a) my Doniselli is not original or mint. When I got it the paint was very scratched up and I could never get the brakes to work properly. The front derailleur shifted very poorly and I soon learnt to hate sew ups. Even the crank is not original as it was a cottered crank and I could not locate a small chainring, the smallest I was able to locate at that time was 47 teeth. This was before the internet. b)The Donselli is a short wheel base bike> Mostly I want to be able to go up hills without my knee aching. I noticed that most of the people touring down the Trans Canada Highway lately are riding Mountain Bikes. Any touring I do would also be on one as that is all my wife has and it would be short back roads trips anyway. c) I am not much of a mechanic. Having said that the only thing that a bike shop has done to this bike is to inspect it free for a Bike For Breath ride I do each August raising money for the Lung Association (this year's ride is next Sunday) And with the new route being on the cities bike path I will used the Specialized this year again. I stripped the bike for the paint job and replaced brakes front derailleur and crack set myself with Gran Sport components on clearance sales. I also had the wheels done by others ( front wheel twice as the first one got creamed by a lady on a mountain bike on a city bike path. She froze and rode straight into me. Her next door neighbour had recently closed his bike shop so he could go to school to be a lawyer or doctor or something else that made more money. If it involved drilling components I would likely have someone else do it but for simple replacing items I can do that myself. d) The only parts around here are for BMX or top end mountain bikes it seems. Most rode bikes are cheap and old. There are a few road bikes now and the two new bike shops carry road bikes. But as they are new not much in older parts. If I was to replace the crank and derailleur any good ones would do. This time I would keep the old ones. e) Convenient space in the house is limited to two bikes but if I got a new one the Doniselli would be placed somewhere else in the house. The BRC sits on the driveway and the Doniselli hangs in the front porch and two mountain bikes take up the floor. Of course if I could get my wife to rid us of an upright piano that occupies the space below the Doniselli I could fit in more. Really would prefer less bikes than more. The BRC was kept because Springers do not fit onto the frame of the new mountain bike and I had the BRC. If need be just need to get a new seat tube and attach the Springer to it (attaches to the dog). It is more I do not want to spend much money at the moment as this summer we bought a 1987 Saab Convertible and it still needs a few little things done to it as well.
Ivan Shukster
Medicine Hat, Alberta
1963/4 Doniselli
2002 Specialized Hard Rock
1986 BRC Columbus for running the dogs
> Considering Ivan's triple query, my questions are:
>
> a. How mint & original is your Doniselli? My Austro-Diamler and
> Frejus "hot-rods" weren't in good shape or not a valuable collectors
> bike to begin with. If it's worth something, you might not want to
> start messing with it. If it's your favorite bike, but it's too hard
> to ride anymore, and you want to keep it forever, then go ahead.
>
> b. Is the Doniselli a short wheelbase racer or a longer stayed
> tourer? As Jerry Moos said, a short stayed bike is harder to triple.
> Any touring planned, or just day riding?
>
> c. Do you do your own wrenching on it, or take it to the LBS? My
> experience, if I do-it myself, I can make anything work (...yea,
> right), taking it to the shop, they're going to throw parts at it and
> it'll cost a bundle.
>
> d. Do you want period-correct or all Campagnolo components or would
> a mish-mash of parts do? You could shop around at bike shops & swap
> meets for take-offs or low mileage modern components at bargain
> prices as compared to rare high-priced 60's parts that don't work as
> well.
>
> e. Would you want another bike, or space/mood constrictions limit
> you to 3 bikes?
>
>
> As for me, I'm going through a catharsis with my bikes too.
> I became interested in track racing this year, and found out I liked
> it. Plus work changes precludes much time off, so I can't take that
> long bike tour I was planning. And my daughter has grown to a point
> where she needs a full sized bike now.
>
> I found a well used Cinelli track bike that really trips my
> trigger, and the owner is willing to part with for less than I
> guessed. My town bike got converted back to an ATB for her; I've put
> my touring bike and bags up for sale; and I'm getting my Vitus 979
> ready for sale (only need one retro-racer at a time). So out go
> three bikes, so one can come in.
>
> Roy "still recovering from a week in NYC" Drinkwater
> Lititz "another long ride today", PA