Ricardo Nouvo Reborn to 99.99% original.

[mickk]

Well bored by the pace of my main project, and on a whim and a Lighbulb/Credit card moment, I am going to build the Ricardo Nouvo that I bought new in the late 80s. Here is is, a bit sad, but not as bad as it looks. For the miles I put on that bike, its reaally in good nic, well the components are. It has been very well cared for its just dirty and I wanted it to look sad.



They are all original components bar the RD Suntour and HS which is Cinelli. Its all original release 105-1050 parts otherwise. The brakes are really in good nic for their age. Im amazed at how much of the black writing is still left overall compared to what is around. One 105 sticker is peeling from a hub but I just spin the rear wheel, gave it a 2 inch push, ran for a miunute with no signs of stopping so I got tired of it and put it down, lovely hubs, I repacked them many times. Oh well the pedals are not original either or the handlebar tape, that has to be white and thats the dodgy left over prison blue respray that I had done after owning her for 3 yearsl, a bad mistake but it was easy to find.

I will be trying to get the original lemon yellow/white paint job, I have a few pics that might be enough of a guide.

I have noticed there are a few versions of the original 105 1050 gear. Some different style and placement graphics, two other colouors/finishes and some special release gear, but I have tracked pretty much all of mine down now and it is in the mail.

I have almost every component coming NOS NIB. The crankset was dearest, $170 but then again I got hubset and cluster for $100 which is a bargain I reckion, they are great hubs, so smooth and strong. The pedals will be very hard to find I reckon because everyone threw them out and I doubt many were made as spares as clipless came along very soon after.



Origiinal bike thanks to http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewt ... &start=400" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The saddle is branded Ricardo but underneath it is moulded stamp Viscount 2236 maybe that will be the hardest. Its all still out there, just a bit dear for what it was/is.

I have found that on Ebay, if you go to each local version, e.g, .it, .uk,.fr etc that you get items that are not listed on .au or .com, so just a tip when you are searching. The item number will come up everywhere, but the exact item description doesnt work, crazy.

I think it will cost me about a grand all up to have it back as it was out of the shop all brand new. I think it was RRP $1299 or similar at the time. A really good bike was 3 grand, an ordinary one, about 600 so it was an entry level racing bike a bit less $ than a known brand from the UK but same specs.

Decals might be difficult amd there are two little grub srcews and spings that go in each drop out, they got lost very early on, they were not really necessary. So more parts hard to get than I thought, but not impossible.

I Knew I kept it for a reason and I guess I was lucky that I looked and there were so many NOS NIB 1050 parts around to chose from. For the pleasure I will get riding it new again and then framing it, the price is reasonable. I think I could do a lot better on price if I was patient, but Im not, so impatience comes at a premium.

I will strip in on the weekend and show you the parts after nearly 30 years of use, 10 serious, 10 not so serious and 10 not much use at all.

The respray should be easy, but theres oils and oils sol, so I will be seeking a recommendation, its the transition from yellow to white that will be hard.

I forget what the original rims were maybe weinman or similar sounding name, they were considered rubbish, I got the mavics pretty soon, maybe 12 months after I had it. Geexe I might still have them as a Yabbie Pot, I must look! I trhink a couple of replaced spokes onthe rear but front are otiginal, I wonder if I could re use them?

[rtnicho]

Hi Mickk
I renovated one of these a while back. I painted it matt black, added silver cables, dura ace 7800 groupset, Prolite stelvios, white seat, white bar tape. - No attempt at originality because I liked the frame so much (Tange 2) that I wanted to see how well it went with newer high end stuff on it. It's probably my favourite steely in the collection - handles like a dream. I've still got the original 105 groupset somewhere if you get stuck for something - let me know. I think it had biopace. From memory the GS was in pretty good condition. I'll see if I've still got the dropout screws, but I doubt it. You can have what bits you need for postage. Look forward to pickys.
Roger

[mickk]

Thats good to hear Roger. I was in love with mine, it too handled like a dream. Im really looking forward to having it back new. I did consider putting a period Campag GS on it as that would have been my dream at the time.

Ive got everything I need now I think thanks for the offer. I can see a lot of pretty worn original pedals, but I will hang out for a new pair. A new original or better condition head stem is going to be hard. I must start looking at hard rubbish, it is a Nitto 22.2 (0.875) made in japan UV and thats all it has on it. Mne is serviceable but very beaten up, scratches that polishing wouldnt remove. I might leave it as part of the history if I can get everything else new.

The serial is L7Y3384 which makes it a 87 frame. I cant find my BB puller atm but as soon as that is done I will send pics and frame to painter.

Parts should start dribbling in this week. The NOS NIB levers and brakes ended up the most costly, $200 inc 50 postage, the AUD$ and postage is the killer but mainly postage.

[mickk]

Here is the original bike, photos of a photos, best I can do for now.

This was the first time compulsory helmets mere worn on a ride, you can see the Bell V1 Pro Helmets. Also the double D cell Cateye lights. Zefal HP Pump from memory one of the best HP pumps ever made I reckon, Look toolbag, the mavic MA40 rims were on then.

So I have new hubs, cranks, 52/42 biopace rings, new brakes and levers, new headset, new FD, new RD, new cassette, new BB, new index shifters SIS, all 1050. New handle bar tape, new tubes.

Original handlebars and stem, original seat post and saddle and rim tapes. 1990s Kevlar 15mm tyres.

Missing are pedals, spoke reflectors, some cables, I got a few but they all look the same. The brushed aluminium bracket that held the rear reflector missing too. I got the reflector and Im sure I got the bracket somewhere but ai cant find it. Also need spokes and will have to make up decals.

So there is a lot more to it than meets the eye to get it to "as new" enough to keep me crazy for 12 months finding the hard parts.

I cant remember the original rims. I replaced them with MA40s within the first 6 months. I think they were Weinman, but the Ricardo spec sheets says weinman for the lesser model and just alloy for the Nouvo. I seem to remember a green and yellow sticker, maybe they were mavic alloy, continental rings a vague bell, so does IRC, the quest will continue for a while. Until then I am happy to track down an NOS set of MA40s. I might have to reuse my decals as they seemed to change from country to country, year to year but the rims didnt.

Isnt it interesting how all this is possible thanks to internet. It would have been impossible before it. maybe trading post, maybe magazines, swap meets, but pretty much impossible for me to achieve. It might hurt street stores but it has created many new markets for other people who seem to make a living out of it.

Oh yes I will have to decide on a chain too. I dont think it was fitted with bidon cages, if it was they were very basic low cut white plastic covered metal ones.

Now I think that really is everything covered. Any ideas on missing bits appreciated. I am trying to track down the mate that sold it too me and built it in the shop to rebuild it. If I can do that after all this time, I will organise a bike show and give myself first prize for effort.

[mickk]

Well slowly but surely things are coming along. The weather is delayig things from the USA, but no rush.

I received the new BB, Cassette, Hubs and FD, all perfect except one of the hubs had been rubbing agianst the cassette, causing scratches. Not so much as a tissue paper between them. Not really good enough, but thems the breaks.

I have not heard back from the mob in Thomastown that I want to redo the frame.

Here is new vs old FD. Not bad for 25 years old. The angle makes one look slightly different to the other.

[mickk]

Ive now got everything except NOS brakes and levers. I will post a video of new parts it will be easier.

In comparison, all my 105 running gear is in pretty good nick and the br I may not replace. The bl I want to because I had a few stacks and they are quite scuffed.

Looking back, when it wasnt being ridden it was inside and not near the beach, so it aged well and I used to clean it once a week, pulled it apart a dozen times for a good clean, so that paid off.

I love the NOS crankset the most, withthe biopace rings, I should just hang that on the wall but I think the bike may go there when its finished.

[mickk]

Ok well things are moving along for a spring build.

I think I have sourced some br-1050 NOS, just waiting on a price. If I get them, then the 1050 GS will be complete!

I have ended up with 3 pairs of 1050 pedals, 1 mint two near mint and just yesterday managed to track down the original yellow reflectors that go on the back of the pedals. I have also ended up with an extra set of near mint Biopace rings and a NOS set of 105 52/36 shimano rings that will be surplus to requirements.

In not entirely happy with the downtube shifters, I think I can get better. There is a pair of NOS 105 brake cables on ebay atm, but I want white not black not that those cables are a worry for my rebuild im not that anal but if I see them I buy them.

I have since confirmed that the wheels on it were Weinmenn, I dont know if they were shop fitted or not. They were not very good I know that much. My 1989 MA40s are good nough to go on but I am on the look out for new. It would be a terrible expense to have to lace proper 3x twice. So the build may be all but the wheels for a while.

The original seatpost will buff out as will the handlebars, you dont see any metal anyway on them. I would like to replace headstem but will have to the original buffed for a look see. Be so hard to match it. Just need white handlenar tape.

The saddle, well it was rock solid rubber but its looking a bit worn. I will run with it as it is serviceable with a black cover on it and bobs your uncle, it had one anyway for many years.

So its all coming together nicely, I will post pics soon. Shimano is getting harder to find as Campag is getting easier. If you into Shimano, stock up now on 80s and early 90s gear now because prices will ride, campag I think will fall, a lot on the market now.

The next target is the respray. I have found the man, just need to get some color samples and tha cash to have it done. Once that is done, I can get it built and just stick original wheelset on to get it home. Decals will be after that, but no rush for them yet.

talk soon

[mickk]

Old.

[singlespeedscott]

I'm currently doing up an Ricardo Nuovo but I am building it with mostly Campagnolo Record and Victory parts. The bars and stem will be Cinelli and I have scored a new San Marco Concor saddle for cheap on eBay.

I'm not going the original colour either. I chose a light silver colour.

For your build you can by new Nitto 115 bars and Dynamic stems on eBay for a reasonable price.

I would stick with the Mavic rims on your wheels they are better then the original Weinmans

You can now get new Ricardo decals form Cyclomondo. The decal sheets he has covers everything except the actually Nuovo label. The Tange 2 decals can also be had from him.

[mickk]

Goononya Scott, glad to hear I am not the only crazy one. Just wondering if yu have/have pic of the brushed aluminium rear reflector bracket??

I will check out the dynaminc stems, the handlebars will do.

Here is first pic of new pics, I will post all over next few days with prices and comments for those who are interested. No prices atm, they at workm, I will add tomorrow.



NOS NIB BB. Easy to find used, easyish to find new, a lot of cones and axles availabe used, just have to check exact size. Nothing special about this combo that I know apart from durability.

Excess stock, beautiful crisp NOS Shimano rings that I dont need. They were on the cranks I bought. I used these myself when Biopace got sharkks teeth, in Victoria, 52/42 is ideal IMHO.



Rings on NOS crank. Just a work of art and a shame to take them off. Shimano 1050


NOS 105 crank arm, Ive scratched it already! Shimano 1050


Cluster NOS NIB, not easy to find in box, usually comes with 105 axles.


First set of Biopace I bought just incase they were the best I could find. I can use these to ride on and keep the good ones for when its a wall hanger.


Much better NOS Bipoace. The sticker was the hardest thing to match. many versions around, I wanted the exact model.

[mickk]

May as well finish

Pair NON NIB105 axles, some scuffs from contact with cluster in box but I cant be stuffed for now. Just bad packaging, a terrible waste. Not as rare as you might think but not cheap either. 36 hole harder to find.



NOS NIB HS 1050, scarce to find unused, I was lucky to get it.



1050 FD NOS NIB, surprisingly common



NOS? 6 speed shifters 105/1050 will do for now.



NOS NIB 1050 RD, pretty common, NOS NIB not hard to find.



1050 NOS NIB pedals, scarce




First pair bought, GC, can use for riding.



I have a chain somehwere, I must find it, reflectors on the way, brakes still up in the air.

[ldrcycles]

Amazing to think these things have sat unsold/unused for the better part of 30 years.

[singlespeedscott]

Shimano would have pumped these things out in the 1000's

[lunar_c]

Hey mate,

Just so you know .. The screws and grub screws you're referring to are easily available. Google "dropout adjuster screws" there's a guy in vic who does them in stainless for about $10.

[mickk]

Here are the levers, a few scratches but no gouges like my old ones, these will do fine spot of black texta and good as new. That just leaves pedal reflectors and brakes in the mail. I am still looking for NOS MA40 rims. If I cant get them, I will look to Open 4 CDS or Mach 2s. Thanks very much for the tip on the screws Luna I will check them out.





Postage has been horrendous. MIn of $30 sometimes 60 depending on how it sent. Ther is a cheap option from the USA to AUS but most sellers dont see it. Its the hardest rate to find on US postal site for americans it seems. I think postage would add up to $300 but I really dont want to work it out properly because there is nothing I can do about it.

[landyacht]

i have to ask , what was wrong with all the old stuff ,other than a few scratches?
I rebuild a few bikes each year that are of similar age /quality to the bike and parts your working on and that age gear is really durable.
of all the bits youve put photos of , i would normally just degrease with a toothbrush ,repolish and lube , back on the bike.
perhaps some new cable casing and cables.
the excption would probably be the brake lever boots
infact , we probably dream of finding a bike with bits in that condition

[singlespeedscott]

i have to ask , what was wrong with all the old stuff ,other than a few scratches?
I rebuild a few bikes each year that are of similar age /quality to the bike and parts your working on and that age gear is really durable.
of all the bits youve put photos of , i would normally just degrease with a toothbrush ,repolish and lube , back on the bike.
perhaps some new cable casing and cables.
the excption would probably be the brake lever boots
infact , we probably dream of finding a bike with bits in that condition

Because I guess there is always something nice about NOS parts. But as I remember Munga saying once, "It's only NOS once."

[MattP69]

Looking forward to seeing the finished product!

[mark field]

Looking forward to seeing the finished product!

2nd that. just thinking though- all you need is a NOS frame identical to yours and you might as well have just made an identical copy, you keep the character and history of your bike , but also have an entire NOS bike just like the day it rolled off the showroom floor.

[landyacht]

i have to ask , what was wrong with all the old stuff ,other than a few scratches?
I rebuild a few bikes each year that are of similar age /quality to the bike and parts your working on and that age gear is really durable.
of all the bits youve put photos of , i would normally just degrease with a toothbrush ,repolish and lube , back on the bike.
perhaps some new cable casing and cables.
the excption would probably be the brake lever boots
infact , we probably dream of finding a bike with bits in that condition

Because I guess there is always something nice about NOS parts. But as I remember Munga saying once, "It's only NOS once."

I have to agree , I do get a warm fuzzy feeling taking new parts out the box and bag, but i do have 1 question
What does NOS mean , ? something to do with shiny?
so many things to learn.
rode the new tandem today, took it home to add significant steel

[ldrcycles]

New Old Stock. Which is to say that it's brand new, never been sold or in some cases even unpacked, but it's old. Somehow things pop up that are 50 or more years old and have just been sitting in their original box all that time. Kind of sad IMO.

[mickk]

Thanks for the replies, nothing like a few pics to get things going, no pics no story IMHO!

The reflectors arrived today. AMAZING, I had forgotten that there were actually front and back pedal reflectors on these and I got all 4 NOS, I was expecting two!

I will post pic tomorrow. OK here is a pic so I dont contradict myself



I am stoked with these they were with NOS pedals, for $55, I said to seller, I give you 40 for reflectors, you keep pedals, still sell for 50! He was stoked with that offer. Karna came arond when I got all 4 not two. I was happy at 20 bucks each but at 10 each Im over the moon. These were very easily damaged and the screws worked loose. You used to actually find these on training routes back in the day. How ironic that I found this deal after I had already bought two sets of pedals sans reflectors. Many riders removed them because they looked daggy not to lose half an ounce in weight.

NOS is new old stock, and NIB is new in box, so NOS NIB is the hardest to find and the dearest. Yes it is amazing what pops up. A lot of pre war NOS NIB stuff is coming out of the old easern bloc now. All ex shop stuff, campagnolo most of it, I think the shop owners just packled up before or after the war, they are now dieing off at a great rate, and their stashes are comng onto the market. Back then Bicycle parts were as common as car parts now and went out of fashion when the motorbike took off after the war, so a lot of shops just closed for one reasonor another. Bike parts are small, very easy to put everyting in a few boxes and store in the shed, so lots was tucked away but sadly half thrown out in the end.

Now why all this drama landyacht and mark? You are correctl it is all serviceable and the hoods are the worst. I will be passing it all on to be used I hope, so it will live again! Its having a multiple organ transplant, about 10 donors now and maybe one harvest recipient for all the old organs so will be a low rejection rate.

This is the first real bike I owned and bought with my own money. It cost me a grand back in the day from Bugsy Beltrame and that was at a discount. I am yet to find the receipt, but I am sure the RRP was 1399 or something. Anyway, it was a couple of weeks wages and a bit more at the time. Back then above 105 was really campag or colnago. You could afford a 1 grand bike or a 3 grand bike, there was little worth buying for racing in between. There was a model up from Shimano, but it wasnt really popular. If you had money, you wanted euro not jap. 105 must have been pretty good as it is a current model now. I think there is a ball bearing race in the brakes in the 1050, I tink that was a first, if not overkill but maybe thats why mine still work fine today.

There is a time in your twenties when you are at your best at whatever cardio sport you do. On the bike, that golden hour, the bike is a part of you. You trust it like a horse, you point it toward a gap and you trust it to get you through. You dont feel yourself pedalling, youre just a machine too. My monent in the sun was on this bike when it was new, so that is want I want to remember when looking at it all new again.

I rode it all around Australia less the NT in the end. I loved it to death. I put panniers on the back for tens of thousand of ks. Its been on planes trains, automobiles, ships, cars, trucks, yachts, the beer truck the glass truck, a camel, a bull bar, on it goes even the back of a hearse at Yea. So why change it?

The day I picked it up from the powder coater was the end of the love affair. All history was lost. I got that terrible prison blue or whatever it is left over PC job color. I was mortified, not only was it ugly but it was pitted. So that day I knew I wanted the yellow back. I wanted the original bike back, like it was new. My memories are in the legs and the xrays and I got plenty of both. I am keeping the HStm and HB and SP and seat and maybe the origianl rims that replaced the alloy ones on it when bought new. The saddle also until I can find a "viscount 2236" better condition saddle. So a lot of memories there. I think keeping the HB and Hstm if good enough for meomries. Plus would be now impossible to match I am sure, so I dont even want to go there now.

It was a question of cash as most things are, I could see no point in a respray back to original and sticking old parts back on, its just not the way I think. I want it to run like a dream, and look new. I will ride it once or twice a year at a local melbourne vintage friendly ride and otherwise just look at it. I sorta have the money now to do it now and I think it is the right time. I can still ride all day at a good pace, I doubt I can do that in 20 years time, so best to do it now because the exercise wont get any cheaper or easier. Looking at it as new will give me great pleasure.

Just waiting on the BR to arrive now. What I desperately want now is that rear arced reflector bracket that went onto the frame, I must go to bicycle recycle and also wait for hard rubbish collection time. I am sure I still have it, I can see myself holding it about 10 years ago, it may turn up, who knows.

[mickk]

I have to strip the frame next to save on cost, any advice on that most welcome!

[singlespeedscott]

Given that you spent $40 on reflectors I am surprised you just don't give it to a reputable bike painter to strip, prep and paint.

[mickk]

Given that you spent $40 on reflectors I am surprised you just don't give it to a reputable bike painter to strip, prep and paint.

I am going to, but why waste money on paying someone hours to do what I can do myself? Of course I know how to srip the powder coat off, I was just being polite. Saving $100 on the stripping and sanding is part of why I can afford this project, saving where I can to spend elsewhere.

$10 per reflector to me is cheap, for some reason they are important to me, so $40 on them is like pinstriping etc to others I reckon.

As for the paint job, I have been quoted from 180 to 350 for pretty much the same specs. I have to look at some examples to decide.

I am leaning towards the bloke who just does bikes rather than the panel beater who is excellent, and some other businesses that do bikes on the side but are very good too .