[CR]an update and a thought

(Example: Framebuilding:Tubing)

From: <Marcgarcia80@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 18 May 2004 01:03:51 EDT
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]an update and a thought

Here's an update on the mystery raleigh I posted about a few weeks ago. With the info given to me here and a few other places, I am fairly convinced that it is a 1973 gran sport. I was able to find a used inner chainring for the stronglight 93 crankset for 14.00, not bad. I thought about making it a fixed gear like the previous owner but decided to "update" it a bit.

I put a set of titan trek annodized wheels on it. The rear is helicomatic and with its narrow spacing the gran sport is now a 12 speed. The front wheel has a very nice maillard 700 hub on it. I fitted these with some blackwall bontrager tires.

Last week I picked up a suteki mixte in near mint, practically unused condition. It's a bit of a paradox as it has decent component, shimano 600 derailleurs but no hanger. It's hard for me to believe this bike retailed for 400.00 in the mid eightes. It's a sacrifice now as I've parted it out. I used the shimano tourney center pulls on the gran sport. These are a pain to set up but I think they work pretty well. They will stay on until I find a matching front dura ace center pull caliper to match the rear I have. Anyone have one for sale or trade? The suteki also had a very nice gold seidis chain that seems to even have some of its original lube on it. This was cleaned and put on the gran sport.

I had a set of 1983 suntour superbe pro derailleurs I recently aquired so that went on the gran sport. I've heard some complaints about suntour derailleurs but i have to say they've always done a stupendous job on their shifters. The downtube shifters I have on the gran sport are great, very firm, very responsive. I may go with bar cons however. I also picked up a nice set of aero levers.

I have to say I'm quite pleased with the results. It looks quite sharp and sporty. The paint is a bit rough and I will have it repainted eventually. It handles quite nicely, I love those suntour derailleurs, some of the best friction equipment ever made. I haven't taken out much except for a quick test ride but I'm sure it won't dissapoint.

I made another nice little find today. I picked up an all original, minus the seat, motobecane super mirage. I have to admit i haven't seen one of these in person before, I was surprised a frame made of 2040 steel had a derailleur hanger. It's in nice untouched shape, moto badged cranks, bars, leather or simulated leather bar wrap made by hutchinson, and alloy seat post. I mainly picked it up for the weinmann concave wheels with reinforced nipple holes. I plan on using them on another raleigh. It's a nice bike, but I really don't want to make the space for it. I'm offering it up to anyone here before it makes its way onto ebay. Make me an offer, you can have everything but the wheels, but I'll listen to offers for them as well. will listen to trade offers, the frame is in the 52-55 cm range. I haven't measured it yet. I can send pictures.

I've been re-wrapping the bars on many of bikes with cinelli cork tape over the past week. Looking at the instructions it occurred to me that it would be easier and more attractive to begin to wrap the tape starting in the center of the bars and tucking the the tape into the ends of the bars. This is of course different from the cinelli instructions but isn't this how it was done in days gone by? It's also more attractive than using tape, especially electrical tape to finish off. Is there any reason other than starting the tape in the middle may be too "difficult" for some people today?

Just a thought

marc
chicago