AS Gillott - King of Rats in for a (Light Touch) Rennovation

One of the most significant bikes in my life: The fixed I used to nick from the shed when I was about 14. It's a 1947 fancy lugged AS Gillott path bike that my dad bought in the early 80's. When I built my first fixed in '94 it was a copy of this.... it's everything an everyday fixed should be and more....

The lugs are just beautiful....

And it also has the original lugged & chromed Gillot handlebar stem...

The components are just the ultimate rat-porn-smorgasbord....
The headset has Stronglight races and a campag lockring....

The front brake's a GB Hiduminum and the rear's Weinmann 730

The brooks is just delightful - almost as much patina as the frame....
And the Chainset is a Stronglight 49D on the drive side and campag pista on the non-drive side, withMikashima pedals and cheap&nasty nylon clips/no straps!!!

As a 65th birthday gift to my Dad I said I'd clean it up, fit some decals regrease/retrue, and do something about the 80's grab-on sponge bar-grips - perhaps cotton+shellac, or fizik brown, or even some NJS sleeves.....
(other than that, it's really just an excuse to spend some time with the king of the rats and get some nice long rides in!!!!)

nice thread. i'll subscribe now so i can find it later. when i come back i want to hear she's spruced up and running like a dream. and i want to see those bars wrapped in something you haven't pinched off an exercise bike!

I'll do my best, but I've got another vintage rat to finish before I can get really comitted to this project
Grab-On grips were all the go back in the 80's!!!

but they're as classy as 80's clothing

True fact

Want.

Just beautiful.

i love this bike so much.

Gorgeous

I'll do my best, but I've got another vintage rat to finish before I can get really comitted to this project
Grab-On grips were all the go back in the 80's!!!

That's what was on my 1985 schwinn. I ripped them straight off to clean and polish the drops. Not sure what to replace it with. Love your frame.

Cheers, it actually belongs to my dad!
On an 80s bike I'd go for bike ribbon or possibly benotto but on this ( 1940s) I think it'll have to go with black cotton & shellac.

Careful with that bike sir. It's a holy relic! Let me know if you want any italian bits for it.

Cheers, it actually belongs to my dad!
On an 80s bike I'd go for bike ribbon or possibly benotto but on this ( 1940s) I think it'll have to go with black cotton & shellac.

I don't think i have ever seen my dad on a bike!

My 80s bike is going to become a light tourer so i want a comfy grip, not soggy sponge though. What do you think to a bit of cork tape?

Cinelli introduced cork back in '87 so if you don't really need to worry about "period correctness" before '87 the only padded tape (other than grab-on sponge sleeves and their cheap knock-offs (e.g. elan)) that I can remember was the Bike Ribbon Professional http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=27993 I used some recently on a bike and was really impressed.
(They also made a "fade tape" graphic which might work well on an '80's bike)

Back in the day I had the shiny Sellotape "Benotto" stuff, and also some faux-velvet soft-tape (mmm nice), as well as cloth, sponge and a nasty plastic tape that looked a bit like Nylon pallet ties with. Pimped bikes in the day also had sew-up leather sleeves on the bars (mmm nice)

Cinelli introduced cork back in '87 so if you don't really need to worry about "period correctness" before '87 the only padded tape (other than grab-on sponge sleeves and their cheap knock-offs (e.g. elan)) that I can remember was the Bike Ribbon Professional http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=27993 I used some recently on a bike and was really impressed.
(They also made a "fade tape" graphic which might work well on an '80's bike)

Back in the day I had the shiny Sellotape "Benotto" stuff, and also some faux-velvet soft-tape (mmm nice), as well as cloth, sponge and a nasty plastic tape that looked a bit like Nylon pallet ties with. Pimped bikes in the day also had sew-up leather sleeves on the bars (mmm nice)
reminds me of the 1987 freewheel catalogue. I'm sure they would be perfect on a Rossin with a Shimano Sante groupset.

I think ill wait and see what colour i get the frame done, then decide on what fits.

It has to be cloth tape. French made Velox or their trade name Tressostar. Quite inexpensive and comes in the major colours; red, white, blue, black - you may find some others. Black would suit your frame. Cloth is what it would have had when it was new probably. Cork is nice but gives a bulky look to the bars. If you need more comfort, double wrap the cloth where you need it (like a carbon fibre frame ! ).
By the way, for a classic bike originality is next to godliness. It has plenty of paint on and the original transfers so leave the work of the Master intact. Just give it a good clean and tidy up. You cannot put originality back after you have removed it.

I was planning to use black tresso and a bit of shellac on the bars.

(the discussion around bike ribbon etc was a digression on behalf of Chad who shares the same bar wrap starting point (grab-on sponge) - albeit on a bike that's 40 years newer than this one)

re: the "light touch" in the title, you needn't worry about butchering it, I've got a set of transfers from H.Lloyd which I'll apply once the frame's stripped and cleaned - apart from that I'm only planning to polish the aluminium, clean and regrease bearings, try and revive the stem chrome & lever hood rubber and slap a bit of proofhide on the saddle, I'll be add some toestraps, a new chain and some new cable inners, and that'll be it.

^ not yet decided on whether to replace the headtube & seattube decals, but will certainly be applying the downtube ones as these have completely rubbed off. The fork crown decals remain intact.

update?

Sheer laziness and the need to empty loft and shed have conspired against progress on this one - I do plan to get cracking on it this week

Finally dug this out of the shed, hoping to get back on track...

Step 1: remove the ghastly Grab-ons
(Couldn't help stopping mid-removal for a skrtlv moment....

Brake levers, cables and stem to be dealt with first...

Both cables are hilarious...

stunning brazed Gillott stem is in a bit of a state - the chrome is stuffed....

The bars are Reynolds "Hiduminum"
Great vintage bike word - think it means anodised aluminium.

Wondering what the light touch solution is for the stem, aluminium foil and brass wool have lifted the flaky chrome plate...
I was thinking of using the wire wool to polish it right up and then clearcoat or linseed oil it....
Open to any other suggestions.

rechrome it then let it age. I don't think a fresh stem would look out of place with the bike. classic bikes are always fresh chrome with old paint and tbh it looks alright

cracking bike btw

Try some rust removal gel next and see how the stem looks after that, it may look OK. Try the gentlest approach first, you can always wire wool or rechrome if that doesn't look good enough.