# my first real road bike from 1983



## 49autocycledeluxe (Sep 23, 2017)

I would like some opinions on what I should do with this bike.

not sure if this fits here, but here is it. it is hard to think of something I bought as a young adult as "vintage".... this is my first real brand new road bike I bought at age 23 in 1983. Shimano 600, double butted chromoly frame, 23 lbs, this bike was $460.00 when a full campy bike was about $650.00

the thing that sold me on this particular bike was the paint job, metallic silver with a clearcoat over the decals, I decided on Shimano 600 then looked at everything out there.

the photo leaning on my old house is after I changed out the brake levers for "aero" levers. I think this was the last year for friction shifters, this was the "Comp TA, and later changed to the "Dave Scott Ironman" bike after BF Goodrich sued because they had Comp TA tires. 

now that I am old I swapped the bars out and removed the front deraileur.  I have 39 and a 42 chainrings up front. don't need the big ring anymore since I coast down hills with the brakes on nowadays

I'm not going to sell it any time soon, but I am curious as to what people think of 80's bikes like this, and if maybe I should put it back to original, kinda wondering if this is vintage or classic or just used and outdated.


----------



## kwoodyh (Sep 23, 2017)

No it's awesome I love it and would ride the tires off replace them and ride some more!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## buickmike (Sep 23, 2017)

There's isn't any place to run them old bikes anymore isit? Head tucked low up on big gear in front and little one in back.You need a long.       .road to wind it out And maintain cadence.  I see a bud of mine on a Schwinn hybrid diamond like frame but that's the only thing that resembles the old ones.Ultralight and easy on your back when it has to be carried. A supersport but the modern version About a grand he had in it before it was stolen. You got to cruise these days with total awareness of everything around you. No more tucked in riding. For me I run a mtb. But I had it out on July 4. I pulled a *tinker"* when you cross an open road without stopping.And you expect the car turning to see you except he is looking at cars approaching not bikes barreling down the sidewalk. Icleared the bumper by about 2in.what you think about carbon fiber.isee those guys flying..


----------



## SirMike1983 (Sep 23, 2017)

I prefer the flat bars or the north road bars over drops. Raleigh made a high end road frame equipped with flat bars in the 1970s, called the Super Tourer. I would love one. You are doing fine with that bike's set up. I would have done the same probably.


----------



## bulldog1935 (Sep 23, 2017)

these bikes have a huge fan club, and there are still people looking for them


----------



## 49autocycledeluxe (Sep 23, 2017)

..I did over 50 MPH down Palomares Road on the Fremont side on this bike...if anyone knows where that is. the only time I went over 50. I was young and indestructible at the time.


----------



## bulldog1935 (Sep 23, 2017)

49autocycledeluxe said:


> ..I did over 50 MPH down Palomares Road on the Fremont side on this bike...if anyone knows where that is. the only time I went over 50. I was young and indestructible at the time.



been there, it was Burleson Rd in Austin for me on my '76 Grand Prix first rebuild (just posted a photo on another thread)

I'm frequently over 40 on my Moser (easily hit that on Amman Rd this morning).
Once we were coming down the Guadalupe/Pedernales divide toward Luchenbach and a p/u followed us for 5 miles because we were exceeding the speed limit
(isn't this why we make 1200' climbs?)
This photo is on top of the divide that same day. 



the bell also served its purpose that day.  Doing over 40, a charging buck was on an intercept course with me.  Rang the bell and he stopped dead in his tracks on the roadside.


----------



## bulldog1935 (Sep 24, 2017)

49autocycledeluxe said:


> ...
> now that I am old I swapped the bars out and removed the front deraileur.  I have 39 and a 42 chainrings up front. don't need the big ring anymore since I coast down hills with the brakes on nowadays
> 
> I'm not going to sell it any time soon, but I am curious as to what people think of 80's bikes like this, and if maybe I should put it back to original, kinda wondering if this is vintage or classic or just used and outdated.
> ...




Half-steps isn't a disadvantage in any way - in fact, on an old bike, it gives you the narrow steps you need for keeping up in a group where most people are riding newer x11s.
Half steps really improve your gear choices on a wide freewheel.
The second rebuild on my '76 Raleigh incorporated 46/41T half-steps on the Strada-clone crankset (with 144 bcd, 41T is the smallest chainring that fits).
Picking the 46T outer ring to match it was my first use of Sheldon's gear calculator, the goal being to eliminate duplicates in the gear combinations.




This rebuild also incorporated the Nitto Moustache cockpit, with my friction DT shift levers moved to bar end pods (made by DiaCompe Ene and sold by Rivendell).
I'll add if you're ever thinking about a moustache bar, you need a tall quill stem with a reach 2 inches shorter than you'd use on your drop bars.  No one is lukewarm about moustache bars - everyone either loves them or hates them.  For me, they're perfection, and reach measurements from this bike became my benchmark for building 3 other bikes.

While the half-steps are great for getting narrow steps and group riding, it still won't get me home - getting to my house at the end of a ride is a 400' climb and the grade his 14% in several spots.
People from the city come out to train on my neighborhood hills.
So my 3rd and final rebuild was a half-step triple with granny, which I also used on my bare-frame '57 Lenton GP project.
Since the 3x7 from the old Grand Prix ended up on my International, here's the drivetrain now, and the drivetrain analysis on Mike's Gear Calculator




I also just love the half-step shifting algorithm.  Either up or down, always shift first up front, then shift in the rear if you need more.
The granny is in reserve, though I usually store my bikes in small-small to keep both derailleur springs relaxed.
The way you use the granny for outrageous grades up to 20%, is go into it in about a 50" approach gear on the granny ring, then from there you have very narrow steps for shifting both down and up as the grade changes.


----------



## retrobuilder (Oct 12, 2017)

mtb to city bike - pre 20th century  1993


----------

