After many years off the bike, any bike, I'm back and having a blast. At the moment, I'm riding an inexpensive no-name mountain bike with road tires, but I have a Bianchi Randonneur that I bought new in the early 80s that's been in storage for more years than I care to admit. It's been in a bike box and sheltered, so it's in good shape, but obviously needs a total overhaul before I ride it.
I have two questions:
1. Are bike components consistent enough that if my Bianchi needs parts, I can find the rights ones?
2. Is it even remotely possible to get specs for a bike this old?
Thanks,
Patty
(02-01-2010, 08:34 PM)BikeCrazyAgain Wrote: Believe it or not, the original tires and tubes hold air, but I wouldn't trust them to ride.
Yeah, if I were you I would visually inspect both the tires and the tubes, and then replace them if they don't look pristine. It really is amazing in a way how tires and tubes can rot if you just leave them sit long enough. They may seem fine, but won't hold pressure (air or weight) and will crack like a balloon.
Or just replace them, period.
Why is it that they make adult bikes that'll generally work for 5'9" or above, yet when you pedal these same bikes they only work for someone who is 5'4" or so?
I hope your Bianchi is in Celeste. Do yourself a favor and don't ride a modern road bike! I rode my son's 19 pound alumimum/Carbon road bike and the difference between that and my 70's vintage Reynolds531/Velox bike is remarkable. Ultegra shifters with a 10-speed cassette is a real spoiler! I hope your Bianchi is recent enough to have 700c rims--else tires will be hard to find.
...j
Do you mean stand flat footed while in the saddle? Or do you talk about the ... clearance between the top tube and yourself? If it is the first: you're not supposed to. The saddle should be high enough that your legs are almost stretched at the bottom of the pedal stroke. If it is the second: Yes, the frame might be a bit tall...
Replace:
- brake pads!
- cables and housing (well, closely inspect them)
- tyres / tubes
Bearings, chain, sprockets and the rest depend on how much it has been ridden before it went in the storage, so check:
- chain wear (sprockets, chain rings)
- bearing noises / play (head set, bottom bracket, hubs)
- every bolt should be tight. Should be checked every now and then, though I tend to forget...
Give it a tune up and enjoy! The randonneur bikes are nice to ride, they are a bit more relaxed than modern racing bikes.
(Everything mentioned above can be found on the repair guide. Still, don't hesitate to ask when running into problems)
Grease actually does degrade over time, even if it's not being used. So at some point you probably should get all the bearings repacked. But a little riding on them won't hurt anything so don't feel like you have to get a ton of work done before you start riding. Just check out the safety stuff (brakes, tires) and get out there asap.
Patty,
Hello and nice bike!! Just remember to inspect the brake pads as well.
Good maintenance to your Bike, can make it like the wheels are, true and smooth!
Sweet bike!
Overhauling a hub is not difficult, the tutorial on this site is good. It can be a bit messy, though, use enough rags and degreaser.
What type of brakes are those? They look like early Cantis (a bit more modern than my Mafac centerpulls...). The brake cables are a bit too long and in my opinion at least the cable for the front brake should be routed behind the handlebar. (sorry, nitpicking)
Tyres: There are many options, depends quite a bit on the surface you ride on. In general: when you mostly ride on roads, get slick road tyres but with some kind of protective guard. I have a set of Schwalbe Blizzards, they are cheap, last long and are quite sturdy. There are many cuts and nicks in them but I never had a puncture. When riding a lot off road, take the bike to a bike shop and look what the frame and fork can accommodate. I have (on my off-road bike) Schwalbe Cx-Pro, they run quite well (even on roads) and are the widest I can fit in the frame (30mm wide). In the front I run a Schwalbe Marathon Winter at the moment (35mm), but it is a narrow fit. They will look weird on your bike, though....
I love vintage bikes.
Dedicated scholar of bicycles
The reason you don't see canti's on new bikes is because they are utterly and completely obsolete. The only reason to keep them is to maintain the originality of the bike, or you are nostalgic about them.
Of course, they're used on cyclocross bikes all the time, but again, I chock that up to nostalgia.
As for working very well, they do offer a level of modulation that isn't QUITE there with v-brakes, and no where close on disc brakes. Of course, if you have a carbon fork, the flexing of the fork can cause HUGE issues with canti's.
Dedicated scholar of bicycles
Regarding integrated shifters... that's one of the things I was referring to when I suggested not test riding a modern bike. Even diehard velo-types must admit that integrated shifting is faster, safer, and better in nearly every way--except $$$. I think you could probably spend somewhere between $900-1000 on a set of new 105 shifters, derailleurs, 700c wheelset, 10-speed crankset, chain and cassette to convert to 9-speed or 10-speed integrated shifters. That's if you do the work. Anyone know of a cheaper way?