Gios Aerodynamic 1982, back from the dead

^Am I allowed to go with it Mr Stedlocks?

Monsieur Fignon, after consulting every uber-nerd I could find (some of them in the US of A who take their nerdship seriously), apparently the answer to the Gios secret paint potion is RAL5017 over red primer. Seeing is believing, though, so wait to see what it turns out like before you commit to the colour.

In the meantime the chainset with an Italo/Dutch accent has landed, it seems to be in very good nick apart from the panto'd big ring which has seen some work.... I'll see how it runs and am offering a prayer to any deities listening that the tapers are as good as they look. I won't know until the BB arrives.

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I would say so......in fact, I know it would go down a storm!

The rules say pre 82, I think, but as long as it has downtube shifters, exposed cabling, toe clips and straps, then most things are overlooked....I've seen brand new bikes with those items changed, along the route.
There is always a gios stall in permanence in the market place, and I am sure they had something to do with the sponsorship....they always have some on display though!
The eyeties love a Gios! :0)

hi,
nice frame you got.
why want you place a columbus air tubing decal? it isn´t columbus air!

Thanks for that Colin.

A quick search for RAL5017 brings up this.

http://www.ralcolours.co.uk/acatalog/RAL_5017_Traffic_Blue_Paint.html

Bottles of touch-up paint available in the UK just what i need.

^^Correct, Motta, only the stays and forks are Air, the main tubes are SLX but for some reason those were the decals used. It's been bugging me too, so I might just leave them off completely.

You're welcome, Fignon, let us know the results! It would be good to know how it matches up against genuine Gios blue, which has changed over the years anyway.

Is that a pair of holes for a Portacatena in the dropout?

^Thanks ncjlee, I always wondered what those holes were for and having looked at the link, now I know! I have no intention of trying to find one, I suspect the Holy Grail would be easier to locate....

However, it does raise the question of how old the frame is. I'm pretty sure I bought it in '82, but it could have been in '81 and I know I drooled over it in the window of Harry Perry Cycles for months before buying it. Maybe I should call it an '80 or '81, there is no date identifier or frame number to go by.

I thought that it would be more than £50 BIN to be honest. I'll just leave this link here...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Campagnolo-Porta-Catena-Two-Screws-Chain-Holder-NOS-/281040915918?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item416f580dce

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Campagnolo-Super-Record-NOS-Porta-Catena-Chain-Holder-/261188406982?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cd00acec6

Lead me not into temptation...... Actually, I have two good excuses; 1) both sets of wheels have 6 speed blocks. 2) the lower hole will disappear in the repair and I don't want a weak(er) spot, I nearly said 'bottom hole', but 'disappearing bottom hole' is slightly alarming as a concept.....

Well you wouldn't want that. Although you won't be able to speed past people in stealth mode with no freewheel clicking.

'Speed past'? Have heard of the concept, but is unlikely to happen in any mode unless this bloody weather improves enough to do some consistent training. It's just started raining (yet) again, so it's home in the car, I don't ride in the wet when I can help it!

I found some wheels in a pile of grime and applied a lot of (elbow) grease....

They're Campag Tipo on Mavic GP4 36s- original. Tipo were as good as Record, cheaper and less temperamental, GP4s were just bombproof (tubs of course). Not crashproof though, hence the anodising is different shades, not that I care.

If it seems that this bike and its components have been crashed a lot, well they have, but bear in mind that this bike was used for about 4 or 5 years for all Summer training (we used to have Summer then) plus at least two road races a week.

Pardon sub-standard picture.....

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oh, you right! the stays are air. i´ve a gianni motta made of columbus air and it got the same stays.
strange?
a gios fork made of columbus air is hard to find!
but i know a guy who had a lot of old stuff, i will ask him and let you if he got something

Thanks Mr Motta, but the polished Polish forks are Air! I had a complete Air TT lo-pro at about the same time as the Gios and I recognised the way they dimple in an inch or two below the crown, the pic below doesn't show it too well, but gives an idea.

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My Gios forks have that 'dimpling' that Colin mentions.

At first i thought they were damaged then saw that both sides had the same effect.

And today we have brakes.....

Whipped the already polished one off the Goff and sorted out the other one which was in disgraceful condition. I'd got hold of some Modolo sintered blocks and shoes which don't quite match the originals, close enough for me, though. Yep, they're the original brakes for the Gios, a lot of us used these because quite simply they work better than Super Record. I know that everyone just blindly kits out their classics with Super Record groupsets, but back in the day we built up our frames with the best bits we could find (or afford).

I also took a couple more gratuitous wheel shots, can't remember who asked but the block is 13-23.

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loving this project. i have decided to repair, fix, re-paint and re-furbish all my old bikes, get them all tip top before i will consider letting any new frames in my house.

any progress / news on your frame?

Well, Steve Goff admits he's got the frame and reckons a fortnight, this is of course in the entirely parallel Goffiverse where the Earth revolves around the Sun every 48 hrs. I expect a month and don't mind in the slightest!

In the meantime, I have cleaned up the original 14cm stem and bought a pair of Cinelli 66/42 Campione Del Mondo. They're all wrapped up in red ready for the HH day when they'll make a 'for one day only' appearance on the Goff. The crane-like stem is necessary as Gios Aeros have a 54ish top tube in size 57 (which is actually 55.5 C to C).

I now await saddle, BB and lever hoods and I'm nearly there apart from some re-chroming of bits and some clever stuff with the head badge.

Luckyskull, just how many frames have you got to refurbish? Are you a black hole for elderly bicycles?

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that stem is longer than most of the Top-tubes on my bikes!

i have quite a few.... maybe too many. a lot of abandoned, un-loved frames end up in my hands........... will have a sale/cull in early spring.

^Errrrrm, Luckyskull, it is Spring! I'm not looking at your sale or I might succumb to temptation, this is my 4th build of the year and that's quite enough.....

Just got off the phone to a friend who works for Enigma the Ti builders and I'm getting a go-faster Ti head badge. The original was going to be reconditioned by Gaz1979 (thank you!) but was corroded to buggery and about to disintegrate, so I'm getting an exact copy made and sticking on the new decal. Should look so much better than just sticking the decal straight on the frame.

Is that a pair of holes for a Portacatena in the dropout?

Finally after all these years someone tells me what those holes are for. Learning more an more every day ;)

Nice project by the way. But wasn't the GIOS made with AIR ovalized tubing?

Nope, the amazing aerodynamicness of the Aero was achieved with Air forks and stays, standard SLX main tubes and centre mounted gear lever boss (currently being chromed). No wind tunnel was hurt in this frame design.

That explains.

Last few bits are here, now just wait impatiently for frame...

There's only one saddle I could possibly use, a Turbo (in Nubuck leather, of course). Cheap Campag cartridge 115mm BB, if this fits and keeps the inner ring clear of the chainstay something better may be added later. The shoes are original and surprisingly weigh less than modern ones, thus proving that an ability to tie your own shoelaces saves the weight of all those buckles/straps/wire systems/dials etc.

By the way, anyone looking for gum hoods to fit old Modolo (I think Campag are identical), Dia Compe from SJS Cycles fit perfectly for less than a tenner posted. Cane Creek are claimed to fit but don't!

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