Retro steel refurb modernised with mix of old and new Campagnolo

[em3]

I know that's the end of the world for many on here who deal with 0.1 of a gram weight savings but each to their own I'm happy

...but this is the weightweenies forum. The very essence of this forum is about geeking-out and counting grams.

My guess is that your complete rig is in the 8.8-9.0 Kg range but likely higher (as pictured).

Enjoy your classic steel!

EM3

[c60rider]

I know that's the end of the world for many on here who deal with 0.1 of a gram weight savings but each to their own I'm happy

...but this is the weightweenies forum. The very essence of this forum is about geeking-out and counting grams.

My guess is that your complete rig is in the 8.8-9.0 Kg range but likely higher (as pictured).

Enjoy your classic steel!

EM3

Ok i popped it back on the scales just to check and it showed as 8.6kg which seems closer to what you guys are saying no idea how it showed the lower weight before
But low weight isn't the point of this kind of build and I appreciate the great comments. Just lacking decent weather to test ride it.

[Mtek]

C60rider, I don’t know about this era but can appreciate it very much. It looks fantastic. I am curious as how well those vintage brakes work compared to modern equipment?

[c60rider]

C60rider, I don’t know about this era but can appreciate it very much. It looks fantastic. I am curious as how well those vintage brakes work compared to modern equipment?

I have to say I've no idea! The bike lay dormant for 15 years with a cracked tube and the brakes cleaned up and boxed away. Since then of course technology has improved but i suspect they'll be pretty decent not like some of the myths that are going around that delta brakes were poor. Historically they've won every major race going from the late 80s to early 90s. Ultimate stopping power will be better with current brakes but who really uses maximum power other than when racing or an emergency. I've used carbon fibre frames since so going back to my early days of a steel frame will be interesting.

[wobbly]

Nice bike refurb there - reminds me of my steel Brian Rourke from the early 80s

Ref the widening the rear triangle to take 11 speed - do you know if it is a straightforward job ?? Home mechanic stuff ?

Basilic offered to lend me his widener kit but I have been a little hesitant

[c60rider]

Nice bike refurb there - reminds me of my steel Brian Rourke from the early 80s

Ref the widening the rear triangle to take 11 speed - do you know if it is a straightforward job ?? Home mechanic stuff ?

Basilic offered to lend me his widener kit but I have been a little hesitant

This was widened as part of replacing the chain stay that had cracked for which they actually replace both stays so it was a straightforward job to retrack it to 130mm from 126mm. I've no idea about using a widening kit but I'd have thought you could just spring the rear ends out to take a 130mm width. I did try my bora in the frame to check it would take a wider rim before I had it refurbished and it went in ok. Any widening kit would just be bending the stays out so I'd just try a modern wheel in the frame before trying to bend it wider.

[Lig]

Hi c60rider....

That is a really nice build.... and a good weight considering those Deltas will weigh in at a kg each .

I had a very similar build to yours, modern Athena with Deltas but with modern Zondas also... I rode it for maybe 1 ride a year and the rest of the time it sat on my turbo as I loved the look of it and didn't feel the weight on the turbo.... In my opinion they really do look great but are pants to ride... yes they might be smooth as silk on the flat but as soon as the road goes up they are very hard work and I cant say I really enjoyed riding mine... I sold mine on a few months back without the Deltas and the Ds went yesterday... quite sad but you have to let these things go.... It did make me think about how a modern steel bike would ride and so I ordered a Stelbel Rodano which I should get early next year and I will be interested to see how much it rides better than the vintage stuff....

I hope you enjoy it even if it doesn't get out much!!

Cheers,
Lig.

[c60rider]

Hi c60rider....

That is a really nice build.... and a good weight considering those Deltas will weigh in at a kg each .

I had a very similar build to yours, modern Athena with Deltas but with modern Zondas also... I rode it for maybe 1 ride a year and the rest of the time it sat on my turbo as I loved the look of it and didn't feel the weight on the turbo.... In my opinion they really do look great but are pants to ride... yes they might be smooth as silk on the flat but as soon as the road goes up they are very hard work and I cant say I really enjoyed riding mine... I sold mine on a few months back without the Deltas and the Ds went yesterday... quite sad but you have to let these things go.... It did make me think about how a modern steel bike would ride and so I ordered a Stelbel Rodano which I should get early next year and I will be interested to see how much it rides better than the vintage stuff....

I hope you enjoy it even if it doesn't get out much!!

Cheers,
Lig.

Thanks very much for the comments. As you say I'm really liking just looking at it at the moment and would love a decent enough day to ride it but suspect it may stay hidden for a few months yet as the plan is a relaxing fair weather ride only when I'm not interested in power output etc. It will be fascinating to see what the ride quality is like 15 years on since I last rode it and having been on carbon fibre since. Although my latest is a C60 I don't feel it's a particularly big step up (if any) than my old Look that replaced the steel bike. And my memory of riding the carbon bike was that it felt stiffer in the bottom bracket area but again wasn't an enormous step up from the steel. That could just be my rose tinted specs of course though not planning on racing it up the local steepest hills or sprinting flat out but the weight isn't too bad at only 3lbs or so heavier than the C60.
Just been drooling over the Stelbel website that looks like a beauty!

[c60rider]

Just thought I would update my thread on this bike. It lay locked away for months during the winter and into the spring, which turned into a super long winter in the UK. It was only last month (about 8 months after completion) that this bike had its first ever ride. I've ridden it a few times since and have to say it's stunning. It's a shame @Lig found his old steel bike to be poor. My personal experience is that this is the smoothest and plushest riding bike of any I own. Yes and that's including my SR C60. I'm sure this is helped by the relatively long wheelbase as this was a custom designed frame. The weight is irrelevant especially as I'm typically riding with one small bottle yet the C60 would be riding with 2x 910ml bottles that's 1.3kg there alone so that's pretty much the weight difference gone. The wheels with the Veloflex/latex tube combination feel very close to tubulars and the bumps are soaked up unlike the carbon bikes I own that are much harsher. Brake-wise of course the delta's are not as good as any dual-pivot brakes but they were the best in their day and certainly they have decent stopping power. All in all I'm delighted how it turned out appearance wise and it was a thrill to finally ride it and was way better than my expectations. It's confirmed for me my next bike will definitely be a bespoke steel design of some sort but that will take some time to work out who to build it and choice/mix of tubes to have it made with. If you've never ridden steel then it's certainly something worth considering.

On another note the hubs that are current model Campag record that were de-anodised and polished up silver, they've remained pristine over the months and show no sign of any tarnish. They've just been washed and drip dried with no need for any polish.

[liam7020]

Sublime build, very nice indeed!

Agree with the above comments, that is so cool....... Maybe my old steel Peugot may get some love one day

BB

Good thought on the Pug - I have an '87 Aravis resprayed, re-chromed and in the process of being built as we speak! Just waiting for a Rolls saddle to arrive.

[rajMAN]

Lovely refurb. I had a made to measure Concept 90 from Dave back in the day, Came to a sorry end though.

[c60rider]

Lovely refurb. I had a made to measure Concept 90 from Dave back in the day, Came to a sorry end though.

He was quite surprised I didn't want the Concept and wanted a normal frame and not this weird looking thing with a sloping top tube.... It came up lovely though especially the detail on the brake bridge and top of the seat stays but he must have just nipped the tube during the finishing process on the inside of the chainstay as it cracked from that spot around the tube and I only noticed it when it was pretty much half way round and just couldn't get the gears adjusted right. I'd even bought a new rear mech thinking that was shot! But it was the flex in the tube, was I distraught when I saw it . So it was sat for 15 years under a sheet until I decided to do the above to it. It was a bit of a now or never with the alloy components as now they've phased out Athena it will be increasingly hard to source it and Potenza is too modern with the 4 arm chainset and a bit cheap looking with the mix of silver and black. Athena is just a bit more top end and compliments the original components perfectly.

[lone wheeler]

Stunning! But damn you, now you've got me looking at Delta's for my incoming Brian Rourke 853. I didnt realise they would accept 25's. Love the new Open Pro rims too.

[c60rider]

Stunning! But damn you, now you've got me looking at Delta's for my incoming Brian Rourke 853. I didnt realise they would accept 25's. Love the new Open Pro rims too.

They're an outrageous price on ebay for new ones but I notice that almost every single seller lists the inferior Croce D'aune version as Deltas as well which they're not. I used to own a pair of these and they have the external springs behind the body, rather than hidden away inside like the Deltas, plus the height is non- adjustable yet they're going for the same price as Deltas. The other brakes from that era I really liked were the original Chorus I think they were referred to as monoplaner. Alternatively go for early generation dual pivot. But you really want the deltas now

[c60rider]

Well I can't quite believe it but I was utterly gobsmacked to be watching ITV4 Tour de France highlights in the UK this evening and Chris Boardman did a section on how brake technology has developed over the years and what should appear filling my screen but this image of my bike
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