seems silly, so i'm going to wait on that "upgrade".

My stem and bars won't be here for a bit, so I got a cheap threadless adapter to run some stuff from the closet for the time being. Patience is not one of my virtues!

Well, I guess it's time to start wrenching. This is my first build so wish me luck!

oh, frame, fork and headset weighed 5 lbs 13oz
View attachment 276395 View attachment 276394

 

[PRB]

Thanks for the heads up, I was not actually aware of that! They will still function with my chorus derailleurs though, right? I picked these up cheap a few months ago anticipating a project like this. They just look better for this kind of bike don't they?

You're welcome. Sure, they'll work just fine with your Chorus bits.

Since you said your Chorus levers are messed up, it's super easy to swap out the Al levers from the Athena to the Chorus bodies. All you have to do is push the pivot bolts out - it's maybe a 5 minute job. You'll still have the plastic blades though.

You can also move those Al blades to the Chorus bodies as well. This is more work as you have to take the internals apart but it's a straight swap. I did this last year as I wanted full Al Powershift levers.....so I definitely agree that they look better. You can find video on Youtube which shows you how to do the work.

 

[acg]

This is a gorgeous frame. Post some pics when you are done!

 

[Colnasty]

View attachment 276634 View attachment 276635

Ok, so here she stands now. This is the "light-weight" guise. I got her all cabled up with white campy cables and had my "previously enjoyed" record chain thrown on by my LBS. (going to have to invest in an 11 speed chain tool).

I actually don't mind the carbon crank at the moment mixed with the Zipps and the 3T LTD bars and seat post. The red striped stem is out of place, but overall I think the bike looks pretty decent.

With pedals she is 17lbs, 2oz

I just had enough time for a quick test ride after everything was all running smoothly and adjusted properly, but it was a bit of a failure. I cannot keep the rear wheel in the drop outs! I have it adjusted as far back as the limit screws will allow, and the skewer is as tight as it will go, but as soon as I put any real force on the pedals it pulls the wheel right out.

What gives? I also notice a bit of flex or twisting of the frame when I put decent presure on the cranks. FYI, I am a 155lb skinny guy with weak chicken legs!

 

[PRB]

I just had enough time for a quick test ride after everything was all running smoothly and adjusted properly, but it was a bit of a failure. I cannot keep the rear wheel in the drop outs! I have it adjusted as far back as the limit screws will allow, and the skewer is as tight as it will go, but as soon as I put any real force on the pedals it pulls the wheel right out.

What skewers are you using? That's a fairly common problem when using newer external cam skewers on older frames that have chrome horizontal dropouts - they can't get enough 'bite'. If you switch to internal cam skewers it will likely cure the problem.

I also notice a bit of flex or twisting of the frame when I put decent presure on the cranks. FYI, I am a 155lb skinny guy with weak chicken legs!

That may be related to your skewer problem. If the back end isn't tied together well it may be allowing more flex at the BB. Steel frames with smaller diameter tubing have a reputation of being more flexy but IME it's not enough to be noticeable, especially for someone of your weight. Sure, they'll move more than a modern frame when you push on the pedals at rest but on the road it's a lot harder to feel that movement.

 

[Colnasty]

Ok, so I gain 165 grams going to the Deda 120mm Murex stem and 42cm Speciale bar bar. I think it's worth it on the looks dept. The 3T LTD bar will probably go on my C59 "superbike", where weight might actually matter.

So, another aesthetic debate. I picked up some lime green Deda bar tape to bring out the paint highlights, but also have some of this Cinelli "cow" cork tape in the closet.

I think I'm leaning towards the black and white, or maybe just plain white. Unless of course I do jagwire green brake lines and/or purple shift cable housings, then maybe the green is better.

I am sort of cultivating a late 80s early 90's flamboyant euro pro look with this bike. Yes, on purpose. Hey, my C59 is all matte black. You gotta make them different, otherwise you keep building the same bike and only riding one.

thoughts?
View attachment 276643

 

[american psycho]

Plain white is what I'd use, plus a boatload of EPO.

View attachment 276645

 

[Colnasty]

View attachment 276709 View attachment 276710
Ok, test ride take 2!
I found a beefier skewer and clamped it down absolutely as hard as I could, and it seemed to do the trick. Took the bike out on my regular 25 mile loop around Griffith park in LA. It felt really good overall, though I was nervous about the wheel slipping out, especially on the climbs so I never went super hard.

I had my computer in my jersey pocket, so didn't have a real sense of speed but the bike felt a little less efficient than my master but I could tell it was easier and faster overall to ride, though its hard to compare a 23 lb bike with '90 shimano 600 to a 17.5 lb bike with modern components. The road feel and comfort was great, even with the deep carbon wheels. more comfortable than my C59, though it felt like I had to put in a lot more effort to go much slower, like I was wasting energy.

I was very very suprised when I got home and plugged my Garmin in that I had actually earned a bunch of strava medals and 4 PR's on the route I ride ALL the time. There is just something magic about these steel bikes I guess!

Though I'm not sure that If I'm faster on this then my C59 it is a good thing, considering it cost me about ten times as much! hmmm.

 

[paredown]

Ok, test ride take 2!
I found a beefier skewer and clamped it down absolutely as hard as I could, and it seemed to do the trick. Took the bike out on my regular 25 mile loop around Griffith park in LA. It felt really good overall, though I was nervous about the wheel slipping out, especially on the climbs so I never went super hard.

I had my computer in my jersey pocket, so didn't have a real sense of speed but the bike felt a little less efficient than my master but I could tell it was easier and faster overall to ride, though its hard to compare a 23 lb bike with '90 shimano 600 to a 17.5 lb bike with modern components. The road feel and comfort was great, even with the deep carbon wheels. more comfortable than my C59, though it felt like I had to put in a lot more effort to go much slower, like I was wasting energy.

I was very very suprised when I got home and plugged my Garmin in that I had actually earned a bunch of strava medals and 4 PR's on the route I ride ALL the time. There is just something magic about these steel bikes I guess!

Though I'm not sure that If I'm faster on this then my C59 it is a good thing, considering it cost me about ten times as much! hmmm.

Looks great--and I like the tape choice. Amazing how much drop you have from seat to bars--you must be a young guy!

 

[Salsa_Lover]

Very nice, but you mounted wrong the ergos.

On classic bend handlebars is better to align the brake lever tips with the imaginary line prolonging the drops.

Then set your drops parallel to the ground, the ergos will be then perpendicular to the floor and in the right position.

 

[Colnasty]

yeah, I hear you on the looks part of it Salsa_Lover,
I have been playing with the bars and levers a bit trying to find a position I like. Classic bends may ultimately not be for me.

I like (or am used to) having the entire top of my cockpit all being flat and level, and at the height of the stem. I have pretty big hands and like to use the tops of the bars as one giant extension of the hoods. I can almost have the heel of my palms on the tops with my fingers on the levers. The curve of the bar top supports the edge of my hand, and I can stay there forever without any pressure on the middle of my palm or thumb.

Having the bar slope down into the hoods with steep ramps really limits my usable real-estate and adds more pressure to the center of my hands.

This is how I run my 3T Ergonovas
View attachment 276713

 

[Salsa_Lover]

I understand what you mean, most people nowadays are used to the flat transitions that the modern bars offer and are used to a hoods-only position.

Classic bars were designed on a time where there the shifters where down the tube and you had brake levers only mounted on them. ( or not shifters or levers at all )

But the Campagnolo Ergos were designed with them in mind, and they offer several usable and useful positions that a compact or ergo bar don't have.

See for example a classic bar on this C40, ( this is an ITM )

or this on my Commuter bike ( this is a 3TTT TDF )

In that way you have tops that are higher than the hoods, and you have the ramps that give you several useful and usable down positions and different widhts and heights, traveling along the curved surface.

Same concept as the curved hooks where you also have a continous surface to find where is the perfect spot to place your hands.

Even though I give you that point, they are less comfortable compared to modern bars..... initially.... once you get used to the classic bars, you will find they are much better.

I have them on all my road bikes, but I have settled with the more modern 3T Rotundo that has similar design but a bit less pronounced slope on the ramps.

for handlebar terminology refer to this graphic by la rueda tropical ( excellent link here Road Drop Bar Geometry : La Rueda Tropical )