This was/is my first resto after collecting a few too-good-to-scrap bikes from the tip shop. I had designs on a Malvern Star Triathlete to start with, but was/am really struggling to free the stem from the forks (I'll get back to it one day...) - and then while taking yet another load of palm fronds to the tip (F*kn palm fronds!!) I found this Nishiki Olympic 12.
(I vaguely remember taking a proper before picture of this bike, but can't find it anywhere. These are the pictures I took to send to the decal maker)
It's nothing too flash really, coming with Suntour ARx gear and Weinmann brakes rubbing on 27" rims.
After a bit of research, I dropped it into the one powder coater who would talk to me, and for $100 they stripped it and returned it in "Opaline" (a discontinued colour that they still had some of). I got some decals made up by Velocals ($US35! Bargain) and then had it clear coated in a 2-pac - this was possibly a mistake. I thought that by doing it I'd be protecting the frame and decals more, but the panel beater charged me $200 for it and, although he did an excellent job, I don't think I'll do it again. (I'm having colour dilemmas with my next project, but that's another story).
I fitted it with some Tektro R559s with the idea that, if I liked the bike a lot, I'd build up some 700c wheels for it. I had/have a great Suntour Cyclone RD, but I wanted a long cage for this bike, so sourced a Suntour V-GT, which is awesome. It has the clamp on Suntour Symmetric downtube shifters (which trim the FD when you change through the RD) - I haven't yet fitted a FD; the Cyclone one that I had was hugely worn and wouldn't shift. I have a Suntour 7 FD for it which will be fitted soon. I also fitted:
Nitto Technomic stem - Long
Nitto Noodle bars
Velo Orange leather bar tape
Brooks B17 Imperial (my new favourite)
Cane Creek Aero levers
SKS Chromoplastic Fenders
And here it is once it was built but lacking fenders:
I've ridden it around for a while now and I love it to bits, so I'm building up some 700c wheels for it (my first wheel build!) with a dynohub and 9sp rear. I toyed with the idea of VO or Honjo fenders (I put Honjos on my wife's VO Mixte and they're beautiful) but this is to be my everyday bike, so it's getting SKS Longboards. The size is just right without the Carradice saddle bag quick release clamped to the back of the saddle rail, so I'm getting the one that Rivendell sells which mounts on the rails behind where the seatpost clamps to the saddle rails. I also recently got hold of a Suntour Superbe crankset, but I'm not sure if I'll fit it to this bike. If anything, I'd like this bike to have a more randonneur type crankset. One day...
great job!
