Welcome, jerks.


Yeah, I got the fever. Three or four years ago, a rabid, red-eyed zombie sank its rotten teeth into my arm and thus I was infected with a peculiar strain of irrational obsession. Since then I have breathed, eaten, and slept bikes and almost nothing else. Maybe a vaccine will be invented, or maybe it'll simply pass, but until then I'm a slave to my compulsion to buy, transport, take apart, degrease, scour, lube, polish, assemble, tune, tighten, align, wax, buff, and yes, ride, ride, ride these magical two-wheeled machines.

So, the idea is, on this page I'm going to post pictures and perhaps stories of bikes that I've refurbished and ridden or ones that are in the process or recently completed. Maybe it'll expand from there. We'll see, I guess.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Bottecchia "Super Commuter"

Very seldom do I buy a bike that's already been restored, but this one was too good to pass up. The previous owner had purchased this Bottecchia as an ugly frame, had it repainted (wet paint with decals and clearcoat, fancy!), and then outfitted it as a fixed-gear "super-commuter" (his words). The "super" part entailed a lot of high-end parts and accessories: a SON dynamo hub and a Phil Wood flip-flop hub, each handbuilt to a sturdy rim; a Supernova E3 light to match the dynohub; ultra-tough Schwalbe tires; Nitto front rack; two Carradice bags; a Brooks saddle; a Paul Components single brake lever; a snazzy chainguard; a wireless cycling computer; and an $80 Wippermann chain! Frankly, I found much of this to be overkill--the owner himself copped to never even using the Paul brake lever--but I figured I could strip things down to a more practical and affordable form and bag a few nice accessories in the process. So I did.

Here's what it looked like when I got it:









I decided that for such a classic-looking frame, it'd be nice to build things up a bit more traditionally. Out went the moustache bars, replaced by a pair of Specialized drops with Suntour Superbe non-aero levers.


 The pitifully weak long-armed side-pull single brake was replaced with a classic set of Mafac Racers. To make these work, I added a Surly chain hanger on the seat post binder bolt. It took some careful filing to seat properly, but in the end it fit perfectly. 


In this photo, near the bottom, you can see how tight the clearance is in the seat-lug slot:



 I also thought it might be nice to have a few gears, so I converted the drivetrain to a 1x6 configuration with down-tube shifters and a bombproof Suntour VX derailleur, ditching the modern wheels in the process.


A set of quill-style pedals with clips and straps to replace the modern clipless ones.


Gold housing to match the Bottecchia decal, and this was as close as I could get to olive twine to match the paint--bright green treated with one coat of amber shellac and two coats of clear.


 And of course I couldn't resist the tanwall tires to offset the olive green paint nicely.


Here she is in full:


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5 comments:

  1. AaronMay 21, 2013 at 12:32 PM

    Are you selling the light and bags? I am interested. Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. AndreMay 28, 2013 at 12:14 PM

      Sorry for the delayed response, Aaron--I've been out of town. Anyway, the lights and bags were keepers. (The small Carradice is now riding under the saddle of my Miyata 615, and the large one is on my friend's 1000. The light is boxed for now until I build myself a nice matching dyno wheelset.)

      Delete
  2. AnonymousJune 3, 2013 at 9:31 AM

    Andre... I was looking at one of your other bikes a while back; and we spoke about it a few times. Unfortunately, I never got to give her a spin, and it certainly must have sold (because it seemed like a sweet bike)...

    I have to tell you, this one looks FANTASTIC!!! I love the stuff you do to these bikes!!!

    If only this one was a little smaller!!! I'm 5'11", and I don't think this one would fit me!!!

    Keep up the good work! LOVE your aesthetic! You should really open your own shop!

    Cheers!

    ~Gil

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AndreJune 3, 2013 at 3:39 PM

      Actually, it might have fit you fine, Gil. I'm only 5'10" (okay 5'9.5", but who's measuring) with long legs and I rode it fine, no stand-over issue at all. A little long in the top for comfort, yes, but with a taller stem and a set of Albatross bars, it would have been perfect for me. If you've been riding smaller frames all your life, you ought to go one size up and give it try. It might just prove a revelation in comfort.

      On the other hand, if you're set on a smaller frame, I do have a 56cm Bridgestone frame that could be built up for you.

      Delete
  3. UnknownNovember 14, 2013 at 3:17 AM

    Interesting and useful information that you have provided here on your post.

    rubber cart wheels & cast iron wheels

    ReplyDelete

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