My Bikes - Re-Posting a few photos.

[GaryF]

Ok, if we're putting hands up for bikes, I'll have the Vern Smith despite my dislike of Campagnolo.....

Only joking..

Seriously though, a wonderful collection of cycles from the era that I love.

10speedsemiracer, Careful what you wish for - it might just come true.

Your homework:

Appreciation of this art form .........



Hahaha

[GaryF]

Something else that appeals to me is that they're all more or less the same size.
Intended to be ridden by you, not just a static collection.
Beautiful working bikes.
My guess is you are around about 6 foot+ tall.

Hi Tim, the frame size does vary quite a bit within the collection but I have tried hard to set them all up for me. If someone wants to take one for a spin, they have to put up with my position as I'm reluctant to change the bike, haha.

Ive always been able to ride a frame that is bigger than my norm but I've never been able to go down in size - not even 1cm without it bothering me.

I'm 6' 1" - or I used to be - I'm old now.

[Gordon1]

Thanks for understanding GaryF. One can be seen on the hard rubbish collect/scrap/flea market finds. The Gios Super Record with 50th anniversary, mind you it took a pm to another member to post.

I also comment that it isn't a competition so if you have 5 or 50 it doesn't matter. Great minds think alike or fools never differ, not sure which is applicable.

Either way your post is generating plenty of interest so well done.

[10speedsemiracer]

Ok, if we're putting hands up for bikes, I'll have the Vern Smith despite my dislike of Campagnolo.....

Only joking..

Seriously though, a wonderful collection of cycles from the era that I love.

10speedsemiracer, Careful what you wish for - it might just come true.

Your homework:

Appreciation of this art form .........



Hahaha

Unfortunately I don't follow instructions well. Somehow ended up looking at this one instead :

[GaryF]

Mmmm....SunTour. Pretty classy stuff indeed!

[GaryF]

Thanks for understanding GaryF. One can be seen on the hard rubbish collect/scrap/flea market finds. The Gios Super Record with 50th anniversary, mind you it took a pm to another member to post.

I also comment that it isn't a competition so if you have 5 or 50 it doesn't matter. Great minds think alike or fools never differ, not sure which is applicable.

Either way your post is generating plenty of interest so well done.

Good on you Gordon1. If a bike gives you that feeling of freedom, then its a good bike.

[AUbicycles]

Thanks for sharing photos and such a wonderful overview with history, so many here have the same passion, fascination, obsession with bikes and it is a delight to have a sneak peak into your collection.

[GaryF]

Thanks for sharing photos and such a wonderful overview with history, so many here have the same passion, fascination, obsession with bikes and it is a delight to have a sneak peak into your collection.

I couldn't agree more AUbicycles. I really enjoy looking into other peoples collections too. Although there is that bicycle similarity, there is always their influences, likes, purposes and passion that is most interesting to see and appreciate. From one bike to many, high end to economical, from the many countries of origin, pristine to well worn and across the eras it's all interesting.

Thanks AUbicycles.

[P!N20]

Unfortunately my stocks of spares are generally well gone. I only have a few odds and ends left. I tried to get rid of everything during my last two builds.

If odds and ends = Campy front skewer, let me know.

[GaryF]

Unfortunately my stocks of spares are generally well gone. I only have a few odds and ends left. I tried to get rid of everything during my last two builds.

If odds and ends = Campy front skewer, let me know.

I'm very sorry PIN20 but i don't have a Campy front (or back) skewer. I went into my small drawer of bits and pieces but I don't have any skewers. Not much of anything really. My last 2 builds saw me use most of what I had and I still had to find quite a bit of stuff to complete both bikes.

I'm very sorry PIN20.

[P!N20]

I'm very sorry PIN20.

Not a problem, thanks for looking.

[find_bruce]

Gary you are a bad, bad man, shamelessly encouraging lust and avarice, including in me.

[GaryF]

Gary you are a bad, bad man, shamelessly encouraging lust and avarice, including in me.

If I was a good man, I'd be sorry. Hahaha.

I do know that my collection pales into insignificance compared to some other Forum members stables.

Then again, I know there are members out there that only have one or two bikes that I would give anything to have. I have always really admired some Aussie built bikes - bikes I have never really come across.

Gee - I think I've caught lust and avarice - better slap the 'Gandi' DVD into player and self medicate.

[QuangVuong]

Its good to see you went through the effort of reposting all your pics all in one place. I remember reading your posts over the years, and it was a shame what Photobucket did effectively killing off a lot of forum images.

[GaryF]

Thanks for your message QuangVuong. I do hope Villavelo is going from strength to strength. The new Litespeed looks beautiful - one of my 'really wish I had' bikes. I fell in love with them when I first saw them in the '90's.

You really 'hit the nail on the head' understanding why I actually re-posted my bike photos. I find it frustrating reading a thread where the photographs accompanying an explanation / story are missing. I found this quite sad reading few old threads where my photographs, I had referred to, were missing and not helping my written words.

At the time of Photobucket's change of direction, I was very devastated and just deleted all my photos from their library. I couldn't afford the new fee's for their photo hosting, especially for a hobby.

What to do? I had a couple of actions that I could have taken: 1; forget about it; 2; try to go through the threads I had commented on with photograph assistance and replace those photographs; or, 3; just start a new thread and re-post some photos in the hope that this would go a little way to solving the missing photo problem.

The only thing I could practically do was to start a thread and re-post photographs in the hope that other forum members kind of remember this when reading old threads where my photos had disappeared. Would I do the same??? Probably not - my memory is not that good anymore but I'm hoping you guys are not as hopeless as me, hahaha.

[GaryF]

'In for a penny; in for a pound' - 2 more but not classic or vintage:

2002 Colnago Dream Lux. I had come across a really cheap Gios Super with Super Record components at Vern Smith's in Ballarat Road one particular day in the early '90's. With no money in my pocket I left it there only to return a couple of weeks later to buy it but it had gone (but ever present in my memory).

Years later (in the early 2000's) I came across a Gios 50th anniversary model at Bicycle Recycle. remembering the Gios that got away, I thought it appropriate that I bought this Gios. I love the Gios blue of their frames. I went for a test ride but it was very 'soft' at the bottom bracket. Bicycle Recycle had a Colnago Dream Lux that had sat in the shop for quite a long time (really expensive at the time), and it was my size, so I asked if I could take it for a spin just to compare it to the Gios. Wow, there was no comparison - the Colnago was stiff and very responsive. I forgot my Gios dream and went with the Colnago. Here it is in all its 'over the top' glory:









The following Colnago is a '96 - '98 Tecnos with Chorus components and a Vitus front fork. I got it at a local bike shop for $200. They didn't want it. it has pretty damaged paintwork but the frame is good. I think this model Tecnos was made with a rider weight restriction of 80kg - I'm a bit over that but it hasn't collapsed under my weight as yet - haha. It was, and is, Colnago's lightest steel frame. This is the only bike I own that is not my size - 1cm too small but it does ride like one my size (strange). It is a really nice bike to ride and is responsive, here it is:

[zedries]

Loving the colour of the technos. Really enjoying this thread Gary.

Zaahir

[GaryF]

Loving the colour of the technos. Really enjoying this thread Gary.

Zaahir

Thanks Zaahir - most appreciated. I too, really like the Tecnos model in this colour. It doesn't show up in the photo but the paintwork is quite damaged. Puzzlingly, I really don't know how a bike's paint can get this damaged. A scratch here and there is all I've ever been able to inflict on any of my bikes, even after a crash. It's relatively easy to keep a bike looking presentable even if it does have a hard life.

[10speedsemiracer]

Would enjoy seeing a few more of these bikes written up individually if you feel like it. Particularly the dark red (crimson?) Rossin with the Shamals, and the Vern Smith. Only if you want to. Maybe the mid-80s ALAN....

Your description of loitering around DeGrandis fits my own early teens, except it wasn't DeGrandis, it was a couple of shops in Box Hill and Blackburn, where I would ogle Raleigh Ti bikes and some customs at the other one in Blackburn.

[GaryF]

My Rossin - here goes!

I bought this frame around 2012 from a guy that imported it. I think he disliked the colour when it finally arrived so he then put it up for sale. I had been a bit of a 'sucker' for frames with unusual build qualities and had struck gold with this frame. Most of the lugs were specifically cast for Rossin and the Tange Prestige tubing was specially shapes with 6 facets for Rossin. It had never been built-up so I bought it.

















I had been aware of Rossin's in the past and I knew Mario Rossin was a frame builder for Colnago. Other than that, I didn't give the brand much time at all. I began to appreciate the build quality of these frames.

I think 'the' Rossin road frame to own is the 'Ghibli Model but I'm very happy to own this Prestige model. The Rossin pursuit and timetrial frames are on another level again - they can be spectacular.

The frame colour is quite strange and I liken it to a colour you might find on a Rolls Royce or similar. It tends to change in various light conditions.

1990 Frame with Gen. 2 Campagnolo C-Record and 1994 Shamal's and Brooks Professional saddle. 3TTT 'Olympic' pantographed stem and 3TTT Almarc leather bound bars round the build off. The special Tange Prestige tubing produces a light frame. Rossin shaped all tubes with 6 facets (except the head tube) even the forks and stays. The dropouts, fork crown and bottom bracket are works of art and every tube ends in some sort of beautiful lug. It truly is a special frame. Beyond the beautifully crafted frame, it rides spectacularly being light and very predictable aided by very little flex at the bottom bracket. I suppose it helps that this frame fits me like a glove - I love riding it.







Below is my 1st build version with white highlights. I think it suited the frame colour best:

[GaryF]

Mid 90's Columbus Max frame. Vern Smith owns a bike shop on Ballarat road, in Maidstone, Melbourne, Australia and is a keen supporter of cycling sports. A visit to his little bike shop was always an adventure. You could find the most obscure bike related items in his shop. He knows his stuff too. Anything could be repaired including replacing that cracked frame tube to wheel building to that puncture repair. On top of the great experience of the visit to his shop, Vern himself is a really nice and welcoming bloke. This bike originally belonged to Vern's son.

I wonder if Vern still operates this great old bike shop?

Here's a couple of photos of the Vern Smith:

[10speedsemiracer]

made my night...thank you.

[GaryF]

1983 ALAN Sprint with 1983 Campagnolo Super Record Gruppo with Sugino 'Drillium' rings and Super Record 'Drillium' rear derailleur cage and Ti Flite Alpes saddle. The seat post is Dia. 25mm Nuovo Record for strength. Simplex retrofriction levers and Cinelli XA stem with Cinelli Campione del Mondo bars, The red Mavic Helium wheels are just for fun. I commuted on this bike for quite some time and always enjoyed the comfortable and predictable ride. It also cleans-up like new with a bit of a polish of the 'bright' frame features. It's a light bike being an Aluminium frame but not as light as the aluminium frames of the latter years. The frame is 'glued and screwed' together and a trained bike mechanic could dis-assemble it and replace a tube, etc.

[GaryF]

And now for something a little special - well I think so anyway - hahaha.

This is a 1983 Colnago Mexico frame (Columbus SL) that has been re-furbished but not by me. I bought it off a guy from Brisbane who put 70 - 80 hours into the re-furbishment. I think he did a fantastic job. I wondered how to build it up for quite a while. I did have a Campagnolo 50th Anniversary Gruppo on another bike but I thought it would suit this frame the best. As the 50th Gruppo is from 1983, I thought it appropriate.



Another reason for putting the frame and Gruppo together was the fact that the paint scheme was very reminiscent of Beppe Saronni's 1982 World Championship winning Colnago. He rode a Campy 50th Ann. groupset on that bike in 1983. I spent some time looking into the mix of components and I tried to emulate that build.

1983 Colnago Mexico with Campagnolo 50th Anniversary Gruppo. I have tried to reproduce the 'correct' mix of components as used by Beppe Saronni on his Del Tongo team bike in 1983 even though the frame is not the same model used by him. This bike is light and responsive. It measures 58 cm c to c seat tube and 57cm c to c top tube and weighs in at a surprising 20 1/2 lb (without bottle or pump) - very light for 1983. I did not lighten any components - they are as produced by the factory. Saronni used Campy track pedals but not from the 50th Anniversary group set, I used Campy Ti axled, Super Record track pedals to emulate his choice of pedal. The pedals are complemented with Colnago branded, steel toe clips like Saronni had in his bike and I have fitted them with Alfredo Binda toe straps although I was unable to discover the brand of toe strap he used. I think these were the strap of choice of many of the peleton riders. Saronni also used this type of toe strap button but the ones I chose to use have the world champion's stripes on them as my little gesture to Saronni.. The bidon cage is a white topped TA, like the one on Saronni's bike and I have teamed it up with a Del Tongo bidon bottle. The bottom bracket is a steel Campy Nuovo Record model. The 50th Anniversary seat post has been painted in the flutes using the Italian tri colours a.la Saronni. The 3TTT stem is black and pantographed with 'Colnago' and the 3TTT bars are also stamped with the Colnago logo. A Concor Confort black saddle and black brake cable outers round out the build:

[Uncle Just]

Very nice Gary. Lovely red colour too. I've always liked chromed or polished lugs and also done on the dropout faces too. (The only thing you may need to upgrade is a better seat post bolt )