Converting Classic Road Bikes

i know this cropped up in a different thread before, with the red moser, but what are the opinions on converting classic vintage road frames? (none of this 'a kitten gets its face ripped off everytime you file off a braze-on' schtick please).

nb: by 'classic vintage' i mean moser, colnago, hetchins, etc.

for example - i like matt's TJ Quick. i think it looks darn good.

Fuck Classic.

you mean that?

Do everything.

I think people get too precious, I wouldn't go grinding stuff off, but why not run fixed if you want to?
a lot of road frames represent excellent geometry for a road fixed. I'm not a fan of forward facing dropouts, but they do work.

Personally, I'd want something modern to run gears. for me that means long distance + speed. and I'd want lightweight, smooth gears and carbon!

pj (pj) you mean that?

Yes. Nowadays I'd never bother riding a screw-on 5spd down-tube shifter classic. I'd MUCH prefer to strip it down, keeping it as nice as possible of course and run it as an SS or fixed. Removing braze-ons etc would depend on the value of the frame, ie. if it decimated resale value I might keep it as is.

I think people do get a bit precious on this. Bikes should be ridden in my opinion so if converting it means it'll get ridden more then do so.
But then I would say that as I ride a converted steel De Rosa.

that's what i thought, i mean, why not just put STIs on it. or run it fixed.

but keep the braze ons if the frame is reet nice.

STI?? woah woah!! you don't wanna upset the campag crew! easy tiger.. ;)

Word to every thing being said. Try to leave the braze ons then you can always stick gears back on it.

With the currently overinflated price of track frames at the moment a nice old road bike converted can offer a good ride.

oh i meant to say 'ergo lever'.

plus: what's the difference between 'nuovo record' and 'super record' and 'record'?

Some old dude will pay progressively more for each? :)
http://www.hetchins.org/campa-01.htm "the successor to Nuovo Record was the Super Record"
http://www.campyoldy.co.uk/

Old skool BLING! :)

How about a party at Tommy's old mans place? bring your own track ends! ;)

hippy Fuck Classic.

Shock? :)

I just picked up a frame and realized its got gear bosses on the down tube. The rest of the braze ons have been done away with (fuck the kittens) how do I remove the bosses without leaving a hole?

are there holes? check. most of them are just welded onto the surface of the tube

i agree with RPM and andy - those classic frames were designed for the road and arguably make better street fixes than than track bikes. People used to strip the gears off and ride fixed for winter before it became trendy - it's no big deal. I wouldn't go as far as changing drop outs for ends - a bit like getting a knee transplant imo.

i used to have a tommasini which I converted a few years ago (no changes to the frame though) - I always knew it was a nice frame, but I didn't realise until last year how people get so worked up about vintage this and classic that. All I knew was that the lightest new bikes were aluminium and carbon, but if i stripped the hardware off my bike it would it very light and go like the clappers.

squag I just picked up a frame and realized its got gear bosses on the down tube. The rest of the braze ons have been done away with (fuck the kittens) how do I remove the bosses without leaving a hole?

Angle grind - then hand file - then sand.

the bosses are a sort of bronze alloy weld. when you saw them off you can see the different colour.

Too much work, time consuming.

Would go for a proper frame instead - track rear ends, track hubs, track cranks, much easier!

Roberto Too much work, time consuming.

Would go for a proper frame instead - track rear ends, track hubs, track cranks, much easier!

hmmmm. . . . . :)

yeah sure, but what about if you leave the frame as it is, and just quick convert.

pj (pj) yeah sure, but what about if you leave the frame as it is, and just quick convert.

then a puppy dies!!!!! NO!!!!!!!

Er, I thought down-tube levers were the next trendy item.
From the bike porn thread

don't want to do something you'll regret in 6 months.