1987 Atala (restoration for a fixie)

Go back in time to 1987: otherself was 9 years old and suffered a near-fatal asthma attack, Rick Astley was topping the charts with 'Never Gonna Give You Up', Timothy Dalton made his debut as James Bond in the Living Daylights and in Padova, Italy, Atala made a frame from a lump of iron ore that would find its way into to my hands over 25 years later. :)

I scored this sorry frame off ebay for 40 euros from a Slovenian seller. Shipping was an extra £30 from Slovenia to UK. It was my size (56cm c-t) and is made of strong plain gauge --but not that heavy-- Columbus Aelle tubes - with looong horizontal dropouts - what I looking for to build into a fixed gear. I've identified the model as an 'Atala Corsa GS'. Upon arrival It was clear it needed a new respray; there was a good 9 inches of surface rust under the top tube and the decals were peeling in places, so it went off to be sand blasted and powdercoated pale green (RAL 6021) with replica period-correct Atala decals in black.

After sand blasting (they masked the chrome chainstay with 3 layers of duct tape). Cost was 15 pound.

And then it went off to the powdercoaters, cost: 40 pound.

Period-correct Columbus Aelle decal and period-correct Atala decals sourced (in black not the blue pictured):

That was a while back, those photographs. And then it was time to gather the parts. So far I have:

• Suntour Sprint cranks (1987)
  
• Suntour Sprint calipers (1987)
  
• 'Strong' of Japan seatpost 26.4mm (date stamped 1987)
  
• Kalloy quill stem, silver (date stamped 1991)
  
• Unbranded bullhorns 25.4mm, silver, 40cm (modern)
  
• Bar tape: Deda cork 'Jaguar green' (modern)
  
• Cane Creek 200tt time trial brake levers (modern)
  
• Neco alloy 1 inch threaded headset, black, ISO fit (modern)
  
• San Marco Concor saddle, black, replica (modern but introduced 1989)
  
• Stronglight JP400 bottom bracket, 110mm, Italian thread (modern)
  
• Stronglight chainring 42t (parts bin)
  
• MKS 'Sylvan' pedals with 'Rapid' toeclips and leather straps (modern)
  
• Rims: Rigida Chrina, silver, 36h (modern)
  
• Hubs: System X track hubs, high flange, 36h, 'flip flop' rear, silver (modern)
  
• Tyres: budget Schwalbe Blizzard, all black (parts bin)
  
• Chain: Taya 3/32" (NOS 1990's)
  
• Fixed Cog 15t 'Formula' brand (modern)
  
• Freewheel: 16t 'Dicta' (modern)
  
  

Should have it built by the weekend. I'm my own mechanic. I last road fixed waaay back in 1989 as a kid on a BMX.

Looks ace. You'll score LFGSS bonus points for not shaving the braze-ons off.

Smashing job otherself. Nice choice of colour. I'm looking forward to seeing the complete build.

Now done. Pretty happy with it apart from the fact it would not take allen key brakes! (old nutted style). I had the front fork drilled to allow this, but the rear could not be drilled for allen key fit brake as it would weaken the bridge. I ended up not installing a rear brake. Not ridden fixed since 1989 as a kid on a gold Mongoose BMX.... so it's taking some time to get used to after 25 years.

Spec:

• 1987 Atala Corsa GS Columbus Aelle frame & fork 56cm c-t (1987)
  
• Suntour 'Sprint' cranks (1987)
  
• Tektro dual pivot 'R520' front brake
  
• 'Strong' of Japan seatpost 26.4mm (date stamped 1987)
  
• Kalloy quill stem, silver, 100mm (date stamped 1991)
  
• Unbranded bullhorns 25.4mm, silver, 40cm (modern)
  
• Bar tape: Deda cork 'Jaguar green' (modern)
  
• Cane Creek '200tt' time trial brake levers (modern)
  
• Neco alloy 1 inch threaded headset, black, ISO fit (modern)
  
• San Marco 'Concor' saddle, black, replica (modern but introduced 1989)
  
• Stronglight 'JP400' bottom bracket, 110mm, Italian thread (modern)
  
• Stronglight chainring 42t (parts bin, modern)
  
• MKS 'Sylvan' pedals with 'Rapid' toeclips and leather straps (modern)
  
• Rigida 'Chrina' rims, silver, 36h (modern)
  
• System X track hubs, high flange, 36h, 'flip flop' rear, silver (modern)
  
• Budget Schwalbe 'Blizzard' tyres, all black (parts bin, modern)
  
• Taya 3/32" chain (NOS 1990's)
  
• Fixed Cog 15t 'Formula' brand (modern)
  
• Freewheel: 16t 'Dicta' (modern)
  

Looking good! Doesn't your reach feel too long with bullhorns set up like that? IMHO it needs drops, black bar tape and beefier tires (tan walls would look awesome) to complete the look.